TV animation interactively controlled by the viewer

• US 4,711,543 A
• Filed: 01/29/1987
• Issued: 12/08/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frank S. Preston, Preston E. Blair
• Original Assignee: Frank S. Preston, Preston E. Blair
• Inventors: Blair, Preston E., Preston, Frank S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Monroe H.
• Application Number:
  US07/008,644
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: 352/50, 352/51, 352/52, 352/87
• US Class Current: 352/87
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/47 involving branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible scenarios at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/632 by branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible story developments at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6623 for animating a group of characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems

Abstract

An animation method supersedes the motion picture branching method by, first, enabling rapid and repeated switching of multiple tracks of different camera-originated animation of the same character during continuous action in a scene, and second, by enabling branching at the termination of an action to multiple actions or scenes.

This method is the basis of a double-circuit video system that enables a player to repeatedly touch or hit an animated character during a continuous action as displayed on a projection screen or television monitor and thus change the action repeatedly. Another system embodiment enables the player to swing a racket before the screen or television monitor, hit the mid-air projected image of a perspective ball animated action, return the ball back to the animated character opponent, and play a simulated game during which the player exercises the same skills used to play the game simulated.

An ultrasonic transducer in the playing instrument and a microphone combination on the television face or at angles to the playing action produces a readout of the television contact position or the mid-air position of the playing instrument action relating to the game. Said readout signal is converted into digital form and compared to a similar readout in digital form of the position of the character or object in the frame of the animation displayed by the television and digitally coded in the video tape or disc.

Claims

1. A method of animating multiple tracks of motion picture production of different actions of the same character providing the means of repeated jump-switching from multiple tracks of animation action to multiple tracks of animation action during the action in a scene, while retaining in this process a smooth and logical sequence of drawing progression, the steps of the method comprising:

recording the drawing number frame exposure of multiple actions of the same character on animation exposure sheets, scheduling specific frames wherein the actions coincide into the same drawing, or similar drawings occupying the same area, whereafter switching of animation action tracks may occur;

said drawings of coinciding multiple actions being positions in the following types of animation actions;

1. angular change of direction,

2. circular change of direction,

3. momentary parallel of multiple actions,

4. animation character cycles,

5. animation character cycle actions progressing in a stationary position on a moving background,

6. fast animation character turning and twirling actions,

7. foreshortened perspective actions of animation characters progressing directly to or from the camera,

8. animation actions of anticipation/action/reaction,

9. actions of a burst of speed,

planning the paths of action of said multiple actions leading into and out of the above types of coinciding animation actions on layout drawings and graphically locating the field position of drawings wherein the multiple tracks coincide to allow track switching,

laying out projected key drawings of the scene in said paths of action, including those drawings in the above types of animation actions wherein the multiple actions coincide,

recording the field size of the frames exposed (on exosure sheet) of drawings of coinciding tracks on animation exposure sheets, and recording the measurements of the N/S and E/W coordinates of the field location of the centers of said drawings with respect to two mutually perpendicular sides of the scene field on said frames,

animating the drawings of said multiple actions of the same character according to the said layout paths of action and projected key drawings, forcing the animation of multiple actions into a distortion of direction, of drawing spacing, and of cycle construction to coincide into the same drawing, or a similar drawing with loss of silhouette definition, being positions in the following types of animation action, specifically as;

2. In animation actions of angular change of direction the drawing of coinciding tracks is positioned at the extreme corner of reversal, and is followed by a drawing leading in an angular change of direction;

2. In animation actions of circular change of direction the drawing of coinciding tracks is positioned at the center of the curve of reversal or the extremity of said action prior to reversal,

3. In the momentary parallel of multiple actions the drawing of coinciding tracks is positioned between the extremes of the actions during the lift or sink of the character and at the greatest loss of silhouette definition,

4. In animation character cycle actions the drawing of coinciding tracks may occur at the mutual point of greatest silhouette definition loss and at either the recoil, lift, or high point of the cycle,

3. In animation character cycle actions progressing in a stationary position on a moving background the drawing of coinciding tracks occurs at the lift point after the recoil, or at the sinking position, and with a loss or coinciding of silhouette definition,In fast animation characer turning or twirling actions the drawing of coinciding tracks occurs at the center of the turning or twirling,In foreshortened perspective actions of animation characers progressing directly to or from the camera, the actions are forced into similar drawings of the same area and with a loss of silhouette definition at the drawing of coinciding tracks,In animation actions of deliberate anticipation, quick action, and deliberate recoil the center of the acton when silhouette definition is lost is the drawing of coinciding tracks,In actions of a burst of speed the drawing of coinciding tracks occurs at the center of the burst of speed which may be a blurred or streaked drawing,In animation actions comprising a combination of the above actions,

producing multiple tracks of camera-originated animation film negative,

frame coding multiple track film composite, video tape transfer, or video disc transfer, placing frame data of the drawings of coinciding tracks allowing track switching, with data of said drawing location coordinates for each scene, at the start of the scene for access by random access memory storage unit.