Patents by Inventor Peter C. Litwinowicz

Peter C. Litwinowicz 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: 5995110
    Abstract: Morphing techniques are employed to enable a user to locally deform a texture image on a three-dimensional object, and thereby align image features in a texture map with geometric features of the object. An affine transformation can be applied to the texture map to provide a rough fit of the texture image to the geometric model. The transformed texture image is placed on the geometric model and the user designates corresponding features on the texture image and the geometric model. Once the designations have been completed, the texture image is warped into a final, deformed image, which is then mapped onto the three-dimensional object. With this approach, the user can apply pre-existing images to three-dimensional models, without being required to repaint any portion of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter C. Litwinowicz
  • Patent number: 5680531
    Abstract: An animation system employs scattered data interpolation to provide fluent animation of still images. Discontinuities, such as cuts and holes, can be established within an image, to limit the range over which interpolation is carried out for a given deformation of a feature in the image, and thereby refine the control exerted by animated features. The amount of computational time and effort required to interpolate the change from one frame of an animation to the next is reduced by concentrating computation of the deformed image on areas of change. Computational requirements are further reduced by taking advantage of frame-to-frame coherence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter C. Litwinowicz, Lance Williams, Shenchang Eric Chen