Sarah L Gibson

US Patent:

6512516, Jan 28, 2003

Filed:

Oct 5, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/166409

Inventors:

Markus Andrew Schill - Heidelberg, DE
Sarah F. Gibson - Arlington MA

Assignee:

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

G06T 1700

US Classification:

345424, 345473, 345440, 345441, 382128

Abstract:

An improvement to a voxel-based system to permit rapidly deforming volumetric objects made up of inhomogeneous material provides different material constraints assigned to different elements, with the constraints of a link between two neighboring elements being calculated from contributions of the two affected elements. The order in which neighbors of moved element are considered for a move determines where in the body information is propagated first. The processing order can therefore be used to model different direction-dependent propagation speeds in the material.

US Patent:

57292540, Mar 17, 1998

Filed:

Dec 27, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/579548

Inventors:

Joseph Marks - Belmont MA
Sarah Gibson - Arlington MA

Assignee:

Mitsubishi Electric Information Technology Center America, Inc. - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

G06T 500

US Classification:

345420

Abstract:

A system for creating a constructive solid geometry (CSG) representation of bjects in bit map or voxel form iteratively creates, mutates and optimizes a population of potential CSG representations of the object. The system includes a first part which randomly generates and revises a population of CSG representations. Each CSG tree includes a random number of primitives of different types, sizes and positions. The primitives are randomly organized in a tree structure which includes randomly selected boolean operators at the nodes. The trees are modified through an evolutionary process to improve the CSG representation of the object. Trees are randomly mutated to form new trees. Mutations can include (1) changes in types of primitives, (2) changes in a subtree structure, (3) addition of new subtrees, and (4) deletions of subtrees. If the new tree better represents the object, then the old tree is replaced with the new tree. Mutations continue until no further improvements are obtained.

US Patent:

60549920, Apr 25, 2000

Filed:

Sep 19, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/933393

Inventors:

Sarah F. Gibson - Arlington MA

Assignee:

Mitsubishi Electric Information Technology Center America, Inc. - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

G06T 1700

US Classification:

345424

Abstract:

A linked volumetric representation for graphical objects is presented together with techniques for physically-plausible modeling of object cutting, joining and tearing. In one embodiment, each element is may be explicitly linked to its six nearest neighbors by storing pointers to those neighbors in the element's data structure. The link between two elements can be cut when a graphical representation of cutting tool passes between the elements by setting the appropriate neighbor pointers in the two elements to point to NULL instead of to each other. If material limits in the link between two elements are exceeded during simulation of object deformation, the link can be torn apart by setting the appropriate neighbor pointers in the two elements to NULL. When a joining tool is applied to two volumetric objects in close proximity, edge elements in the two objects that have complimentary neighbors set to NULL can be joined by setting these missing neighbors to point to each other.

US Patent:

60408359, Mar 21, 2000

Filed:

Nov 6, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/965569

Inventors:

Sarah F. Gibson - Arlington MA

Assignee:

Mitsubishi Electric Information Technology Center America, Inl. (ITA) - Combridge MA

International Classification:

G06T 1500

US Classification:

345424

Abstract:

A volumetric data representation for graphical objects encodes the distance of data elements to the nearest object surface, with means being provided for estimating the direction and magnitude of surface normals from the tance values. The subject system can be used to accurately reconstruct the normal direction of a slowly varying surface in volume sampled data for high quality Volume Rendering, accurate force reflection in haptic feedback, and accurate force calculation and object penetration estimation in physically-based graphics.

US Patent:

60696346, May 30, 2000

Filed:

Jan 8, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/780388

Inventors:

Sarah Gibson - Arlington MA

Assignee:

Mitsubishi Electric Information Technology Center America, Inl - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

G06F 1500

US Classification:

345424

Abstract:

A voxel-based system for rapidly deforming volumetric objects performs simple deformation calculations for each element of the graphical object to be deformed such that when the object is manipulated, the object stretches or contracts through the movement of a selected element, followed by movement of neighboring elements only if a maximum or minimum preset distance is exceeded between the moved element and its neighbor. Thus elements are moved only if they need to be, which eliminates calculating movements of elements not affected by movement of the selected element. This in turn allows fast propagation of the deformation through the volume represented by the object to the deformed, with the motion constraints being similar to the motion provided by a set of linked elements in a chain.

US Patent:

59032740, May 11, 1999

Filed:

Feb 27, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/805208

Inventors:

Sarah Gibson - Arlington MA
Joseph Marks - Belmont MA
Hanspeter Pfister - Somerville MA

Assignee:

Mitsubishi Electric Information Technology Center America, Inc. - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

G06F15/00

US Classification:

345427

Abstract:

A system generates and arranges images depicting volume data using opacity nd color transfer functions for review and selection by a user. In volume rendering, an opacity and/or color transfer function is applied to three-dimensional scalar field data. The transfer functions have different characteristics represented as input parameters, such as control points of the function. The input parameters are then processed to determine images of the volumes and corresponding output vectors. The output vectors can be pixels in the images, or other characteristics of interest. The input vectors are selected to provide a dispersed set of output vectors. A large number of random input vectors can be generated and then culled to leave a dispersed set of output vectors. Alternatively, a set of randomly generated input vectors of a predetermined size are randomly perturbed, to further disperse the output vectors. The output vectors are displayed so that positions represent distances between the output vectors.

US Patent:

57607869, Jun 2, 1998

Filed:

Dec 27, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/579546

Inventors:

Joseph Marks - Belmont MA
Sarah Gibson - Arlington MA

Assignee:

Mitsubishi Electric Information Technology Center America, Inc. - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

G06F 1500

US Classification:

345441

Abstract:

A system for simultaneously creating similar constructive solid geometry G) representations for multiple objects in bit map or voxel form iteratively creates, mutates and optimizes a population of potential CSG representations of the objects. The system includes a first part which creates and revises two identical populations of CSG representations. Initially, the populations are randomly generated. Thus, each CSG tree includes a random number of primitives of different types, sizes and positions. The primitives are randomly organized in a tree structure which includes randomly selected boolean operators at the nodes. The trees are then modified through an evolutionary process to improve the CSG representations of the objects. Corresponding trees in each population are randomly mutated in the same manner to form new trees. Mutations can include (1) changes in types of primitives, (2) changes in a subtree structure, (3) addition of new subtrees, and (4) deletions of subtrees.

US Patent:

60845937, Jul 4, 2000

Filed:

May 14, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/079079

Inventors:

Sarah F. Gibson - Arlington MA

Assignee:

Mitsubishi Electric Information Technology Center America, Inc. - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

G06T 1550

US Classification:

345426

Abstract:

A system for generating a surface representation from binary sampled data cludes means for iteratively smoothing the surface representation, while constraining the surface to conform to details in the surface of the binary data. Means are also provided to convert the surface representation into a form useful for polygon rendering and for volume rendering, with the subject system useable to generate a smooth surfaces for high quality rendering of objects stored as binary-sampled data.