Patents Examined by Daniel J Chung
  • Patent number: 6326976
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for determining the representation of a picture on a display and a method for determining the color of a pixel displayed on a display. It is the object of the present inventions to enable computers disposing of a relatively low capacity for calculating the displayed image to fast and unalterated representations of images disposing of textures with a large size. This is achieved by altering the textures in MIPmaps and determining the MIPmap level for displaying the texture and calculating the color value of a pixel in a manner adapted to screen resolution and computing speen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Inventor: Tobias Huettner
  • Patent number: 6323875
    Abstract: A method is provided for rendering display blocks on a video display device of a computer processing system having an existing display driver. The method includes the step of assigning each of a plurality of n video adapters to an mth display subregion of the display device. A call to a draw function of the existing display driver is received. The draw function corresponds to a particular shape to be drawn and includes starting and ending coordinates. The mth display subregion that drawing of the shape is to begin on is calculated from the starting coordinates. A function of the existing display driver is called by calling an address stored in the filter driver of a routine corresponding to the called function. The called function corresponds to the received draw function. A segment of the shape is rendered on the calculated mth display subregion by the nth display adapter corresponding thereto. A traversal is made to the nth video adapter corresponding to a next segment of the shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Edward Millman, Kevin Wilson Warren
  • Patent number: 6323879
    Abstract: A method and system for determining the spacing of objects is described. According to the method, input is received that indicates bounds of at least one dimension of a constraint. A set of supplied parameter values associated with a particular type of grid is also received. A set of generated parameter values for the particular type of grid is then generated based on the set of supplied parameter values and the input indicating bounds of at least one dimension of a constraint. A set of points for spacing objects is generated based on the set of supplied parameter values and said set of generated parameter values. According to one aspect, a set of object information is received that identifies a particular object to be placed on the constraint at locations that are based on the set of points. According to another aspect, the set of object information identifies a bounding box that is associated with the particular object. The bounding box is then used to generate the set of generated parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Sauerbrei
  • Patent number: 6307568
    Abstract: A method and a system for displaying garments over the Internet as though th garments were being draped over the body of a user. The method and system of the present invention fits articles of clothing to an image of a user over the Internet. The image of the user is derived from a picture of the user. Critical points are taken from the image of the user, and are used to adjust the spatial configuration of the clothing. The critical points within the volume of the article of clothing are adjusted to match the critical points of the image of the body of the user, such that the spatial configuration of the article of clothing matches the configuration which would be adopted if the user was actually wearing the article of clothing. The adjusted garment image is combined with the user image and is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Imaginarix Ltd.
    Inventor: Ehud Rom
  • Patent number: 6304273
    Abstract: In order to depict a set of paths which are available for transporting a stream from a first node (1) to a second node (6) of the network, one or more perimeters are placed around each symbol designating a departure node of an elementary link of a path of the set, and a respective flag is placed at the intersection between each arc designating an elementary link of the set of paths and a perimeter surrounding the symbol designating the departure node of said elementary link. This depiction technique permits clear visualization of various routing conditions, in a manner which is independent of the positions of the nodes in the graphical representation of the network. It is particularly well suited to computer tools for assisting the design or simulation of networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: France Telecom
    Inventor: Dominique Bonnet
  • Patent number: 6281904
    Abstract: Information extracted from two or more images of a scene is composited into a single texture image for each surface of a computer-generated model of the scene thus providing, view-independent rectangular textures over standard geometries. In conjunction with a photogrammetric modeling system, the texture information may be extracted from a variety of images, which may be taken from a variety of different angles, with different cameras and under different lighting conditions. The fusion of the texture information is preferably performed during a preprocessing step, eliminating the need for further texture processing. Perspective projection artifacts in the final texture is reduced or eliminated. Further, visible seams between partial textures from different images (which may otherwise be caused by misregistration or differences in illumination) are reduced or avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Tilman Reinhardt, Robert Seidl
  • Patent number: 6278438
    Abstract: A method of displaying a visual image includes scaling at least one monochrome digital photograph, scaling at least one non-monochrome icon, and assembling a digital composite display of the at least one scaled monochrome digital photograph and the at least one scaled non-monochrome icon. The digital composite display includes a plurality of monochrome pixel values corresponding to the at least one scaled monochrome digital photograph, and at least one non-monochrome pixel value corresponding to the at least one scaled non-monochrome icon. A composite bitmap is created including a color table having a plurality of color values. Each color value has a plurality of color component intensity values. Each color value corresponds to a respective monochrome pixel value. Selected color values are reserved for non-monochrome colors. Each selected color value is provided with color component intensity values corresponding to a selected non-monochrome pixel value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald David Parrott
  • Patent number: 6275235
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and a device for generating texture coordinates for a selected pixel within a triangle for a texture wrapping operation. The selected pixel is defined within the triangle by a plurality of barycentric coordinates. The method includes receiving a set of texture coordinates for each of the vertices of the triangle and receiving a plurality of barycentric coordinates associated with the selected pixel. The method further includes determining a plurality of barycentric coefficients for the selected pixel from the texture coordinates of the vertices of the triangle. The barycentric coefficients are optimized to obtain a specified degree of precision, which is adapted to distinguish between neighboring texture coordinates. In addition, the method includes computing the texture coordinates based on the barycentric coefficients and the barycentric coordinates, wherein the texture coordinates are substantially distinct from neighboring texture coordinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Silicon Graphics, Inc.
    Inventor: David L. Morgan, III
  • Patent number: 6268869
    Abstract: An image display processing apparatus, includes an issuance unit for issuing a display content of one frame including images of a plurality of objects to be displayed on a screen, a monitoring unit for detecting a display content having a data amount in excess of a predetermined value, a selection unit for selecting at least one of the plurality of objects included in the display content, and an image processing unit for processing an image for the display content excluding the image of the object selected by the selection unit and displaying the processed image on the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Ugajin, Kenji Miura
  • Patent number: 6268866
    Abstract: A digital watermarking system capable of making a digital watermark even in an input image of few colors. An image input section inputs an object image in which a digital watermark is to be made and transforms or develops the image into digital data of the format of the system. In a texture database section, texture patterns in each of which the digital watermark is previously made are registered. And in a color conversion table section, information for coordinating original colors used in the input image with the textures is registered. An image composing section creates a watermarked image in which the original colors of the input image are replaced with the textures of the texture database as designated in the color conversion table. An image output section retains the watermarked image to be outputted from the image composing section and outputs the watermarked image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Shibata
  • Patent number: 6259455
    Abstract: A graphics processor is disclosed that renders polygons with specular highlighting (glare) based on specular fractional values included in a texture map as components of each texel in the texure map. Each texel in the texture map includes red, green, and blue color values and the specular fractional component. The specular fractional component determines the proportion or percentage of a specular color value that is to be combined with the texel color values. The graphics processor preferably comprises a texture map engine that includes multiplier logic and adder logic. The texture map engine receives three values preferably from a video memory device—the texel color value, the specular fractional component value, and the specular color value. The multiplier multiplies the specular fraction by the specular color value and the resulting product is added to the texel color value. The output value from the adder is then used to render a screen pixel or is provided to another lighting stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Shaw, Goran Devic, Evan T. Leland
  • Patent number: 6252607
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for positioning characters within an arbitrarily sized graphics window in order to maximize the distribution of unused space. The method and system are particularly adapted for the redistribution of characters produced during a terminal emulation session with another computing system. Characters produced during the emulated session are adjusted to completely fill the graphics window, regardless of its size. A fill justification procedure distributes characters in areas within the graphics window that would otherwise appear as gutters or margins. A character spacing unit maintains correct character image proportions in the graphics window while not rigidly adhering to a uniform alignment of character rows and columns. A linear distribution procedure allows the character image to fill the graphics window completely with a natural appearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Attachmate Corporation
    Inventor: Scott E. Babcock
  • Patent number: 6252580
    Abstract: A method for mapping highlight colors to monochromatic textures is provided. It includes reading an input highlight color having a highlight color amount and a base color amount. The highlight color amount is measured and the base color amount is measured. A halftone cell (50) is defined having a plurality of output regions with corresponding output states. The output states of all the output regions are controlled in response to the measured base color amount. The output state of at least one but less than all the output regions is controlled in response to the measured highlight color amount such that the output state of at least one but less than all of the output regions is controlled by both the measured base color amount and the measured highlight color amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 6246417
    Abstract: A map editing apparatus is provided with various sections having respective editing functions which can be selectively specified for operating on one or more user-selected elements of a displayed map, with each editing function serving to automatically execute a specific editing operation, which may utilize one or more predetermined parameters. The apparatus includes a conformity management section having a function for detecting when execution of an editing operation will result in nonconformity in the map, such as mutual overlapping of map elements, and for automatically causing such an editing operation to be executed in a modified form, such as to prevent occurrence of the nonconformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Kambe, Akihiro Abe, Takanori Shimada, Go Nakano
  • Patent number: 6201550
    Abstract: A high-speed image forming apparatus may alleviate a load imposed upon the drawing processing of the gradation. A drawing unit writes data in a page buffer while executing the drawing processing by using the drawing data stored in a drawing data storage unit. At that time, when generation of the gradation is instructed, the drawing unit accesses a gradation generation unit. The gradation generation unit sets a plurality of adjacent band-like regions which are perpendicular to a straight line connecting a start point with an end point and in which color values therein become uniform by using the vector of the changing direction of the transferred color and the color information at the start and endpoints, obtains the intersection point between the boundary of the band-like region and the scanning line, and sets such intersection point as the color changing point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shoji Sakamoto