Patents by Inventor John S. Harper

John S. Harper 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: 9013512
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable media for dynamically setting an executing application's display buffer size are described. To ameliorate display device overscan operations, the size of an executing application's display buffer may be set based on the display device's extent and a display mode. In addition, contents of the executing application's display buffer may be operated on as they are moved to a frame buffer based on the display mode. In one mode, for example, display buffer contents may be scaled before being placed into the frame buffer. In another mode, a black border may be placed around display buffer contents as it is placed into the frame buffer. In yet another mode, display buffer contents may be copied into the frame buffer without further processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy Sandmel, Joshua H. Shaffer, Toby C. Paterson, Patrick Coffman, Geoffrey Stahl, John S. Harper
  • Patent number: 8963799
    Abstract: A data processing system composites graphics content, generated by an application program running on the data processing system, to generate image data. The data processing system stores the image data in a first framebuffer and displays an image generated from the image data in the first framebuffer on an internal display device of the data processing system. A scaler in the data processing system performs scaling operations on the image data in the first framebuffer, stores the scaled image data in a second framebuffer and displays an image generated from the scaled image data in the second framebuffer on an external display device coupled to the data processing system. The scaler performs the scaling operations asynchronously with respect to the compositing of the graphics content. The data processing system automatically mirrors the image on the external display device unless the application program is publishing additional graphics content for display on the external display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John S. Harper, Kenneth C. Dyke, Jeremy Sandmel
  • Publication number: 20140253584
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a predictive rendering component that may generate a rendering of a character based at least in part on predictive information regarding the background into which the character is to be rendered. Using such predictive information, the predictive rendering component may produce a rendering of a character that blends into the character background more smoothly than if the predictive background information were not used. In this way, the predictive rendering component improves upon previous implementations of font smoothing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John S. Harper, Craig M. Federighi, Geoffrey Stahl
  • Publication number: 20130328859
    Abstract: Shadows, reflections, and other image effects for use with high-resolution display screens may be quickly and efficiently generated to maximize resources available for other applications and programs. These effects may be quickly and efficiently created by identifying a region surrounding an image, distorting the image in the region, applying a uniform blur and/or other effect to the distorted image, and then undoing the distortion. By selectively applying effects to distorted images, it is possible to create the appearance of a non-uniformly applied blur and other effects without using the computing resources required to actually calculate and apply a non-uniform blur on a pixel-by-pixel basis. Systems, methods, and media are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Chad E. Jones, John S. Harper, Richard R. Dellinger
  • Publication number: 20130222411
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to additive color systems. In one embodiment, an apparatus is disclosed that includes a device configured to operate on pixel data having color component values falling within an extended range outside of 0.0 to 1.0 corresponding to an extended range color space. In one embodiment, a gamma correction function is disclosed that can be applied to the pixel data, where the gamma correction function is applicable to both negative and positive values. Various embodiments of formats for arranging pixel data are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Inventors: Brijesh Tripathi, Craig M. Okruhlica, John S. Harper, Steve Swen
  • Publication number: 20130201197
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable media for dynamically setting an executing application's display buffer size are described. To ameliorate display device overscan operations, the size of an executing application's display buffer may be set based on the display device's extent and a display mode. In addition, contents of the executing application's display buffer may be operated on as they are moved to a frame buffer based on the display mode. In one mode, for example, display buffer contents may be scaled before being placed into the frame buffer. In another mode, a black border may be placed around display buffer contents as it is placed into the frame buffer. In yet another mode, display buffer contents may be copied into the frame buffer without further processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Jeremy Sandmel, Joshua H. Shaffer, Toby C. Paterson, Patrick Coffman, Geoffrey Stahl, John S. Harper
  • Publication number: 20130201196
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable media for implementing reentrant compositing window manager applications are described. In general, techniques are disclosed for using a second application to composite portions of hierarchically structured objects and the window manager to composite certain other portions of the same object. More particularly, a window manager application may be used to composite objects of a first type (e.g., application backing store bitmaps) and then call or invoke a second application to composite objects of a second type (e.g., hierarchically structured objects). The second type of object includes information (e.g., a reference) of the composite window manager's output buffer at the time the second application was invoked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John S. Harper, Geoffrey Stahl, Assana M. Fard
  • Publication number: 20120176396
    Abstract: A data processing system composites graphics content, generated by an application program running on the data processing system, to generate image data. The data processing system stores the image data in a first framebuffer and displays an image generated from the image data in the first framebuffer on an internal display device of the data processing system. A scaler in the data processing system performs scaling operations on the image data in the first framebuffer, stores the scaled image data in a second framebuffer and displays an image generated from the scaled image data in the second framebuffer on an external display device coupled to the data processing system. The scaler performs the scaling operations asynchronously with respect to the compositing of the graphics content. The data processing system automatically mirrors the image on the external display device unless the application program is publishing additional graphics content for display on the external display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Inventors: John S. Harper, Kenneth C. Dyke, Jeremy Sandmel
  • Patent number: 4322127
    Abstract: A casting is made of a corner having three mutually intersecting flat surfaces, one of which is perpendicular to the other two, while a fiber end is positioned against the corner in an orientation such that the end of the fiber butts against said one corner surface and the side surface of the fiber tangentially touches said other two corner surfaces. Two such castings, each carrying a fiber end, are aligned with each other in an alignment frame having two flat alignment surfaces which are oriented with respect to each other at the same orientation as the two corner surfaces which tangentially touch the fiber side surface. Since these orientations are the same, the castings fit precisely into the groove formed by the two flat alignment surfaces of the frame and can be moved toward each other until they touch. In this position the fiber ends carried by the castings are butt aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1979
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1982
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Liam D. Comerford, John S. Harper, Eric G. Lean
  • Patent number: 4244681
    Abstract: A mold having a vee-shaped groove receives an optical fiber end in butted relationship with either another fiber end or with a mold wall surface which is perpendicular to the vee-shaped groove. Field forces are generated which urge unattached and disposable fiber seating elements into the groove, the seating elements in turn pushing the optical fiber end(s) into the groove until the side surface of the optical fiber end(s) are in tangential contact with both sides of the vee-shaped groove. While the optical fiber end(s) are so positioned, casting liquid is introduced into the vee-shaped groove. The seating elements remain within the casting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1981
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Liam D. Comerford, John D. Crow, John S. Harper