Patents by Inventor Dean Dayton Ballard

Dean Dayton Ballard 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: 6529197
    Abstract: An improved scan converter to support the efficient and accurate display of character outlines by pixel-oriented display devices. To conserve the finite resource of memory, the improved scan converter supports an efficient use of available memory workspace by accurately determining an upper bound for the amount of memory required to support scan conversion calculations. To achieve improvements in speed and character image quality, the improved scan converter renders the spline segments of a character outline by using a second order equation to calculate an implicit function based on the control points of each segment. The improved scan converter further addresses in a systematic manner the rendering of an endpoint located on a scan line to determine whether the pixel associated with the endpoint should be activated. This decision is based upon the direction of approach to and exit from this endpoint for the pair of segments connected to the endpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Dean Dayton Ballard, Eliyezer Kohen
  • Patent number: 6175372
    Abstract: An improved scan converter to support the efficient and accurate display of character outlines by pixel-oriented display devices. To conserve the finite resource of memory, the improved scan converter supports an efficient use of available memory workspace by accurately determining an upper bound for the amount of memory required to support scan conversion calculations. To achieve improvements in speed and character image quality, the improved scan converter renders the spline segments of a character outline by using a second order equation to calculate an implicit function based on the control points of each segment. The improved scan converter further addresses in a systematic manner the rendering of an endpoint located on a scan line to determine whether the pixel associated with the endpoint should be activated. This decision is based upon the direction of approach to and exit from this endpoint for the pair of segments connected to the endpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Inventors: Dean Dayton Ballard, Eliyezer Kohen
  • Patent number: 6088041
    Abstract: An improved scan converter to support the efficient and accurate display of character outlines by pixel-oriented display devices. To conserve the finite resource of memory, the improved scan converter supports an efficient use of available memory workspace by accurately determining an upper bound for the amount of memory required to support scan conversion calculations. To achieve improvements in speed and character image quality, the improved scan converter renders the spline segments of a character outline by using a second order equation to calculate an implicit function based on the control points of each segment. The improved scan converter further addresses in a systematic manner the rendering of an endpoint located on a scan line to determine whether the pixel associated with the endpoint should be activated. This decision is based upon the direction of approach to and exit from this endpoint for the pair of segments connected to the endpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Dean Dayton Ballard, Eliyezer Kohen
  • Patent number: 5867173
    Abstract: An improved scan converter to support the efficient and accurate display of character outlines by pixel-oriented display devices. To conserve the finite resource of memory, the improved scan converter supports an efficient use of available memory workspace by accurately determining an upper bound for the amount of memory required to support scan conversion calculations. To achieve improvements in speed and character image quality, the improved scan converter renders the spline segments of a character outline by using a second order equation to calculate an implicit function based on the control points of each segment. The improved scan converter further addresses in a systematic manner the rendering of an endpoint located on a scan line to determine whether the pixel associated with the endpoint should be activated. This decision is based upon the direction of approach to and exit from this endpoint for the pair of segments connected to the endpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Dean Dayton Ballard, Eliyezer Kohen
  • Patent number: 5790126
    Abstract: An improved scan converter to support the efficient and accurate display of character outlines by pixel-oriented display devices. To conserve the finite resource of memory, the improved scan converter supports an efficient use of available memory workspace by accurately determining an upper bound for the amount of memory required to support scan conversion calculations. To achieve improvements in speed and character image quality, the improved scan converter renders the spline segments of a character outline by using a second order equation to calculate an implicit function based on the control points of each segment. The improved scan converter further addresses in a systematic manner the rendering of an endpoint located on a scan line to determine whether the pixel associated with the endpoint should be activated. This decision is based upon the direction of approach to and exit from this endpoint for the pair of segments connected to the endpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Dean Dayton Ballard, Eliyezer Kohen