DR. MICHAEL B JONES, PHD
Psychologist at Cahalan Ave, San Jose, CA

6348921, Feb 19, 2002

May 1, 1998

09/070808

Ze Hong Zhao - Mountain View CA 94040
Michael T. Jones - San Jose CA 95120
Lee Robert Willis - Livermore CA 94550

G06T 1700

345428, 345429, 345433

A data structure provides a framework for relating the levels of detail (LOD) of an object having multiple LODs. A designer is provided the flexibility to display different portions of an object in multiple LODs. An object is stored in different LODs. Each LOD includes one or more polygons, with each polygon representing a portion of the object. An example tree data structure includes nodes which correspond to portions of the object. All nodes at a particular level together represent an object at a corresponding LOD. A function is provided for each edge of a geometrical entity in each node. The functions are weighted according to several factors/attributes. The functions are evaluated dynamically to determine whether to replace a polygon with polygons at a finer LOD. By a proper choice of the functions in different nodes, different portions of the object may be displayed at different LODs.

6407743, Jun 18, 2002

Dec 23, 1998

09/220078

Michael T. Jones - San Jose CA

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F 1500

345582, 619473, 619861

A system and method for generating new appearances of an object from a plurality of pre-defined appearances. The invention applies to a plurality of attributes for each appearance. A user may interactively specify a proportion (or weight) in which each of the pre-defined appearances is to be combined to generate a new appearance. An embodiment of the present invention then combines the attributes of the pre-defined appearances according to the respective weights to generate a new appearance. The present invention may be used to generate new expressions of a face by using pre-defined expressions such as an angry face, a happy face, a surprised face, and a sleepy face. Position and color attributes may be morphed efficiently and quickly. According to further enhancements, texture and the surface normal vector may also be morphed efficiently and quickly, even at real time frame rates. The present invention is also used to emulate or approximate representative lighting from several light source on the look of an area.

6215495, Apr 10, 2001

May 30, 1997

8/865696

Brad Grantham - Mountain View CA
Michael T. Jones - San Jose CA
Mark G. Segal - Menlo Park CA
Chris Tanner - San Jose CA
Chris Walker - Gilroy CA
John Rohlf - Campbell CA

Silicon Graphics, Inc. - Mountain View CA

G06T 1500, G06F 700

345419

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon an applications programming interface for causing a computer system to render a three-dimensional scene according to a downloaded file. A scene graph is constructed from a number of objects stored in memory. These objects have variables which can be changed by subroutine calls. Furthermore, one or more objects can contain one or more fields. A field is comprised of a data type which represents the state of an object. Engines are used to perform defined functions to the fields. One or more routes can be used to change one field in response to changes made to another field. A class hierarchy is defined to implement a retained mode graphics.

6147695, Nov 14, 2000

Aug 26, 1998

9/140396

Andrew Bowen - San Jose CA
Gregory M. Eitzmann - Palo Alto CA
David Warren - Mountain View CA
Dawn Maxon - Belmont CA
Michael T. Jones - San Jose CA
David L. Dignam - Belmont CA

Silicon Graphics, Inc. - Mountain View CA

G06F 1516, G06T 340

345503

An operation for combining multiple video streams permits combining any number of overlay images and base images regardless of processes performed upon one or more of the images. Specifically, where the base images are dynamically sized and resized to provide a constant frame rate (despite varying frame complexity), the process similarly treats overlay images and even other base images. In the dynamic sizing process, a rendering time is compared to high and low water marks. During dynamic resizing, two double buffering operations and a synchronization operation are performed. After dynamic sizing and resizing, the resulting resized images are combined together, regardless of the frame rate of the individual images. Consequently, multiple video streams at varying frame rates are combined at a constant frame rate.