Patents by Inventor Brian T. Schmidt

Brian T. Schmidt 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: 6459439
    Abstract: The inventive mechanisms convert a path, which represents a graphical object, into a plurality of line segments. Thus, the path can be reshaped without respect to existing Bezier control points. The first mechanism allows a user to ‘pull’ a segment of a path. A user selects a specific place on the path, pulls the selected place along with a portion of the path on either side of the place to a desired location. The second mechanism allows a user to ‘push’ a segment of a path, by using an arbitrary shape and sculpting the path. The arbitrary shape is used in a manner similar in which a sculptor would use a putty knife and sculpts away part of the path, by pushing that shape into the path. The path is being repelled from the shape, as the shape is being pushed. The third mechanism allows a user to reshape an area or region of the path. The user selects a specific point in space and modify any parts of the path that lie within that region of space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Macromedia, Inc.
    Inventors: John B. Ahlquist, Jr., Douglas S. Benson, Fan Yu, Steven R. Johnson, Brian T. Schmidt