Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Animation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-26
2001-12-04
Powell, Mark R. (Department: 2779)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Animation
C345S182000, C446S268000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06326971
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an installation for controlling a movable apparatus resembling a living being, or a two-dimensional simulation thereof, which apparatus is provided with artificial limbs, with means for receiving a control signal and with means for generating drive signals for the artificial limbs, which installation comprises:
a user interface provided with input means for the entering of commands by a user,
a central processing unit which is connected via a first communications line to the user interface and comprises:
first memory means storing data as to positions of the apparatus;
read means to read data from said first memory means;
editor means to receive said data from said read means and to calculate interpolates movements between said positions and to move the character accordingly.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Such an arrangement is known from European patent application 0,428,164, which discloses an animation producing apparatus for displaying a moving character, e.g. a human-like being, on a display. For calculating a desired movement, the moving character is split up in different parts such as the arms, the legs, etc. Any of these parts are assigned separate movements on separate time scales. After the separate movements have been calculated the combined movement of the character is established by adding these separate movements on one time scale. The separate movements of the parts are established by a processor which is arranged for calculating interpolating movements between “fundamental shapes” of the character read-out from a memory. “Fundamental shapes” are defined as data of fundamental configurations, i.e., predetermined poses of the character in predetermined locations. No fundamental movement trajectories, or atomic movements, are stored. Although the known arrangement is capable of controlling smooth movements of the animated character, there is still a need for perfecting the controlled movement as to appearing more human- or animal-like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide an installation for controlling the movement of a two- or three-dimensional character, looking like a living being, providing the character with an as natural, i.e. human- or animal-like, movement as possible.
The installation according to the invention forms part of a project for constructing a robot-like doll which is able to move like a person, is able to speak like a person and is able to express an emotion like a person. In this context movement is defined as a succession of positions and stances over time, speech is defined as a succession of specific sounds over time and emotion is defined as a manner of expressing movements and sounds. In the case of a doll which is able to move, speak and express emotion like a person, the movement, the speech and the emotion must be synchronised. The present invention relates to an installation and a method for enabling a doll to move like a person, partly as a function of a specified emotion and/or specified speech.
A further object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a movement editor/composer unit which can make an apparatus move in response to signals from the immediate surroundings. The control information required for this purpose must be capable of being specified at a high level. A user must be able to feed desired movements, associated with the desired emotion, to the movement editor/composer unit, which translates the specification provided by the user into control signals for the apparatus. The control signals transmitted to said apparatus result in a natural (human) movement.
A further object is that a user must be able to feed emotions, such as anger or fatigue, in conventional linguistic terms into the movement editor/composer unit, after which the latter is capable of incorporating said emotions in the ultimate movements of the doll without a completely new movement specification being required.
A further object is that it must be possible for any corrections to movement specifications to be made quickly.
Therefore, the invention provides an installation as defined above which is characterized in that,
said first memory means are storing atomic movement data as to predetermined atomic movements of the apparatus,
said editor means are arranged to calculate sub-atomic movements and to insert them between adjacent atomic movements, any sub-atomic movement to be inserted between a preceding atomic movement and a subsequent movement being calculated such that it overlaps at a starting portion with said preceding atomic movement and at an ending portion with said subsequent atomic movement, such that a combined movement of preceding atomic movement, sub-atomic movement and subsequent atomic movement is smooth and not jerky.
With this arrangement the calculation of sub-atomic movements required between the atomic movements which have been read is based not only on the end point of a specific atomic movement and the start point of the subsequent atomic movement but also on the course of the first-mentioned movement close to the end point thereof and the course of the subsequent atomic movement beyond the start point thereof. In other words, the editor as it were calculates an additional movement path which extends beyond the end of a specific atomic movement and beyond the start point of the subsequent atomic movement such that said path can be inserted as a sort of “glue” between the two atomic movements. The atomic movements can be derived from real living beings, like humans or animals, using a data suit, thus improving the natural appearance of the combined movement of the apparatus since the atomic movements can be made to be as human-like or animal-like as possible.
Advantageously, the installation is also provided with second memory means, provided with emotion movement data relating to pre-specified movements of the apparatus, which are linked to emotions of the being which the installation resembles, wherein the read means are also equipped to read from the second memory means and wherein the editor is also equipped to calculate the sub-atomic movements in accordance with an emotion entered by the user. Emotions can, for example, be reflected in specific facial expressions, that is to say specific positions of the mouth and the eyelids, which necessitate specific movements of parts of the face of. for example, a doll.
Furthermore, the installation can be provided with third memory means, provided with sound data, wherein the read means are also equipped to read sound data and wherein the editor is also equipped to calculate the sub-atomic movements in accordance with a sound entered by the user and to provide a control signal, which also contains the sound data. By adding such third memory means it is possible for the apparatus not only to move like a living being (for example a person) but also to make sounds which are associated with the living being concerned (for example speech). With this arrangement, provision can be made for the mouth of the apparatus to make movements which correspond to the sound produced.
Preferably, the editor is based on fuzzy logic so that the user can enter commands in everyday language. Nowadays fuzzy logic is a technique widely used in programming. This type of logic can be used for those problems for which no precise solution exists or which are too complex to be solved exactly. Therefore, fuzzy logic is a powerful and suitable tool for translating commands specified by a user in everyday language (for example the command “walk fast”) into a fluid pattern of movement of the apparatus.
In order to create a sort of electronic viewer, by means of which the user is able, with the aid of simulations, to check the movements of the apparatus which are to be expected, the central processing unit can be provided with fourth memory means, equipped with software for simulating, on a monitor, expected movements to be made by the apparatus on the basis of the control signal calculated by the editor.
The fir
Arie van Wieringen Video Film Productions
Harrison Chante' E.
Powell Mark R.
Young & Thompson
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