System and method for simulating human movement

• US 20040054510A1
• Filed: 09/18/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Software Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Raschke, Ulrich
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a computerized method for simulating human movement includes storing a plurality of sets of data, in which each set of data is indicative of a measured movement of a first human, receiving a start point and an end point for a desired movement of a second human, and comparing the desired movement to the stored sets of data. The method further includes selecting, based on the comparison, a stored set of data that is representative of the desired movement and simulating the desired movement based on the start point, the end point, and the relative change in position of a first joint associated with the selected set of data from an empirical start point to an empirical end point.

Claims

1. A computerized method for simulating movement of a living object, comprising:

storing a plurality of sets of data, each set of data indicative of a measured movement of a first living object;

receiving a start point and an end point for a desired movement of a second living object;

comparing the desired movement to the stored sets of data;

selecting, based on the comparison, a stored set of data that is representative of the desired movement; and

simulating the desired movement based on the start point, the end point, and the relative change in position of a first joint associated with the selected set of data from an empirical start point to an empirical end point.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the simulating step comprises:

identifying the first joint associated with the selected set of data;

identifying a position of the first joint at a plurality of respective times during a time period of movement of the first joint from the empirical start point to the empirical end point;

identifying, based on the positions at the respective times, the relative change in position of the first joint between adjacent empirical points; and

applying the relative change in position to a plurality of points between the start point and the end point of the desired movement.

3. The computerized method of claim 2, further comprising dividing the time period into approximately equal times.

4. The computerized method of claim 2, wherein identifying the relative change in position comprises identifying a relative change in angle of a segment associated with the first joint relative to a reference plane as the first joint moves between adjacent empirical points.

5. The computerized method of claim 4, further comprising associating the reference plane with a fixed cartesian coordinate system.

6. The computerized method of claim 4, further comprising associating the reference plane with a plane that corresponds to an axis of an adjacent segment.

7. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the simulating step comprises:

identifying the first joint associated with the selected set of data;

identifying a plurality of empirical points in the selected set of data corresponding to respective positions of the first joint during a time period of the joint moving from the empirical start point to the empirical end point;

identifying an amount of change in position from one empirical point to the next empirical point relative to the overall change in position from the empirical start point to the empirical end point during the time period; and

applying the identified amounts of change in position to a plurality of points of the desired movement between the start point and the end point of the desired movement.

8. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the living object is a human.

9. Logic encoded in media for simulating movement of a living object, the logic operable to perform the following steps:

store a plurality of sets of data, each set of data indicative of a measured movement of a first living object;

receive a start point and an end point for a desired movement of a second living object;

compare the desired movement to the stored sets of data;

select, based on the comparison, a stored set of data that is representative of the desired movement;

identify a first joint associated with the selected set of data;

identify a position of the first joint at a plurality of respective times during a time period of movement of the first joint from an empirical start point to an empirical end point;

identify, based on the positions at the respective times, the relative change in position of the first joint between adjacent empirical points; and

apply the relative change in position to a plurality of points between the start point and the end point of the desired movement.

10. The logic encoded in media of claim 9, wherein the logic is further operable to divide the time period into approximately equal times.

11. The logic encoded in media of claim 9, wherein the logic is further operable to identify a relative change in angle of a segment associated with the first joint relative to a reference plane as the first joint moves between adjacent empirical points.

12. The logic encoded in media of claim 11, wherein the logic is further operable to associate the reference plane with a fixed cartesian coordinate system.

13. The logic encoded in media of claim 11, wherein the logic is further operable to associate the reference plane with a plane that corresponds to an axis of an adjacent segment.

14. The logic encoded in media of claim 9, wherein the living object is a human.

15. A computerized method for simulating movement of a living object, comprising:

storing a plurality of sets of data, each set of data indicative of a measured movement of a first living object;

receiving a start point and an end point for a desired movement of a second living object;

comparing the desired movement to the stored sets of data;

selecting, based on the comparison, a stored set of data that is representative of the desired movement;

identifying a first joint associated with the selected set of data;

identifying a position of the first joint at a plurality of respective times during a time period of movement of the first joint from an empirical start point to an empirical end point;

identifying, based on the positions at the respective times, the relative change in position of the first joint between adjacent empirical points; and

applying the relative change in position to a plurality of points between the start point and the end point of the desired movement.

16. The computerized method of claim 15, further comprising dividing the time period into approximately equal times.

17. The computerized method of claim 15, wherein identifying the relative change in position comprises identifying a relative change in angle of a segment associated with the first joint relative to a reference plane as the first joint moves between adjacent empirical points.

18. The computerized method of claim 17, further comprising associating the reference plane with a fixed cartesian coordinate system.

19. The computerized method of claim 17, further comprising associating the reference plane with a plane that corresponds to an axis of an adjacent segment.

20. The computerized method of claim 15, wherein the living object is a human.