Daniel Scharstein

US Patent:

55900933, Dec 31, 1996

Filed:

Jun 7, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/487343

Inventors:

Hans Scharstein - 53894 Mechernich, DE
Werner Krotz-Vogel - 53332 Bornheim, DE
Daniel Scharstein - Middlebury VT

International Classification:

G04B 1926
G04B 4900
G04C 1900

US Classification:

368 15

Abstract:

A digital sundial displays the current solar time in digits, words, or pictures. Two closely-spaced parallel masks project different images depending on the angular position of the sun in the following way: The first mask, a regular array of thin vertical slits, casts a striped light pattern onto the second mask. This light pattern is independent of the height of the sun. The second mask is composed of narrow stripes of the digits, words, or pictures to be displayed. The striped pattern of sunlight cast by the first mask illuminates exactly those stripes of the second mask corresponding to the image representing the current time. The light shining through both masks is projected onto a translucent viewing screen mounted closely behind the second mask, which results in a digital display of the time. A plate of light-refracting material can be inserted between the two masks, effectively linearizing the motion of the light pattern cast onto the second mask. Using this linearized version, it is possible to construct not only a sundial displaying the hours, but also a minute display which, for example, repeatedly displays the minutes of the current time in five-minute intervals.

US Patent:

20200226805, Jul 16, 2020

Filed:

Jan 15, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/248654

Inventors:

- Menlo Park CA, US
David James Geraghty - Seattle WA, US
Daniel Scharstein - Weybridge VT, US

International Classification:

G06T 11/60
G06K 9/46
G06T 19/00
G06T 3/00

Abstract:

In one embodiment, a method includes accessing an image of a physical world scene, detecting a number of straight-line segments in the accessed image, identifying a first vanishing point and a second vanishing point in the image, where each vanishing point corresponds to a sub-set of the number of straight-line segments, and where the first vanishing point and the second vanishing point are orthogonal, identifying a planar region in the accessed image represented by one or more straight-line segments associated with the first vanishing point and one or more straight-line segments associated with the second vanishing point, transforming a virtual object associated with the planar region based on one or more properties associated with the planar region, and displaying the transformed virtual object over the image.