METHOD FOR POLYGON REDUCTION

1 . A computer implemented method for polygon reduction of an initial three-dimensional graphics image, the method comprising:

obtaining the initial three-dimensional graphics image, the initial three-dimensional graphics image being represented as a polygon mesh;

performing a polygon reduction process based on the initial three-dimensional graphics image resulting in a first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image;

establishing a relationship between a plurality of points on a surface of the initial three-dimensional graphics image and a corresponding plurality of points on a surface of the first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image;

determining an error distance in regards to each of the related points on the surfaces, respectively; and

resizing the first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image such that at least one of a visual error as observer by a user, a maximum error distance or a mean error distance is reduced, resulting in a second polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a relationship between the reduction of the maximum error distance and the mean error distance is determined as a parameter provided by a user operating the computer implemented method.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the plurality of determined error distances are given a higher weight as compared a second portion of the plurality of determined error distances.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the relationship between the respective surfaces is determined using at least one of ray casting between the initial three-dimensional graphics image and the first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image, a polygon relationship between the initial three-dimensional graphics image first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image, a texture relation between the initial three-dimensional graphics image first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image, a common parameterization for the initial three-dimensional graphics image and the first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image, and using a volumetric grid to establish a correspondence between the initial three-dimensional graphics image and the first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of mapping a texture of the initial three-dimensional graphics image to a corresponding position of the second polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image based on the established relationship between points on the respective surfaces.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the initial, the first and the second three-dimensional graphics image is a polygonal image comprising a plurality of polygons forming a 3-D computer graphics image.

7 . An image processing apparatus for polygon reduction of an initial three-dimensional graphics image, comprising:

means for obtaining the initial three-dimensional graphics image, the initial three-dimensional graphics image being represented as a polygon mesh;

means for performing a polygon reduction process based on the initial three-dimensional graphics image resulting in a first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image;

means for establishing a relationship between a plurality of points on a surface of the initial three-dimensional graphics image and a corresponding plurality of points on a surface of the first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image;

means for determining an error distance in regards to each of the related points on the surfaces, respectively; and

means for resizing the first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image such that at least one of a visual error as observer by a user, a maximum error distance or a mean error distance is reduced, resulting in a second polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image.

8 . The image processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein a relationship between the reduction of the maximum error distance and the mean error distance is determined as a parameter provided by a user operating the computer implemented method.

9 . The image processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein a first portion of the plurality of determined error distances are given a higher weight as compared a second portion of the plurality of determined error distances.

10 . The image processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the relationship between the respective surfaces is determined using at least one of ray casting between the initial three-dimensional graphics image and the first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image, a polygon relationship between the initial three-dimensional graphics image first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image, a texture relation between the initial three-dimensional graphics image first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image, a common parameterization for the initial three-dimensional graphics image and the first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image, and using a volumetric grid to establish a correspondence between the initial three-dimensional graphics image and the first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image.

11 . The image processing apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising means for mapping a texture of the initial three-dimensional graphics image to a corresponding position of the second polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image based on the established relationship between points on the respective surfaces.

12 . The image processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the initial, the first and the second three-dimensional graphics image is a polygonal image comprising a plurality of polygons forming a 3-D computer graphics image.

13 . A computer-readable storage medium storing a program which causes a computer to execute the image processing method of claim 1 .

14 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer program means for controlling an image processing apparatus configured for performing a polygon reduction of an initial three-dimensional graphics image, wherein the computer program product comprises:

code for obtaining the initial three-dimensional graphics image, the initial three-dimensional graphics image being represented as a polygon mesh;

code for performing a polygon reduction process based on the initial three-dimensional graphics image resulting in a first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image;

code for establishing a relationship between a plurality of points on a surface of the initial three-dimensional graphics image and a corresponding plurality of points on a surface of the first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image;

code for determining an error distance in regards to each of the related points on the surfaces, respectively; and

code for resizing the first polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image such that at least one of a visual error as observer by a user, a maximum error distance or a mean error distance is reduced, resulting in a second polygon reduced representation of the initial three-dimensional graphics image.