The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 05, 2010
Filed:
Nov. 23, 2004
Matthew N. Papakipos, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Carroll Philip Gossett, Mountain View, CA (US);
Christian Pappas, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Henry P. Moreton, Oakland, CA (US);
Robert J. Williamson, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Matthew N. Papakipos, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Carroll Philip Gossett, Mountain View, CA (US);
Christian Pappas, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Henry P. Moreton, Oakland, CA (US);
Robert J. Williamson, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
The present invention comprises a computer implemented process and system for rendering curves or surfaces as 3D graphics on a display. The system of the present invention includes a computer system having a processor, a bus, and a 3D graphics rendering pipeline. The curves or surfaces are modeled by non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS). The process of the present invention functions by receiving a NURBS model for rendering from a software program running on the host processor. The NURBS model defines a curve or surface. The process of the present invention efficiently converts the NURBS model to a Bezier model using the hardware of the graphics rendering pipeline. The Bezier model describes the same curve or surface. The process of Bezier model and the graphics rendering pipeline. The points are then used by the graphics rendering pipeline to render the curve or surface defined by the Bezier model. Alternatively, a NURBS model is directly evaluated into a plurality of points on a curve or surface, and in turn, rendered into the curve or surface. This direct rendering of the NURBS model is implemented using the graphics rendering pipeline.