Patents by Inventor Galen G. Gornowicz

Galen G. Gornowicz 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: 10198844
    Abstract: One exemplary process for animating hair includes receiving data representing a plurality of hairs and a plurality of objects in a timestep of a frame of animation. A first tree is populated to represent kinematic objects of the plurality of objects and a second tree is populated to represent dynamic objects of the plurality of objects based on the received data. A first elasticity preconditioner is created to represent internal elastic energy of the plurality of hairs based on the received data. Based on the first tree and the second tree, a first set of potential contacts is determined between two or more hairs of the plurality of hairs or between one or more hairs of the plurality of hairs and one or more objects of the plurality of objects. Positions of the plurality of hairs are determined based on the first set of potential contacts and the first elasticity preconditioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: DreamWorks Animation L.L.C.
    Inventors: Galen G. Gornowicz, Silviu Borac
  • Publication number: 20170098327
    Abstract: One exemplary process for animating hair includes receiving data representing a plurality of hairs and a plurality of objects in a timestep of a frame of animation. A first tree is populated to represent kinematic objects of the plurality of objects and a second tree is populated to represent dynamic objects of the plurality of objects based on the received data. A first elasticity preconditioner is created to represent internal elastic energy of the plurality of hairs based on the received data. Based on the first tree and the second tree, a first set of potential contacts is determined between two or more hairs of the plurality of hairs or between one or more hairs of the plurality of hairs and one or more objects of the plurality of objects. Positions of the plurality of hairs are determined based on the first set of potential contacts and the first elasticity preconditioner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Publication date: April 6, 2017
    Applicant: DreamWorks Animation LLC
    Inventors: Galen G. GORNOWICZ, Silviu BORAC
  • Patent number: 9443341
    Abstract: One exemplary process for animating hair includes receiving data representing a plurality of hairs and a plurality of objects in a timestep of a frame of animation. A first tree is populated to represent kinematic objects of the plurality of objects and a second tree is populated to represent dynamic objects of the plurality of objects based on the received data. A first elasticity preconditioner is created to represent internal elastic energy of the plurality of hairs based on the received data. Based on the first tree and the second tree, a first set of potential contacts is determined between two or more hairs of the plurality of hairs or between one or more hairs of the plurality of hairs and one or more objects of the plurality of objects. Positions of the plurality of hairs are determined based on the first set of potential contacts and the first elasticity preconditioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: DreamWorks Animation LLC
    Inventors: Galen G. Gornowicz, Silviu Borac
  • Publication number: 20150221119
    Abstract: One exemplary process for animating hair includes receiving data representing a plurality of hairs and a plurality of objects in a timestep of a frame of animation. A first tree is populated to represent kinematic objects of the plurality of objects and a second tree is populated to represent dynamic objects of the plurality of objects based on the received data. A first elasticity preconditioner is created to represent internal elastic energy of the plurality of hairs based on the received data. Based on the first tree and the second tree, a first set of potential contacts is determined between two or more hairs of the plurality of hairs or between one or more hairs of the plurality of hairs and one or more objects of the plurality of objects. Positions of the plurality of hairs are determined based on the first set of potential contacts and the first elasticity preconditioner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Applicant: DREAMWORKS ANIMATION LLC
    Inventors: Galen G. GORNOWICZ, Silviu BORAC
  • Patent number: 8004519
    Abstract: A computer generated character is decorated with skin-attached features in computer graphics by defining a skin surface of the computer generated character. The skin surface is defined using a set of one or more connected parametric surfaces. Feature locations for the features are placed on the defined skin surface. Guide locations for guides are placed on the defined skin surface. The skin surface is partitioned into a plurality of cells. Each cell has a set of vertices. The set of vertices for each cell is a set of the guide locations. Interpolation weights are determined for the feature locations using the guide locations and the plurality of cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Dreamworks Animation LLC
    Inventors: Galen G. Gornowicz, Gokhan Kisacikoglu
  • Patent number: 7859546
    Abstract: Skin-attached features are placed on a computer generated character by defining a set of placement points on at least a portion of a skin surface of the computer generated character. For each placement point, a radius is defined for the placement point. For each placement point, a density value is determined for the placement point. The density value is a sum of weighted overlaps with neighboring placement points within the radius of the placement point. The weighted overlaps are functions of the radius of the placement point. The number of placement points in the set of placement points is reduced based on the density values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: DreamWorks Animation LLC
    Inventors: Galen G. Gornowicz, Gokhan Kisacikoglu
  • Publication number: 20080266308
    Abstract: Skin-attached features are placed on a computer generated character by defining a set of placement points on at least a portion of a skin surface of the computer generated character. For each placement point, a radius is defined for the placement point. For each placement point, a density value is determined for the placement point. The density value is a sum of weighted overlaps with neighboring placement points within the radius of the placement point. The weighted overlaps are functions of the radius of the placement point. The number of placement points in the set of placement points is reduced based on the density values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: DreamWorks Animation LLC
    Inventors: Galen G. Gornowicz, Gokhan Kisacikoglu
  • Publication number: 20080266292
    Abstract: A computer generated character is decorated with skin-attached features in computer graphics by defining a skin surface of the computer generated character. The skin surface is defined using a set of one or more connected parametric surfaces. Feature locations for the features are placed on the defined skin surface. Guide locations for guides are placed on the defined skin surface. The skin surface is partitioned into a plurality of cells. Each cell has a set of vertices. The set of vertices for each cell is a set of the guide locations. Interpolation weights are determined for the feature locations using the guide locations and the plurality of cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: DreamWorks Animation LLC
    Inventors: Galen G. Gornowicz, Gokhan Kisacikoglu