Patents by Inventor Steven Jacob Gortler

Steven Jacob Gortler 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: 7573474
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for optimizing the geometric stretch of a parametrization scheme. Given an arbitrary mesh, the systems and methods construct a progressive mesh (PM) such that all meshes in the PM sequence share a common texture parametrization. The systems and methods minimize geometric stretch, i.e., small texture distances mapped onto large surface distances, to balance sampling rates over all locations and directions on the surface. The systems and methods also minimize texture deviation, i.e., “slippage” error based on parametric correspondence, to obtain accurate textured mesh approximations. The technique(s) begin by partitioning the mesh into charts using planarity and compactness heuristics. Then, the technique(s) proceed by creating a stretch-minimizing parametrization within each chart, and by resizing the charts based on the resulting stretch. Then, the technique(s) simplify the mesh while respecting the chart boundaries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Hugues Herve Hoppe, John Michael Snyder, Pedro Vieira Sander, Steven Jacob Gortler
  • Patent number: 7425954
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for optimizing a parametrization scheme in accordance with information about the surface signal. A surface parametrization is created to store a given surface signal into a texture image. The signal-specialized metric of the invention minimizes signal approximation error, i.e., the difference between the original surface signal and its reconstruction from the sampled texture. A signal-stretch parametrization metric is derived based on a Taylor expansion of signal error. For fast evaluation, the metric of the invention is pre-integrated over the surface as a metric tensor. The resulting parametrizations have increased texture resolution in surface regions with greater signal detail. Compared to traditional geometric parametrizations, the number of texture samples can often be reduced by a significant factor for a desired signal accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Hugues Herve Hoppe, John Michael Snyder, Pedro Vieira Sander, Steven Jacob Gortler
  • Patent number: 7262769
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for optimizing the geometric stretch of a parametrization scheme. Given an arbitrary mesh, the systems and methods construct a progressive mesh (PM) such that all meshes in the PM sequence share a common texture parametrization. The systems and methods minimize geometric stretch, i.e., small texture distances mapped onto large surface distances, to balance sampling rates over all locations and directions on the surface. The systems and methods also minimize texture deviation, i.e., “slippage” error based on parametric correspondence, to obtain accurate textured mesh approximations. The technique(s) begin by partitioning the mesh into charts using planarity and compactness heuristics. Then, the technique(s) proceed by creating a stretch-minimizing parametrization within each chart, and by resizing the charts based on the resulting stretch. Then, the technique(s) simplify the mesh while respecting the chart boundaries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Hugues Herve Hoppe, John Michael Snyder, Pedro Vieira Sander, Steven Jacob Gortler
  • Patent number: 7224358
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for optimizing the geometric stretch of a parametrization scheme. Given an arbitrary mesh, the systems and methods construct a progressive mesh (PM) such that all meshes in the PM sequence share a common texture parametrization. The systems and methods minimize geometric stretch, i.e., small texture distances mapped onto large surface distances, to balance sampling rates over all locations and directions on the surface. The systems and methods also minimize texture deviation, i.e., “slippage” error based on parametric correspondence, to obtain accurate textured mesh approximations. The technique(s) begin by partitioning the mesh into charts using planarity and compactness heuristics. Then, the technique(s) proceed by creating a stretch-minimizing parametrization within each chart, and by resizing the charts based on the resulting stretch. Then, the technique(s) simplify the mesh while respecting the chart boundaries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Crporation
    Inventors: Hugues Herve Hoppe, John Michael Snyder, Pedro Vieira Sander, Steven Jacob Gortler
  • Patent number: 7218322
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for providing a fine-to-coarse look ahead in connection with parametrization in a graphics system. The use of a variety of parametrization metrics may be supplemented and improved by the fine-to-coarse look ahead techniques of the invention. First, the metric of a parametrization is minimized using a coarse-to-fine hierarchical solver, and then accelerated with a fine-to-coarse propagation. The resulting parametrizations have increased texture resolution in surface regions with greater signal detail at all levels of detail in the progressive mesh sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Hugues Herve Hoppe, John Michael Snyder, Pedro Vieira Sander, Steven Jacob Gortler
  • Patent number: 7071936
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for optimizing a parametrization scheme in accordance with information about the surface signal. A surface parametrization is created to store a given surface signal into a texture image. The signal-specialized metric of the invention minimizes signal approximation error, i.e., the difference between the original surface signal and its reconstruction from the sampled texture. A signal-stretch parametrization metric is derived based on a Taylor expansion of signal error. For fast evaluation, the metric of the invention is pre-integrated over the surface as a metric tensor. The resulting parametrizations have increased texture resolution in surface regions with greater signal detail. Compared to traditional geometric parametrizations, the number of texture samples can often be reduced by a significant factor for a desired signal accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Hugues Herve Hoppe, John Michael Snyder, Pedro Vieira Sander, Steven Jacob Gortler
  • Patent number: 6982714
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for providing a fine-to-coarse look ahead in connection with parametrization in a graphics system. The use of a variety of parametrization metrics may be supplemented and improved by the fine-to-coarse look ahead techniques of the invention. First, the metric of a parametrization is minimized using a coarse-to-fine hierarchical solver, and then accelerated with a fine-to-coarse propagation. The resulting parametrizations have increased texture resolution in surface regions with greater signal detail at all levels of detail in the progressive mesh sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Hugues Herve Hoppe, John Michael Snyder, Pedro Vieira Sander, Steven Jacob Gortler
  • Patent number: 6850233
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for optimizing the geometric stretch of a parametrization scheme. Given an arbitrary mesh, the systems and methods construct a progressive mesh (PM) such that all meshes in the PM sequence share a common texture parametrization. The systems and methods minimize geometric stretch, i.e., small texture distances mapped onto large surface distances, to balance sampling rates over all locations and directions on the surface. The systems and methods also minimize texture deviation, i.e., “slippage” error based on parametric correspondence, to obtain accurate textured mesh approximations. The technique(s) begin by partitioning the mesh into charts using planarity and compactness heuristics. Then, the technique(s) proceed by creating a stretch-minimizing parametrization within each chart, and by resizing the charts based on the resulting stretch. Then, the technique(s) simplify the mesh while respecting the chart boundaries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Hugues Herve Hoppe, John Michael Snyder, Pedro Vieira Sander, Steven Jacob Gortler
  • Publication number: 20030206165
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for optimizing the geometric stretch of a parametrization scheme. Given an arbitrary mesh, the systems and methods construct a progressive mesh (PM) such that all meshes in the PM sequence share a common texture parametrization. The systems and methods minimize geometric stretch, i.e., small texture distances mapped onto large surface distances, to balance sampling rates over all locations and directions on the surface. The systems and methods also minimize texture deviation, i.e., “slippage” error based on parametric correspondence, to obtain accurate textured mesh approximations. The technique(s) begin by partitioning the mesh into charts using planarity and compactness heuristics. Then, the technique(s) proceed by creating a stretch-minimizing parametrization within each chart, and by resizing the charts based on the resulting stretch. Then, the technique(s) simplify the mesh while respecting the chart boundaries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Hugues Herve Hoppe, John Michael Snyder, Pedro Vieira Sander, Steven Jacob Gortler
  • Publication number: 20030206177
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for providing a fine-to-coarse look ahead in connection with parametrization in a graphics system. The use of a variety of parametrization metrics may be supplemented and improved by the fine-to-coarse look ahead techniques of the invention. First, the metric of a parametrization is minimized using a coarse-to-fine hierarchical solver, and then accelerated with a fine-to-coarse propagation. The resulting parametrizations have increased texture resolution in surface regions with greater signal detail at all levels of detail in the progressive mesh sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Hugues Herve Hoppe, John Michael Snyder, Pedro Vieira Sander, Steven Jacob Gortler
  • Publication number: 20030206178
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for optimizing a parametrization scheme in accordance with information about the surface signal. A surface parametrization is created to store a given surface signal into a texture image. The signal-specialized metric of the invention minimizes signal approximation error, i.e., the difference between the original surface signal and its reconstruction from the sampled texture. A signal-stretch parametrization metric is derived based on a Taylor expansion of signal error. For fast evaluation, the metric of the invention is pre-integrated over the surface as a metric tensor. The resulting parametrizations have increased texture resolution in surface regions with greater signal detail. Compared to traditional geometric parametrizations, the number of texture samples can often be reduced by a significant factor for a desired signal accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Hugues Herve Hoppe, John Michael Snyder, Pedro Vieira Sander, Steven Jacob Gortler