ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF ENABLING TO ANIMATE AN OBJECT

• US 20070191986A1
• Filed: 03/10/2005
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: VAN BREEMEN, Albertus
• Application Number:
  US10/598,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20070191986A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/00 Self-movable toy figures
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls

Abstract

The electronic device of the invention comprises a processing unit capable of determining a first part of a new animation of an object on the basis of at least one position of the object in a first animation and on the basis of a first part of a second animation of the object. The processing unit is further capable of determining a second part of the new animation on the basis of a second part of the second animation. The method of enabling to animate an object comprises a first step of enabling to animate the object during a first period on the basis of at least one position of the object in a first animation of the object and on the basis of a first part of a second animation of the object. The method comprises a second step of enabling to animate the object during a second period on the basis of a second part of the second animation of the object.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising a processing unit capable of:

determining a first part of a new animation of an object (s1 . . . s12) on the basis of at least one position of the object (s1 . . . s12) in a first animation and a first part of a second animation of the object; and

determining a second part of the new animation on the basis of a second part of the second animation.

2. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a robot and the object comprises one or more servos of the robot.

3. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the duration of the first part of the new animation does not depend on the start time of the second animation.

4. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit executes the first part of the new animation as soon as certain user input is received, the certain user input triggering the second animation.

5. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a contribution of the first part of the second animation to the first part of the new animation increases exponentionally during a transition period.

6. A computer program product enabling upon its execution a programmable device to function as the electronic device of claim 1.

7. A method of enabling to animate an object (s1 . . . s12), comprising the steps of:

enabling to animate the object (s1 . . . s12) during a first period on the basis of at least one position of the object in a first animation of the object (s1 . . . s12) and a first part of a second animation of the object (s1 . . . s12); and

enabling to animate the object (s1 . . . s12) during a second period on the basis of a second part of the second animation of the object (s1 . . . s12).

8. An electronic device, comprising a processing unit capable of:

animating an object (s1 . . . s12) during a first period on the basis of least one position of the object (s1 . . . s12) in a first animation of the object (s1 . . . s12) and a first part of a second animation of the object (s1 . . . s12); and

animating the object (s1 . . . s12) during a second period on the basis of a second part of the second animation of the object (s1 . . . s12).

9. A method of animating of an object (s1 . . . s12), comprising the steps of:

animating the object (s1 . . . s12) during a first period on the basis of least one position of the object (s1 . . . s12) in a first animation of the object (s1 . . . s12) and a first part of a second animation of the object (s1 . . . s12); and

animating the object (s1 . . . s12) during a second period on the basis of a second part of the second animation of the object (s1 . . . s12).