Patents by Inventor Brian McNeely
Brian McNeely 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).
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Patent number: 9436364Abstract: A touch-based computer graphics user interface enhances a stylus pen with virtual suction to create a virtual vacuum or suction tool. The virtual tool may simulate a physical world suction tool and/or provide capabilities not available in the real world. The virtual suction tool allows the user to feel as if he or she has transcended the boundary between the virtual world and the real world by physically holding in his or her hand an object that is able to interact with and virtually attract and contain items (e.g., objects with characteristics and behaviors) removed from or expellable into the virtual world. The resulting highly intuitive user interface provides fun and exciting video game play and has other applications as well.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2014Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.Inventors: Yukimi Shimura, Dean Russell, Steven Petofalvi, Brian McNeely, Rory Johnston, Yoonjoon Lee
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Patent number: 8982143Abstract: There are both flat and sloped ground surfaces on which the game characters traverse. In areas where a sloped surface changes angle (i.e. where a sloped surface connects to a flat surface), a transitional method has been created to make the adjoining textures on the top surface area of the ground blend together seamlessly. A unique texture is used for this purpose. This texture uses the same material as the flat “ground trim” texture seen on the top of every surface. The texture has a diagonally drawn alpha mask that blends from completely transparent to completely opaque from the bottom right corner of the texture to the top left corner. When this texture is drawn at the ends of each sloped surface where they change angle, the combination of the color channels and the alpha mask line up with adjoining textures to blend them together and create a seamless visual transition.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2011Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.Inventors: Rory Johnston, Brian McNeely, Kunitake Aoki
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Publication number: 20150058784Abstract: A touch-based computer graphics user interface enhances a stylus pen with virtual suction to create a virtual vacuum or suction tool. The virtual tool may simulate a physical world suction tool and/or provide capabilities not available in the real world. The virtual suction tool allows the user to feel as if he or she has transcended the boundary between the virtual world and the real world by physically holding in his or her hand an object that is able to interact with and virtually attract and contain items (e.g., objects with characteristics and behaviors) removed from or expellable into the virtual world. The resulting highly intuitive user interface provides fun and exciting video game play and has other applications as well.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2014Publication date: February 26, 2015Inventors: Yukimi SHIMURA, Dean RUSSELL, Steven PETOFALVI, Brian MCNEELY, Rory JOHNSTON, Yoonjoon LEE
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Patent number: 8913064Abstract: In-game characters select the proper animation to use depending on the state of the terrain on which they are currently moving. In this specific case the character chooses an animation depending on the angle of the ground on which it is walking. The method involves real-time determination of the ground angle which is then used to choose the most desirable animation from a closed set of pre-created animations. The animation set consists of animations rendered with the character moving on flat terrain, as well as animations rendered of the character moving uphill and downhill (separately) at pre-determined angles. In this game an animation set consisted of the following animations: 0 degrees, 15 degrees uphill, 30 degrees uphill, 45 degrees uphill, 15 degrees downhill, 30 degrees downhill, 45 degrees downhill). Drawing of the animation is offset to give the best appearance relative to the ground angle.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2011Date of Patent: December 16, 2014Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.Inventors: Brian McNeely, Dean Russell
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Patent number: 8823733Abstract: A touch-based computer graphics user interface enhances a stylus pen with virtual suction to create a virtual vacuum or suction tool. The virtual tool may simulate a physical world suction tool and/or provide capabilities not available in the real world. The virtual suction tool allows the user to feel as if he or she has transcended the boundary between the virtual world and the real world by physically holding in his or her hand an object that is able to interact with and virtually attract and contain items (e.g., objects with characteristics and behaviors) removed from or expellable into the virtual world. The resulting highly intuitive user interface provides fun and exciting video game play and has other applications as well.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2011Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yukimi Shimura, Dean Russell, Steven Petofalvi, Brian McNeely, Rory Johnston, Yoonjoon Lee
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Patent number: 8814679Abstract: A method and apparatus that utilizes techniques for modifying the game space of a video game displayed on a display screen by inserting structural elements which become part of the game space and can interact with various game characters.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2011Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.Inventors: Brian McNeely, Steven Petofalvi, Dean Russell, Rory Johnston, Yukimi Shimura, Philip Brodsky
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Publication number: 20110304638Abstract: There are both flat and sloped ground surfaces on which the game characters traverse. In areas where a sloped surface changes angle (i.e. where a sloped surface connects to a flat surface), a transitional method has been created to make the adjoining textures on the top surface area of the ground blend together seamlessly. A unique texture is used for this purpose. This texture uses the same material as the flat “ground trim” texture seen on the top of every surface. The texture has a diagonally drawn alpha mask that blends from completely transparent to completely opaque from the bottom right corner of the texture to the top left corner. When this texture is drawn at the ends of each sloped surface where they change angle, the combination of the color channels and the alpha mask line up with adjoining textures to blend them together and create a seamless visual transition.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2011Publication date: December 15, 2011Applicant: NINTENDO CO., LTD.Inventors: Rory Johnston, Brian McNeely, Kunitake Aoki
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Publication number: 20110306414Abstract: A method and apparatus that utilizes techniques for modifying the game space of a video game displayed on a display screen by inserting structural elements which become part of the game space and can interact with various game characters.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2011Publication date: December 15, 2011Applicant: Nintendo Co., Ltd.Inventors: Brian McNeely, Steven Petofalvi, Dean Russell, Rory Johnston, Yukimi Shimura, Philip Brodsky
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Publication number: 20110304630Abstract: In-game characters select the proper animation to use depending on the state of the terrain on which they are currently moving. In this specific case the character chooses an animation depending on the angle of the ground on which it is walking. The method involves real-time determination of the ground angle which is then used to choose the most desirable animation from a closed set of pre-created animations. The animation set consists of animations rendered with the character moving on flat terrain, as well as animations rendered of the character moving uphill and downhill (separately) at pre-determined angles. In this game an animation set consisted of the following animations: 0 degrees, 15 degrees uphill, 30 degrees uphill, 45 degrees uphill, 15 degrees downhill, 30 degrees downhill, 45 degrees downhill). Drawing of the animation is offset to give the best appearance relative to the ground angle.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2011Publication date: December 15, 2011Applicant: NINTENDO CO., LTD.Inventors: Brian McNeely, Dean Russell
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Publication number: 20110304651Abstract: A touch-based computer graphics user interface enhances a stylus pen with virtual suction to create a virtual vacuum or suction tool. The virtual tool may simulate a physical world suction tool and/or provide capabilities not available in the real world. The virtual suction tool allows the user to feel as if he or she has transcended the boundary between the virtual world and the real world by physically holding in his or her hand an object that is able to interact with and virtually attract and contain items (e.g., objects with characteristics and behaviors) removed from or expellable into the virtual world. The resulting highly intuitive user interface provides fun and exciting video game play and has other applications as well.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2011Publication date: December 15, 2011Applicant: NINTENDO CO., LTD.Inventors: Yukimi Shimura, Dean Russell, Steven Petolfalvi, Brian McNeely, Rory Johnston, Yoonjoon Lee