Patents by Inventor Marc Alexa
Marc Alexa 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: 9827719Abstract: A method for fabricating custom surface reflectance and spatially-varying bi-directional reflectance distribution functions (BDRFs or svBRDFs). The 3D printing method optimizes micro-geometry to produce a normal distribution function (NDF) that can be printed on surfaces with a 3D printer. Particularly, the method involves optimizing the micro-geometry for a wide range of analytic NDFs and simulating the effective reflectance of the resulting surface. Using the results of the simulation, the appearance of an input svBRDF can be reproduced. To this end, the micro-geometry is optimized in a data-driven fashion and distributed on the surface of the printed object. The methods were demonstrated to allow 3D printing svBRDF on planar samples with current 3D printing technology even with a limited set of printing materials, and the described methods have been shown to be naturally extendable to printing svBRDF on arbitrary shapes or 3D objects.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2015Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: Jan Kautz, Olivier Roullier, Bernd Bickel, Marc Alexa, Wojciech Matusik
-
Publication number: 20160075090Abstract: A method for fabricating custom surface reflectance and spatially-varying bi-directional reflectance distribution functions (BDRFs or svBRDFs). The 3D printing method optimizes micro-geometry to produce a normal distribution function (NDF) that can be printed on surfaces with a 3D printer. Particularly, the method involves optimizing the micro-geometry for a wide range of analytic NDFs and simulating the effective reflectance of the resulting surface. Using the results of the simulation, the appearance of an input svBRDF can be reproduced. To this end, the micro-geometry is optimized in a data-driven fashion and distributed on the surface of the printed object. The methods were demonstrated to allow 3D printing svBRDF on planar samples with current 3D printing technology even with a limited set of printing materials, and the described methods have been shown to be naturally extendable to printing svBRDF on arbitrary shapes or 3D objects.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2015Publication date: March 17, 2016Inventors: JAN KAUTZ, OLIVIER ROULLIER, BERND BICKEL, MARC ALEXA, WOJCIECH MATUSIK
-
Patent number: 9266287Abstract: A method for fabricating custom surface reflectance and spatially-varying bi-directional reflectance distribution functions (BDRFs or svBRDFs). The 3D printing method optimizes micro-geometry to produce a normal distribution function (NDF) that can be printed on surfaces with a 3D printer. Particularly, the method involves optimizing the micro-geometry for a wide range of analytic NDFs and simulating the effective reflectance of the resulting surface. Using the results of the simulation, the appearance of an input svBRDF can be reproduced. To this end, the micro-geometry is optimized in a data-driven fashion and distributed on the surface of the printed object. The methods were demonstrated to allow 3D printing svBRDF on planar samples with current 3D printing technology even with a limited set of printing materials, and the described methods have been shown to be naturally extendable to printing svBRDF on arbitrary shapes or 3D objects.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2013Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: Jan Kautz, Olivier Roullier, Bernd Bickel, Marc Alexa, Wojciech Matusik
-
Patent number: 9202310Abstract: A three-dimensional relief can be produced from one or more two-dimensional digital (2D) images. A height field is computed from the 2D images and illumination direction information. The height field comprises a multiplicity of geometric surface elements arrayed in a 2D field corresponding to the pixels of the one or more 2D images. Each geometric surface element corresponds to a pixel of each of the digital images and has at least one height parameter representing a displacement from a surface floor. Once the height field is computed, optimizations can be made to the height field including adding and adjusting albedo and glossy surface finishing. The height field can be used to fabricate relief elements in a material, such that each relief element corresponds in shape, position in the height field, and height above the surface floor, to one of the geometric surface elements in the height field.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2012Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: Bernd Bickel, Marc Alexa, Jan Kautz, Wojciech Matusik, Fabrizio Pece
-
Publication number: 20150079327Abstract: A method for fabricating custom surface reflectance and spatially-varying bi-directional reflectance distribution functions (BDRFs or svBRDFs). The 3D printing method optimizes micro-geometry to produce a normal distribution function (NDF) that can be printed on surfaces with a 3D printer. Particularly, the method involves optimizing the micro-geometry for a wide range of analytic NDFs and simulating the effective reflectance of the resulting surface. Using the results of the simulation, the appearance of an input svBRDF can be reproduced. To this end, the micro-geometry is optimized in a data-driven fashion and distributed on the surface of the printed object. The methods were demonstrated to allow 3D printing svBRDF on planar samples with current 3D printing technology even with a limited set of printing materials, and the described methods have been shown to be naturally extendable to printing svBRDF on arbitrary shapes or 3D objects.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2013Publication date: March 19, 2015Applicant: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.Inventors: JAN KAUTZ, OLIVIER ROULLIER, BERND BICKEL, MARC ALEXA, WOJCIECH MATUSIK
-
Patent number: 8952959Abstract: A three-dimensional relief can be produced from one or more two-dimensional digital (2D) images. A height field is computed from the one or more 2D images and illumination direction information. The height field comprises a multiplicity of geometric surface elements arrayed in a 2D field corresponding to the pixels of the one or more 2D images. Each geometric surface element corresponds to a pixel of each of the digital images and has at least one height parameter representing a displacement from a surface floor. Once the height field is computed, optimizations or adjustments can optionally be made to the height field. The height field can be used to fabricate relief elements in a material, such that each relief element corresponds in shape, position in the height field, and height above the surface floor, to one of the geometric surface elements in the height field.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2011Date of Patent: February 10, 2015Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: Marc Alexa, Wojciech Matusik
-
Patent number: 8669981Abstract: A method for generating a self-occlusion surface for an image. The method includes receiving the image, receiving a selection of a material with which to construct the self-occlusion surface, and receiving calibration data associated with the material. A plurality of pits is determined, based on the image and calibration data, to define within the self-occlusion surface. A preview of the self-occlusion surface is rendered based on the plurality of pits and the material.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2010Date of Patent: March 11, 2014Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: Daniel Wolfertshofer, Marc Alexa, Wojciech Matusik
-
Publication number: 20130016100Abstract: A three-dimensional relief can be produced from one or more two-dimensional digital (2D) images. A height field is computed from the 2D images and illumination direction information. The height field comprises a multiplicity of geometric surface elements arrayed in a 2D field corresponding to the pixels of the one or more 2D images. Each geometric surface element corresponds to a pixel of each of the digital images and has at least one height parameter representing a displacement from a surface floor. Once the height field is computed, optimizations can be made to the height field including adding and adjusting albedo and glossy surface finishing. The height field can be used to fabricate relief elements in a material, such that each relief element corresponds in shape, position in the height field, and height above the surface floor, to one of the geometric surface elements in the height field.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2012Publication date: January 17, 2013Applicant: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.Inventors: Bernd Bickel, Marc Alexa, Jan Kautz, Wojciech Matusik, Fabrizio Pece
-
Publication number: 20110248996Abstract: A three-dimensional relief can be produced from one or more two-dimensional digital (2D) images. A height field is computed from the one or more 2D images and illumination direction information. The height field comprises a multiplicity of geometric surface elements arrayed in a 2D field corresponding to the pixels of the one or more 2D images. Each geometric surface element corresponds to a pixel of each of the digital images and has at least one height parameter representing a displacement from a surface floor. Once the height field is computed, optimizations or adjustments can optionally be made to the height field. The height field can be used to fabricate relief elements in a material, such that each relief element corresponds in shape, position in the height field, and height above the surface floor, to one of the geometric surface elements in the height field.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2011Publication date: October 13, 2011Applicant: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.Inventors: Marc Alexa, Wojciech Matusik