Animation system for walk-around costumes
First Claim
1. A full-size walk-around costume apparatus comprising a costume, including a movable mouth, and a programming/playback system for controlling the movements of said mouth of said costume in synchrony with a prerecorded audio track, said programming/playback system including means for generating a tone, means for controlling the amplitude of said tone, means for converting said tone into a series of pulses to form a pulse chain which corresponds to said amplitude of said tone, means for modulating a carrier signal with said pulse chain and means for transmitting said modulated pulse chain, said costume further including means for receiving said modulated pulse chain, means for converting said modulated pulse chain into an electrical pulse, and means for controlling the position of said mouth with said electrical pulse.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A complete system for animating external features of a full size walk-around costume designed for the entertainment industry is disclosed. The animation system comprises two major parts: the costume itself and the programming/playback system. The complete system is lightweight and portable and gives complete freedom of motion to a person inside a walk-around costume. The costume is made to simulate life by the inclusion of motors or other devices which move the eyes, the eyelids, eyebrows, the ears, the nose, and the mouth. The mouth movement is controlled by a radio signal which may be synchronized with a prerecorded audio track. To give maximum spontaneity to expression and to reduce the time required to program costume movements, all other external features are controlled by the dancer inside the costume, using newly developed pressure sensitive finger switches which are activated by bending a finger.
68 Citations
17 Claims
- 1. A full-size walk-around costume apparatus comprising a costume, including a movable mouth, and a programming/playback system for controlling the movements of said mouth of said costume in synchrony with a prerecorded audio track, said programming/playback system including means for generating a tone, means for controlling the amplitude of said tone, means for converting said tone into a series of pulses to form a pulse chain which corresponds to said amplitude of said tone, means for modulating a carrier signal with said pulse chain and means for transmitting said modulated pulse chain, said costume further including means for receiving said modulated pulse chain, means for converting said modulated pulse chain into an electrical pulse, and means for controlling the position of said mouth with said electrical pulse.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said parts include said mouth, a nose, a pair of eyes, eyebrows, eyelids and ears.
- 14. Finger switch means for making shorting contact comprising two pieces of elongated spring steel, separated by two pieces of insulating material at either end, said pieces of steel capable of making said shorting contact in the central region of said finger switch means.
- 16. A switching glove assembly comprising a glove and containing at least one finger switch means, said finger switch means comprising two pieces of elongated spring steel, separated by two pieces of insulated material at either end, said pieces of steel capable of making shorting contact in the central region of said finger switch means.
Specification