Customized augmented reality animation generator

• US 9,754,399 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: META Platforms Technologies LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Crayola LLC (Hallmark Cards Incorporated)
• Inventors: Moll, Joseph Thomas, Nemeckay, Brian Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Sajous, Wesner
• Application Number:
  US14/802,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20160019709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/44 Morphing

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed an animation kit including a template page with at least one template design, an armature that moves between at least a first position and a second position, and an animation application that generates an animated segment corresponding to the template design and at least one pose of the armature. In further embodiments, a method for generating an animated segment is provided. In another embodiment, a system for generating an animated sequence includes a template design and an application that receives an image of the template design and animates at least one three-dimensional image corresponding to the captured template design.

Claims

1. A system for generating an animated sequence comprising:

an image receiving component, comprising a processor and a memory, that receives an image captured by a camera of a mobile device;

a 4-D animation generator, comprising a processor and a memory, that generates a three-dimensional animated character based on a two-dimensional character image from a scanned two-dimensional template image; and

one or more coloring pages having a two-dimensional template configured to receive one or more colored markings printed thereon, the template comprising the two-dimensional character image.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image receiving component scans the two-dimensional template to read the two-dimensional template and the one or more colored markings.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the 4-D animation generator processes the two-dimensional template and the one or more colored markings to generate the three-dimensional animated character based on the two-dimensional character image, wherein the three-dimensional animated character is colored to correspond with the one or more colored markings on the two-dimensional character image.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a particle effect generator that displays animated effects over a subset of the one or more colored markings on the two-dimensional template such that a particular color corresponds with a particular animated effect.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a background image configured to receive colored markings comprising a two-dimensional environment associated with the two-dimensional character image.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional character image is shown at a perspective with respect to the two-dimensional template such that portions of the front and side of the two-dimensional character are visible.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the three-dimensional animated character is colored to correspond to the colored two-dimensional template image by coloring nonvisible portions of the two-dimensional character image to match visible portions of the two-dimensional character image.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional template image is associated with a three-dimensional animation template stored in the memory of the computing application.

9. A method for generating a customized three-dimensional animation comprising:

coloring in a two-dimensional template image, wherein the two-dimensional template image includes a two-dimensional character image;

positioning a mobile device to align the colored two-dimensional template image with a camera of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is executing an augmented reality computing application configured to;

(1) capture the colored two-dimensional template image with the application;

(2) generate a three-dimensional animated character based on the two-dimensional character image such that the three-dimensional character is colored to correspond to the colored two-dimensional template image;

(3) animate the three-dimensional character; and

(4) superimpose the three-dimensional character over one or more images captured through the camera of the mobile device such that the three-dimensional character is included in a user'"'"'s environment.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising selecting, within the application, a source associated with the two-dimensional template image.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the user'"'"'s environment includes one or more elements surrounding the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the three-dimensional animated character is colored to correspond to the colored two-dimensional template image by coloring nonvisible portions of the two-dimensional character image to match visible portions of the two-dimensional character image.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the three-dimensional character is colored white to correspond to non-colored visible portions of the two-dimensional character.

14. A three-dimensional animation kit comprising:

a coloring book comprising one or more coloring pages, wherein each of the one or more coloring pages comprise a two-dimensional template image corresponding to a three-dimensional animation template of a three-dimensional coloring application, wherein a computing device executing the three-dimensional coloring application is configured to;

(1) capture an image of a colored two-dimensional template image of the one or more coloring pages, and

(2) generate an animated three-dimensional image based on the captured colored two-dimensional template image and the corresponding three-dimensional animation template.

15. The kit of claim 14, wherein the two-dimensional coloring image depicts a character shown at a perspective view with respect to the two-dimensional template page.

16. The kit of claim 15, wherein the character is one of an animal, a person, a machine, and a mythical creature.

17. The kit of claim 14, wherein the three-dimensional animation template specifies actions for the animated three-dimensional image to take.

18. The kit of claim 14, wherein the image of the colored two-dimensional template image is captured automatically in response to a user positioning a mobile device over the colored two-dimensional template image.

19. The kit of claim 14, wherein the computing device is further configured to display a particle effect over portions of the colored two-dimensional template image that are of a special color.

20. The kit of claim 19, wherein the particle effect comprises one or more of a defined visual effect, a defined sound effect, a visual motion sequence effect, and an auditor sequence effect.