Patents by Inventor William Thomas Blank

William Thomas Blank 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: 7768524
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for variable source rate sampling in connection with image rendering, which accumulate and resolve over all samples forward mapped to each pixel bin. In accordance with the invention, the textured surface to be rendered is sampled, or oversampled, at a variable rate that reflects variations in frequency among different regions, taking into account any transformation that will be applied to the surface prior to rendering and the view parameters of the display device, thus ensuring that each bin of the rendering process receives at least a predetermined minimum number of samples. In one embodiment, the sampling rate is variably set such that each bin is assured to have at least one sample point. In another embodiment, a tiling approach to division of the surface is utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John Michael Snyder, John Turner Whitted, William Thomas Blank, Kirk Olynyk
  • Patent number: 7627808
    Abstract: A media synch player includes a time control module, a digital data storage and retrieval device coupled to and responsive to the time control module and an audiovisual data signal output configured to supply audiovisual data to a display by playing a first media file from the digital data storage and retrieval device in response to commands from a system controller. The time control module is configured to request a system time from an external time server, reset the time control module in accordance with the system time, lock to a master clock contained in the external time server and resynchronize the first time control module in response to predetermined criteria being met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: William Thomas Blank, John B. Deutscher, Brian D. Honey, Tyler V. Davis, John Conrad, Andrew D. Rosen, Sunit Gogia
  • Patent number: 7295548
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system for disaggregating and connecting A/V components, and communicating A/V content stream information. An A/V stream from a source device is packaged for transmission over an IP network to one or more output devices. A brick device enables the integration of legacy A/V systems into the network supported A/V system. The brick device operates to provide analog signal and IP protocol conversion, along with the synchronization of received A/V stream data packets. The rendering and play of the A/V stream content on multiple output devices is synchronized to overcome distortions and other network idiosyncrasy and to facilitate a pleasant user experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: William Thomas Blank, Donald M Gray, III, Robert George Atkinson, Anand Valavi
  • Patent number: 6943805
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for variable source rate sampling in connection with image rendering, which accumulate and resolve over all samples forward mapped to each pixel bin. In accordance with the invention, the textured surface to be rendered is sampled, or oversampled, at a variable rate that reflects variations in frequency among different regions, taking into account any transformation that will be applied to the surface prior to rendering and the view parameters of the display device, thus ensuring that each bin of the rendering process receives at least a predetermined minimum number of samples. A variety of image processing applications are contemplated wherein variable rate source sampling, and accumulation and resolution of forward mapped point samples can be applied, ranging from 3-D graphics applications to applications wherein images recorded in a recording/storage environment are mapped to the arbitrary requirements of a display environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John Michael Snyder, John Turner Whitted, William Thomas Blank, Kirk Olynyk
  • Publication number: 20040252400
    Abstract: A media synch player includes a time control module, a digital data storage and retrieval device coupled to and responsive to the time control module and an audiovisual data signal output configured to supply audiovisual data to a display by playing a first media file from the digital data storage and retrieval device in response to commands from a system controller. The time control module is configured to request a system time from an external time server, reset the time control module in accordance with the system time, lock to a master clock contained in the external time server and resynchronize the first time control module in response to predetermined criteria being met.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: William Thomas Blank, John B. Deutscher, Brian D. Honey, Tyler V. Davis, John Conrad, Andrew D. Rosen, Sunit Gogia
  • Publication number: 20040100942
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system for disaggregating and connecting ANV components, and communicating A/V content stream information. An A/V stream from a source device is packaged for transmission over an IP network to one or more output devices. A brick device enables the integration of legacy A/V systems into the network supported A/V system. The brick device operates to provide analog signal and IP protocol conversion, along with the synchronization of received A/V stream data packets. The rendering and play of the A/V stream content on multiple output devices is synchronized to overcome distortions and other network idiosyncrasy and to facilitate a pleasant user experience.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: William Thomas Blank, Donald M. Gray, Robert George Atkinson, Anand Valavi
  • Publication number: 20040001069
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for variable source rate sampling in connection with image rendering, which accumulate and resolve over all samples forward mapped to each pixel bin. In accordance with the invention, the textured surface to be rendered is sampled, or oversampled, at a variable rate that reflects variations in frequency among different regions, taking into account any transformation that will be applied to the surface prior to rendering and the view parameters of the display device, thus ensuring that each bin of the rendering process receives at least a predetermined minimum number of samples. A variety of image processing applications are contemplated wherein variable rate source sampling, and accumulation and resolution of forward mapped point samples can be applied, ranging from 3-D graphics applications to applications wherein images recorded in a recording/storage environment are mapped to the arbitrary requirements of a display environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Publication date: January 1, 2004
    Inventors: John Michael Snyder, John Turner Whitted, William Thomas Blank, Kirk Olynyk