Patents by Inventor Bob Tipton

Bob Tipton has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9959666
    Abstract: The invention is directed to systems and methods for detailing a graphical 3D solid model displayed to a user. An example system includes a graphical user interface device (e.g., joystick, keyboard, stylus, roller ball, touch screen, tablet, etc.) configured to receive input from a user and transmit the input to a computer including a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and/or a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a memory for use with the computer, and a video display configured to graphically display the detailed 3D solid model to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Bob Tipton
  • Patent number: 9358586
    Abstract: An apparatus and method is presented for separating healthy plants from agricultural material, such as harvested plants. The apparatus includes a conveyor to present the agricultural material to a mesh, which may be, for example bristles. A rotating drum with a plurality of protruding tines moves through the mesh and pulls individual plants from the agricultural material. A machine vision system may then sort the healthy, individual plants. The method includes presenting the agricultural material to the mesh, and then pulling individual plants through the mesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Agricultural Robotics LLC
    Inventors: Claude Edward Brown, Darrell Mintz, Glenn Sakuma, Bob Tipton, Tom Loftus, Joseph Oran Shannon
  • Publication number: 20150053593
    Abstract: An apparatus and method is presented for separating healthy plants from agricultural material, such as harvested plants. The apparatus includes a conveyor to present the agricultural material to a mesh, which may be, for example bristles. A rotating drum with a plurality of protruding tines moves through the mesh and pulls individual plants from the agricultural material. A machine vision system may then sort the healthy, individual plants. The method includes presenting the agricultural material to the mesh, and then pulling individual plants through the mesh.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Claude Edward Brown, Darrell Mintz, Glenn Sakuma, Bob Tipton, Tom Loftus, Joseph Oran Shannon
  • Patent number: 8963958
    Abstract: Techniques for wrapping a two-dimensional texture conformally onto a surface of a three dimensional virtual object within an arbitrarily-shaped, user-defined region. The techniques provide minimum distortion and allow interactive manipulation of the mapped texture. The techniques feature an energy minimization scheme in which distances between points on the surface of the three-dimensional virtual object serve as set lengths for springs connecting points of a planar mesh. The planar mesh is adjusted to minimize spring energy, and then used to define a patch upon which a two-dimensional texture is superimposed. Points on the surface of the virtual object are then mapped to corresponding points of the texture. A haptic/graphical user interface element that allows a user to interactively and intuitively adjust texture mapped within the arbitrary, user-defined region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Torsten Berger, Elaine Chen, Walter C. Shannon, III, Bob Tipton
  • Publication number: 20120069016
    Abstract: The invention is directed to systems and methods for detailing a graphical 3D solid model displayed to a user. An example system includes a graphical user interface device (e.g., joystick, keyboard, stylus, roller ball, touch screen, tablet, etc.) configured to receive input from a user and transmit the input to a computer including a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and/or a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a memory for use with the computer, and a video display configured to graphically display the detailed 3D solid model to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Inventor: Bob Tipton