System supporting animation of graphical display elements through animation object instances

• US 20040222992A1
• Filed: 05/09/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wong, Gilman K., Calkins, Matt, Beda, Joseph Stephen III, Gallo, Kevin, Blanco, Leonardo Esteban
• Granted Patent: US 7,173,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2213/04 Animation description language

Abstract

A graphical display animation system is disclosed that supports timed modification of element property values of elements within a graphical display. The animation system utilizes a display structure for maintaining a set of elements corresponding to displayed objects within a graphically displayed scene. The elements include a variable property value. The animation system also utilizes a property system that maintains properties associated with elements maintained by the display structure. The properties include dynamic properties that are capable of changing over time—and thus affecting the appearance of the corresponding element on a graphical display. The animation system includes animation classes, from which animation objects are instantiated and associated with an element property at runtime. The animation object instances provide time varying values affecting values assigned to the dynamic properties maintained by the property system.

Claims

1. A graphical display animation system supporting timed modification of element property values, the graphical display animation system comprising:

a display structure for maintaining a set of elements, wherein an element includes a variable property value affecting a display characteristic of the element;

a property system for maintaining properties associated with elements maintained by the display structure, including dynamic properties that are capable of changing over time; and

animation classes, from which animation objects are instantiated, wherein the animation object instances provide time varying values affecting values assigned to the dynamic properties.

2. The graphical display animation system of claim 1 further comprising:

a dynamic animation class, that associates one or more animation objects with a dynamic property of an element within the display structure.

3. The graphical display animation system of claim 1 further comprising:

an animation collection class, for grouping a set of animation class objects, wherein an instance of the animation collection class provides a composed output value by applying the set of animation class objects to a base value.

4. The graphical display animation system of claim 1 wherein the animation classes each specify an internal timeline.

5. The graphical display animation system of claim 4 wherein animation object instances are attached to a parent timeline that provides a context for a timing sequence defined by the internal timeline.

6. The graphical display animation system of claim 5 wherein the parent timeline is specified by a container for the animation object instances.

7. The graphical display animation system of claim 1 wherein ones of the animation classes are associated with a particular data type for which they render a time variable value.

8. The graphical display animation system of claim 7 wherein an animation class of the animation classes provides a floating point value.

9. The graphical display animation system of claim 7 wherein an animation class of the animation classes provides dimensions for a presenter box.

10. The graphical display animation system of claim 7 wherein an animation class of the animation classes provides the top, left position of a rectangle.

11. The graphical display animation system of claim 7 wherein an animation class of the animation classes provides a time-changing color value.

12. The graphical display animation system of claim 7 wherein an animation class of the animation classes provides a Boolean value.

13. A method for animating display elements in a graphical display system including a display structure for maintaining a set of runtime display elements generated by an executing program and a property system for managing properties associated with the display elements, and wherein animating ones of the display element is achieved by modifying display element property values in response to a passage of time, the method comprising:

creating a graphical display element including a modifiable property;

defining an animation behavior assignable to the modifiable property;

associating, in accordance with requests from a program at runtime, the animation behavior with the modifiable property of the element; and

providing a sequence of time-varying values to the modifiable property in accordance with the animation behavior.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing a set of animation classes, wherein each animation class defines an animation behavior.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the set of animation classes specify an animation type, wherein an animation type corresponds to a type of data processed by instances of an animation class.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the providing step is facilitated by an animation object instantiated from an animation class embodying the animation behavior.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the defining an animation behavior step comprises grouping a set of animation class instances within an animation collection class, wherein an instance of the animation collection class provides a composed output value by applying the set of animation class instances to a base value.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the associating step comprises instantiating a dynamic animation class that attaches one or more animation objects to the modifiable property on the element.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein timing for the progression of the sequence of time-varying values is specified in accordance with a timing tree node associated with one or more animation objects defining the animation behavior.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising attaching a parent timeline to an animation object thereby providing a global timing context for a local timing sequence defined by an internal timeline.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the parent timeline of the animation object is specified by a container for a collection of animation object instances.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein the providing a sequence of time-varying values step comprises applying multiple times, over an active animation period, a current time and a base property value to an animation value generator embodying the animation behavior, to render a current value for the modifiable property;

and

generating an updated layout in accordance with the current value for the modifiable property.

23. A method for applying an animation behavior to an element property maintained by a property system to implement sequential modifications to the element property value over the course of time, said method comprising:

instantiating animation object instances from animation object classes specifying basic animation behaviors;

instantiating an animation collection object from an animation collection class specifying a list of constituent animation objects; and

instantiating a dynamic animation collection from an animation collection class that associates the animation collection object with the element property maintained by the property system.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising assigning parent timelines to instances of the animation object classes.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising locking the properties of animation object instances.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising locking the properties of animation collection object instances.

27. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

applying a current time and a base property value to the constituent animation objects of the animation collection object to render a current property value for the element property; and

generating an updated layout in accordance with the current property value for the element property.

28. A computer-readable medium including computer executable instructions for providing a graphical display animation system supporting timed modification of element property values, the graphical display animation system comprising:

a display structure for maintaining a set of elements, wherein an element includes a variable property value affecting a display characteristic of the element;

a property system for maintaining properties associated with elements maintained by the display structure, including dynamic properties that are capable of changing over time; and

animation classes, from which animation objects are instantiated, wherein the animation object instances provide time varying values affecting values assigned to the dynamic properties.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the graphical display animation system further comprises:

a dynamic animation class, that associates one or more animation objects with a dynamic property of an element within the display structure.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the graphical display animation system further comprises:

an animation collection class, for grouping a set of animation class objects, wherein an instance of the animation collection class provides a composed output value by applying the set of animation class objects to a base value.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the animation classes each specify an internal timeline.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein animation object instances are attached to a parent timeline that provides a context for a timing sequence defined by the internal timeline.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32 wherein the parent timeline is specified by a container for the animation object instances.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein ones of the animation classes are associated with a particular data type for which they render a time variable value.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein an animation class of the animation classes provides a floating point value.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein an animation class of the animation classes provides dimensions for a presenter box.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein an animation class of the animation classes provides the top, left position of a rectangle.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein an animation class of the animation classes provides a time-changing color value.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein an animation class of the animation classes provides a Boolean value.