Patents by Inventor Nick Alexander

Nick Alexander 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).

  • Publication number: 20190371049
    Abstract: Scenes of objects, such as models in three-dimensional environments and user interface elements in window-based computing environments, are often rendered with shadows cast by a first object on a second object based on a light source. Full graphics engines often produce rich and high-fidelity shadows but involve extensive computation that may be unsuitable for some lower-powered devices. Simple shadowing techniques, such as drop shadows, may be rendered with modest computational processing, but only within significant restrictions and with poor fidelity. Presented herein is a shadow rendering technique that involves identifying a silhouette cast by an object due to a light source and applying a geometric transform, based upon the positions of the objects and the light source within the scene. The shadows may further include variations for opacity and/or edge blurring, reflecting distances between the light source and the objects, and colored shadows that exhibit translucency as a stained-glass effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Anthony Tunjen HSIEH, Ryan Terry BICKEL, Nick Alexander EUBANKS, Minmin GONG, Danielle Renee NEUBERGER, Christopher Nathaniel RAUBACHER, Geoffrey Tyler TROUSDALE
  • Patent number: 10403033
    Abstract: A scene may be rendered as objects that are lit by various light sources. A scene designer may arrange the scene to create particular lighting effects when viewed from an initial perspective, such as gloss, translucency, and iridescence, and may choose lighting effects to create a desired aesthetic tone and/or highlighting within the scene. However, rendering the scene from a different perspective may alter the lighting effects (e.g., losing or misplacing desired lighting effects, and/or creating new and undesirable lighting effects, such as glare). Instead, when the scene is rendered from the initial perspective, the lighting effects created therein may be stored with the scene representation of the scene. A second rendering of the scene from a different perspective may reapply the stored lighting effects to the lit objects, thereby maintaining the lighting effects and the intent of the designer in the presentation of the scene from a different perspective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Evan Stall, Christopher Nathaniel Raubacher, Geoffrey Tyler Trousdale, Minmin Gong, Nick Alexander Eubanks, Simeon John Cran, Kelly Renner
  • Patent number: 10384796
    Abstract: An aerospace plane having an elongate body supporting a pair of wings each having at least two angled, trailing edge portions. The pair of wings are adapted to extend away from the elongated body in opposing directions. A landing gear assembly is operatively associated with the elongated body to be moveable from a retracted position where the landing gear assembly is substantially locatable within the elongated body and an extended position where the landing gear assembly extends at least partially away from the elongated body. At least one engine adapted to generate thrust. At least one stabilizer adapted to assist with movement of the aerospace plane during flight. The at least one engine is located at least partially within an intake housing adapted to direct air into said at least one engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Commercial Aerospace Plane Pty Limited
    Inventor: Nick Alexander
  • Publication number: 20180018812
    Abstract: A scene may be rendered as objects that are lit by various light sources. A scene designer may arrange the scene to create particular lighting effects when viewed from an initial perspective, such as gloss, translucency, and iridescence, and may choose lighting effects to create a desired aesthetic tone and/or highlighting within the scene. However, rendering the scene from a different perspective may alter the lighting effects (e.g., losing or misplacing desired lighting effects, and/or creating new and undesirable lighting effects, such as glare). Instead, when the scene is rendered from the initial perspective, the lighting effects created therein may be stored with the scene representation of the scene. A second rendering of the scene from a different perspective may reapply the stored lighting effects to the lit objects, thereby maintaining the lighting effects and the intent of the designer in the presentation of the scene from a different perspective.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: Jeffrey Evan Stall, Christopher Nathaniel Raubacher, Geoffrey Tyler Trousdale, Minmin Gong, Nick Alexander Eubanks, Simeon John Cran, Kelly Renner
  • Publication number: 20160152318
    Abstract: An aerospace plane having an elongate body supporting a pair of wings each having at least two angled, trailing edge portions. The pair of wings are adapted to extend away from the elongated body in opposing directions. A landing gear assembly is operatively associated with the elongated body to be moveable from a retracted position where the landing gear assembly is substantially locatable within the elongated body and an extended position where the landing gear assembly extends at least partially away from the elongated body. At least one engine adapted to generate thrust. At least one stabilizer adapted to assist with movement of the aerospace plane during flight. The at least one engine is located at least partially within an intake housing adapted to direct air into said at least one engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventor: Nick Alexander
  • Publication number: 20150232204
    Abstract: An aerospace plane (1) having an elongate body (2) supports a pair of wings (3). The wings are adapted to extend away from said body in opposing directions. A landing gear assembly is operatively associated with said body to be moveable from a retracted position where said assembly is substantially locatable within said body and an extended position were said assembly extends at least partially away from said body. At least one engine (10) is adapted to generate thrust. At least one stabilizer is adapted to assist with movement of said aerospace plane. The at least one engine is locatable at least partially within an intake housing (14) to direct air into said at least one engine. The intake housing having at least one door portion to open or close the intake housing to moderate the amount of air flowing into said intake housing and thereby said engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventor: Nick Alexander
  • Patent number: D1068622
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Commercial Aerospace Plane Pty Limited
    Inventor: Nick Alexander