Victor E Santodomingo

US Patent:

7038694, May 2, 2006

Filed:

Mar 11, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/096189

Inventors:

Victor E. Santodomingo - Kirkland WA, US
Jason L. Waskey - Seattle WA, US
Jason M. Dent - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06T 7/00

US Classification:

345582

Abstract:

Data defining one or more graphic objects, such as buildings and vegetation, are automatically generated in a repeatable manner within each of a plurality of visual tiles of a simulated space. A seed is determined for a tile as a function of a location of the tile in the space. The seed is used to pseudo-randomly determine visually apparent characteristics of the graphic objects, such as position, height, and texture. A tile is preferably characterized by one or a combination of texture classes, such as vegetated and urban. Any tile can be associated with an annotation that specifies other characteristics of an object, such as its footprint, or of a sub-area within which objects will be depicted in the tile and rendered with the randomly determined characteristics. For multi-class tiles, the annotations are used to mask automatically generated graphic objects from undesired portions of the tile.

US Patent:

7158135, Jan 2, 2007

Filed:

Mar 8, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/079154

Inventors:

Victor Santodomingo - Redmond WA, US
Jason L. Waskey - Seattle WA, US
Jason M. Dent - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06T 17/00

US Classification:

345428

Abstract:

The number of graphic objects in a visual tile rendered varies as a function of distance between the tile and a viewpoint in a simulation. Fewer objects are rendered when the tile is far from the viewpoint, and vise versa. A level of detail (LOD) value is pseudo-randomly selected and associated with each object, indicating the maximum distance at which the object will be visible. A current LOD value is determined for the tile. An object is rendered if its LOD value is equal or greater than the current LOD value of the tile. Objects are faded into and out of view by modulating an opacity value as the current LOD value changes. Texture values of an object are adjusted as a function of ambient and direct components of light on the object, to achieve lighting corresponding to time of day, current season, and/or region in the simulated world.

US Patent:

7414629, Aug 19, 2008

Filed:

Mar 8, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/079129

Inventors:

Victor Santodomingo - Redmond WA, US
Jason M. Dent - Seattle WA, US
Jason L. Waskey - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06T 7/40

US Classification:

345582

Abstract:

Data defining one or more graphic objects, such as buildings and vegetation, are automatically generated in a repeatable manner within each of a plurality of visual tiles of a simulated space. A seed is determined for a tile as a function of a location of the tile in the space. The seed is used to pseudo-randomly determine visually apparent characteristics of the graphic objects, such as position, height, and texture. A tile is preferably characterized by one or a combination of texture classes, such as vegetated and urban. Any tile can be associated with an annotation that specifies other characteristics of an object, such as its footprint, or of a sub-area within which objects will be depicted in the tile and rendered with the randomly determined characteristics. For multi-class tiles, the annotations are used to mask automatically generated graphic objects from undesired portions of the tile.

US Patent:

20040263512, Dec 30, 2004

Filed:

Jul 23, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/898067

Inventors:

Victor Santodomingo - Kirkland WA, US
Jason Waskey - Seattle WA, US
Jason Dent - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06T017/00

US Classification:

345/428000

Abstract:

The number of graphic objects in a visual tile rendered varies as a function of distance between the tile and a viewpoint in a simulation. Fewer objects are rendered when the tile is far from the viewpoint, and vise versa. A level of detail (LOD) value is pseudo-randomly selected and associated with each object, indicating the maximum distance at which the object will be visible. A current LOD value is determined for the tile. An object is rendered if its LOD value is equal or greater than the current LOD value of the tile. Objects are faded into and out of view by modulating an opacity value as the current LOD value changes. Texture values of an object are adjusted as a function of ambient and direct components of light on the object, to achieve lighting corresponding to time of day, current season, and/or region in the simulated world.

US Patent:

20110246883, Oct 6, 2011

Filed:

Apr 1, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/752166

Inventors:

Giedrius Zizys - Redmond WA, US
Tzong-Jhy Wang - Redmond WA, US
Victor E. Santodomingo - Redmond WA, US
William David Sproule - Woodinville WA, US
Mike W. Morrison - Issaquah WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 3/01

US Classification:

715716

Abstract:

Enhanced, efficient source frame decoding for user previewing is implemented by decoding and caching source frames of an input file that a user is interested in. Source frames for a user preview session are identified and decoded first to enhance user satisfaction with more timely preview segments for review. Additional source frames continue to be decoded on the fly to opportunistically enhance the current preview segment and to be prepared for additional preview segments and/or output file generation.

US Patent:

6952207, Oct 4, 2005

Filed:

Mar 11, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/096217

Inventors:

Victor E. Santodomingo - Kirkland WA, US
Jason L. Waskey - Seattle WA, US
Jason M. Dent - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06T017/00

US Classification:

345428, 702 5

Abstract:

The number of graphic objects in a visual tile rendered varies as a function of distance between the tile and a viewpoint in a simulation. Fewer objects are rendered when the tile is far from the viewpoint, and vise versa. A level of detail (LOD) value is pseudo-randomly selected and associated with each object, indicating the maximum distance at which the object will be visible. A current LOD value is determined for the tile. An object is rendered if its LOD value is equal or greater than the current LOD value of the tile. Objects are faded into and out of view by modulating an opacity value as the current LOD value changes. Texture values of an object are adjusted as a function of ambient and direct components of light on the object, to achieve lighting corresponding to time of day, current season, and/or region in the simulated world.