Chroma-key image animation tool

• US 20110170008A1
• Filed: 01/13/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Terry W. Koch
• Original Assignee: Terry W. Koch
• Inventors: Koch, Terry W.
• Application Number:
  US12/657,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20110170008A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/592
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/75 Chroma key

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a software method and application for creating and displaying image animations based on chroma-key video and image overlay effects, including image import, image processing, and video rendering of single images, in addition to the ability of sound, music, and text insertion, for use in computerized systems. The present disclosure furthermore provides a system and method to hide the complexity of multimedia processing steps by means of an intuitive, easy-to-use graphical user interface enabling the non-professional general public to enhance photos with multimedia animations in a fast and effective way and to make them publicly available on multimedia devices, such as smart phones, and web sites on the Internet.

Claims

1. A method for creating and displaying a chroma-key image animation using a computer, comprising:

importing image and data libraries in a computer readable medium, said image and data libraries including data sets including, visual, audio, and special effects;

selecting chroma-key effects, images, videos and other data sets from a content library into processing widows,

transforming said selected chroma-key effects, images, videos and other data sets images in said computer; and

displaying the transformed images on a computer display.

2. The method for creating and displaying a chroma-key image animation using a computer of claim 1, further including:

providing a user interface comprising a user-guiding icon bar, windows for iconized scalable effect libraries and animation editing tools, including image processing windows;

importing still user images from an external storage media into separate processing windows;

utilizing chroma-key effect videos and images from a content library into a processing window;

importing audio files from external storage media and a scalable content library into processing windows;

providing the ability to insert text into processing windows;

providing a plurality of editing functions for visual objects in processing windows;

providing the ability to auto-arrange visual objects into image layers suitable for chroma-key image animations;

providing the ability to set object specific attributes including start time, stop time, fade-in, fade-out, and other video transition effects;

providing the object specific ability to extend object properties and animation features;

providing the ability to render all objects into a chroma-key image animation movie, comprising the synchronized appearance of all visual objects, audio effects, and other movie properties;

providing the ability to playback rendered image animations at any point in time from the currently opened processing windows;

providing the ability to export the rendered image animation into a movie file suitable for external viewing, and

saving the processing windows together with their edited content information to external storage media and reading such processing windows from the external storage media.

3. The method for creating and displaying a chroma-key image animation using a computer of claim 2, wherein said icon bar provides command icons for a step-by step intuitive user method to create user chroma-key images.

4. The method for creating and displaying a chroma-key image animation using a computer of claim 2, wherein said window for iconized scalable effect libraries present a library content in the form of icons, which are organized in separate, functionality and content specific scrollable tabs, providing the ability for drag-and-drop operations to insert said library content into image animations.

5. The method for creating and displaying a chroma-key image animation using a computer of claim 2, wherein a window for animation editing tools present editing tools and object properties in icon form and other graphical interface elements, organized in separate, functionality and content specific, scrollable tabs, providing the ability and guidance to quickly edit animation objects and change their properties.

6. The method for creating and displaying a chroma-key image animation using a computer of claim 2, wherein image processing windows provide the capability to present all animation objects included in a single image animation, wherein multiple such image processing windows may exist simultaneously displaying the same or different animation content.

7. The method for creating and displaying a chroma-key image animation using a computer of claim 2, wherein said import of still user images may be accomplished by dragging an image file from the application external computer environment in the application work space, and the image file is a jpeg, png, gif, or bmp file, or a file containing any other image format.

8. The method for creating and displaying a chroma-key image animation using a computer of claim 2, wherein said chroma-keyed video and image effects are represented in processing windows by semi-transparent images allowing the ability to view their position and appearance with respect to other objects position above or beneath the video and image effect.

9. The method for creating and displaying a chroma-key image animation using a computer of claim 2, wherein the import of said external audio file is accomplished by dragging an audio file from the application external computer environment into a processing window, and the audio file is a wav, pcm, mp3, m4a file or a file containing any other audio format.

10. The method for creating and displaying a chroma-key image animation using a computer of claim 2, wherein said auto-arrangement of visual animation objects into image layers suitable for chroma-key animations is such that said movie screen layer represents a lowest layer, the still user image a second lowest layer, one or more effect image layers the next higher layers, effect movies a next higher layer, followed by another set of one or more effect image layer content within a frame edge, and the frame image edge color being changeable by the user.

11. The method for creating and displaying a chroma-key image animation using a computer of claim 2, wherein animation objects can provide object specific properties and extend animation features, in particular that an animation hole image can display the movie screen within its edge at a specific playback time and for a specific duration, and that the hole image edge color is changeable by the user, so that an animation frame image can display lower layer content within the frame edge, and that the frame image edge color is changeable by the user.

12. The method for creating and displaying a chroma-key image animation using a computer of claim 2, wherein said user guided icon bar provides a playback icon, which permits an opening of a playback window, render said chroma-key animation, and to play back a movie at any point in time by a single mouse click.

13. The method for creating and displaying a chroma-key image animation using a computer of claim 2, wherein said user guided icon bar provides target specific export icons, which allow the user to render said chroma-key animation and to export said movie to a target format at any point in time by a single mouse click, where the target format is a wmv, avi, mp4, or any other movie file format suitable for movie playback by external applications.

14. The method for creating and displaying a chroma-key image animation using a computer of claim 2, wherein multiple image animations are played back in a single movie in a serial manner, when multiple image processing windows are selected prior to playback, and where the sequence of play can be selected by arrangement of minimized versions of the processing windows.

15. The method for creating and displaying a chroma-key image animation using a computer of claim 2, wherein multiple image animations are exported back to a single movie in a serial manner, when multiple image processing windows are selected prior to export, and where the sequence of playback can be selected by arrangement of minimized versions of the processing windows.

16. A method for creating and displaying image and special effects animations using chroma-key image animations, comprising:

establishing data libraries in a computer readable medium;

said data libraries including a plurality of image, sound, and special effect data sets;

selecting a data set from said data libraries, said data set being selected from said plurality of image, sound, and special effects data sets;

positioning said selected data set in a computer processor and transforming said selected data by combining one or more of said data sets; and

displaying the transformed data sets on a computer display in communication with said computer processor.

17. The method for creating image and special effects animations using chroma-key image animations of claim 16, wherein an image processing mode having the ability to display a movie background screen, an imported still image, and imported chroma-key effect movies and images, as well as text and other visual objects are utilized, including the further ability to make properties of such visual objects available to a user for editing by means of graphical interface objects, a computer mouse, a keyboard;

a video playback mode configured to render a movie from all objects of a processing window and to play back a resulting movie in a playback window; and

a video rendering mode to render a movie from all objects of a processing window, and to export a resulting movie to a movie format suitable for playback in external applications.

18. The method for creating image and special effects animations using chroma-key image animations of claim 17, wherein said image processing mode allows the user to move, resize, rotate, crop, align, copy and delete visual objects, as well as to change the object order within an object layer.

19. The method for creating image and special effects animations using chroma-key image animations of claim 17, wherein said image processing mode allows the user to insert, edit, and format text.

20. The method for creating image and special effects animations using chroma-key image animations of claim of claim 17. wherein said processing mode includes the ability to select objects by mouse clicks in a round-robin manner, and to indicate an object selection by color-coded object frames

21. The method for creating image and special effects animations using chroma-key image animations of claim 17, wherein said processing mode includes the ability to zoom and scroll said processing canvas in order to adjust the display of the visual objects.

22. The method for creating image and special effects animations using chroma-key image animations of claim 17, wherein said processing mode displays non-visual animation objects by visible graphical user interface buttons.

23. The method for creating image and special effects animations using chroma-key image animations of claim 17, wherein said processing mode is configured such that properties of selected objects are made accessible and editable in a separate window.

24. The method for creating image and special effects animations using chroma-key image animations of claim 17, wherein said processing mode provides the capability to save a work file to computer storage to store the current object configuration, and to load a named workfile from computer storage to restore the object configuration.

25. The method for creating image and special effects animations using chroma-key image animations of claim 17, wherein said processing mode provides the ability to create and edit multiple chroma-key image animations at the same time by displaying separate processing windows for each animation.

26. The method for creating image and special effects animations using chroma-key image animations of claim 17, wherein said playback mode is configured such that it renders and plays back a current animation configuration of said processing window in focus or of multiple selected processing windows.

27. The method for creating image and special effects animations using chroma-key image animations of claim 17, wherein said video rendering mode provides the ability to render a current animation configuration of said processing window in focus or of multiple selected processing windows