Patents by Inventor Michael J. Svihura

Michael J. Svihura has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method and apparatus for creating and animating characters having associated behavior
    Patent number: 6208357
    Abstract: A system is provided for displaying an animated character. The system identifies a character for display and identifies at least one skill associated with the identified character. The system also determines at least one behavior associated with the identified character. The identified character is then animated based on the skill and the behavior associated with the identified character. Animation of the character can also be based on an environment in which the identified character is displayed. The skill associated with the identified character can be used to generate animation in multiple environments. The behavior associated with the animated character is environment-independent and is used to determine the manner in which the identified character responds to an event. A hierarchical finite state machine can be used to represent the behavior associated with the identified character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Avid Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshihito Y. Koga, David J. Zhu, Craig Becker, Michael J. Svihura, Geoffrey T. Annesley