Xin Li

US Patent:

6369827, Apr 9, 2002

Filed:

Aug 4, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/633357

Inventors:

Jun Pan - Bellevue WA
Samir Abou-Samra - Vancouver, CA
Robert Champagne - Redmond WA
Prasanna Ghali - Vancouver, CA
Xin Li - Issaquah WA
Claude Comair - Vancouver, CA
Sun Tjen Fam - Vancouver, CA

Assignee:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Kyoto

International Classification:

G09G 502

US Classification:

345591, 345589, 345 32, 273148 B

Abstract:

Effective color resolution of a limited-memory color-mapped display system such as a portable liquid crystal display (LCD) handheld video game system can be increased by changing the color mapping information during active display time (e. g. , during the horizontal blanking interval between rasterization of successive lines on the display). A subset of the color mapping information can be rewritten during each horizontal blanking period. A full color bitmapped source image can be converted into a color-mapped image in a way that optimizes the use of such color map updates. Since photographic and photorealistic images typically dont exhibit abrupt color changes between neighboring pixels, such techniques can result in display of a color image with very high color resolution (e. g. , having as many as 2048 different colors) on hardware intended to permit simultaneous display of only a much smaller number of different colors (e. g. , only 56 different colors simultaneously).

US Patent:

6373462, Apr 16, 2002

Filed:

Dec 7, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/454607

Inventors:

Jun Pan - Bellevue WA
Samir Abou-Samra - Vancouver, CA
Robert Champagne - Redmond WA
Claude Comair - Vancouver, CA
Sun Tjen Fam - Vancouver, CA
Prasanna Ghali - Vancouver, CA
Xin Li - Issaquah WA

Assignee:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Kyoto

International Classification:

G09G 502

US Classification:

345152, 345153

Abstract:

Effective color resolution of a limited-memory color-mapped display system such as a portable liquid crystal display (LCD) handheld video game system can be increased by changing the color mapping information during active display time (e. g. , during the horizontal blanking interval between rasterization of successive lines on the display). A subset of the color mapping information can be rewritten during each horizontal blanking period. A full color bitmapped source image can be converted into a color-mapped image in a way that optimizes the use of such color map updates. Since photographic and photorealistic images typically dont exhibit abrupt color changes between neighboring pixels, such techniques can result in display of a color image with very high color resolution (e. g. , having as many as 2048 different colors) on hardware intended to permit simultaneous display of only a much smaller number of different colors (e. g. , only 56 different colors simultaneously).

US Patent:

6416410, Jul 9, 2002

Filed:

Dec 3, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/453721

Inventors:

Samir Abou-Samra - Vancouver, CA
Claude Comair - Vancouver, CA
Robert Champagne - Redmond WA
Sun Tjen Fam - Vancouver, CA
Prasanna Ghali - Vancouver, CA
Stephen Lee - Redmond WA
Jun Pan - Bellevue WA
Xin Li - Issaquah WA

Assignee:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Kyoto

International Classification:

A63F 1300

US Classification:

463 31, 463 32, 463 34, 463 43, 345614, 345629, 345631, 345684, 345688, 382232, 382233, 704503, 704504

Abstract:

Loss-less data compression/decompression especially useful in a limited resource environment such as a handheld portable video game system allows graphics and/or attribute data to be efficiently and quickly decompressed on an as-needed basis in real time response to interactive user inputs. A two-level run-length-encoding is used to encode redundant patterns and redundant symbols. A common sentinel field format encodes whether data following the field is non-redundant data, a symbol run, or a pattern run. Compression ratios of 60% for representative symbol-mapped video display graphics/attribute files can be achieved.

US Patent:

6563503, May 13, 2003

Filed:

Aug 25, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/382819

Inventors:

Claude Comair - Vancouver, CA
Prasanna Ghali - Vancouver, CA
Samir A. Samra - Vancouver, CA
Sun T. Fam - Vancouver, CA
Xin Li - Issaquah WA

Assignee:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Kyoto

International Classification:

G06T 1570

US Classification:

345473, 345474, 345475, 345861, 345706

Abstract:

Generic, abstract, encapsulated, expandable and maintainable techniques for modeling and animating computer graphics display objects can be used in a variety of different computer applications and platforms including, for example, video games developed for inexpensive home 3D video game platforms. An abstract simulation entity definition for use in real time computer simulation and animation encapsulates both the physical and behavioral characteristics of a display object. The simulation entity provides a unique âgenetic planâ containing abstract attributes that may be shared among objects. Each simulation entity has the knowledge or know-how of common operations, and the ability to communicate with other simulation entities. Two separate class hierarchies may be used to differentiate between abstract components and physical components of simulation entities: an entity class hierarchy may be used to specify data structures and methods for behavior and communication; and an object class hierarchy may be used to define geometry and animation information and functions. A simulation entity can possess more than one set of object information.

US Patent:

6591019, Jul 8, 2003

Filed:

Jan 28, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/493257

Inventors:

Claude Comair - Vancouver, CA
Xin Li - Issaquah WA
Samir Abou-Samra - Vancouver, CA
Robert Champagne - Redmond WA
Sun Tjen Fam - Vancouver, CA
Prasanna Ghali - Vancouver, CA
Jun Pan - Bellevue WA

Assignee:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Kyoto

International Classification:

G06K 936

US Classification:

382248, 345419, 345473

Abstract:

Compressing and decompressing techniques for transformation matrices 3D computer graphics systems use to animate objects achieve high compression ratios by taking advantage of common characteristics of homogenous 3D transformation matrices. The techniques use a bitmap to encode information on locations of ones and zeros of the matrixâbypassing the penchant of compilers to represent such information as high-precision numbers. Since most video game processors and display hardware are constrained by their resolutions and since an original transformation matrix often stores data that is more accurate than necessary, the techniques convert some real numbers in the matrix (e. g. , those within the range of -1 and 1) into integers by scaling them by a constant. The resulting compressed matrices occupy much less storage space than their non-compressed counterparts, and can be efficiently decompressed in real time for use in interactive real time 3D animations.

US Patent:

6628286, Sep 30, 2003

Filed:

Oct 8, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/414883

Inventors:

Claude Comair - Vancouver, CA
Prasanna Ghali - Vancouver, CA
Samir Abou Samra - Vancouver, CA
Sun Tjen Fam - Vancouver, CA
Xin Li - Issaquah WA

Assignee:

Nintendo Software Technology Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06T 1570

US Classification:

345473, 345427, 345619

Abstract:

Transformation matrices describing the motion of an articulated reference object specify translations of the reference object and/or its articulated parts, and are relative to the origin of the objects coordinate system. During the real-time animation process, a connection matrix is saved to represent the current transformation status of the animated object. This connection matrix being obtained by continuously concatenating an external transformation (if any) with the next animation step. This process allows efficient insertion of external transformations (e. g. , resulting from operating real-time interactive user controls). Use of absolute transformations to develop the connection matrix allows a first animation sequence to be interrupted at any arbitrary point and immediately, smoothly followed by a second animation sequence (e. g. , walking can be interrupted at any time and turned into running, jumping, etc. ).

US Patent:

6906732, Jun 14, 2005

Filed:

Jan 28, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/493258

Inventors:

Xin Li - Issaquah WA, US
Samir Abou-Samra - Vancouver, CA
Robert Champagne - Redmond WA, US
Claude Comair - Vancouver, CA
Sun Tjen Fam - Vancouver, CA
Prasanna Ghali - Vancouver, CA
Jun Pan - Bellevue WA, US

Assignee:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Kyoto

International Classification:

G09G005/00

US Classification:

345646, 345582

Abstract:

A fast, texture morphing algorithm for real-time computer simulation and video games dynamically generates objects “on the fly” by simplifying and reducing the computational load required for a texture morphing/blending process. Incremental interpolation techniques compute a morph parameter based on previous value and morph change rate. Precomputed initial and incremental morph parameter values for each texel component are applied during real-time morphing procedures using integer arithmetic. Approximation errors are reduced by incrementing/decrementing by an extra integer value when the number of morph iterations is a multiple of a frame counter. The frame counter avoids over-runs, and the morphing procedure is “snapped” the texel value to the precise texture target value to prevent under-runs and corresponding artifacts. Interlacing (applying interpolation to a subset of the texels each frame) significantly reduces computational load without introducing significant image artifacts. The morph texture buffer data structure is initially decomposed off-line to reduce the number of real-time calculations required to manipulate texel component data.

US Patent:

7050064, May 23, 2006

Filed:

Apr 8, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/117115

Inventors:

Jun Pan - Bellevue WA, US
Samir Abou-Samra - Vancouver, CA
Robert Champagne - Redmond WA, US
Claude Comair - Vancouver, CA
Sun Tjen Fam - Vancouver, CA
Prasanna Ghali - Vancouver, CA
Xin Li - Issaquah WA, US

Assignee:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Kyoto

International Classification:

G09G 5/02

US Classification:

345591, 345589, 345600, 463 31, 463 33

Abstract:

Effective color resolution of a limited-memory color-mapped display system such as a portable liquid crystal display (LCD) handheld video game system can be increased by changing the color mapping information during active display time (e. g. , during the horizontal blanking interval between rasterization of successive lines on the display). A subset of the color mapping information can be rewritten during each horizontal blanking period. A full color bitmapped source image can be converted into a color-mapped image in a way that optimizes the use of such color map updates. Since photographic and photorealistic images typically don't exhibit abrupt color changes between neighboring pixels, such techniques can result in display of a color image with very high color resolution (e. g. , having as many as 2048 different colors) on hardware intended to permit simultaneous display of only a much smaller number of different colors (e. g. , only 56 different colors simultaneously).