David B Fowler

US Patent:

7773087, Aug 10, 2010

Filed:

Apr 19, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/737156

Inventors:

David Keith Fowler - Hastings MN, US
Robert Allen Shearer - Rochester MN, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06T 15/00

US Classification:

345426, 345419, 345423

Abstract:

Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatus to determine a coordinate system to use when traversing rays through a portion of a spatial index corresponding to a dynamic object which has a unique object coordinate system. An image processing system may take into consideration a number of factors including, but not limited to, a distance form a viewpoint to the dynamic object, a distance from the origin of the world coordinate system to the object coordinate system, a rate of traversal of the dynamic object, and a number of primitives which make up the object. These factors alone or together may indicate whether it is more efficient to perform ray intersection tests in an object coordinate system or in a world coordinate system. Embodiments of the invention may update a spatial index according to the selected coordinate system.

US Patent:

8004518, Aug 23, 2011

Filed:

Feb 14, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/674821

Inventors:

David Keith Fowler - Hastings MN, US
Eric Michael Radzikowski - Franklin WI, US
Robert Allen Shearer - Rochester MN, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06T 17/00
G06T 15/50

US Classification:

345420, 345426

Abstract:

Embodiments of the invention create links or branches from a static spatial index which partitions a three-dimensional scene based on the position of static objects to a dynamic object spatial index which partitions a three-dimensional scene based on the position of dynamic objects in a three-dimensional scene. By branching from the static spatial index to the dynamic object spatial index, the image processing system may create a single combined spatial index or a combined acceleration data structure. The combined spatial index may contain information which partitions the three-dimensional scene with respect to both static objects and dynamic objects within the three-dimensional scene. When performing ray tracing, the image processing system may only need to traverse rays issued into the three-dimensional scene through the combined spatial index to determine if the ray intersects either static objects or dynamic objects within the three-dimensional scene.

US Patent:

8018453, Sep 13, 2011

Filed:

Feb 9, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/673042

Inventors:

David Keith Fowler - Hastings MN, US
Robert Allen Shearer - Rochester MN, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06T 15/00

US Classification:

345419, 345420, 345421, 345426, 345473, 345522, 707101

Abstract:

Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatus to defer the optimization an acceleration data structure (e. g. , a kd-tree) in response to movements of objects within a three-dimensional scene. According to one embodiment of the invention, an image processing system may determine portions of an acceleration data structure affected by the movement of an object within a three-dimensional scene. The image processing system may store the affected portion of the ADS in an optimization queue. If the image processing system does not have sufficient processing bandwidth available to optimize the ADS, the image processing system may defer the ADS optimization until sufficient processing bandwidth becomes available. Once sufficient processing bandwidth becomes available, the image processing system may optimize the ADS according to the information stored in the optimization queue.

US Patent:

8102389, Jan 24, 2012

Filed:

Feb 14, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/674692

Inventors:

David Keith Fowler - Hastings MN, US
Eric Michael Radzikowski - Franklin WI, US
Robert Allen Shearer - Rochester MN, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06T 15/00

US Classification:

345419

Abstract:

Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatus to reduce the number of intersection tests required to determine if an object moving within a three-dimensional scene collides with any other objects. According to one embodiment of the invention, a physics engine may cast a velocity box into the scene and traverse the velocity box through an integrated acceleration data structure. By traversing the velocity box through an integrated acceleration data structure, a physics engine may determine which objects are in the same area of the scene and are likely intersect the velocity box. The physics engine may use the objects when performing intersection tests to reduce the number of intersection tests which are necessary to determine which objects intersect the velocity box. A reduction in the number of intersection tests may reduce the amount of time necessary to determine if a moving object collides with any other objects.

US Patent:

8248401, Aug 21, 2012

Filed:

Mar 19, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/407297

Inventors:

David K. Fowler - Hastings MN, US
Eric O. Mejdrich - Rochester MN, US
Paul E. Schardt - Rochester MN, US
Robert A. Shearer - Rochester MN, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06T 1/00
G06T 15/00
G06T 15/50
G06T 15/60
G06T 15/10
G06T 15/20
G06T 15/06

US Classification:

345418, 345419, 345426, 345427

Abstract:

A circuit arrangement, program product and method utilize the known view orientation for an image frame to be rendered to optimize the generation and/or use of an Accelerated Data Structure (ADS) used in physical rendering-based image processing. In particular, it has been found that while geometry primitives that are not within a view orientation generally cannot be culled from a scene when a physical rendering technique such as ray tracing is performed, those primitives nonetheless have a smaller impact on the resulting image frame, and as a result, less processing resources can be applied to such primitives, leaving greater processing resources available for processing those primitives that are located within the view orientation, and thereby improving overall rendering performance.

US Patent:

8248412, Aug 21, 2012

Filed:

Mar 19, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/407398

Inventors:

David K. Fowler - Hastings MN, US
Eric O. Mejdrich - Rochester MN, US
Paul E. Schardt - Rochester MN, US
Robert A. Shearer - Rochester MN, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06T 15/40
G06T 1/00
G06T 15/00
G06T 15/50
G06T 15/60
G06T 15/10
G06T 15/20
G06T 15/06

US Classification:

345421, 345418, 345419, 345426, 345427

Abstract:

A circuit arrangement, program product and circuit arrangement utilize a textured bounding volume to reduce the overhead associated with generating and using an Accelerated Data Structure (ADS) in connection with physical rendering. In particular, a subset of the primitives in a scene may be mapped to surfaces of a bounding volume to generate textures on such surfaces that can be used during physical rendering. By doing so, the primitives that are mapped to the bounding volume surfaces may be omitted from the ADS to reduce the processing overhead associated with both generating the ADS and using the ADS during physical rendering, and furthermore, in many instances the size of the ADS may be reduced, thus reducing the memory footprint of the ADS, and often improving cache hit rates and reducing memory bandwidth.

US Patent:

20080192051, Aug 14, 2008

Filed:

Feb 14, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/674690

Inventors:

David Keith Fowler - Hastings MN, US
Eric Michael Radzikowski - Franklin WI, US
Paul Emery Schardt - Rochester MN, US
Robert Allen Schearer - Rochester MN, US

International Classification:

G06T 15/40

US Classification:

345421

Abstract:

Embodiments of the invention may update an ADS (e.g., spatial index) when an object moves into an empty bounding volume by partitioning the empty bounding volume and adding corresponding nodes to an ADS. The added nodes may be branched to from an empty leaf node which corresponds to the empty bounding volume. Furthermore, embodiments of the invention may update an ADS when an object moves out of the empty bounding volume by removing the nodes which were added when the object moved into the empty bounding volume. In order to locate the nodes which were added, embodiments of the invention may assert a bit in a data structure associated with the empty leaf node when the nodes are added to the ADS.

US Patent:

20080294548, Nov 27, 2008

Filed:

May 23, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/752390

Inventors:

David Keith Fowler - Hastings MN, US
Zachary Adam Garbow - Rochester MN, US

International Classification:

G06Q 40/00

US Classification:

705 39

Abstract:

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for commercial transactions for the sale of images carried out over short-range wireless transmissions. In one embodiment, the transaction may be initiated by a vendor (e.g., a professional photographer), who transmits a wireless signal including an offer for sale of an image. A customer wishing to purchase the image responds by sending a wireless signal including an acceptance of the offer. In another embodiment, the transaction may be initiated by a customer, who transmits a wireless signal including a request for an image to be fulfilled by a vendor. A vendor agreeing to supply the image responds by sending a wireless signal including an acceptance of the request. By offering the images to customers who are in close proximity to the image capture, the vendor may increase the likelihood that the images will be purchased.