Patents Examined by Ryan Yang
  • Patent number: 7411595
    Abstract: Methods and products are disclosed concerning extraction of selected components of a warping of an image. Given a warped image and a distortion grid, the distortion at any point in the image may be viewed locally as a displacement and a linear transform. The linear transform can be manipulated to extract elements of the local distortion such as skew, rotation, magnification and combinations. The selected components may then be selectively applied at other locations of the same or a different image, using a variety of virtual paintbrushes for different effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: Todor G. Georgiev
  • Patent number: 7405734
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for presenting three-dimensional computer graphics images using multiple graphics processing units. The dimensions of the scene to be rendered are bounded by a rectangular volume decomposed into rectangular subvolumes. Vertices of graphics primitives are compared with subvolume boundaries to determine to which subvolume a graphics primitive should be assigned. A GPU is assigned to each subvolume to render the graphics data that lies within it. A viewing position point is determined and communicated to each GPU. Rendered graphics data from each GPU are ordered based upon the viewing position Outputs of the individual GPUs are combined by blending within an image combiners. Outputs of image combiners can be presented for viewing or further combined in a subsequent stage image combiner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Silicon Graphics, Inc.
    Inventor: James L Foran
  • Patent number: 7405738
    Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for processing a video stream having at least one video signal contained therein. The invention utilizes a computer, a video card connected to the computer and a frame processing card connected to the computer. The video card generates a digital video signal by inserting the video signal into the digital video signal. The digital video signal is transmitted from the video card to the frame processing card through a video output port of the video card. A video synchronization signal relating to the digital video signal is provided to the frame processing card. For the system and method, the frame processing card extracts the video signal from the digital video signal utilizing the video synchronization signal to maintain a frame rate for extracting the video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Harris Canada Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Mance, Chad Faragher
  • Patent number: 7391424
    Abstract: Techniques and systems for production of composite images, videos, or films which exhibit virtual objects. More particularly, techniques and systems for rendering, scaling, and/or locating, virtual objects within composite images, videos, or films employing marker objects as reference objects. In at least one embodiment, a virtual object is rendered by synchronizing a virtual camera with a real camera and, subsequently, synthesizing a canvas featuring the virtual object at a position determined in reference to the position of a detected marker object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Inventor: Werner Gerhard Lonsing
  • Patent number: 7385605
    Abstract: Graphically displaying the proportion of a total value of a time dependent variable contributed by each of a set of elements. Applicable in a graph environment comprising the steps of displaying the proportion contributed by each element as an area within an ordered set of areas under a line representative of the total value of said time dependent variable. The user is enabled to interactively select one area in the set of areas and perform one of the following operations: hiding the selected area, displaying the selected area or reordering the position of the selected area within said ordered set responsive to said user selection. This implementation is effective in the manipulation of stacked area line graphs by visualizing how the various areas representative of the contributions of the individual elements to the whole time dependent variable affect and coact with the other variables in the set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua Gunnar Twait
  • Patent number: 7358978
    Abstract: An approach for morphing between planar shapes is disclosed. Correspondences are established between perceptual feature points that are extracted from both source and target shapes. A similarity metric between two feature points is defined using the intrinsic properties of their local neighborhoods. The optimal correspondence is found by an efficient dynamic programming technique. This approach treats shape noise by allowing the discarding of small feature points, which introduces skips in the traversal of the dynamic programming graph. Intermediate shapes are obtained by interpolating the overall shapes constructed by feature points and the detailed information of the shapes respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Baining Guo, Bo Zhang, Heung-Yeung Shum, Ligang Liu
  • Patent number: 7342581
    Abstract: A method for presenting a user selected status of an object in a three dimensional graphic display is disclosed. The method includes the step of receiving a request to select a property of an object for display. The method further includes the step of displaying at least one property which may be displayed for the object. A selection of a property is received and the value of the selected property for the object is determined. The method further includes the step of generating a status indicator based on the value of the selected property. The status indicator is then displayed relative to the object. In a preferred embodiment, the form of the status indicator is automatically determined by the system. An apparatus for implementing the method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Computer Associates Think, Inc.
    Inventor: Anders Vinberg
  • Patent number: 7339577
    Abstract: An input device including a main device composed of a coordinate input device, an operating surface having input portions displayed thereon, and a switch device having switches connected in parallel, and a control device which selects one of a first mode in which an item signal is generated in accordance with an indication item at an input portion when the input portion is operated, and a second mode in which a position signal corresponding to an operating position on the operating surface is generated independently of the indication item at the input portion. The item signal is generated on the basis of an absolute coordinate signal output from the coordinate input device and a switch signal output from the switch device in the first mode, and the position signal is generated on the basis of a relative coordinate signal output from the coordinate input device in the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadamitsu Sato, Akihisa Itoh, Hiroshi Shigetaka
  • Patent number: 7330197
    Abstract: In exhibition of a synthesized image which is obtained by synthesizing a virtual world image with a real world image observed from a viewpoint position and direction of a user, data representing a position and orientation of a user is acquired, a virtual image is generated based on the data representing the position and orientation of the user, and the virtual image is synthesized with a real image corresponding to the position and orientation of the user. Based on a measurable area of the position and orientation of the user, area data is set. Based on the data representing the position of the user and the area data, notification related to the measurable area is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Kobayashi, Toshikazu Ohshima
  • Patent number: 7330196
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an overlay detector and a memory. The image processing apparatus and method sequentially process graphic rendering instructions for image data. The graphic rendering instructions include first and second graphic rendering instructions. The first graphic rendering instruction is input immediately preceding said second graphic rendering instruction. The first graphic rendering instruction contains first rendering data representing a first original image to render a first output image. The second graphic rendering instruction contains second rendering data representing a second original image to render a second output image. The first original image is overlaid by the second original image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ishihara
  • Patent number: 7330184
    Abstract: A touch system includes a touch panel having a touch surface and a projector presenting images onto the touch surface. A computer executing an applications program is coupled to the touch panel and the projector. The computer is responsive to contact output generated by the touch panel in response to proximity of a pointer to the touch surface and updates image data conveyed to the projector so that images presented on the touch surface reflect pointer activity. The computer executes a gesture connector recognition routine. The gesture connector recognition routine performs recognition to convert a freehand connector on the touch surface into a computer-generated connector approximating the freehand connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: SMART Technologies ULC
    Inventor: Andy Leung
  • Patent number: 7330195
    Abstract: A graphic piece can be used to add a border to an image. The graphic piece is created by creating a graphic image foreground image and a graphic image background image. The foreground and background images are merged into a graphic image file, the contents of which specify pixel colors and pixel color weights of a graphic piece capable of being added to an image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Guo Li
  • Patent number: 7330194
    Abstract: A video object clipping method includes storing, in a storage unit, original images each including a video object to be clipped and reference alpha images representing objects prepared, determining a criteria original image and a criteria reference alpha image from the original images and the reference alpha images, determining a deformation parameter by deforming the criteria reference alpha image to correspond to the criteria original image, and deforming remaining ones of the reference alpha images according to the determined deformation parameter to generate output alpha images corresponding to the original images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Matsumoto, Osamu Hori, Takashi Ida, Hidenori Takeshima
  • Patent number: 7321943
    Abstract: A method and system for converting the output of a communications port (e.g., a serial port or a USB port) into video signals representing the output of a terminal using a KVM switch. Upon receiving characters from the communications port, the system interprets the characters as terminal emulation commands and internally generates a representation of what a resulting terminal screen would look like. From that internal (digital) representation, the system produces analog outputS representing the terminal screen. The analog outputs are output on the monitor attached to the KVM switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: Avocent Redmond Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy C. Shirley
  • Patent number: 7312805
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implement techniques for modifying an image. A warping tool has a perimeter having a shape and a size. The warping tool has one or more associated vectors each of which originates at a mesh point defined by a tool mesh associated with the warping tool. User input is received specifying one or more of the shape of the perimeter, the tool mesh, and the associated vectors. The warping tool is used to modify the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: John W. Worthington
  • Patent number: 7307643
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image display control unit comprising a screen size information obtaining section, an image information obtaining section for obtaining information on vertical and horizontal sizes of an image, an arithmetic section for calculating an image magnification ratio so that at least one of the vertical and horizontal sizes of the image substantially conforms with at least one of vertical and horizontal display-possible sizes of a display screen, and a display control section for displaying the image at the magnification ratio calculated in the arithmetic section on the display screen. With this arrangement, in displaying an image on a display screen, the image can be displayed automatically at the optimal magnification ratio on the display screen. Accordingly, the wasteful use of the display screen is avoidable, and the image appears on the display screen in an easy-to-see condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Jun Moroo, Tsugio Noda
  • Patent number: 7301547
    Abstract: A virtual reality system surveys a real-world environment, generates 3D data that defines the real-world environment, renders a virtual 3D environment using the 3D data, retrieves a virtual object from a database comprised of pre-stored virtual objects, renders the virtual object in the virtual 3D environment, and re-positions the virtual object in the virtual 3D environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Fernando C. M. Martins, Stephen Junkins, Jason E. Plumb
  • Patent number: 7292257
    Abstract: A system and process for generating, and then rendering and displaying, an interactive viewpoint video in which a user can watch a dynamic scene while manipulating (freezing, slowing down, or reversing) time and changing the viewpoint at will. In general, the interactive viewpoint video is generated using a small number of cameras to capture multiple video streams. A multi-view 3D reconstruction and matting technique is employed to create a layered representation of the video frames that enables both efficient compression and interactive playback of the captured dynamic scene, while at the same time allowing for real-time rendering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Sing Bing Kang, Charles Zitnick, III, Matthew Uyttendaele, Simon Winder, Richard Szeliski
  • Patent number: 7292243
    Abstract: A graphical user interface provides a series of nested spherical surfaces representing a surface and/or human development at differing times in history and prehistory. An embodiment of the present invention, a knowledge web (K-Web), comprises a new, “multiple-intelligences” learning tool aimed at encouraging depth of thinking and understanding in numerous content areas. The K-Web optionally does this by presenting content in a dynamic, webbed structure that is readily accessible in many different ways to many different intelligences and cognitive styles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Inventor: James Burke
  • Patent number: 7286144
    Abstract: A system, method and computer-readable media are disclosed for generating an image from another image of contiguous polygons and a vector containing values to which areas of corresponding polygons are scaled. The method embodiment relates to generating an image from a plurality of contiguous polygons having vertices. The method comprises calculating a shape value associated with a polygon, calculating an altered shape value associated with an altered polygon, the altered polygon being an altered version of the polygon, calculating a shape distortion by comparing the shape value and the altered shape value and determining whether to accept the altered polygon based on the calculated shape distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: Daniel Keim, Stephen Charles North, Christian Panse