Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Sunnison, McKay & Hodgson, L.L.P.
  • Patent number: 6545677
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for modeling the specular reflection of light from an object is disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment of the method, a portion of the object is modeled by one or more surfaces each having at least one vertex and an edge point corresponding to an edge. A sine value associated with a highlight angle is determined at each vertex and edge point, and a control value is determined at each vertex and edge point using the sine values. A specular input component at each point on the surface is determined using the control values. The specular input component is utilized to determine the specular light component at that particular point. Embodiments of apparatus implementing the method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Russell A. Brown