Anti-aliasing Or Image Smoothing Patents (Class 345/611)
  • Patent number: 9792676
    Abstract: A system for background image subtraction includes a computing device coupled with a 3D video camera, a processor o£ the device programmed to receive a video feed from the camera containing images of one or more subject that include depth information. The processor, for an image: segments pixels and corresponding depth information into three different regions including foreground (FG), background (BG), and unclear (UC); categorizes UC pixels as FG or BG using a function that considers the color and background history (BGH) information associated with the UC pixels and the color and BGH information associated with pixels near the UC pixels; examines the pixels marked as FG and applies temporal and spatial filters to smooth boundaries of the FG regions; constructs a new image by overlaying the FG regions on top of a new background; displays a video feed of the new image in a display device; and continually maintains the BGH.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Quang H. Nguyen, Minh N. Do, Sanjay J. Patel, Daniel P. Dabbelt, Dennis J. Lin
  • Patent number: 9786256
    Abstract: Methods and devices for generating Graphical User Interface (GUI) for displaying are provided, wherein the GUI is generated based on a plurality of windows. The method for generating GUI includes the step of: separately drawing a plurality of pictures into the plurality of windows by a first graphical processing unit; and selecting the first graphical processing unit or a second graphical processing unit according to a predefined rule to compose the plurality of windows with pictures into a frame buffer, such that the GUI is obtained; wherein the first graphical processing unit and the second graphical processing unit are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: MEDIATEK SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Zijie Zheng, Cheng Chen, Chenli Zhang
  • Patent number: 9779698
    Abstract: An information processing method and an electronic device are described. The information processing method is applied to an electronic device having a display unit. The method includes obtaining a parameter value of a pixel of a source icon on the display unit; analyzing an energy distribution of the source icon based on the parameter value, and determining a core area of the source icon; extracting the core area and conducting image processing of the core area to generate a substitution icon of the source icon for displaying, the substitution icon possesses main display information features of the source icon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: LENOVO (BEIJING) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chen Chen, Houkai Song, Shoupeng Zhang
  • Patent number: 9767376
    Abstract: A drawing apparatus that displays a character rendered in an outline method includes a number-of-commands identification unit configured to identify a number of drawing commands required for the character based on outline data that corresponds to a shape of the character, a level determination unit configured to determine a level of an antialiasing process to be performed on the character based on the number of the drawing commands found by the number-of-commands identification unit, and a drawing unit configured to execute the antialiasing process of the level determined for the character by the level determination unit, when the character is drawn based on the outline data of the character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsushi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9743057
    Abstract: Systems and methods for correcting intensity drop-offs due to geometric properties of lenses are provided. In one example, a method includes receiving an input pixel of the image data, the image data acquired using an image sensor. A color component of the input pixel is determined. A gain grid is determined by pointing to the gain grid in external memory. Each of the plurality of grid points is associated with a lens shading gain selected based upon the color of the input pixel. A nearest set of grid points that enclose the input pixel is identified. Further, a lens shading gain is determined by interpolating the lens shading gains associated with each of the set of grid points and is applied to the input pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Guy Cote, Joseph Anthony Petolino, Jr., Suk Hwan Lim, D. Amnon Silverstein
  • Patent number: 9727991
    Abstract: A method and system for foveated image rendering are provided herein. The method includes tracking a gaze point of a user on a display device and generating a specified number of eccentricity layers based on the gaze point of the user. The method also includes antialiasing the eccentricity layers to remove artifacts, rendering a foveated image based on the eccentricity layers, and displaying the foveated image to the user via the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Brian K. Guenter, Mark Finch, John Snyder, Steven Drucker, Desney S. Tan
  • Patent number: 9720842
    Abstract: A device driver calculates a tile size for a plurality of cache memories in a cache hierarchy. The device driver calculates a storage capacity of a first cache memory. The device driver calculates a first tile size based on the storage capacity of the first cache memory and one or more additional characteristics. The device driver calculates a storage capacity of a second cache memory. The device driver calculates a second tile size based on the storage capacity of the second cache memory and one or more additional characteristics, where the second tile size is different than the first tile size. The device driver transmits the second tile size to a second coalescing binning unit. One advantage of the disclosed techniques is that data locality and cache memory hit rates are improved where tile size is optimized for each cache level in the cache hierarchy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Rouslan Dimitrov, Rui Bastos, Ziyad S. Hakura, Eric B. Lum
  • Patent number: 9686528
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method and a device for dealiasing borders in a 3D interpolated view, the interpolated view comprising at least foreground pixels with foreground video in formation and background pixels with background video information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: THOMSON LICENSING
    Inventors: Cedric Thebault, Didier Doyen, Matthieu Fradet
  • Patent number: 9671931
    Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for visually deemphasizing a displayed persona. At least one embodiment takes the form of a method carried out by a user-interface (UI)-management device. The UI-management device identifies a persona region of a displayed persona and identifies a user-interface-focus location. The UI-management device then makes a persona-deemphasize determination based on the identified persona region and the identified user-interface-focus location. In response to making the persona-deemphasize determination, the UI-management device visually deemphasizes the displayed persona.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Personify, Inc.
    Inventors: James J. Kosmach, Sumant Kowshik, Dennis J. Lin, Glenn B. Francisco, John Nicholas Timmons, Fernando Rossi Goncalves
  • Patent number: 9665958
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for redistributing multi-sample processing workloads between threads. A workload for a plurality of multi-sample pixels is received and each thread in a parallel thread group is associated with a corresponding multi-sample pixel of the plurality of pixels. The workload is redistributed between the threads in the parallel thread group based on a characteristic of the workload and the workload is processed by the parallel thread group. In one embodiment, the characteristic is rasterized coverage information for the plurality of multi-sample pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alan Bolz, Patrick R. Brown, Tyson Bergland, Alexander Lev Minkin
  • Patent number: 9659402
    Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, multi-sampling may be used together with texture filtering and particularly texture filtering that generally uses rectangular grids of samples. This is accomplished by performing the texture filtering before doing the resolve, while conventionally the resolve is done and then the texture filtering is done. In addition, each sample is filtered as if it were the only sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Larry Seiler
  • Patent number: 9626940
    Abstract: A data processing device according to embodiments comprises a data converting unit, a selecting unit, a managing unit, a updating unit, and a controller. The data converting unit is configured to convert update-data for updating at least a part of an electronic paper into processed update-data to be displayed. The selecting unit is configured to select an update-control-information identifier to be used for updating the electronic paper with the processed update-data. The managing unit is configured to store the processed update-data and a selected update-control-information identifier on a first memory. The updating unit is configured to instruct a drawing step of the electronic paper using the processed update-data and the update-control-information identifier stored on the first memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yusuke Shirota, Tatsunori Kanai, Tetsuro Kimura, Koichi Fujisaki, Akihiro Shibata, Haruhiko Toyama, Junichi Segawa, Masaya Tarui, Satoshi Shirai, Hiroyoshi Haruki, Shiyo Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 9613451
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for rendering anti-aliased paths by first generating an alpha buffer representing coverage data. To generate the alpha buffer, jittered versions of the rendered path are rendered and corresponding stencil buffers indicating sub-pixel samples of the path that should be covered are generated. After each stencil buffer is generated, the jittered path is rasterized to convert the sub-pixel coverage into coverage weights that are stored in the alpha component of a frame buffer. As each jittered path is rasterized, the coverage weights are accumulated. Finally, geometry representing the union of the jittered versions of the path is rendered to shade pixels based on the accumulated coverage weights. The anti-aliased rendered paths may be filled or stroked without tessellating the paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Mark J. Kilgard
  • Patent number: 9607238
    Abstract: An image processing system and method is provided. The image processing system includes extracting a first local statistical characteristics from an observed image, generating a low-pass filter according to the first local statistical characteristics to generate a predicted noise image, and extracting second local statistical characteristics from the predicted noise image, extracting a third local statistical characteristics from a predicted original image using the first local statistical characteristics of the observed image and the second local statistical characteristics of the predicted noise image, and setting a flag level indicating a noise level for each pixel of the observed image according to the third local statistical characteristics of the predicted original image to detect noise, and setting a filter coefficient according to the flag level of the detected noise to remove the noise, and restoring the observed image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Foundation of Soongsil University-Industry Cooperation
    Inventors: Min-Cheol Hong, Tuan-Anh Nguyen, Beomsu Kim
  • Patent number: 9600918
    Abstract: A method includes displaying a background image on a display screen. The method further includes receiving, from an input device, a signal indicative of a free hand line being drawn over the background image. The signal includes coordinates of points of the free hand line with respect to the display screen. The free hand line is independent of content represented in the background image. The method further includes storing the signal in a storage device. The method further includes generating a smooth stiff line based on the stored signal. The method further includes displaying the smooth stiff line over the background image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Rafael Wiemker, Tobias Klinder, Daniel Bystrov, Torbjorn Vik
  • Patent number: 9583055
    Abstract: A video system including a sequential color liquid crystal display with a panel of pixels arranged in rows and columns, including a mechanism that controls unit brightness levels on each pixel in the panel called grey levels, each grey level corresponding to a video information received at the input. The grey level controlled on a pixel is achieved with an analog voltage that varies monotonously depending on the row associated with the pixel and/or a color to be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: THOMSON LICENSING (S.A.S.)
    Inventors: Hugues Lebrun, Thierry Kretz
  • Patent number: 9501982
    Abstract: A calibration apparatus including: a measuring unit configured to measure optical characteristics at a measurement position on a screen of an image display apparatus; a storing unit configured to store information on correspondence determined in advance among the optical characteristics at the measurement position and optical characteristics at a plurality of prescribed positions on the screen; an acquiring unit configured to acquire a representative position of an image displayed on the screen; and a calibrating unit configured to perform calibration based on the measurement value measured by the measuring unit, information on the correspondence, and a positional relationship among the plurality of prescribed positions and the representative position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Ukawa, Tetsu Fukuda
  • Patent number: 9456732
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing device including a detection unit configured to detect a mask from an acquired image, a determination unit configured to determine whether there is a change in the mask detected by the detection unit, and an output unit configured to output a parameter when the determination unit determines that there is a change in the mask, the parameter being related to the mask detected by the detection unit before it is determined that there is a change in the mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takeshi Uemori
  • Patent number: 9459827
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a parameter input unit configured to input parameter information for setting an operating state of a target apparatus, an image conversion unit configured to generate conversion image data by imaging the parameter information, and a setting file image generation unit configured to generate setting file image data where the conversion image data is placed in image data having a larger image size than the conversion image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Asada, Yasunobu Murata
  • Patent number: 9454843
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for anti-aliasing. During a first processing pass of a plurality of graphics primitives, z data is computed for multiple samples of each pixel in an image to generate a multi-sample z buffer. During a second processing pass of the graphics primitives, computed color values corresponding to each pixel in a color buffer that stores one color value for each pixel are accumulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Christian Jean Rouet, Eric Brian Lum, Rui Manuel Bastos
  • Patent number: 9449090
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program utilize a distance associative hashing algorithmic means to provide a highly efficient means to rapidly address a large database. The indexing means can be readily subdivided into a plurality of independently-addressable segments where each such segment can address a portion of related data of the database where the sub-divided indexes of said portions reside entirely in the main memory of each of a multiplicity of server means. The resulting cluster of server means, each hosting an addressable sector of a larger database of searchable audio or video information, provides a significant improvement in the latency and scalability of an Automatic Content Recognition system, among other uses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: VIZIO Inscape Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Zeev Neumeier, Brian Reed
  • Patent number: 9443285
    Abstract: A method for replacing image data in a destination region that is divided into sub-pieces along one or more cutting paths, which start and end at two different points on the border, and finding replacement data for the sub-pieces. The cutting paths may be determined as a function of the type of image structured at the start and the end points. The cutting paths may also be determined as a function of the area of the sub-pieces and the lengths of the cutting paths. Optionally, the destination region may be determined by a spot detection algorithm. Further optionally, the spot detection algorithm may comprise calculation of a high pass filter, or detection of areas of luminosity and border-to-volume ratios. A method for moving an image element within an image is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Nils Kokemohr
  • Patent number: 9436971
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for accessing multi-sample surfaces. A multi-sample store instruction that specifies data for a single sample of a multi-sample pixel and a sample mask is received and the data for the single sample is stored to each sample of the multi-sample pixel that is enabled according to the sample mask. A multi-sample load instruction that specifies a multi-sample pixel is received, and, in response to executing the multi-sample load instruction, data for one sample of the multi-sample pixel is received. A determination is made that the data for the one sample of the multi-sample pixel represents multi-sample pixel data for at least one additional sample of the multi-sample pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alan Bolz, Patrick R. Brown, Tyson Bergland, Alexander Lev Minkin
  • Patent number: 9369610
    Abstract: In order to suitably perform image processing for enhancing edge reproducibility on an image, an image processing apparatus, determines whether or not a pixel of interest in an input image is a pixel configuring an edge, and determines whether or not the pixel of interest in the input image is a pixel configuring a semi-transparent object. In addition, the apparatus performs image processing for enhancing edge reproducibility for the pixel of interest if it is determined that the pixel of interest is a pixel configuring an edge and is not a pixel configuring a semi-transparent object. On the other hand, the apparatus inhibits execution of the image processing for the pixel of interest if it is determined that the pixel of interest is a pixel configuring an edge and is a pixel configuring a semi-transparent object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masaaki Muraishi
  • Patent number: 9342769
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus increases, in the case of a low-density line, the density of a pixel included in the line to increase the density of the line, and increases, in the case of a high-density line, the density of a pixel adjacent to the pixel included in the line to increase the width of the line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9336561
    Abstract: A color buffer cache may be implemented in a way that reduces memory bandwidth. In one embodiment this may be done by determining whether a corresponding tile being rendered is completely inside a triangle. If so, the cache lines that correspond to this tile may be marked as “less useful”. As a result of being marked as less useful, those cache lines may be replaced before other cache lines in one embodiment. Thus a color buffer cache is used for those tiles that overlap with at least one triangle edge. The use of such a color buffer cache scheme may be more efficient and therefore may reduce memory bandwidth in some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Tomas G. Akenine-Moller, Jim K. Nilsson
  • Patent number: 9330475
    Abstract: In an example, a method of coding graphics data comprising a plurality of pixels includes performing, by a graphics processing unit (GPU), multi-sample anti-aliasing to generate one or more sample values for each pixel of the plurality of pixels. The method may also include determining whether pixels comprise edge pixels, where the determination comprises identifying, for each pixel, differing sample values. The method may also include encoding the pixels based on the edge pixel determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Jukka-Pekka Arvo
  • Patent number: 9311733
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for improved rasterization of round points mapped into a tile space within a graphics processing pipeline. A set of candidate tiles are selected based on proximity to a round point. A tile within the set of candidate tiles may be rejected based on a rejection boundary. A tile may be rejected if no vertex associated with the tile is within the coverage area. Performance is improved by rejecting certain unneeded tiles that would otherwise be included in conventional rasterization. One embodiment advantageously enlists line drawing circuitry to determine whether a given tile intersects the coverage area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Walter R. Steiner, Eric B. Lum
  • Patent number: 9311896
    Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for rendering a glyph. Rendering data for the glyph can be received, such as size, shape, color, etc., along with first sub-pixel position for initially rendering the glyph on a display. A first rendering quality can be identified for the first sub-pixel position and second rendering quality can be identified for a second sub-pixel position, which may comprise an alternate rendering position. A sub-pixel position shift can be selected for the glyph based at least upon a comparison of the first and second rendering qualities. The sub-pixel position shift can comprise a difference between the first sub-pixel position and the second sub-pixel position, where the second rendering quality is selected/preferable over the first rendering quality. The glyph can be rendered by applying the selected sub-pixel position shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Tanya Matskewich, Gregory Hitchcock, Michael Duggan, Donald David Karlov
  • Patent number: 9300842
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining an edge pixel as a function of both the local video and the spatial location. Several logical gating functions, which are solely mappings of image position, are generated. Edges are marked only at locations where the gating function is true (e.g., or active) and not at other image locations. In order for a pixel to be tagged as an edge pixel, both its surrounding pixels values must be detected as an edge and the gating function must be active. Each gate output can be determined by employing either the image pixel count or the image scanline count. Different gating functions can be associated with different edge types to ensure the edge modulation pattern occurs orthogonal to the edge direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Stuart A. Schweid
  • Patent number: 9286659
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for multi-sample processing. The multi-sample pixel data is received and is analyzed to identify subsets of samples of a multi-sample pixel that have equal data, such that data for one sample in a subset represents multi-sample pixel data for all samples in the subset. An encoding state is generated that indicates which samples of the multi-sample pixel are included in each one of the subsets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Lev Minkin, Henry Packard Moreton, Yury Uralsky, Eric Brian Lum, Dale L. Kirkland, Steven James Heinrich, Rui Manuel Bastos, Emmett M. Kilgariff, Jeffrey Alan Bolz, Tyson Bergland, Patrick R. Brown
  • Patent number: 9280940
    Abstract: An LCD device includes a four-color converter for converting an original RGB data into three grayscale values, executing a white balance process to the three grayscale values, and confirming a maximum value MAX (Ri, Gi, Bi) and a minimum value of the three white-balanced grayscale values Ri, Gi, and Bi, wherein, when the minimum value is greater than 0, determining that if the three data of the original RGB data are equal, and when they are equal, utilizing a formula Wo=Bi; Ro=Ri×Wo/MAX(Ri, Gi, Bi)+Ri?Wo; Go=Gi×Wo/MAX(Ri, Gi, Bi)+Gi?Wo; Bo=0 to calculate the output grayscale values Ro, Go, Bo, and Wo in the RGBW data. The device also includes a data driver for processing the RGBW data provided by the four-color converter to generate analog type data signals, a scanning driver for sequentially generating scanning signals, and an LCD panel for displaying colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lixuan Chen, Chih-tsung Kang
  • Patent number: 9269183
    Abstract: A method for reducing the number of samples tested for rendering a screen space region of an image includes constructing a bilinear approximation per primitive for a screen space region which is to be rendered, wherein the screen space region includes a plurality of sample points. The bilinear approximation is used to estimate coverage of a predefined primitive against one or more sample points within the screen space region. At least one sample point in the screen space region which is not covered by the predefined primitive is excluded from testing in the rendering of the screen space region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Samuli Laine, Tero Karras
  • Patent number: 9262797
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for multi-sample processing. The multi-sample pixel data is received and an encoding state associated with the multi-sample pixel data is determined. Data for one sample of a multi-sample pixel and the encoding state are provided to a processing unit. The one sample of the multi-sample pixel is processed by the processing unit to generate processed data for the one sample that represents processed multi-sample pixel data for all samples of the multi-sample pixel or two or more samples of the multi-sample pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Lev Minkin, Henry Packard Moreton, Yury Uralsky, Eric Brian Lum, Dale L. Kirkland, Steven James Heinrich, Rui Manuel Bastos, Emmett M. Kilgariff, Jeffrey Alan Bolz, Tyson Bergland, Patrick R. Brown
  • Patent number: 9251607
    Abstract: Mechanisms for more efficiently and accurately performing anti-aliasing techniques. A bounding box for a line can be generated that includes both a central region of the line and one or more boundary regions that have various levels of opacity. Vertices for the bounding box can be provided to any of a variety of appropriate entities to interpolate pixel locations within the bounding box and to determine various levels of opacity for pixels, such as vertex shaders and/or pixel shaders. Various techniques can be used to determine a pixel's membership value within one or more of the boundary regions of a bounding box, such as using a distance from an edge of a central region to a center of the pixel and/or an area of the pixel that is located inside the boundary region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Philip S. Milne, Chet Haase, Gilles Debunne
  • Patent number: 9241146
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for generating stereoscopic images. The techniques include receiving a first image frame associated with a first eye, and receiving a first depth frame associated with the first eye. The techniques further include reprojecting the first image frame based on the first depth frame to create a second image frame associated with a second eye. The techniques further include identifying a first pixel in the second image frame that remains unwritten as a result of reprojecting the first image frame, and determining a value for the first pixel based on a corresponding pixel in a prior image frame associated with the second eye. One advantage of the disclosed techniques is that DIBR reprojected image frames have a more realistic appearance where gaps are filled using pixels from a prior image for the same eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Patrick Neill
  • Patent number: 9208610
    Abstract: Shading attributes for scene geometry are predetermined and cached in one or more alternate scene representations. Lighting, shading, geometric, and/or other attributes of the scene may be precalculated and stored for at least one of the scene representations at an appropriate level of detail. Rendering performance is improved generally and for a variety of visual effects by selecting between alternate scene representations during rendering. A renderer selects one or more of the alternate scene representations for each of the samples based on the size of its filter area relative to the feature sizes or other attributes of the alternate scene representations. If two or more alternate scene representations are selected, the sampled values from these scene representations may be blended. The selection of scene representations may vary on a per-sample basis and thus different scene representations may be used for different samples within the same image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Pixar
    Inventors: Jacob Porter Merrell, Apurva Shah
  • Patent number: 9210416
    Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture for media monitoring are disclosed. In particular, the example apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture determine a media source type associated with a media signal and select an encoding or decoding mode based on the media source type. An encoding operation encodes the media signal using the selected encoding mode and a decoding operation decodes the media signal using the selected decoding mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Robert A. Luff, Weston P. Headley
  • Patent number: 9189882
    Abstract: A ray tracing method and apparatus in a 3-Dimensional (3D) image system. The method includes sampling for four vertexes of each pixel in a plurality of pixels, sampling for a pivot of the each pixel, and determining a color of the each pixel using the sampling result on the four vertexes and the pivot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsei University
    Inventors: Shin-Jun Lee, Dae-Kyu Shin, Kwang-Cheol Choi, Yun-Sik Kang, Sung-Bong Yang
  • Patent number: 9183609
    Abstract: A technique for efficiently rendering content reduces each complex blend mode to a series of basic blend operations. The series of basic blend operations are executed within a recirculating pipeline until a final blended value is computed. The recirculating pipeline is positioned within a color raster operations unit of a graphics processing unit for efficient access to image buffer data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Rui Bastos, Mark J. Kilgard, William Craig McKnight, Jerome F. Duluk, Jr., Pierre Souillot, Dale L. Kirkland, Christian Amsinck, Joseph Detmer, Christian Rouet, Don Bittel
  • Patent number: 9147111
    Abstract: A blocking image generating system and related methods include a head-mounted display device having an opacity layer. A method may include receiving a virtual image to be presented by display optics in the head-mounted display device. Lighting information and an eye-position parameter may be received from an optical sensor system in the head-mounted display device. A blocking image may be generated in the opacity layer of the head-mounted display device based on the lighting information and the virtual image. The location of the blocking image in the opacity layer may be adjusted based on the eye-position parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Rod G. Fleck, David D. Bohn, Stephen Latta, Julia Meinershagen, Sebastian Sylvan, Brian McDowell, Jeff Cole, Jeffrey Alan Kohler
  • Patent number: 9140607
    Abstract: A method for color correcting an input color image having input color values adapted for display on a reference display device having a plurality of input color primaries to account to provide reduced observer metemaric failure on a narrow-band display device. A metamerism correction transform is applied to the input color image to determine an output color image having output color values in an output color space appropriate for display on the narrow-band display device. The metamerism correction transform modifies colorimetry associated with the input colors to provide output color values such that an average observer metameric failure is reduced for a distribution of target observers, and is formed responsive to a distribution of perceived color differences for a set of input colors that are determined for a set of target observers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: IMAX Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas O. Maier, Andrew F. Kurtz, Elena A. Fedorovskaya
  • Patent number: 9134901
    Abstract: In a method for data analysis using gestures, using a first gesture on a graphical representation of a data set, a first dimension is defined. Using the first dimension, a shape is defined on the graphical representation of the data set. A grid segments the graphical representation of the data set into several subsets represented as a several grid blocks. A subset corresponds to a grid block. The shape is a visual shape of the grid block, and the shape serves to define the bounds of the corresponding subset. A second gesture is made relative to a first target grid block in the several grid blocks. In response to the second gesture, a first data analysis computation is performed on a first target subset corresponding to the first target grid block. A result of the first data analysis computation is presented using a hardware device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Brian John Cragun
  • Patent number: 9134178
    Abstract: A method for color correcting an input color image having input color values adapted for display on a reference display device having a plurality of input color primaries to account to provide reduced observer metemaric failure on a narrow-band display device. A metamerism correction transform is applied to the input color image to determine an output color image having output color values in an output color space appropriate for display on the narrow-band display device. The metamerism correction transform modifies colorimetry associated with the input colors to provide output color values such that an average observer metameric failure is reduced for a distribution of target observers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: IMAX Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew F. Kurtz, Elena A. Fedorovskaya, Thomas O. Maier
  • Patent number: 9077844
    Abstract: A multi-screen video playback system includes: a video playback device having a main display to playback a target video; a portable communication device having a screen; and a multi-screen display controlling server configured to operably establish a device group relationship between the video playback device and the portable communication device, to transmit the target video to the video playback device via a network, and to transmit an auxiliary video to the portable communication device via the network. The multi-screen display controlling server receives a notice information generated by the video playback device while the video playback device playbacks the target video, and instructs the portable communication device to begin displaying the auxiliary video on the screen according to the notice information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORP.
    Inventors: Siu-Leong Yu, Shih-Chun Wei, Chen Ma
  • Patent number: 9053118
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for processing images (or other such instances of content) to detect which of the images exhibit artifacts when modified, such as by applying standard transformation algorithms to modify the images. Such techniques enable transformation algorithms to be applied to the detected images to minimize or prevent artifacts. In some embodiments, the headers of the detected images can be tagged with transformative instructions that indicate which transformation algorithms to apply. Responsive to a request from a web client to modify and render one of the detected images, embodiments obtain the requested image, read the transformative instructions in the header, apply the transformation algorithm specified in the header to modify the image so as to minimize or prevent artifacts, and render the modified image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Roy N. Harkness, Paul A. Larpenteur, Ajay Gopalakrishnan, Hubert Wong
  • Patent number: 9047040
    Abstract: A parameter relating to the video card preferences of a target computer program is determined. In response to the target computer program being started on a computing device having a number of video cards, one of these video cards is selected to run the target computer program on, based on the parameter. The target computer program is then run on the video card selected. The parameter may include the specific identify of one of the video cards on which the target computer program is to be run, as well as other types of parameters that do not specifically identify any of the video cards. The video card preferences of the target computer program may also include video card requirements of the target computer program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Steven D. Cook
  • Publication number: 20150138228
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for implementing anti-aliasing operations using a programmable sample pattern table. The method includes the steps of receiving an instruction that causes one or more values to be stored in one or more corresponding entries of the programmable sample pattern table and performing an anti-aliasing operation based on at least one value stored in the programmable sample pattern table. At least one value is selected from the programmable sample pattern table based on, at least in part, a location of one or more corresponding pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Eric B. Lum, Jeffrey Alan Bolz, Timothy Paul Lottes, Rui Manuel Bastos, Barry Nolan Rodgers, Gerald F. Luiz
  • Patent number: 9019299
    Abstract: A filtering method and apparatus for anti-aliasing takes advantage of improved existing hardware by using as input the data stored in the multisampling anti-aliasing (MSAA) buffers after rendering. The standard hardware box-filter is then replaced with a more intelligent resolve implemented using shader programs. Embodiments find scene edges using existing samples generated by Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) hardware. Using samples from a footprint larger than a single pixel, a gradient is calculated matching the direction of an edge. A non-linear filter over contributing samples in the direction of the gradient gives the final result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Konstantine Iourcha, Jason Yang, Andrew Pomianowski
  • Patent number: 9007388
    Abstract: Surfaces without a global surface coordinate system are divided into surface regions having local surface coordinate systems to enable the caching of surface attribute values. A surface attribute value for a surface region may include contributions from two or more adjacent surfaces. Sample points may be arranged at the corners, rather than centers, of surface regions and include prefiltered values based on two or more surfaces. A renderer may sample the surface attribute function using these prefiltered values without accessing any adjacent surfaces, even if the renderer's filter crosses a surface boundary. A multiresolution cache stores surface attribute values at different resolution levels for surface regions of one or more surfaces, which may be discontiguous. Two or more resolution levels may have the same number of sample points but have values based on filters with different areas and spatial frequency limits. Resolution levels may be selected based on geodesic distance on a surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Pixar
    Inventors: Robert L. Cook, Peter-Pike Sloan, Manuel Kraemer, Pitchaya Sitthi-Amorn