Computing environment that produces realistic motions for an animatronic figure

• US 20050153624A1
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Wieland, Alexis P., Irmler, Holger, Madhani, Akhil Jiten
• Granted Patent: US 8,374,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/269
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/00 Self-movable toy figures
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/028 having wheels and mechanical legs B62D57/024 takes precedence; ground-engaging vehicle fittings for supporting, lifting or manoeuvring the vehicle, wholly or in part B60S9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/032 with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or sequentially lifted feet or skid B62D57/024 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for producing motions for an animatronic figure is disclosed. The system is configured to produce different types of motions in real-time and in a life-like manner. The motion software module forms a composite motion by combining the user-inputted motion with user-selected fixed sequences and/or with algorithmically calculated motion. The motions of the animatronic figure can further be filtered to produce motions that are life-like. Combined motions are formed by superimposing, modulating, or modifying component motions. Motions ark filtered based on user-inputted commands and commands determined from a stimulus and filtered to create a life-like motion.

Claims

1. An animatronic system comprising:

a reception module that receives a fixed show selection input and a puppetted input from an operator, wherein the fixed show selection input is associated with at least one fixed show instruction, wherein the puppetted input provides a puppetted instruction;

an animatronic figure;

a translation software module that translates the at least one fixed show instruction associated with the fixed show selection input into at least one fixed show physical movement instruction and translates the received puppetted instruction into at least one puppetted physical movement instruction; and

a motion software module that receives the at least one fixed show physical movement instruction, receives the at least one puppetted physical movement instruction, and calculates a composite animated instruction from the at least one fixed show physical movement instruction and the at least one puppetted physical movement instruction so that at least one actuator can effectuate at least one component of the animatronic figure in a life-like manner.

2. The animatronic system of claim 1, further comprising an audio software module that provides an instruction to an audio device to output an audio signal when the motion of the at least one component of the animatronic figure is effectuated.

3. The animatronic system of claim 1, further comprising an automatic fixed show software module that automatically provides the fixed show selection input to the reception module at a predetermined time.

4. The animatronic system of claim 3, wherein the predetermined time coincides with a time that the operator provides the puppetted input.

5. The animatronic system of claim 1, further comprising a button that the operator presses to provide the fixed show selection input.

6. The animatronic system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor operably connected to the animatronic figure that determines the occurrence of an event.

7. The animatronic system of claim 6, wherein the occurrence of the event triggers the fixed show selection input to be inputted to the reception module.

8. The animatronic system of claim 1, further comprising a dial that the operator turns to provide the fixed show selection input to the reception module.

9. A method that produces motion of an animatronic figure, the method comprising:

providing a puppetting instruction to the animatronic figure to perform a puppetting movement;

providing a fixed show selection associated with at least one fixed show instruction to the animatronic figure to perform a fixed show movement;

combining the puppetting instruction with the at least one fixed show instruction to form a combined instruction; and

instructing the animatronic figure to perform the combined instruction.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the fixed show selection is provided by the user.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the instructing the animatronic figure to perform the combined instruction results in a composite movement of the puppetted movement and the fixed show movement.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the puppetted movement is to be performed by the same component of the animatronic figure as the fixed show movement.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the puppetted movement is to be performed by a different component of the animatronic figure than the fixed show movement.

14. An animatronic system comprising:

an animatronic figure;

a reception module that receives a first command and a second command from an operator, wherein the reception module is operably connected to the animatronic figure, wherein the reception module communicates with the animatronic figure, wherein the animatronic figure makes a first movement according to the first command, wherein the animatronic figure makes a second movement according to the second command; and

a filter module that filters the first command through a first filter and filters the second command through a second filter to coordinate a first movement of the animatronic figure resulting from the first command with a second movement of the animatronic figure resulting from the second command so that the motion of the animatronic figure provides a life-like appearance.

15. The animatronic system of claim 14, wherein the first command is a puppetted instruction.

16. The animatronic system of claim 14, wherein the second command is a fixed show selection that is associated with at least one fixed show instruction.

17. The animatronic system of claim 14, wherein the first filter is a low pass filter.

18. The animatronic system of claim 14, wherein the second filter is a high pass filter.

19. The animatronic system of claim 14, wherein the second filter is a band pass filter.

20. The animatronic system of claim 14, wherein the first filter and the second filter are positioned on different components of the same body part of the animatronic figure.

21. The animatronic system of claim 14, wherein the first filter and the second filter are positioned on different body parts of the animatronic figure.

22. An animatronic figure comprising:

a leg;

a leg actuator that is operably connected to the leg, wherein the leg actuator effectuates movement of the leg;

a wheel;

a wheel actuator that is operably connected to the wheel, wherein the wheel actuator effectuates movement of the wheel; and

a processor that determines a leg motion and a wheel motion to effectuate movement of the animatronic figure, wherein the processor sends the leg motion to the leg actuator, wherein the processor sends the wheel motion to the wheel actuator.

23. The animatronic figure of claim 22, further comprising a position sensor that determines a first current position of the animatronic figure.

24. The animatronic figure of claim 23, further comprising an incremental sensor that measures a second current relative position of the animatronic figure by incrementing the distance traveled from an initial position of the animatronic figure.

25. The animatronic figure of claim 24, further comprising a clipping module that determines if the difference between the second current position of the animatronic figure and the first current position of the animatronic figure has reached a positional clipping limit.

26. The animatronic figure of claim 25, wherein the clipping module determines if the velocity of the animatronic figure in moving from the first current position to the second current position has reached a velocity-clipping limit in addition to reaching the positional clipping limit.

27. The animatronic figure of claim 24, further comprising a clipping module that determines if the velocity of the animatronic figure in moving from the first current position to the second current position has reached a clipping limit.

28. The animatronic figure of claim 24, further comprising a clipping module that determines if the acceleration of the animatronic figure in moving from the first current position to the second current position has reached a clipping limit, separately or in conjunction with a position clipping limit as stated in claim 25 and/or with a velocity clipping limit as stated in claim 26.

29. The animatronic figure of claim 22, wherein the clipping module shortens a trajectory of the animatronic figure if the clipping limit has been reached.

30. The animatronic figure of claim 22, wherein the clipping module reduces a velocity of the animatronic figure if the clipping limit has been reached.

31. The animatronic figure of claim 22, wherein the clipping module reduces an acceleration of the animatronic figure if the clipping limit has been reached.

32. A method that produces motion of an animatronic figure, the method comprising:

providing a puppetted instruction to the animatronic figure to perform a puppetted movement;

providing a fixed show selection command to the animatronic figure to perform at least one fixed show movement associated with the fixed show selection;

combining the puppetted movement and the fixed show movement into a composite movement; and

instructing the animatronic figure to perform the composite movement.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the fixed show selection is provided by the user.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the combining the puppetted movement and the at least one fixed show movement is a composite of the puppetted movement and the fixed show movement.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the puppetted movement is on the same component of the animatronic figure as the fixed show movement.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the puppetted movement is on a different component of the animatronic figure than the fixed show movement.

37. The method of claim 34, further comprising a pre-determined limit that reduces the composite of the puppetted movement and the fixed show movement.

38. An animatronic system comprising:

an animatronic figure;

a reception module that receives a first command from an operator, wherein the reception module is operably connected to the animatronic figure, wherein the reception module communicates with the animatronic figure, wherein the first command is used by the animatronic system as part of a calculation to determine a first movement; and

an algorithmic response module that provides a second command to the animatronic figure based on the occurrence of the first command being provided to the animatronic figure, wherein the algorithmic response module receives the first command from the reception module, wherein the animatronic figure makes a second movement according to the second command.

39. The animatronic system of claim 38, wherein the first command is a puppetted instruction.

40. The animatronic system of claim 38, wherein the second command is a fixed show selection input associated with at least one fixed show instruction.

41. The animatronic system of claim 38 wherein the second command is an animatronic fixed show instruction that is based on the occurrence of a sensor operably connected to the animatronic figure detecting a stimulus.

42. The animatronic system of claim 38, further comprising a filter module that filters the first movement through a first filter and filters the second movement through a second filter to coordinate the first movement with the second movement so that the motion of the animatronic figure provides a life-like appearance.

43. A robotic system comprising:

a reception module that receives a fixed show selection input and a puppetted input from an operator, wherein the fixed show selection input is associated with at least one fixed show instruction, wherein the puppetted input provides a puppetted instruction;

a robotic figure;

a translation software module that translates the at least one fixed show instruction associated with the fixed show selection input into at least one fixed show physical movement instruction and translates the received puppetted instruction into at least one puppetted physical movement instruction; and

a motion software module that receives the at least one fixed show physical movement instruction, receives the at least one puppetted physical movement instruction, and calculates a composite animated instruction from the at least one fixed show physical movement instruction and the at least one puppetted physical movement instruction so that at least one actuator can effectuate at least one component of the robotic figure in a life-like manner.

44. The robotic system of claim 43, further comprising an audio software module that provides an instruction to an audio device to output an audio signal when the motion of the at least one component of the robotic figure is effectuated.

45. The robotic system of claim 43, further comprising an automatic fixed show software module that automatically provides the fixed show selection input to the reception module at a predetermined time.

46. The robotic system of claim 45, wherein the predetermined time coincides with a time that the operator provides the puppetted input.

47. The robotic system of claim 45, further comprising a button that the operator presses to provide the fixed show selection input.

48. The robotic system of claim 45, further comprising a sensor operably connected to the robotic figure that determines the occurrence of an event.

49. The robotic system of claim 48, wherein the occurrence of the event triggers the fixed show selection input to be inputted to the reception module.

50. The robotic system of claim 43, further comprising a dial that the operator turns to provide the fixed show selection input to the reception module.