Patents Examined by A. Brautigam
  • Patent number: 6917369
    Abstract: A method and apparatus render a region of a distance field representing an object. The distance field is partitioned into a set of cells, where each cell includes a set of distance samples and a method for reconstructing the distance field within the cell using the distance samples. A set of source cells is selected from the set of cells of the distance field to enable the rendering of the region. Each source cell is represented as a geometric element in a world coordinate system. Each geometric element is associated with a texture map, where the texture map includes distance samples of the corresponding source cell of the geometric element. Each geometric element is transformed from the world coordinate system to a pixel coordinate system and texture mapped, using the distance samples, to determine a distance for each component of each pixel associated with the geometric element. The distance of each component of each pixel is mapped to an antialiased intensity of the component of the pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald N. Perry, Sarah F. Frisken
  • Patent number: 6911991
    Abstract: The present invention provides a mechanism by which the number of bits used to identify the WIDs for each of the color buffer and the overlay buffer may be programmed into the graphics adapter based on the currently active application environment. With the apparatus and method of the present invention, a programmable WAT color size selection device is provided in a RAMDAC of the graphics adapter. This programmable WAT color size selection device may be dynamically programmed to use varying bit splits of a WID from a WID buffer to obtain different indexes into a color WAT table and an overlay WAT table. In this way, different splits of, for example, an eight bit WID may be obtained based on the setting of the programmable WAT color size selection device such that varying color and overlay capabilities are obtainable dynamically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Neal Richard Marion, George F. Ramsay, III, James Stanley Tesauro
  • Patent number: 6903750
    Abstract: A method for generating a series of digitized control values for an output device to represent a continuous series of source data, comprising the steps of: storing in a single register a first digitized control value and an indication of deviation between that value and the source data; and repeatedly adding an increment to the register to generate a further digitized control value and simultaneously update the indication of deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Limited
    Inventor: Nathan Mackenzie Sidwell
  • Patent number: 6903746
    Abstract: A first texture is used for determining color and design of a polygon structuring an object rendered upon a two-dimensional screen. A second texture has a pattern of dense distribution of color with a predetermined slant relative to the two-dimensional screen. An rendering processing device first applies a first texture to a polygon structuring an object, and thereafter performs translucent synthesis of a second texture on an object applied with the first texture, thereby making it possible to easily render an image in a hand-drawn illustration style in, for example, home video games and computer graphics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Fukushima, Kentaro Motomura
  • Patent number: 6894701
    Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting different anti-aliasing filters to be applied to objects of image data rendered with pixel sub-component precision based on the attributes of the objects of the graphics image. For example, when rendering a character traditional anti-aliasing applied in the direction parallel to the striping of the pixel sub-components is adapted to the unique requirements of different character font sizes such that a large amount of anti-aliasing is applied to large font sizes while a small amount of anti-aliasing is provided for characters at small font sizes. Displaced sampling is utilized to determine the alpha values for a plurality of vertical samples for each RGB pixel sub-component. The selected anti-aliasing filter is applied to the alpha values to determine the luminous intensity values of the RGB pixel sub-components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: David C. Brown, John C. Platt, Michael Duggan, Gregory Hitchcock, Beat Stamm
  • Patent number: 6891548
    Abstract: Systems and methods provide a more efficient and effective gradient computation. Specifically, in one embodiment, a method is provided for calculating a texture-mapping gradient, which comprises calculating constant values for use in a gradient-calculating equation, passing the constant values to logic configured to calculate the gradient, and computing the gradient using barycentric coordinates and the calculated constant values. In accordance with another embodiment, an apparatus is provided for calculating a texture-mapping gradient, which comprises logic for calculating constant values for use in a gradient-calculating equation, and logic for computing the gradient-calculating equation using barycentric coordinates and the calculated constant values. In accordance with another embodiment, a computer-readable medium is also provided that contains code (e.g., RTL logic) for generating the computational logic mentioned above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Byron Alcorn, Jason Kassoff
  • Patent number: 6888553
    Abstract: There are provided an apparatus and a method for adjusting the color temperature of an input image using metadata corresponding to the color temperature of the input image. The apparatus includes a color temperature calculation unit which receives a predetermined image and calculates the color temperature of the predetermined image, a metadata generation unit which divides a color temperature range into a plurality of color temperature sections and generates metadata using information on a color temperature section to which the color temperature of the predetermined image belongs, and a metadata database which stores the metadata corresponding to the predetermined image and transmits the metadata to a user terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-kyun Kim, Du-sik Park, Chang-yeong Kim, Ki-won Yoo, Young-sik Huh
  • Patent number: 6864897
    Abstract: A method generates a synthetic textured data signal by first acquiring a time-invariant input textured data signal. The input textured data signal is sampled to construct an observation matrix. The observation matrix is eigen-coding and factoring to identify a linear dynamic system modeling the input textured data signal. Then, the linear dynamic system can be run forward from an initial state using a quadratic regulator and a random noise signal to generate the synthetic textured data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs, Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew E. Brand
  • Patent number: 6844883
    Abstract: A method of correcting a video signal includes retrieving a correction data from a respective one multiple memory devices; reordering the correction data to a predetermined order for a particular segment; and interpolating multiple correction data so that all pixels in the particular segment have a corresponding one of the correction data. An apparatus for correcting video comprises multiple memory devices, each having multiple correction data; a cross-bar switch that reorders at least some of the data to a predetermined order for a particular segment; and an interpolator that calculates multiple interpolated correction data. One of the correction data corresponds to one of multiple pixels in the segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Michael Bakhmutsky
  • Patent number: 6842184
    Abstract: A dither matrix generator defines a three-dimensional array of pixels referred to as the “cluster array” in which each pixel is designated based on its value as a “cluster pixel” or a “void pixel”. The dither matrix generator also defines a three-dimensional array referred to as the “dither matrix,” and assigns rank values to the dither matrix in two stages. In the first stage, the dither matrix generator identifies the largest cluster in the cluster array, identifies a cluster pixel located in the largest cluster, assigns a rank value to the element in the dither matrix corresponding to the cluster pixel and removes the cluster pixel from the cluster array. The process is repeated until the cluster array contains no cluster pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Jincheng Huang, Joseph Shu
  • Patent number: 6839068
    Abstract: If the main picture's size contained in a picture data file is equal to or smaller than the display's size of a displaying portion, a controlling portion displays the main picture in the display area. If the main picture's size is larger than the display's size and the picture data file does not contain a thumbnail, the controlling portion reduces the main picture's size and displays the reduced main picture. If the main picture's size is larger than the display's size and the thumbnail's size contained in the picture data file is equal to or smaller than the display's size, the controlling portion displays the thumbnail. If the main picture's size is larger than the display's size and the thumbnail's size contained in the picture data file is larger than the display's size, the controlling portion reduces the thumbnail's size and displays the reduced thumbnail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 6836271
    Abstract: Character data to be displayed is obtained. The obtained character data is boldfaced by increasing a character line width of the obtained character data in a first direction by an amount corresponding to at least a width of a light-emitting element. A boldfaced character is displayed on a display screen in accordance with data derived from the boldfaced character data. In boldfacing the character data, a character line width-increasing pattern is selected in accordance with a degree to which the luminous intensity of the light-emitting elements contributes. In particular, the step of increasing the character line width in order to boldface the character data avoids a pattern in which a B-light (blue) emitting element is located at a next-to-endmost inner position of the increased character line width. A light-emitting pattern is selected in order to eliminate an isolated sub-pixel spot, which otherwise would objectionably be visible in the boldfaced character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadanori Tezuka, Hiroyuki Yoshida, Bunpei Toji
  • Patent number: 6828982
    Abstract: Pixels in a YUV format including a Y component representing luminance and U and V components representing chrominance are converted into a RGB format including R, G, and B components respectively representing red, green, and blue colors in order to display images on a video display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) or a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for converting the pixels from the YUV format to the RGB format using color look-up tables with a small memory capacity. The R component is obtained from the first and second color look-up tables using the Y and V components as indexes, and the G component is obtained from the first, third, and fourth color look-up tables using the Y, U, and V components as indexes, and the B component is obtained from the first and fifth color look-up tables using the Y and U components as indexes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seung-Cheol Lee
  • Patent number: 6816169
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for integrating an inset geometry within a background geometry. The method comprises the step of identifying a perimeter of the inset geometry. A further step is extending a skirt, having an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter, from the perimeter of the inset geometry out over the background geometry. An additional step is removing portions of the background geometry that are covered by the inset geometry and skirt. Another step is modifying the skirt so that the outer perimeter of the skirt matches background geometry behavior and the inner perimeter matches inset geometry behavior and a continuous transition exists between the outer perimeter and the inner perimeter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Cosman
  • Patent number: 6792205
    Abstract: A method generates a textured range image by first acquiring a first image of a scene illuminated with ambient light, and acquiring a second image of the scene illuminated with direct light. The first and second images are combined to determine the textured range image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah F. Frisken, Ronald N. Perry
  • Patent number: 6791573
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for erasing in a digital image. A method includes identifying a plurality of tip regions on the image, establishing an erasure color, and completely erasing pixels in the tip region that have a color matching the erasure color. Pixels having partially matching colors are partially erased and color decontaminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: Mark Hamburg
  • Patent number: 6788307
    Abstract: A device for improving pixel rendering performance in a computer graphics system. The device includes a pixel resolution buffer containing a plurality of pixel storage locations to store pixel values. A depth value is provided for each pixel storage location in the pixel resolution buffer, to store a closest depth for polygons that cover the pixel. A subpixel resolution buffer is also included with a least two subpixels corresponding to each pixel storage location in the pixel resolution buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
    Inventors: Terrence J. Coleman, Ken George
  • Patent number: 6720974
    Abstract: Disclosed are an arithmetic unit and an arithmetic processing method. In the arithmetic unit, in linear interpolation of a parameter of a pixel to be used to plot an object in a three-dimensional video, an operation result value can be fixed in response to a particular gradient value of the parameter and power consumption arising from charging and discharging through a clock wiring line can be reduced. The arithmetic unit includes an arithmetic operation element for linearly interpolating a parameter of a pixel in a triangle based on coordinate values of a vertex of the triangle and gradient values of the parameters in X and Y directions, a clock supply element for supplying a clock signal to the arithmetic operation element, a detection element for detecting a particular gradient value of the parameter in the X direction or/and the Y direction, and a control element for controlling the clock supply element in response to a gradient value of the parameter detection signal received from the detection element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeatsu Yoshioka, Hiroyuki Ozawa
  • Patent number: 6690384
    Abstract: A system for full-scene anti-aliasing and stereo three-dimensional display control. The system includes a receiving buffer, a geometry offset generator, a rendering engine, and a blending engine. The receiving buffer receives a geometry, and the geometry offset generator receives stereo parameters and FSAA parameters, calculates first and second stereo offsets according to the stereo parameters, and calculates first and second FSAA offsets according to the FSAA parameters. The rendering engine combines the first and second stereo offsets with the first FSAA offset respectively to obtain first and second new offsets, combines the first and second stereo offsets with the second FSAA offset respectively to obtain third and fourth new offsets, and re-renders the geometry according to the first, second, third, and fourth new offsets respectively, so as to obtain first, second, third, and fourth new geometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Silicon Intergrated Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Yung-Feng Chiu, Hsi-Jou Deng, Ruen-Rone Lee