Patents Examined by Ryan Yang
  • Smooth scrolling with highlighted navigation and marking of page changes
    Patent number: 6956591
    Abstract: Textual content arranged in lines and displayed on the screen of electronic device is browsed by a signal processor in response to a down direction selection signal from a down button on a keypad and any links displayed in the lines in a top half of the screen are highlighted link-by-link toward a central area of the screen, wherein after the highlighting progresses to a central area of the screen, in response to further assertions of the down button, scrolling of the textual content commences, line-by-line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Jim Lundin, Jere Tuominen, Mika Kalenius
  • Image processing computer system for photogrammetric analytical measurement
    Patent number: 6954217
    Abstract: In an image processing computer system for a photogrammetric analytical measurement in which a survey map is produced by connecting a first group including at least a set of pictures featuring a photographed target located at a first target position and a second group including at least a set of pictures featuring a photographed target located at a second target position to each other, a monitor displays a scene including a picture-display area and an editing-display area. On the picture-display area, only one picture in a set included in said first group and only one picture in a set included in said second group are selectively displayed. A displayed picture is transferred from said picture-display area to said editing-display area and vice versa. Connection relationships between pictures are visually displayed on the editing-display area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventor: Toshihiro Nakayama
  • System and method for synthesis of parametric texture map textures
    Patent number: 6947055
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to method for assigning coefficients to a texel of a parametric texture map (PTM) texture. The method may comprise the steps of: generating a random PTM matrix of a desired size, the random PTM matrix comprising texels possessing random valued coefficients; selecting a texel from the random PTM matrix; determining a first neighborhood of the texel from the random PTM matrix; comparing the first neighborhood to neighborhoods of a sample PTM texture to determine an optimal texel of the sample PTM texture; and assigning PTM coefficients of the optimal texel to the texel from the random PTM matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Bradford A. Ritter
  • Graphics display system with anti-aliased text and graphics feature
    Patent number: 6927783
    Abstract: A graphics integrated circuit chip is used in a set-top box for controlling a television display. The graphics chip processes analog video input, digital video input, a graphics input and an audio input simultaneously. The system may use anti-aliased text and graphics to provide high quality display of graphical elements, or glyphs, which represent an image of a character of text or graphics, on television and other displays. The graphical elements may be superimposed over live video or arbitrary graphics imagery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander G. MacInnis, Chengfuh Jeffrey Tang, Xiaodong Xie, James T. Patterson, Greg A. Kranawetter
  • Method of displaying data
    Patent number: 6927772
    Abstract: Data is reduced to a graphic representation by have a core value which is wrapped by an annulus of a related value, the thickness of the annulus and the base diameter of the core representative of the magnitudes of the data being represented. A third data family can be represented by depiction being selected from a group consisting of a segment of said first core circle, a segment of said first annulus, and a second independent annulus concentric with said first annulus depending on whether said third variable is a) more closely related to said first variable, b) more closely related to said second variable, or c) is an independent, stand alone variable, respectively. A sequence of graphic depictions representing pie charts at successive time periods can be interconnected and smoothed to form a 3-D surface of revolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Inventor: Jeremy Page
  • Processing pipeline responsive to input and output frame rates
    Patent number: 6924821
    Abstract: An image processing system processes image data in response to a sequence of image processing steps defined by a process tree (800). The process tree comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes (801-813), including input nodes (801-804) and at least one output node (813). Output rendering is performed a frame at a time, and a frame requirement (824) is passed from the output node to previous nodes (812, 811, 810). Intermediate nodes include requirement processing (823) such that a node (810) having different input and output frame rates can identify and generate a requirement (825) for the input frames (826) as it requires for its processing (821).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Autodesk Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Stephane Trinh, Michel Gaudette
  • Game device, picture data forming method and medium
    Patent number: 6917371
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide special effects which will make a video game more realistic. When a virtual light source exists in a three-dimensional virtual space, if a light from the light source extends toward a camera, a flare is generated on a screen because of incidence of the ray of light into a camera lens, thereby forming a dazzling picture in accordance with the state of backlight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
    Inventors: Toshihiro Nagoshi, Takuji Masuda, Koki Koiwa, Takayuki Kazama, Ryo Ikawa
  • Multiple chart user interface
    Patent number: 6906717
    Abstract: A drag-and-drop user interface (DDUI) can generate multiple charts in an integrated chart report and supports the drag-and-drop method of adding fields to the integrated chart report. When a field is dropped from a field list into a multiple chart drop zone, the DDUI will automatically generate additional charts to represent the data in the dropped field. An additional chart will be generated for each unique entry in a data field. The number of charts can be modified by selecting particular elements in the dropped field, by means of a drop-down menu. The drop-down menu enables the elimination or addition of elements of the dropped field. Each additional field dropped into the multiple chart drop zone will add a chart to the chart report. Conversely, each field dragged out of the multiple chart drop zone will eliminate a chart from the chart report. The DDUI can accommodate various chart types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jeff Couckuyt, Paul Davies, Jason M. Cahill
  • Image processing method and apparatus, and storage medium
    Patent number: 6906708
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes recording unit which has recorded image information appended with quantized space information in units of pixels; setting unit for setting a sampling rate in accordance with moving speed in a virtual space; reconstruction unit for reconstructing an image by reading out image information from the recording unit in accordance with the sampling rate set by the setting unit, and interpolation unit for interpolating pixels at empty pixel positions to obtain a resolution of an image required for display when the reconstruction unit reconstructs the image at a resolution lower than the resolution of the image required for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiro Katayama
  • Method of forming polygon image and image processing apparatus using the same
    Patent number: 6900804
    Abstract: This method of forming a polygon image comprises the steps of obtaining a plurality of polygons having normal line data as apex data and constituting a model; sorting the model constituted by the plurality of polygons into polygons of a first color part and polygons of a second color part by boundary lines consisting of the direction of a light source and normal lines of the model; pasting up a first mono-color texture on the sorted polygons having the first color part, and pasting up a second mono-color texture on the sorted polygons having the second color part; and dividing the polygons intersecting the boundary lines along the boundary lines, pasting up the first mono-color texture on the polygons belonging to the first color part out of the divided polygons, and pasting up the second mono-color texture on the polygons belonging to the second color part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Iwade, Ryuuta Ueda, Takashi Ando
  • Digital Painting
    Patent number: 6870550
    Abstract: A user identifies an area of a digital canvas. Color gradients are determined based on a corresponding area on a reference. Brush strokes are applied in the area of the digital canvas, the brush strokes having trajectories based on the color gradients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael D. Schuster, Gregg D. Wilensky
  • Reducing fill and improving quality of interlaced displays using multi-sampling
    Patent number: 6870543
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system, method and computer program product for reducing fill and improving quality of interlaced displays using multi-sampling. In an embodiment of the invention, a frame buffer for a interlaced display is filled. Initially, a first multi-sample of the first line of the first field is calculated. The bottom sub-pixels of the first multi-sample are the top sub-pixels of a multi-sample of the first line of the second field. The first multi-sample is written into the frame buffer. Then, a second multi-sample of the second line of the first field is calculated. The top sub-pixels of the second multi-sample are the bottom sub-pixels of a multi-sample of the first line of the second field. Also, the bottom sub-pixels of the second multi-sample are the top sub-pixels of the second line of the second field. The second multi-sample is written into the frame buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Gregory M. Eitzmann
  • Panning while displaying a portion of the frame buffer image
    Patent number: 6864900
    Abstract: A graphics system and method for panning from one portion of a stored image to another portion of the image includes a frame buffer, one or more display devices, one or more raster parameter registers, and one or more raster parameter updaters. The image is stored in the frame buffer and each display device is configured to display less than the entire image. A panning operation is initiated by requesting an update of one or more of the raster parameter registers during a next blanking period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Wasserman, Michael G. Lavelle, Elena M. Ing
  • Method for representing a digital color image using a set of palette colors based on detected important colors
    Patent number: 6859210
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for converting an input digital color image having a set of possible input colors to an output digital color image having a set of palette colors, the number of palette colors being less than the number of possible input colors, wherein the set of palette colors is determined based on the distribution of colors in the input digital image boosted by a distribution of important colors contained in the input digital image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jiebo Luo, Qing Yu, Kevin E. Spaulding
  • Fast line drawing method
    Patent number: 6847362
    Abstract: A fast line drawing method. First, the coordinates of two end points are received and a current point is assigned to one of the end points. The differences of x and y coordinates (?x and ?y) and the sum of error E are computed, the integer part of ?x over ?y is denoted as Q. The current point is checked to determine whether it has reached the end point. If not and the value of E is negative, a point at the current point is drawn. The y-coordinate of the current point and E are updated by (Y+1) and (E?2?x) respectively if E is non-negative, a span of pixels from (X,Y) to (X+Q?1,Y) are drawn if the coordinate of last of Q points is less than the end point. Otherwise, a span of pixels from (X,Y) to (x2,Y) are drawn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Silicon Integrated Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Chung-Yen Lu, Jo-Tan Yao
  • Map display method in navigation system and navigation apparatus
    Patent number: 6825855
    Abstract: A map display method in a navigation system has a bird's-eye view display function of displaying a map image in conjunction with a background image. The map display method in a navigation system has a step of displaying a horizon that indicates a boundary between the map image and the background image, and is rounded at least in part. Besides the bird's-eye view display effect, the method can enhance a sense of realism of the bird's-eye view display. Thus, it can solve a problem of a conventional method in that the bird's-eye view display effect cannot be achieved satisfactorily because the conventional method displays a pseudo horizon in a straight line to indicate the boundary between the map image region and the background image region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Maeda, Shigeaki Asano, Shigeki Nakane, Atsushi Watanabe
  • Graphics display System with color look-up table loading mechanism
    Patent number: 6819330
    Abstract: A graphics integrated circuit chip is used in a set-top box for controlling a television display. The graphics chip processes analog video input, digital video input, a graphics input and an audio input simultaneously. The chip includes a display engine that processes graphics images organized as windows. The display engine processes graphics images formatted in any one of a plurality of formats including a color look up table (CLUT) format. A color look-up (CLUT) table loading mechanism preferably facilitates the transfer of real-time CLUT table data during graphics composition. The loading mechanism may be triggered by a window descriptor that contains a color look-up table load command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander G. MacInnis, Chengfuh Jeffrey Tang, Xiaodong Xie, James T. Patterson, Greg A. Kranawetter
  • Single horizontal scan range CRT monitor
    Patent number: 6816131
    Abstract: A single horizontal scan range CRT monitor that includes a receiver for receiving display signals in a digital format from an external source, the initial display signals having one of a plurality of input resolutions, and a converter connected to the receiver and supplied with the initial display signals for detecting the input resolution of the initial display signals and converting the initial display signals to digital output signals having an output resolution selected from a plurality of different output resolutions matched to the detected input resolution of the initial display signals, and wherein all of the plurality of output resolutions have a same horizontal resolution and all of the digital output signals have a same horizontal frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Narui, Pablo A. Espinosa
  • Generating multiple ramps
    Patent number: 6803967
    Abstract: A solid generator allows multiple identical solids to be produced in respective ones of the tiles of a rectangular array of tiles. The tiles may occupy a whole frame, may be shifted relative to the edges of the frame. One row of tiles may be shifted relative to another row. The array may be passed across the frame. The tiles may occupy a part of the frame. A single ramp is defined by R=Ah+Bv_C where A, B and C are signed values, h=pixels along a line and v=lines. Values of A, B and C for various tiles are stored in registers C1, C2, C3, FB1, FB2, FB3 and used in relation to the individual tiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited
    Inventor: Jonathan Mark Greenwood
  • Method and apparatus using a two-dimensional circular data buffer for scrollable image display
    Patent number: 6801219
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for buffering 2-dimensional graphical image data to be supplied to a scrolling display controller. A 2-dimensional, circularly addressed data buffer is used to store a portion of an entire image. The data buffer is larger than the amount of data displayed at one time. A user enters scrolling commands and the display scrolls around the data initially in the buffer. New data is loaded into the buffer as the displayed data approaches the edge of the buffered data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Osvaldo M. Colavin