System for editing time-based temporal digital media including a pointing device toggling between temporal and translation-rotation modes

• US 5,790,769 A
• Filed: 08/04/1995
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fitzmaurice, George William, Buxton, William Arthur Stewart
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Application Number:
  US08/511,479
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 395/773, 395/807, 395/893, 395/137, 395/138, 395/173, 395/174, 395/175, 395/333, 395/834, 345/326, 345/328, 345/159, 345/161, 345/163
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

A system and method that maps temporal control functions into a six degree of freedom pointing device. The six degree of freedom pointing device controls both transport and view modes within a time-based media editing system and allows a user to toggle between modes without losing visual contact with graphical objects appearing on a video screen.

Claims

1. A time-based temporal digital media editing system, comprising:

means for receiving input signals from a pointing device having multiple degrees of freedom, wherein said input signals represent physical movement in at least one of said multiple degrees of freedom;

means for mapping said input signals to a set of temporal controls, each one of said set of temporal controls corresponding to one of said multiple degrees of freedom; and

means for controlling the time-based editing of the temporal digital media based on said set of temporal controls;

wherein said pointing device also controls the translation and rotation of a graphical object within the temporal digital media, wherein said pointing device further comprises means for toggling between temporal and translation-rotation modes.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said set of temporal controls include frame increment/decrement and play forward/backward controls.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said pointing device is a six degree of freedom pointing device.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said set of temporal controls further includes keyframe increment/decrement, mark/unmark keyframes, stop, and go to first/last frame controls.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for receiving input signals comprises means for determining a dominant dimension, said dominant dimension representing the degree of freedom on said pointing device that has changed the most.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising means for controlling the transition from single to multiple frame increment/decrement modes, said means for controlling comprising:

means for dividing a maximum range of motion in one direction along a single degree of freedom by said pointing device into a plurality of regions, wherein each of said plurality of regions corresponds to a unique rate of frame increments/decrements, each of said unique rate of frame increments/decrements representing an equilibrium point within that corresponding region;

means for classifying an event based on movement of said pointing device along said single degree of freedom into one of said plurality of regions; and

means for controlling transitions between said equilibrium points based on the length of time that said pointing device resides in a particular region.

7. A time-based temporal digital media editing control method, comprising the steps of:

receiving input signals from a pointing device having multiple degrees of freedom, wherein said input signals represent physical movement in at least one of said multiple degrees of freedom;

mapping said input signals to a set of temporal controls, each one of said set of temporal controls corresponding to one of said multiple degrees of freedom;

controlling the time-based editing of the temporal digital media based on said set of temporal controls;

mapping controls for the translation and rotation of a graphical object within the temporal digital media into said pointing device; and

toggling between temporal and translation-rotation modes.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of mapping further comprises the steps of:

mapping movement by said pointing device along a first degree of freedom to frame increment/decrement controls; and

mapping movement by said pointing device along a second degree of freedom to play forward/backward controls.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of mapping further comprises the steps of:

mapping movement by said pointing device along a third degree of freedom to keyframe increment/decrement controls;

mapping movement by said pointing device along a fourth degree of freedom to mark/unmark keyframes controls;

mapping movement by said pointing device along a fifth degree of freedom to a go to first/last frame control; and

mapping movement by said pointing device along a sixth degree of freedom to a stop control.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of receiving input signals further comprises the step of determining a dominant dimension, wherein said dominant dimension represents the degree of freedom on said pointing device that has changed the most.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of controlling the transition from single to multiple frame increment/decrement modes, wherein said step of controlling comprises the steps of:

dividing a maximum range of motion in one direction along a single degree of freedom by said pointing device into a plurality of regions, wherein each of said plurality of regions corresponds to a unique rate of frame increments/decrements, each of said unique rate of frame increments/decrements representing an equilibrium point within that corresponding region;

classifying an event based on movement of said pointing device along said single degree of freedom into one of said plurality of regions; and

controlling transitions between said equilibrium points based on the length of time that said pointing device resides in a particular region.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said plurality of regions include a first region having an equilibrium point that increments/decrements 1 frame at a time, a second region having an equilibrium point that increments/decrements M frame at a time, and a third region having an equilibrium point that increments/decrements F frame at a time.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the rate at which the system approaches the equilibrium point of a region depends upon the region in which said pointing device previously resided.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of dividing comprises the step of dividing said maximum range of motion in on direction along a single degree of freedom into three regions, a first region having an equilibrium point that increments/decrements 1 frame at a time, a second region having an equilibrium point that increments/decrements M frame at a time, and a third region having an equilibrium point that increments/decrements F frame at a time.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of controlling comprises the step of controlling the rate at which the system approaches the equilibrium point of a region depending upon the region in which said pointing device previously resided.