Patents by Inventor Ronald J. Muffler

Ronald J. Muffler 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: 7414595
    Abstract: A display system, which is useful for simulation, and training system that provides a mosaic wide field of view display by alternating virtual and direct view display images through the use of a new optical beamsplitter/combiner device. Edge blending and the use of flat panel display devices are used to provide a high brightness, high contrast, high reliability, and continuous unobstructed field of view. The new optical beamsplitter/combiner has an optically flat reflective portion and a curved transmissive portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Advanced Simulation Displays Co.
    Inventor: Ronald J. Muffler
  • Patent number: 6809731
    Abstract: A device is provided for rendering computer graphic images with a database and geometric processor to process a plurality of polygons. The device includes a background rendering engine to render the polygons received from the geometric processor. A critical item detector is configured to identify polygons received from the geometric processor that have at least a portion of the polygon within a critical item region. In addition, a critical item rendering engine is included to render polygons identified by the critical item detector. The identified polygons in the critical item engine are rendered at a higher resolution than the polygons rendered by the background rendering engine. A critical item load manager is coupled to the critical item rendering engine to increase or decrease a critical item load being rendered by the critical item rendering engine, and to match a deterministic processing time allowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald J. Muffler, Harold Dee Gardiner
  • Publication number: 20030128210
    Abstract: A device is provided for rendering computer graphic images with a database and geometric processor to process a plurality of polygons. The device includes a background rendering engine to render the polygons received from the geometric processor. A critical item detector is configured to identify polygons received from the geometric processor that have at least a portion of the polygon within a critical item region. In addition, a critical item rendering engine is included to render polygons identified by the critical item detector. The identified polygons in the critical item engine are rendered at a higher resolution than the polygons rendered by the background rendering engine. A critical item load manager is coupled to the critical item rendering engine to increase or decrease a critical item load being rendered by the critical item rendering engine, and to match a deterministic processing time allowed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2002
    Publication date: July 10, 2003
    Inventors: Ronald J. Muffler, Harold Dee Gardiner
  • Patent number: 4931859
    Abstract: A Schlieren-type color television projector utilizes a fiber optic rear projection screen (FORPS) at an initial focal point to translate the spatially separated, converging rays of component colors produced by the Schlieren-type color television projector into a plurality of spatially combined, diverging rays of combined colors which are then suitable for further processing by a conventional optical lens system which can either aperture or vignette the image without color fringing, separation, or a shift in the color balance normally experienced when aperturing or vignetting a Schlieren-type color television image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1990
    Assignee: McDonnell Douglas Corporation
    Inventors: Homer E. Dillard, John A. VanHoogstrate, Ronald J. Muffler
  • Patent number: 4814866
    Abstract: A Schlieren-type color television projector utilizes a fiber optic rear projection screen (FORPUS) at an initial focal point to translate the spatially separated, converging rays of component colors produced by the Schlieren-type color television projector into a plurality of spatially combined, diverging rays of combined colors which are then suitable for further processing by a conventional optical lens system which can either aperture or vignette the image without color fringing, separation, or a shift in the color balance normally experienced when aperturing or vignetting a Schlieren-type color television image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Assignee: McDonnell Douglas Corporation
    Inventors: Homer E. Dillard, John A. VanHoogstrate, Ronald J. Muffler