Patents by Inventor John Roll

John Roll has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10282867
    Abstract: A touch input is received on the touchscreen. The touch input comprises a stroke and is associated with variable opacity. The stroke is converted to a plurality of segments. The plurality of segments comprises a plurality of arc segments, line segments, or a combination. A plurality of stamps is generated corresponding to the plurality segments. Shading is applied to the stroke, where applying shading comprises varying at least one of a weight or an offset of at least one color associated with at least one pixel of at least one stamp of the plurality of stamps. The plurality of stamps is rendered on the touchscreen of the device to represent the stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Ryan Bloomfield, Nicholas Defay Feeney, David Foster Spruill, Anthony John Rolls Hodsdon
  • Patent number: 10269143
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described herein for rendering and blending variable opacity ink strokes on a touchscreen device. In one aspect, blending variable opacity ink strokes may include receiving a touch input including a stroke associated with variable opacity, and converting the stroke to a plurality of segments, including arc segments, line segments, or a combination thereof. Next, a plurality of stamps corresponding to the plurality segments may be generated and combined with a static texture and a varying texture. The plurality of stamps may be rendered on the touchscreen of the device to represent the stroke. In another aspect, the received stroke may at least partially overlap other visual data. In this case, the stamps associated with the stroke may be blended with the other visual data using source-over blending The blended plurality of stamps may be rendered on the touchscreen of the device to represent the stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Ryan Bloomfield, Nicholas Defay Feeney, David Foster Spruill, Anthony John Rolls Hodsdon
  • Patent number: 10235778
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described herein for rendering variable opacity ink strokes on a touchscreen device. In one aspect, a method for rendering variable opacity ink strokes includes receiving a touch input including a stroke associated with variable opacity on a touchscreen of a device. The stroke may be converted to at least one Bezier curve. The at least one Bezier curve may be smoothed and dividing into a plurality of segments, wherein the plurality of segments includes arc segments, line segments, or a combination thereof. A plurality of stamps may be generated corresponding to the plurality of segments. The plurality of stamps may be rendered on the touchscreen of the device to represent the stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Ryan Bloomfield, Nicholas Defay Feeney, David Foster Spruill, Anthony John Rolls Hodsdon
  • Patent number: 9997977
    Abstract: A dual engine generator has two engines and two inverters and two alternators configured within an inner enclosure. An outer enclosure extends around the inner enclosure to create plenums for airflow. Cooling airflow enters through the outer cover and flows through the plenums and into the inner enclosure to cool the components therein. Airflows out of the inner enclosure and into the plenums and finally exhausts from the outer enclosure. The outer enclosure may have rounded sides to form a pill shaped enclosure. The outer covers are configured to deflect or flex in high wind condition and protect the inner enclosure. The engines are configured above the alternator and inverter and a flow of air reduces heat from the engines from overheating the other components. The mufflers are within the plenums and a flow of exhaust air from within the inner enclosure is directed over the mufflers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: MWE Investments LLC
    Inventor: Michael John Roll
  • Patent number: 9779528
    Abstract: In one example, a graphics processing unit may use an optimized geometric realization to render a text shape as a scalable geometry. The graphics processing unit may generate an inner geometry for a text shape. The graphics processing unit also may generate a tessellated edge geometry abutting the inner geometry for an edge of the text shape. The graphics processing unit further may assign a coverage gradient to the tessellated edge geometry to create an anti-aliased edge for the text shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Miles Cohen, Anthony John Rolls Hodsdon
  • Publication number: 20170278275
    Abstract: A touch input is received on the touchscreen. The touch input comprises a stroke and is associated with variable opacity. The stroke is converted to a plurality of segments. The plurality of segments comprises a plurality of arc segments, line segments, or a combination. A plurality of stamps is generated corresponding to the plurality segments. Shading is applied to the stroke, where applying shading comprises varying at least one of a weight or an offset of at least one color associated with at least one pixel of at least one stamp of the plurality of stamps. The plurality of stamps is rendered on the touchscreen of the device to represent the stroke.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Jeffrey Ryan Bloomfield, Nicholas Defay Feeney, David Foster Spruill, Anthony John Rolls Hodsdon
  • Publication number: 20170278274
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described herein for rendering and blending variable opacity ink strokes on a touchscreen device. In one aspect, blending variable opacity ink strokes may include receiving a touch input including a stroke associated with variable opacity, and converting the stroke to a plurality of segments, including arc segments, line segments, or a combination thereof. Next, a plurality of stamps corresponding to the plurality segments may be generated and combined with a static texture and a varying texture. The plurality of stamps may be rendered on the touchscreen of the device to represent the stroke. In another aspect, the received stroke may at least partially overlap other visual data. In this case, the stamps associated with the stroke may be blended with the other visual data using source-over blending The blended plurality of stamps may be rendered on the touchscreen of the device to represent the stroke.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Jeffrey Ryan Bloomfield, Nicholas Defay Feeney, David Foster Spruill, Anthony John Rolls Hodsdon
  • Publication number: 20170278283
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described herein for rendering variable opacity ink strokes on a touchscreen device. In one aspect, a method for rendering variable opacity ink strokes includes receiving a touch input including a stroke associated with variable opacity on a touchscreen of a device. The stroke may be converted to at least one Bezier curve. The at least one Bezier curve may be smoothed and dividing into a plurality of segments, wherein the plurality of segments includes arc segments, line segments, or a combination thereof. A plurality of stamps may be generated corresponding to the plurality of segments. The plurality of stamps may be rendered on the touchscreen of the device to represent the stroke.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Jeffrey Ryan Bloomfield, Nicholas Defay Feeney, David Foster Spruill, Anthony John Rolls Hodsdon
  • Patent number: 9697625
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided for efficient real-time ink stroke smoothing, trajectory prediction, and GPU-leveraged rendering of ink stroke input. First and second ink points are received and an active Bézier approximation is computed based thereupon. Sequentially later in time that the first and second ink points, a third ink point is received. It is determined whether the third ink point adequately fits the active Bézier approximation. Where it is determined that the third ink point adequately fits, an updated active Bézier approximation is computed that includes the first, second and third ink points. Where it is determined that the third ink point fails to adequately fit, a different new Bézier approximation is computed that includes the third ink point but not the first and second ink points. Leveraging a GPU, a smoothed ink stroke based upon the Bézier approximation(s) is rendered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Silvano Bonacina, Aleksandar Uzelac, Austin Bradley Hodges, David Abzarian, Fei Su, Miles M. Cohen, Anthony John Rolls Hodsdon
  • Publication number: 20160358348
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided for efficient real-time ink stroke smoothing, trajectory prediction, and GPU-leveraged rendering of ink stroke input. First and second ink points are received and an active Bézier approximation is computed based thereupon. Sequentially later in time that the first and second ink points, a third ink point is received. It is determined whether the third ink point adequately fits the active Bézier approximation. Where it is determined that the third ink point adequately fits, an updated active Bézier approximation is computed that includes the first, second and third ink points. Where it is determined that the third ink point fails to adequately fit, a different new Bézier approximation is computed that includes the third ink point but not the first and second ink points. Leveraging a GPU, a smoothed ink stroke based upon the Bézier approximation(s) is rendered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: SILVANO BONACINA, ALEKSANDAR UZELAC, AUSTIN BRADLEY HODGES, DAVID ABZARIAN, FEI SU, MILES M. COHEN, ANTHONY JOHN ROLLS HODSDON
  • Patent number: 9508166
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided for efficient real-time ink stroke smoothing, trajectory prediction, and GPU-leveraged rendering of ink stroke input. First and second ink points are received and an active Bézier approximation is computed based thereupon. Sequentially later in time that the first and second ink points, a third ink point is received. It is determined whether the third ink point adequately fits the active Bézier approximation. Where it is determined that the third ink point adequately fits, an updated active Bézier approximation is computed that includes the first, second and third ink points. Where it is determined that the third ink point fails to adequately fit, a different new Bézier approximation is computed that includes the third ink point but not the first and second ink points. Leveraging a GPU, a smoothed ink stroke based upon the Bézier approximation(s) is rendered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Silvano Bonacina, Aleksandar Uzelac, Austin Bradley Hodges, David Abzarian, Fei Su, Miles M Cohen, Anthony John Rolls Hodsdon
  • Patent number: 9401034
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-storage media for efficiently tessellating two dimensional (2-D) curves using a graphics pipeline running on a graphics processing unit (GPU) are provided. A central processing unit (CPU) converts a geometry having one or more 2-D curves into an intermediate tessellation having at least one Bezier fan with a fan origin and four control points. The intermediate tessellation is sent on to the graphics pipeline. A hull shader in the graphics pipeline is configured to approximate the Bezier fan curve by subdividing the curve into a defined number of triangles based on a maximum value of a width or a height of a bounding box containing the four control points of the Bezier fan. A domain shader in the graphics pipeline is configured to determine a vertex position for each of the defined triangles along the curve of the Bezier fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Anthony John Rolls Hodsdon, Blake Douglas Pelton
  • Patent number: 9384589
    Abstract: Techniques for anti-aliasing for geometries are described. In at least some embodiments, a graphical image is reduced to a collection of polygonal geometric primitives (“geometries”). The individual geometries are processed according to techniques discussed herein such that anti-aliasing is applied to the geometries when the geometries are displayed as part of the graphical image. For example, anti-aliasing of a general-purpose geometry is achieved via an associated collection of quadrilaterals and bevels that can be dynamically transformed when the geometry is rendered for display. In at least some embodiments, quadrilaterals and bevels generated for a geometry enable the geometry to be dynamically transformed and re-rendered multiple times to achieve a variety of visuals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Claire Marie Louise Andrews, Blake D. Pelton, Anthony John Rolls Hodsdon
  • Publication number: 20160078649
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided for efficient real-time ink stroke smoothing, trajectory prediction, and GPU-leveraged rendering of ink stroke input. First and second ink points are received and an active Bézier approximation is computed based thereupon. Sequentially later in time that the first and second ink points, a third ink point is received. It is determined whether the third ink point adequately fits the active Bézier approximation. Where it is determined that the third ink point adequately fits, an updated active Bézier approximation is computed that includes the first, second and third ink points. Where it is determined that the third ink point fails to adequately fit, a different new Bézier approximation is computed that includes the third ink point but not the first and second ink points. Leveraging a GPU, a smoothed ink stroke based upon the Bézier approximation(s) is rendered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: SILVANO BONACINA, ALEKSANDAR UZELAC, AUSTIN BRADLEY HODGES, DAVID ABZARIAN, FEI SU, MILES M. COHEN, ANTHONY JOHN ROLLS HODSDON
  • Publication number: 20160078655
    Abstract: In one example, a graphics processing unit may use an optimized geometric realization to render a text shape as a scalable geometry. The graphics processing unit may generate an inner geometry for a text shape. The graphics processing unit also may generate a tessellated edge geometry abutting the inner geometry for an edge of the text shape. The graphics processing unit further may assign a coverage gradient to the tessellated edge geometry to create an anti-aliased edge for the text shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Miles Cohen, Anthony John Rolls Hodsdon
  • Patent number: 9129441
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improved filtering and correcting of glyphs on a GPU. The computational intensity required for filtering and/or rendering can be reduced by pre-calculating some or all of the calculations needed for converting coverage data into corrected pixel values. Additional efficiencies may be realized in some embodiments by transferring data from a CPU to a GPU in an improved format. The improvements can be realized in a variety of graphics formats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Blaise Pascal Fonkou Tine, Christopher Nathaniel Raubacher, Anthony John Rolls Hodsdon, Miles Mark Cohen
  • Publication number: 20140320523
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-storage media for efficiently tessellating two dimensional (2-D) curves using a graphics pipeline running on a graphics processing unit (GPU) are provided. A central processing unit (CPU) converts a geometry having one or more 2-D curves into an intermediate tessellation having at least one Bezier fan with a fan origin and four control points. The intermediate tessellation is sent on to the graphics pipeline. A hull shader in the graphics pipeline is configured to approximate the Bezier fan curve by subdividing the curve into a defined number of triangles based on a maximum value of a width or a height of a bounding box containing the four control points of the Bezier fan. A domain shader in the graphics pipeline is configured to determine a vertex position for each of the defined triangles along the curve of the Bezier fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: ANTHONY JOHN ROLLS HODSDON, BLAKE DOUGLAS PELTON
  • Patent number: 8139075
    Abstract: A system, a method and computer-readable media for rendering text with a graphics processing unit (GPU). The system, method, and media includes a GPU that may be configured to receive a plurality of compressed glyph bitmap and create a plurality of glyph textures from the bitmap. The GPU may be further configured to pack a plurality of rows of data from a glyph bitmap into a single row of a glyph texture. The GPU may be also be configured to merge the plurality of glyph textures into a merged texture to identify overlapping rows of color. Additionally, the GPU maybe configured to filter the merged texture to create a grayscale texture containing a plurality of merged glyphs and rendering the grayscale texture to display the plurality of merged glyphs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corp.
    Inventors: Miles Mark Cohen, Anthony John Rolls Hodsdon, Louri Vladimirovitch Tarassov, Niklas Erik Borson, Mark Andrew Lawrence, Mikhail Mikhailovich Lyapunov, Benjamin C. Constable, Christopher Nathaniel Raubacher
  • Patent number: RE43535
    Abstract: The swivel jack assembly is used with trailers to vertically position a trailer tongue for mounting onto a hitch of the towing vehicle. The swivel jack assembly includes a jack-mounting bracket welded to an outer housing of the jack, and a tongue-mounting bracket mounted onto the tongue portion of a trailer. The jack also includes a novel swivel mechanism for pivoting the mechanism in either an upright support position or a horizontal stowed position. A cup-shaped section of the jack-mounting bracket nests within a cup-shaped section of the tongue-mounting bracket. When in the upright position, the jack extends vertically and may be used to raise or lower the tongue and support the trailer. The swivel jack assembly keeps the trailer in a level position when the trailer is disengaged from the towing vehicle. The swivel jack assembly is pivotally mounted onto the trailer tongue such that they can be pivotally repositioned to a stowed position when not in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Cequent Performance Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael John Roll
  • Patent number: RE43976
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for extending the effective circumferential extent of an original an aircraft simulator mirror cell having a base support structure mounted to a movable platform, the base support structure being in generally the shape of a portion of a sphere of a predetermined radius and having a predetermined circumferential extent defined by original edges of the support structure configured to support a vacuum-shaped reflective film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Q45 Services LLC
    Inventors: Michael Luther Ponder, Martyn John Rolls