REAL-TIME TERRAIN ANIMATION SELECTION

• US 20110304630A1
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Russell, Dean, McNeely, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,913,064 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation

Abstract

In-game characters select the proper animation to use depending on the state of the terrain on which they are currently moving. In this specific case the character chooses an animation depending on the angle of the ground on which it is walking. The method involves real-time determination of the ground angle which is then used to choose the most desirable animation from a closed set of pre-created animations. The animation set consists of animations rendered with the character moving on flat terrain, as well as animations rendered of the character moving uphill and downhill (separately) at pre-determined angles. In this game an animation set consisted of the following animations: 0 degrees, 15 degrees uphill, 30 degrees uphill, 45 degrees uphill, 15 degrees downhill, 30 degrees downhill, 45 degrees downhill). Drawing of the animation is offset to give the best appearance relative to the ground angle.

Claims

1. A computer-controlled method of providing a user interface comprising:

(a) causing a virtual object to traverse a first virtual structure;

(b) dynamically adding a further virtual structure connected to the first virtual structure; and

(c) orienting the further virtual structure relative to the first virtual structure in response to the orientation of the first structure relative to virtual gravity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the orienting includes constructing the further structure to have an uphill or downhill orientation.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the orienting selects orientation of the further structure from a set of predetermined orientations.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the orienting selects orientation of the further structure to have an incline of a, 2a or 3a uphill or downhill.

5. A system for providing a user interface comprising:

a display;

a user input device;

a processor connected to the display and the user input device, the processor being configured to;

(a) cause a virtual object to traverse a first virtual structure;

(b) dynamically add a further virtual structure connected to the first virtual structure; and

(c) orient the further virtual structure relative to the first virtual structure in response to the orientation of the first structure relative to virtual gravity.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the orienting includes constructing the further structure to have an uphill or downhill orientation.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the orienting selects orientation of the further structure from a set of predetermined orientations.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the orienting selects orientation of the further structure to have an incline of α

, 2α

or 3α

uphill or downhill.

9. A non-transitory storage medium for providing a user interface, said storage medium storing instructions for execution by a computer, said instructions comprising:

(a) first instructions causing a virtual object to traverse a first virtual structure;

(b) second instructions dynamically adding a further virtual structure connected to the first virtual structure; and

(c) third instructions orienting the further virtual structure relative to the first virtual structure in response to the orientation of the first structure relative to virtual gravity.

10. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 9 wherein the orienting includes constructing the further structure to have an uphill or downhill orientation.

11. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 10 wherein the orienting selects orientation of the further structure from a set of predetermined orientations.

12. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 10 wherein the orienting selects orientation of the further structure to have an incline of α

, 2α

or 3α

uphill or downhill.