Edward Colton Greene

Title: The Innovations of Edward Colton Greene

Introduction

Edward Colton Greene is a prominent inventor based in Portola Valley, CA (US). He has made significant contributions to the field of computer graphics and rendering technologies. With a total of 10 patents to his name, Greene's work has had a lasting impact on the efficiency of three-dimensional scene rendering.

Latest Patents

Greene's latest patents include a system, method, and computer program product for updating a far clipping plane in association with a hierarchical depth buffer. This innovation enhances Z-buffer rendering of three-dimensional scenes by implementing a method for occlusion culling. This method effectively removes occluded geometry prior to rasterization, thereby improving efficiency. The hierarchical z-buffering technique reduces the amount of image and depth information that needs to be accessed. A separate culling stage in the graphics pipeline is responsible for culling occluded geometry and passing visible geometry on to the rendering stage. This culling stage maintains its own z-pyramid, where z-values are stored at low precision, such as in 8 bits. Additionally, the efficiency of hierarchical z-buffering is further improved through hierarchical evaluation of line and plane equations.

Another notable patent by Greene involves transforming a polynomial equation from the coordinate frame of one tile to that of another tile at a finer level of hierarchy. This patent also focuses on enhancing Z-buffer rendering efficiency through similar methods of occlusion culling and hierarchical z-buffering.

Career Highlights

Greene is currently employed at Nvidia Corporation, a leading company in graphics processing technology. His work at Nvidia has allowed him to push the boundaries of what is possible in computer graphics and rendering.

Collaborations

Throughout his career, Greene has collaborated with notable figures in the industry, including Patrick M. Hanrahan and Douglas A. Voorhies. These collaborations have contributed to the advancement of technologies in the field.

Conclusion

Edward Colton Greene's innovative contributions to computer graphics and rendering technologies have established him as a key figure in the industry. His patents reflect a commitment to enhancing the efficiency of three-dimensional scene rendering, making a significant impact on the field.