Patents Examined by Daniel Hajnik
  • Patent number: 9311751
    Abstract: Various embodiments are disclosed that relate to the presentation of images of shadows cast over a real-world background by images of objects displayed on a see-through display. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a method of operating a display device having a see-through display screen. The method comprises displaying on the see-through display screen an image of an object, and while displaying the image of the object, displaying an image of a shadow cast by the object onto the background scene by acquiring an image of a background scene, determining a location of the shadow in the image of the background scene, rendering an enhanced image of the background scene by increasing a relative brightness in a region adjacent to the shadow compared to a brightness within the shadow, and displaying the enhanced image of the background scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventor: Mathew Lamb
  • Patent number: 9305397
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a tessellation are described. These systems and methods may divide the domain into a plurality of portions, including a first portion. The systems and methods may also determine coordinates for vertices for a first set of shapes that reside within the first portion, wherein each shape of the first set of shapes includes at least one vertex on a first edge of the first portion. After determining coordinates for the vertices for the first set of shapes, the systems and methods may determine coordinates for vertices for a second set of shapes that reside within the first portion. Each shape of the second set of shapes shares at least one vertex with at least one shape of the first set of shapes and none of the shapes of the second set of shapes includes a vertex on the first edge of the first portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Usame Ceylan, Vineet Goel
  • Patent number: 9297924
    Abstract: Displaying data sets indicative of physical parameters associated with a formation penetrated by a wellbore. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods including: obtaining data regarding a trajectory of a wellbore; obtaining a first data set indicative of a first physical parameter associated with a formation penetrated by the wellbore; obtaining a second data set indicative of a second physical parameter associated with the formation; displaying a two-dimensional image that simulates a three-dimensional trajectory of the wellbore, the two-dimensional image from a particular viewpoint relative to the three-dimensional trajectory of the wellbore; displaying along the two-dimensional image a representation of the first data set on a first surface that abuts the trajectory of the wellbore; and displaying along the two-dimensional image a representation of the second data set on a second surface that abuts the trajectory of the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: LANDMARK GRAPHICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Clark D. FitzSimmons
  • Patent number: 9299182
    Abstract: A divided-area-based rendering device includes: a table generating unit that calculates, for each unit polygon, a first area including the unit polygon, using screen coordinates, determines, from among divided areas obtained by dividing a rendering region, a divided area including at least part of the first area, and generates an area-by-polygon table that is a table in which, for each unit polygon, the divided area including the at least part of the first area including the unit polygon is associated with the unit polygon; a determining unit that determines a rendering unit polygon that is one of the unit polygons which is associated with the divided area, by referring to the area-by-polygon table; and an area rendering unit that performs, for each divided area, vertex processing and rasterization on the rendering unit polygon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masato Yuda
  • Patent number: 9292922
    Abstract: A point cloud assisted photogrammetric restitution method is described. Said method comprises: the simultaneous visualization on a screen (5) of the ensemble of a stereoscopic image (33) and a point cloud (34) acquired on a given area (2), said stereoscopic image deriving from at least a couple of photogrammetric images (11) acquired on said given area (2) and oriented according to the same coordinate system of the point cloud, the real time connection of the collimation mark (S) of the stereoscopic image with the corresponding collimation mark (S?) of the point cloud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG
    Inventors: Aldo Facchin, Mario Nadalin
  • Patent number: 9280259
    Abstract: An electronic device, method and interface for the device, for performing an action with a processor through a three-dimensional desktop environment is disclosed. A three-dimensional desktop environment is generated by a display and projected into a real space. At least one ultrasonic transducer propagates an ultrasonic pulse into the real space and receives a reflection of the ultrasonic pulse from a user object in the real space. A user action of the user object within the three-dimensional desktop environment is determined using the reflection of the ultrasonic pulse. The processor performs the action based on the determined user action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Peter Mankowski
  • Patent number: 9251721
    Abstract: An interactive mixed reality simulator is provided that includes a virtual 3D model of internal or hidden features of an object; a physical model or object being interacted with; and a tracked instrument used to interact with the physical object. The tracked instrument can be used to simulate or visualize interactions with internal features of the physical object represented by the physical model. In certain embodiments, one or more of the internal features can be present in the physical model. In another embodiment, some internal features do not have a physical presence within the physical model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Samsun Lampotang, Nikolaus Gravenstein, David Erik Lizdas, Isaac Thomas Luria, Matthew James Peterson
  • Patent number: 9240066
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for facilitating skeletal animation are provided. A method may include determining a holistic motion path for a skeletal animation. The method may further include determining, independently of the determination of the holistic motion path, a limb animation for the skeletal animation based at least in part upon a plurality of skeletal key frames. The method may additionally include generating the skeletal animation by correlating the holistic motion path with the limb animation. Corresponding apparatuses are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Inventors: Kun Yu, Hao Wang, Danli Wang, Chunlong Yu
  • Patent number: 9224236
    Abstract: A depiction of a three-dimensional object that is displayed using volume rendering is influenced. A representation of the object, in which values of a variable characterizing the object are given at spatial points of the object and in which color values are allocated to the variable during the course of rendering, is provided. A set of points defined in the space of representation of the object is input, and a distance from spatial points incorporated by the representation to the set of points is calculated. Color values allocated to spatial points are modified, or color values are determined according to the calculated distance. A depiction of the object by volume rendering is calculated using the representation of the object, the representation incorporating the modified or determined color values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Klaus Engel
  • Patent number: 9218688
    Abstract: One embodiment of the invention sets forth a mechanism for displaying lighting values associated with a 3-D graphics model by superimposing an overlay grid with lighting values on the 3-D graphics model. A software rendering engine computes lighting values for each frame that includes the 3-D graphics model, where each frame may have different lighting settings. An overlay grid with lighting values may be superimposed on an area defined by a light meter on the 3-D graphics model. The lighting values on the overlay grid are associated with the light meter and may vary frame-over-frame. In another embodiment, a JPEG image with a superimposed overlay grid with per-pixel lighting values covering a 3-D graphics model is generated for each frame that includes the 3-D graphics model. These JPEG images may be displayed on the screen and stored to an external memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventors: Pierre Felix Breton, III, Kelcey Simpson, Michael Zyracki
  • Patent number: 9214036
    Abstract: Computer-generated images are generated by evaluating point positions of points on animated objects in animation data. The point positions of the points are used by an animation system to determine how to blend animated sequences or frames of animated sequences in order to create realistic moving animated characters and animated objects. The methods of blending are based on determining distances or deviations between corresponding points and using blending functions with varying blending windows and blending functions that can vary from point to point on the animated objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: PIXAR
    Inventors: Paul Kanyuk, Jeong Wook Park, Samantha Raja
  • Patent number: 9208618
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for rendering an anamorphic projection of 3D scene geometry on a handled device using a correct asymmetric perspective geometry projection. Once pose of the handheld device is determined, a relative eye position may be inferred when the device is tilted away from an initial or default pose, based on data supplied by accelerometers. Thus, embodiments of the invention result in a holographic style display without the need for glasses or external sensing attachments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventor: Kenny Mitchell
  • Patent number: 9202306
    Abstract: Presenting a view based on a virtual viewpoint in a three dimensional (3D) scene. The 3D scene may be presented by at least one display, which includes displaying at least one stereoscopic image of the 3D scene by the display(s). The 3D scene may be presented according to a first viewpoint. A virtual viewpoint may be determined within the 3D scene that is different than the first viewpoint. The view of the 3D scene may be presented on the display(s) according to the virtual viewpoint and/or the first view point. The presentation of the view of the 3D scene is performed concurrently with presenting the 3D scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: zSpace, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Vesely, Alan S. Gray
  • Patent number: 9202305
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image processing device generates a three-dimensional image to be displayed on a display unit. The display unit includes a display element unit that has pixels each containing a plurality of sub-pixels arranged thereon and a ray control element unit that controls emission directions of rays emitted from the sub-pixels. The image processing device includes a first acquiring unit configured to acquire three-dimensional data for generating the three-dimensional image; and a generating unit configured to calculate, for each of the sub-pixels, a luminance value of the sub-pixel on the basis of an emission direction of a ray emitted from the sub-pixel through the ray control element unit and the three-dimensional data to generate the three-dimensional image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Norihiro Nakamura, Yoshiyuki Kokojima, Takeshi Mita
  • Patent number: 9196086
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable data storage devices for generating and/or displaying a map with three-dimensional (3D) features are disclosed. For example, a method may comprise (i) defining a plurality of major three-dimensional regions (“major 3DRs”) and associating each major 3DR with a respective geographical area defined for a map stored in a computer-readable map database, and (ii) displaying, via a display device, one or more of the major 3DRs upon the map. Each major 3DR comprises a top, a bottom, and multiple sides. Each top, bottom, and side of each major 3DR comprises at least one surface. At least one surface of each major 3DR being displayed is textured with an image captured via an imaging device. The image textured onto each surface comprises an image captured by the imaging device when capturing images in a direction of that surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventor: James D. Lynch
  • Patent number: 9196075
    Abstract: Animation of computer-generated display components of user interfaces and content items is provided. An animation application or engine creates images of individual display components (e.g., bitmap images) and places those images on animation layers. Animation behaviors may be specified for the layers to indicate how the layers and associated display component images animate or behave when their properties change (e.g., a movement of an object contained on a layer), as well as, to change properties on layers in order to trigger animations (e.g., an animation that causes an object to rotate). In order to achieve high animation frame rates, the animation application may utilize three processing threads, including a user interface thread, a compositor thread and a rendering thread. Display behavior may be optimized and controlled by utilizing a declarative markup language, such as the Extensible Markup Language, for defining display behavior functionality and properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Ivan Borysenko, Tyler Robert Adams, Barry Christopher Allyn, Anthony Joseph Beeman, Warren Leung, Eric Wyld Lieberman
  • Patent number: 9177407
    Abstract: One aspect of the invention is a method for automatically assembling an animation. According to this embodiment, the method includes accepting at least one input keyword relating to a subject for the animation and accessing a set of templates. In this embodiment, each template generates a different type of output, and each template includes components for display time, screen location, and animation parameters. The method also includes retrieving data from a plurality of websites or data collections using an electronic search based on the at least one input keyword and the templates, determining which retrieved data to assemble into the set of templates, coordinating assembly of data-populated templates to form the animation, and returning the animation for playback by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventor: Doug Imbruce
  • Patent number: 9177421
    Abstract: Aspects include provision of a hair mesh structure that can be used for modeling, animating, simulating, and/or rendering hair and hair-like objects in the field of computer graphics. The hair mesh structure can use an ordered plurality of surface primitives, which can be represented by correspondence data, and mapping(s) of points on corresponding surface primitives. A plurality of paths can be generated based on the mappings. These paths can be used to generate hair-like geometry elements. Therefore, hair can be modeled, edited, and animated by editing surface primitives. This approach provides control of the hair shape and permits hair modeling using surface modeling processes, without direct editing of curves defining hairs themselves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Inventor: Cem Yuksel
  • Patent number: 9165529
    Abstract: A stereoscopic image display system includes a three-dimensional (3D) image signal generator, a display panel, a timing controller, a data driver, and a gate driver. The 3D image signal generator generates left-eye data and right-eye data on the basis of an image signal outputs the left-eye data and the right-eye data to the timing controller. The timing controller outputs the left-eye data and the right-eye data having a first frequency to the data driver in a first mode and outputs left-eye frame data and right-eye frame data having a second frequency to the data driver in a second mode. Two pixels, which are respectively connected to an i-th gate line and an (i+1)th gate line among the gate lines and to a same data line among the data lines, are operated with the same driving time in the first and second modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junpyo Lee, Hoisik Moon, Gwangho Nam, Hyun-Sik Yoon, ByungKil Jeon, Jae-Seob Chung
  • Patent number: 9159168
    Abstract: A computerized method of creating a presentation of multidimensional objects in a multidimensional presentation space. The method comprises providing a core element which applies any of functions on a multidimensional object in a multidimensional presentation space, providing a plurality of adaptation components each contains instructions for converting any media object of another of different media types each to a multidimensional object in the multidimensional presentation space, receiving a media object, identifying a matching adaptation component from the adaptation components according to a respective media type of the media object, converting the media objects into a multidimensional object in the multidimensional presentation space using the matching adaptation component, and applying any of the functions on the multidimensional object, using the core element, according to a user selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Technion Research & Development Foundation Limited
    Inventor: Gershon Elber