DEVICE FOR ANIMATING FACIAL EXPRESSION
The invention discloses a device for animating facial expression. The device includes at least one resilient member and at least one actuator. The resilient member is regarded as a facial feature on a face, and the resilient member has a first end and a second end. The first end of the resilient member is rotatably and/or movably attached onto the face. The actuator is used for actuating the first end of the resilient member to rotate, so that the facial feature is capable of exhibiting various facial expressions on the face, wherein the facial feature can be eyebrow, upper eyelid, lower eyelid, upper lip or lower lip.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for animating facial expression and, more particularly, to a device capable of exhibiting various facial expressions on a face.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As technology advanced, human-like electronic device is getting more and more popular. How to vividly exhibit various expressions, such as smile, bend one's brows, and so on, is a significant study of the subject. As apparent from a review of prior art, there were several mechanisms for animating facial expression proposed, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,464, U.S. Publication No. 20040249510, JP Publication No. 2003230770, and so on. Since all of the aforesaid prior arts utilize complex mechanism to achieve the goal of animating facial expression, it will spend much time on assembly and the cost also gets higher correspondingly. Furthermore, regarding U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,464 and U.S. Publication No. 20040249510, not only the mechanism is complex, but also the facial expression is expressionless.
Therefore, the scope of the invention is to provide a device for animating facial expression to solve the aforesaid problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA scope of the invention is to provide a device for animating facial expression. The device utilizes at least one resilient member and at least one actuator to exhibit various facial expressions on a face. The mechanism of the invention can be easily implemented, and the cost can be reduced correspondingly.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device for animating facial expression comprises at least one resilient member and at least one actuator. The resilient member is regarded as a facial feature on a face, and the resilient member has a first end and a second end. The first end of the resilient member is rotatably and/or movably attached onto the face. The actuator is used for actuating the first end of the resilient member to rotate and/or move, so that the facial feature is capable of exhibiting various facial expressions on the face. In this embodiment, the facial feature can be eyebrow, upper eyelid, lower eyelid, upper lip or lower lip.
Therefore, according to the device of the invention, the resilient member deforms while the actuator actuates the first end of the resilient member to rotate. Consequently, various facial expressions can be exhibited on the face. The mechanism of the invention can be easily implemented, and the cost can be reduced correspondingly.
The advantage and spirit of the invention may be understood by the following recitations together with the appended drawings.
The device of the invention is used for actuating a facial feature (e.g. eyebrow, eye, or mouth) on a face to exhibit various facial expressions. Please refer to
In this embodiment, the device of the invention is used for actuating the eyebrows 10a, 10b on the human-like face 1. Since the eyebrows 10a, 10b are actuated in the same manner, only the principle of actuating the eyebrow 10a is depicted in the following.
Please refer to
In this embodiment, the device 12a comprises a first resilient member 120, a first actuator 122, and a first resilient enclosure 124. The first resilient enclosure 124 covers the first resilient member 120 to exhibit a first facial feature (i.e. the eyebrow 10a) on the human-like face 1. The first resilient member 120 has a first end 120a and a second end 120b. As shown in
In this embodiment, the first resilient member 120 can be a spring or the like, and the first actuator 122 comprises a motor (not shown) for actuating the first end 120a of the first resilient member 120.
In this embodiment, the skin 40 of the human-like face 1 can be a resilient skin, and the first resilient member 120 is connected to the resilient skin 40. Accordingly, the resilient skin 40 will be actuated by the first actuator 122 together with the first resilient member 120, so as to exhibit more vivid facial expressions.
In another embodiment, the facial expression shown in
Please refer to
In this embodiment, the second actuator 126 comprises a motor (not shown) for actuating the second end 120b of the first resilient member 120.
Third Preferred EmbodimentIn this embodiment, the device of the invention is used for actuating the eyes 20a, 20b on the human-like face 1. Since the eyes 20a, 20b are actuated in the same manner, only the principle of actuating the eye 20a is depicted in the following. As shown in
Please refer to
As shown in
In this embodiment, the first resilient member 220 or the second resilient member 226 can be a spring or the like. The first actuator 222 comprises a motor (not shown) for actuating the first end 220a of the first resilient member 220, and the third actuator 228 comprises a motor (not shown) for actuating the third end 226a of the second resilient member 226.
In this embodiment, the skin 40 of the human-like face 1 can be a resilient skin, and the first and second resilient members 220, 226 are respectively connected to the resilient skin 40. Accordingly, the resilient skin 40 will be actuated by the first and third actuators 222, 228 together with the first and second resilient members 220, 226, so as to exhibit more vivid facial expressions.
Fourth Preferred EmbodimentPlease refer to
Please refer to
In this embodiment, the second actuator 234 comprises a motor (not shown) for actuating the second end 220b of the first resilient member 220, and the fourth actuator 236 comprises a motor (not shown) for actuating the fourth end 226b of the second resilient member 226.
In this embodiment, the second and fourth actuators 234, 236 also can be replaced by a single actuator, and it depends on practical applications.
Six Preferred EmbodimentPlease refer to
Please refer to FIGS. 6 and 10-12.
As shown in
In this embodiment, the fifth actuator 320 comprises a motor (not shown) for actuating the first linkage set 322 and the second linkage set 324.
In this embodiment, the first and third actuators 222, 228 can be replaced by a single actuator, and/or the second and fourth actuators 234, 236 also can be replaced by a single actuator. It depends on practical applications.
Compared to the prior art, according to the device of the invention, when the actuator actuates the first end of the resilient member to rotate, the resilient member will deform correspondingly. Consequently, various facial expressions can be exhibited on the face. Under different applications, the resilient member of the invention can be decorated as eyebrow, eye, mouth, and so on. Furthermore, the resilient member can cooperate with the resilient skin to exhibit more vivid facial expression. The mechanism of the invention can be easily implemented, and the cost can be reduced correspondingly.
With the example and explanations above, the features and spirits of the invention will be hopefully well described. Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teaching of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A device for animating facial expression, comprising:
- a first resilient member for driving a first facial feature on a face, the first resilient member having a first end, the first end being rotatably and/or movably attached onto the face; and
- a first actuator for actuating the first end of the first resilient member to rotate and/or move, so that the first facial feature on the face is driven to deform by the first resilient member.
2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a first resilient enclosure for covering the first resilient member to exhibit the first facial feature.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first resilient member is a spring.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first facial feature is one selected from a group consisting of: eyebrow, upper eyelid, lower eyelid, upper lip, and lower lip.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein there is a resilient skin on the face, and the first resilient member is connected to a position of the resilient skin corresponding to the first facial feature.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first resilient member has a second end rotatably and/or movably attached onto the face and the device further comprises a second actuator for actuating the second end of the first resilient member to rotate and/or move.
7. The device of claim 6, wherein the first actuator further comprises a first linkage set, and the second actuator further comprises a second linkage set, the first linkage set comprises a first long rod and a first short rod, the second linkage set comprises a second long rod and a second short rod, the first long rod is pivotally connected to the second long rod, the first long rod is pivotally connected to the first short rod, and the second long rod is pivotally connected to the second short rod.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein the first and second short rods are respectively connected to a turntable, when the turntable rotates, the first and second short rods respectively drives the first and second long rods to open or close, so as to adjust a length of the first resilient member.
9. The device of claim 1, further comprising:
- a second resilient member, regarded as a second facial feature on the face, having a third end, the third end being rotatably and/or movably attached onto the face; and
- a third actuator for actuating the third end of the second resilient member to rotate and/or move.
10. The device of claim 9, further comprising a second resilient enclosure for covering the second resilient member to exhibit the second facial feature.
11. The device of claim 9, wherein the second resilient member is a spring.
12. The device of claim 9, wherein the first facial feature is an upper eyelid, and the second facial feature is a lower eyelid.
13. The device of claim 9, wherein the first facial feature is an upper lip, and the second facial feature is a lower lip.
14. The device of claim 9, wherein the third actuator and the first actuator are integrated into one actuator.
15. The device of claim 9, wherein there is a resilient skin on the face, and the first and second resilient members are respectively connected to positions of the resilient skin corresponding to the first and second facial features, such that the resilient skin is actuated by the first and third actuators, together with the first and second resilient members.
16. The device of claim 9, wherein the first resilient member has a second end rotatably and/or movably attached onto the face and the device further comprises a second actuator for actuating the second end of the first resilient member to rotate and/or move.
17. The device of claim 16, wherein the second resilient member has a fourth end rotatably and/or movably attached onto the face and the device further comprises a fourth actuator for actuating the fourth end of the second resilient member to rotate and/or move.
18. The device of claim 17, wherein the fourth actuator and the second actuator are integrated into one actuator.
19. The device of claim 17, wherein the first actuator further comprises a first linkage set, and the second actuator further comprises a second linkage set, the first linkage set comprises a first long rod and a first short rod, the second linkage set comprises a second long rod and a second short rod, the first long rod is pivotally connected to the second long rod, the first long rod is pivotally connected to the first short rod, and the second long rod is pivotally connected to the second short rod.
20. The device of claim 19, wherein the first and second short rods are respectively connected to a turntable, when the turntable rotates, the first and second short rods respectively drives the first and second long rods to open or close, so as to adjust lengths of the first and second resilient members.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 24, 2007
Publication Date: Feb 28, 2008
Inventors: BOW-YI JANG (Taoyuan), William Wang (Taoyuan), Chung-Cheng Chou (Taoyuan), Chen Peng (Taoyuan), Ta-Yuan Lee (Taoyuan), Lin Hsiao (Taoyuan)
Application Number: 11/844,413
International Classification: A63H 3/36 (20060101);