Patents by Inventor Erick S. Miller

Erick S. Miller 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).

  • Indirect binding with segmented thin layers to provide shape-preserving deformations in computer animation
    Patent number: 8345044
    Abstract: A method for use in deformation of an object. The method includes providing a high-resolution model of the object and providing a control cage for the model that includes control faces each defined by control vertices. The method includes generating a thin-layer segment for each of the control faces including extruding a set of the control vertices a distance toward the model. The method includes binding the control cage to the high resolution model based on the thin-layer segments. Each of the thin-layer segments includes a segmented mesh corresponding to a set of the control faces surrounding each face as it is used as seed for a segment. The method includes determining heat diffusion weights for the segments and using the weights along with mean value coordinates to statically bind the cage to the model and to determine influences of segments during deformation of the model with the cage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Chung-An Lin, Gene S. Lee, Erick S. Miller
  • Indirect Binding With Segmented Thin Layers to Provide Shape-Preserving Deformations in Computer Animation
    Publication number: 20100321386
    Abstract: A method for use in deformation of an object. The method includes providing a high-resolution model of the object and providing a control cage for the model that includes control faces each defined by control vertices. The method includes generating a thin-layer segment for each of the control faces including extruding a set of the control vertices a distance toward the model. The method includes binding the control cage to the high resolution model based on the thin-layer segments. Each of the thin-layer segments includes a segmented mesh corresponding to a set of the control faces surrounding each face as it is used as seed for a segment. The method includes determining heat diffusion weights for the segments and using the weights along with mean value coordinates to statically bind the cage to the model and to determine influences of segments during deformation of the model with the cage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: Chung-An Lin, Gene S. Lee, Erick S. Miller