Hardware and software for the visualization of three-dimensional data sets

摘要

A method and system for the visualization of three-dimensional data sets. The data set is compressed using blockwise two-level (one bit) quantization. The compressed data is stored on a storage medium and a visualization algorithm is applied to the compressed data set. The compression operation of one of said blocks results in a bit string, herein denoted a code element, which contains one decision bit for each data element defining the level assigned to a data element, and the two levels for a block. Data elements, for example, represent brightness values or colors, wherein the resulting colors of the entire compressed data set are again quantized to a smaller number of bits, e.g. 8 bits.