Apparatus and method for efficient animation of believable speaking 3D characters in real time
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising a computer processor for animating a moving and speaking enhanced-believability character in real time, comprising:
- i. a plurality of behavior generators each responsible for a respective aspect of facial behavior, at least some of said generators being configured with a respective time definer defining time intervals and generating behavior elements in accordance with said defined time intervals;
ii. a unifying scripter, associated with said behavior generators, said unifying scripter operable to combine said generated elements into a unified animation script for said enhanced believability character; and
iii. a renderer, associated with said unifying scripter, said renderer operable to render said enhanced believability character in accordance with said unified animation script,iv. an executor, associated with said renderer, operable to execute animating of said rendered enhanced believability character,wherein said behavior generators are configured to continue to generate behavior elements during execution of said animating of said rendered enhanced believability character in accordance with said defined time intervals and said renderer continues to render the enhanced believability character in accordance with respective ones of said generated behavior elements as said behavior elements are added to said unified animation script during said execution of the animating of the rendered enhanced believability character, said unifying scripter randomly selecting elements from different ones of said behavior generators in response to stimuli for addition to said unified animation script.
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Abstract
An apparatus for animating a moving and speaking enhanced-believability, character in real time, comprising a plurality of behavior generators, each for defining a respective aspect of facial behavior, a unifying scripter, associated with the behavior generators, the scripter operable to combine the behaviors into a unified animation script, and a renderer, associated with the unifying scripter, the renderer operable to render the character in accordance with the script, thereby to enhance believability of the character.
17 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising a computer processor for animating a moving and speaking enhanced-believability character in real time, comprising:
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i. a plurality of behavior generators each responsible for a respective aspect of facial behavior, at least some of said generators being configured with a respective time definer defining time intervals and generating behavior elements in accordance with said defined time intervals; ii. a unifying scripter, associated with said behavior generators, said unifying scripter operable to combine said generated elements into a unified animation script for said enhanced believability character; and iii. a renderer, associated with said unifying scripter, said renderer operable to render said enhanced believability character in accordance with said unified animation script, iv. an executor, associated with said renderer, operable to execute animating of said rendered enhanced believability character, wherein said behavior generators are configured to continue to generate behavior elements during execution of said animating of said rendered enhanced believability character in accordance with said defined time intervals and said renderer continues to render the enhanced believability character in accordance with respective ones of said generated behavior elements as said behavior elements are added to said unified animation script during said execution of the animating of the rendered enhanced believability character, said unifying scripter randomly selecting elements from different ones of said behavior generators in response to stimuli for addition to said unified animation script. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A computerized method for animating a moving and speaking enhanced-believability character in real time, comprising carrying out on an electronic computer:
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i. defining a plurality of aspects of behavior; ii. for at least some of said aspects, dynamically determining time intervals and providing respective behavior elements in accordance with said time intervals; iii. receiving said respectively provided behavior elements; iv. unifying said received elements into a unified animation script; v. rendering said character in accordance with said unified animation script; and vi. animating said character using said rendering, thereby dynamically integrating said respective provided behavior elements in accordance with said time intervals to enhance believability of said rendered character, said unifying said received elements into said unified animation script comprising randomly selecting elements from different ones of said behavior aspects in response to stimuli, the unified animation script being for controlling said electronic computer to carry out said animating. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus comprising a computer processor for animating a moving and speaking enhanced-believability character in real time, comprising:
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i. a plurality of behavior generators each responsible for a respective aspect of facial behavior, each generator being configured to generate behavior elements and to provide ones of said elements relating to said aspect, said ones of said elements being provided at random; ii. a unifying scripter, associated with said behavior generators, said unifying scripter operable to combine said generated and randomly provided elements into a unified animation script for said enhanced believability character; and iii. a renderer, associated with said unifying scripter, said renderer operable to render said enhanced believability character in accordance with said unified animation script, iv. an executor, associated with said renderer, operable to execute animating of said rendered enhanced believability character, wherein said behavior generators are configured to continue to generate behavior elements during execution of said animating of said rendered enhanced believability character and said renderer continues to render the enhanced believability character in accordance with said randomly selected ones of said generated behavior elements as said behavior elements are added to said unified animation script during said execution of the animating of the rendered enhanced believability character, said unifying scripter randomly selecting elements from different ones of said behavior generators in response to stimuli for addition to said unified animation script.
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Specification