Patents by Inventor Kenneth Jamieson Hill

Kenneth Jamieson Hill 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: 10354442
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for a generative modeling framework for deferred geometry generation include, in one aspect, a method including: obtaining input to define a boundary of a 3D envelope for a 3D model of an object, wherein the 3D model uses one or more boundary representations to define the object in the 3D model; identifying a geometry type for the 3D envelope, wherein the geometry type has an associated 3D geometry used to create geometry details for the 3D envelope within the 3D model; manipulating the 3D model in response to input that changes at least one aspect of the 3D envelope; and rendering the 3D model on a display screen, including rendering a simplified representation of the 3D geometry within the changed 3D envelope. In addition, the method can include later generation of surface elements defining the geometry details.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Autodesk Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Jamieson Hill, Patricia Anne Vrobel
  • Publication number: 20160133049
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for a generative modeling framework for deferred geometry generation include, in one aspect, a method including: obtaining input to define a boundary of a 3D envelope for a 3D model of an object, wherein the 3D model uses one or more boundary representations to define the object in the 3D model; identifying a geometry type for the 3D envelope, wherein the geometry type has an associated 3D geometry used to create geometry details for the 3D envelope within the 3D model; manipulating the 3D model in response to input that changes at least one aspect of the 3D envelope; and rendering the 3D model on a display screen, including rendering a simplified representation of the 3D geometry within the changed 3D envelope. In addition, the method can include later generation of surface elements defining the geometry details.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventors: Kenneth Jamieson Hill, Patricia Anne Vrobel
  • Patent number: 8648861
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to update a fill region of a computer drawing. A topological recipe representing the fill region is defined. The recipe includes a region set (of regions to be filled where the regions are areas bound by contours), a contour set (of contours that are a chain of curve segments), and curve segments. A final fill area of the fill region based on the topological recipe is computed. The final fill area is displayed and the curve segments are then modified. In response to the modification of the curve segments, the final fill area is dynamically updated and displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Jamieson Hill, Mitchell Jay Silverman
  • Publication number: 20120194535
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to update a fill region of a computer drawing. A topological recipe representing the fill region is defined. The recipe includes a region set (of regions to be filled where the regions are areas bound by contours), a contour set (of contours that are a chain of curve segments), and curve segments. A final fill area of the fill region based on the topological recipe is computed. The final fill area is displayed and the curve segments are then modified. In response to the modification of the curve segments, the final fill area is dynamically updated and displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventors: Kenneth Jamieson Hill, Mitchell Jay Silverman
  • Patent number: 7366581
    Abstract: A computer-implemented solid modeling system performs a replace face operation on a solid body by selecting one or more outgoing faces on the solid target body and replacing the selected faces with one or more incoming faces from an operator body. The selected faces on the target body may comprise a single face, a set of adjacent faces or a set of disjoint faces. The selected faces on the operator body may comprise one single-sided face or one or more sheets, wherein a sheet is an edge-connected set of double-sided faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Jamieson Hill, Richard Stephen Brandt
  • Patent number: 7330771
    Abstract: A computer-implemented solid modeling system performs an operation for embossing or engraving at least one profile onto or into a solid body. Generally, the profile comprises text or a planar geometric shape. Specifically, the profile is a planar face bounded by edges, or the profile is a set of planar faces sharing a common plane and having the same normal direction. In performing the operation, the profiles raise or lower regions of faces with respect to an underlying surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: Lucia Casu, Kenneth Jamieson Hill
  • Patent number: 7218326
    Abstract: Methods, computer program products and systems for manipulating a spline are described. A spline can be displayed. A tangent bar that is tangent to a point on the spline and/or a curvature bar at the point can be displayed. A user input can be received defining one or more constraints on at least one of the tangent bar or the curvature bar, and the shape of the spline can be modified based on the one or more constraints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Bogues, Jingyang John Chen, Kenneth Jamieson Hill
  • Patent number: 6876363
    Abstract: A computer-implemented graphics program that determines the distribution of spines on a curvature comb. The graphics program generates a curvature comb to visualize the smoothness of a curve, wherein the curvature comb is comprised of a plurality of spines drawn perpendicular to the curve. The spines are distributed along the curvature comb according to a spine density function (SDF) that represents a desired density of the spines. A cumulative density function (CDF) is used as a computational tool for distributing spines according the distribution given by the SDF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth Jamieson Hill
  • Patent number: 6636217
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for generating regularized tangents of curves. The method comprises the steps of bounding a length of the arc, computing a chord vector, where the chord vector corresponds to the bounded length of the arc, generating a tangent vector, where the tangent vector is substantially normal to the chord vector, and regularizing the tangent vector, where the regularized tangent vector approximates a true tangent vector to the arc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth Jamieson Hill
  • Publication number: 20030030640
    Abstract: A computer-implemented graphics program that determines the distribution of spines on a curvature comb. The graphics program generates a curvature comb to visualize the smoothness of a curve, wherein the curvature comb is comprised of a plurality of spines drawn perpendicular to the curve. The spines are distributed along the curvature comb according to a spine density function (SDF) that represents a desired density of the spines. A cumulative density function (CDF) is used as a computational tool for distributing spines according the distribution given by the SDF.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Applicant: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth Jamieson Hill
  • Patent number: 6144382
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for generating and rendering arrowheads that approximate the direction of the arrowhead. A base and an axis vector for the arrowhead are created, and a view direction vector, approximating the direction that a user of a computer is viewing the arrowhead, is determined. The angle between the axis vector and the view direction vector is calculated, and the arrowhead is displayed rotated by the angle between the view direction vector and the axis vector. Silhouette lines and portions of the base are selectively displayed depending on the angle that the arrowhead is viewed from.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth Jamieson Hill