Abstract: A method and an apparatus for encoding and decoding an orientation interpolator indicating the locations of keyframes on a temporal axis and the rotation of an object in each of the keyframes are provided.

Abstract: Described is a method and system in which timing intervals are generated from clock properties, and used to interpolate values for smooth animation. A high-level component maintains a set of clocks related to animated objects and/or linear media in a scene graphs. The clocks correspond to clock properties received from an application program. The clocks are processed into event lists at the higher level, from which timing interval data is generated and passed to a low-level component. The low-level component, which generally operates at a faster rate than the high-level component, uses the timing interval data to rapidly calculate current values for an animated object. Interaction, such as to pause an animation or resume a paused animation, causes the high-level component to re-compute the event list and regenerate new animation intervals for affected clocks. The new animation intervals are passed and used by the lower-level component.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing an image signal prevents burn-in of display devices such as a PDP and an LCD. A number-of-pixels conversion section generates pixel data located at interpolation positions in horizontal or vertical directions based on information about the interpolation positions obtained from a controller, to obtain an image signal in which the number of pixels is converted. A panel driver shifts the display position of an image in a PDP in the horizontal or vertical directions by as much as one pixel, each time a predetermined period of time elapses, within a predetermined range based on information about the display position obtained from the controller in order to prevent a screen from being burned-in. The controller changes the phase of each of the interpolation positions in a change unit smaller than 360° for a period of time when the display position of the image is shifted by as much as one pixel, the interval between the interpolation positions being set to 360°.

Abstract: A plurality of frame data are extracted from a moving image file included in at least one image file recorded in a recording device. In a case where a moving image file is selected from the image file, the extracted plurality of frame data are displayed on a display device, and in a case where a still image file is selected from the image file, the still image file is displayed on the display device.

Abstract: A system for decoding a video bitstream and a method for replacing image data in a motion prediction cache are described. For each of the cache lines, a tag distance between pixels stored in the cache line and uncached pixels that are to be stored in the cache is calculated. The calculated tag distance is used to determine whether the pixels are outside a local image area defined about the uncached pixels. Pixels determined to be outside the local image area are replaced with the uncached pixels. The motion prediction cache can be organized as sets of cache lines and the method can be performed for each of the cache lines in one of the sets. The definition of the sets can be changed in response to cache performance. Similarly, the local image area can be redefined in response to cache performance.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus controls to print a plurality of sequential still images, which can be observed as a flip moving image, on the basis of moving image data. The image processing apparatus provides a window which has a start point button, end point button, seek bar, and the like. The user designates a desired still image extraction range from the moving image data by operating the start and end point buttons. This window also provides a preview button. When the user clicks the preview button, a predetermined number of sequential still images are generated from the designated still image extraction range in the moving image. These sequential still images are displayed while being sequentially switched in the order they appear in the moving image data.

Abstract: A system for capturing motion comprises: a motion capture volume configured to include at least one moving object having markers defining a plurality of points on the at least one moving object; at least one mobile motion capture camera, the at least one mobile motion capture camera configured to be moveable within the motion capture volume; and a motion capture processor coupled to the at least one mobile motion capture camera to produce a digital representation of movement of the at least one moving object.

Abstract: An automatically readable medium encoded with a time-based media file which comprises a factory object which uniquely identifies the instantiation of an object of a particular type. The factory object can be one of the following: a scene object; a behavior object; or a filter object. The scene object can include at least one of the following: global setting for the scene; or the last settings used to render to a resulting time-based media file. The scene object can ultimately contain a reference to media used by the object. A scene object can include a reference to another scene object.

Abstract: A video editing method for editing a video project is for user to edit video clips and transition effects. The method firstly provides a timeline and multiple tracks along the timeline. Then the video clips and transition effects are inserted into the corresponding tracks. Next, the timeline is cut into multiple segments so that each of the segments corresponds to distinguishable combination of the video clips and the transition effects. And for each of the segments, the invention displays each of the tracks with a limited number of thumbnails derived from the corresponding video clips, or with an icon indicating the corresponding transition effect. This method enables users to edit video projects on multi-tracks without the need to change the unit of timeline often.

Abstract: An arrangement provides for displaying an object, such as a drawn object, or a database search result, based on a graphical user interface. A first display window is provided for specifying attributes of an object. A second window is provided for spatially inserting anchors for the object, where each anchor specifies a desired characteristic of the object, such as a pose of a face. A third window is provided for the desired object display. The anchors are placed in the second window with the aid of a controlled cursor. Placement of the cursor in the second window also controls the displayed object in the third window, which is developed based on the placement of the cursor in the second window relative to the anchors.

Abstract: A video rewrite technique for rendering a talking head or agent completely simulates a conversation by including a waiting or listening state. Smooth transitions are provided to and from a talking state.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method includes generating blurred copies of an object by applying multi-texturing to the object during one pass through a graphics processing pipeline. In some embodiments, a graphics pipeline includes a texture memory and a graphics processor coupled to the texture memory. The texture memory provides a location to store texture information. The graphics processor provides processor to process the texture information by shifting and blending the texture information in one pass through the graphics processor to obtain shifted and blended texture information.

Abstract: The present invention extracts information related to rendering from structured scenario description 101 that describes information related to objects and the rendering, extracts a rendering setup corresponding to information related to the extracted rendering from rendering knowledge base 109, extracts a moving picture corresponding to the objects described in structured scenario description 101 from moving picture component database 106 and produces rendering on the extracted moving picture using the extracted rendering setup, and can thereby create a moving picture subjected to effective rendering.

Abstract: The present invention consists of a method comprising the steps of displaying an image representing a source value; displaying an image representing a destination value; and displaying a transition image; wherein the transition image is a function of the source value and the destination value. Additionally, the present invention consists of an apparatus comprising: a graphics display device; a memory; a timing unit; and a processing unit coupled to the memory, the timing unit and the graphics display device; wherein the processing unit is configured to provide a transition from a first static value to a second static value; wherein the transition is a function of the first static value and the second static value.

Abstract: Systems and methods for animating a character model by deforming the character model based on poses. Embodiments may contain a modeling component in which a user may create a character model that contains a rig representing animation controls applied to the model, and geometric/graphic parameters for graphically rendering the model. The user also may create directed graphs that contain nodes representing operations that act on the character model and directional connections representing data flow between nodes. The embodiments may contain a compiling component that convert a directed graph into a sequence of instructions that perform the operations denoted at the nodes. The embodiments provide tools and methods to reduce redundancies in the sequence of instructions producing an optimized version of instruction sequence. The resulting instructions are then convertible into machine code for running on a video game device or loaded into a plug-in of a graphic rendering engine.

Abstract: There is provided an edge detecting method, which is capable of preventing a noise influence caused by imaging device and a color interpolation. The edge detecting method includes the steps of: setting a first kernel based on a center pixel in pixel data arranged in a mosaic structure; setting a second kernel based on the center pixel within the first kernel; detecting whether a pixel having a green value in the second kernel is a defective pixel, and correcting the pixel; converting all pixels of the second kernel into pixels having green value; calculating a slope value by using a mask for detecting an edge in the second kernel; and detecting an edge by adding the slope value to a luminance value obtained by a color space conversion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for moving objects within the graphical user interface (GUI) of an operating system in a manner that provides a transitional effect between window states, which is pleasing to the user. This transitional effect includes changing the shape of a window while scaling and moving the window between two different sizes and positions. In one embodiment of the present invention, the transitional effect may be employed as a window is minimized into an icon, or restored from an icon. In another embodiment of the present invention, the transitional effect is employed as a window is minimized within its title bar, or restored therefrom. The rate of movement of objects is controlled in a non-linear manner, to further enhance the pleasing effect.

Abstract: A system and method for capturing motion comprises a motion capture volume adapted to contain at least one actor having body markers defining plural body points and facial markers defining plural facial points. A plurality of body motion cameras and a plurality of facial motion cameras are arranged around a periphery of the motion capture volume. The facial motion cameras each have a respective field of view narrower than a corresponding field of view of the body motion cameras. The facial motion cameras are arranged such that all laterally exposed surfaces of the actor while in motion within the motion capture volume are within the field of view of at least one of the plurality of facial motion cameras at substantially all times. A motion capture processor is coupled to the plurality of facial motion cameras and the plurality of body motion cameras to produce a digital model reflecting combined body and facial motion of the actor.

Abstract: An image generating apparatus is provided with an image generating part for generating a sequential character image by connecting a plurality of unit image groups which are respectively guaranteed to indicate one communication information, and a display part for displaying the sequential character image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus controls to print a plurality of sequential still images, which can be observed as a flip moving image, on the basis of moving image data. The image processing apparatus provides a window which has a start point button, end point button, seek bar, and the like. The user designates a desired still image extraction range from the moving image data by operating the start and end point buttons. This window also provides a preview button. When the user clicks the preview button, a predetermined number of sequential still images are generated from the designated still image extraction range in the moving image. These sequential still images are displayed while being sequentially switched in the order they appear in the moving image data.

Abstract: A system and method for creating and playing tweening animations allows a user to simply draw a graphic directional indicator, e.g., an arrow, in a computer environment to associate graphic objects with the graphic directional indicator and generate a tweening animation of at least one of the associated graphic objects. The tweening animation can be made to play automatically when the graphic directional indicator is activated or can be made to be controllable by a user-manipulable control device.

Abstract: A general joint component framework that is capable of exhibiting complex behaviors of joints in articulated figures is provided. A network of joint components is used to model the kinematics of a joint. A joint builder can specify parameters for each of the joint components and join the joint components to form a joint set function that captures the biomechanical dependencies between the components. The joint function has fewer inputs than the total number of possible articulations yielding both simple control and biomechanically accurate joint movement.

Abstract: A system for capturing motion comprises: a motion capture volume configured to include at least one moving object having markers defining a plurality of points on the at least one moving object; at least one mobile motion capture camera, the at least one mobile motion capture camera configured to be moveable within the motion capture volume; and a motion capture processor coupled to the at least one mobile motion capture camera to produce a digital representation of movement of the at least one moving object.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for hierarchically decomposing a visual or audio object within an animation into plurality of objects which can be individually edited to achieve particular animation effects. For example, a graphical object may be decomposed into a plurality of graphical sub-objects, each of which inherits an anchor point from the original object, or is given an original anchor point distinct from the original object. Each sub-object also includes a relative position for the sub-object relative to the anchor point. The path of the anchor point is combined with relative positions of the sub-objects to produce an animation for the object as a whole. This decomposition technique can greatly increase computational efficiency of an animation. It also provides for inheritance of attributes between objects and descendent sub-objects. The objects may support functions, or behaviors, such as morphing or motion blurring.

Abstract: A system and method for cleaning a set of motion capture data, wherein the data correspond to a set of point coordinates relating to a model but may include missing or inaccurate values. A subset of the motion capture data is identified that corresponds to valid points matching locations of corresponding points of the model, and a best set of model parameters is computed in such a manner as to minimize a norm of the valid points with respect to the model. A complete set of point coordinates is then predicted based on the best set of model parameters and a subsequent set of cleaned motion capture data. Actual points are inserted where validated, and the process is iterated until a specified criterion is met.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide an improved graphic display meter which is prevented from causing inconvenience to the vehicle operator, when a motion blur display mode is switched to a normal display mode. When a motion blur pointer image 10 is switched to a normal pointer image 20a, multiple pointer images 20 including the normal pointer image 20a are displayed adjacent to or in abutment with a leading part of the motion blur pointer image 10 in a direction where the pointer is rotating. The multiple pointer images 20 are consisted of the normal pointer image 20a and a plurality of auxiliary pointer images 20b, which are aligned with one another and are positioned in close proximity to the normal pointer image 20a.

Abstract: An image display method including dividing an original image for one frame period into a plurality of subfield images, arranging the subfield images in a direction of a time axis in an order of brightness of the subfield images, and displaying the arranged subfield images in the order of the brightness.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a service level agreement (SLA) template are disclosed. The SLA template generated by the disclosed system enables deployment of resources to support a number of SLAs and associated VPNs. The SLA template generated by operation of the disclosed system may include a first graphical user interface (GUI) template that specifies, at least in part, a GUI for use by a customer service representative (CSR) when accepting a service request or order from a customer. The disclosed SLA template may further include a number of SLA defaults, which may consist of default values and or software program code logic. The SLA defaults enable an SLA GUI to be configured such that a relatively small amount of information can be collected and used to derive other necessary configuration data.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method and apparatus for representing joint rotations of character models that eliminates the artifacts imposed by the ambiguities inherent in four angle rotations. An embodiment of the invention transforms joint angles from their original four angle representations into a set of defrobulated angles that provides the least confusion between position and twist information. Manipulating the character model using the set of defrobulated angles eliminates the angular discontinuities responsible visual “popping” and other visual discontinuities. In an embodiment, an animator specifies a pose using joint angles in their four angle Euler form. The joint angles of the pose is transformed to the defrobulated form. The defrobulated joint angles are weighted and applied to the points of the character model. The weighted sum of the defrobulated angles for each point are then converted back to an Euler angle form to pose the point.

Abstract: A set of known data samples are identified and an approximation of an original function from which the known data samples were obtained is created. The approximation function is then resampled to obtain desired values that are not contained in the set of known data samples.

Abstract: A system and method for capturing motion comprises a motion capture volume adapted to contain at least one actor having body markers defining plural body points and facial markers defining plural facial points. A plurality of body motion cameras and a plurality of facial motion cameras are arranged around a periphery of the motion capture volume. The facial motion cameras each have a respective field of view narrower than a corresponding field of view of the body motion cameras. The facial motion cameras are arranged such that all laterally exposed surfaces of the actor while in motion within the motion capture volume are within the field of view of at least one of the plurality of facial motion cameras at substantially all times. A motion capture processor is coupled to the plurality of facial motion cameras and the plurality of body motion cameras to produce a digital model reflecting combined body and facial motion of the actor.

Abstract: A to-be-animated creature is set up by creating a rig, defining connection points on the rig, and associating geometry with the rig via the connection points. The set up creature is then animated by moving the creature with user defined actions which move a part of the rig. When one part of the rig moves, the remaining parts follow.

Abstract: A simulation device capable of displaying still images of a three-dimensional model of a machine such as a robot in the midst of an operation of the machine and simulating the operation from a start to the midst of the operation. The simulation device receives historical data (lapsing time information and positional information associated with the lapsing time information) of the operation of the machine to perform the simulation of the operation by displaying an image of the three-dimensional model of the machine by animation. When a capturing trigger signal is issued manually or automatically in the simulation, the image of the three-dimensional model is reduced and stored to be associated with the historical data of the operation of the machine at the issuance of the capturing trigger signal. The obtained reduced images are displayed in time series in the order of lapsing time.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for generating an animatable object. A skeleton of the desired character is constructed by the user utilizing various predetermined components. These predetermined components include a various selection of rods and joints. The rods are static components which remain rigid during motion, while the various joints are moveable components. A static digitized image, for example, an image of the user, is utilized and a constructed skeleton is superimposed onto it. The desired object, such as the image of the user, can then be extracted from the background of the digital image and the resulting personal character can then be animated, for instance by selecting and dragging one of the hands with a mouse.

Abstract: The mobile telecommunication apparatus (1) comprises a microphone (4), a loudspeaker (3), a transmitter/receiver (7), a control circuit (8) with a memory (9) and a control interface (5, 6) with a display (2). The mobile telecommunication apparatus (1) comprises in memory a collection of so-called personae (10) containing control and viewing parameters associated with each persona, a personae editor (11) designed for read/write access to the parameters of the said collection of personae, and an operating system (12) designed to be executed right from startup by the control circuit (8) in such a way as to drive the personae editor (11) so as to view a so-called main persona on the display (2).

Abstract: A method animates an object as a sequence of frames according to an animation script. The object is represented as a two-dimensional distance field. For each frame in the sequence of frames, a pose of the object is updated according to the animation script. The object is rendered using the updated pose and an antialiasing rendering method.

Abstract: An animation distributing server receives a request from a user to distribute animation. The server selects key frames to be transmitted and transmits the selected key frames to the user. Thereafter, compact interpolation data, for interpolating between the key frames, are generated, a digital watermarking processing is performed thereon, and the interpolation data are transmitted to the user. A viewer, for composing an animation from the key frames and interpolation data, may be sent to the user. The key frames and the interpolation data are transmitted separately in a manner such that they can be integrated at the user side.

Abstract: When reproducing animation data stored in a data storing section (11), a data evaluation section (21) evaluates the complexity of the animation data before reproducing the animation data, and judges whether or not an animation reproducing section (12) can reproduce the animation data without problem. When the data evaluation section (21) judges that, because of insufficient function or throughput, the animation reproducing section (12) cannot directly reproduce the evaluated animation data, the data evaluation section (21) does not allow the animation reproducing section (12) to reproduce the animation data, and instead notifies a user that the reproduction is not possible. With this, it is possible to prevent defects that animation in which data of some types are missing and animation having many missing frames are reproduced, even when animation reproducing terminals having a variety of throughputs reproduce animation data having various complexities.

Abstract: A hard disk stores a CAD file having 3-D data that relates to an assembly product comprised of a plurality of parts. Based on this 3-D data of an assembly product, a parts data retriever retrieves 3-D data for each part. According to this 3-D data for each part, a bitmap output unit generates 2-D bitmap image data illustrating the part image, which is viewed from a predetermined direction. Moreover, using the 2-D data of the part, a management data generator generates a management table describing steps to output an assembly scene on a screen. A file having this management table and a file having 2-D data are then delivered to a PC for assembly scene output, in order to output the assembly scene.

Abstract: The systems detect movement of text or areas of high spatial frequency in one frame to another frame. If such movement is detected and meets a certain level or threshold, the subpixel rendering processing of such text or areas of high spatial frequency can be changed.

Abstract: An automated method of and system for collecting and displaying audience recognition information concerning a video presentation, comprising: displaying a video presentation to a plurality of subjects; inquiring of each of the subjects by computer means whether each of a plurality of still images from the video presentation are recognized by each of the subjects; for each of the images, tabulating a percentage of the subjects reporting recognition of the image in inquiring; and automatically generating by computer means a graph comprising each of the images, wherein a position of each of the images on the graph is determined by the corresponding percentage generated in tabulating.

Abstract: Disclosed is an imaging engine system (699) generally intended for the reproduction of graphical object images using apparatus having limited computing resources, such as so-called “thin clients”. Numerous developments of traditional image processing and rendering enable high quality image generation. One such development takes advantage of temporal coherence between one frame in an animation sequence and the succeeding frame. In particular, there will often be some edges (233, 235) of graphical objects that remain “static” across several contiguous frames. One example of this includes those edges used to draw image background detail. Another development performs antialiasing during scan line rendering of a graphic object image where sub-pixel resolution coverage bit-masks (A-buffers 29–34) are generated for a limited number of scan lines at a time. Preferably the A-buffers are generated for only one pixel at a time.

Abstract: An improved method for generating non-linear multimedia effects by employing two or more tweens. Specifically, a second tween mapping is chained to a first tween mapping. A first time signal is received. The first tween is employed to map the first time signal into a second time signal. The second tween mapping is employed to map the second time signal into an output that varies in a non-linear fashion with respect to the first time signal.

Abstract: A method for a computer system includes receiving a geometric description of an object to be rendered in a first image and a second image, and performing a plurality of rendering operations for the object for the first image and for the second image, wherein the plurality of rendering operations includes a first plurality of rendering operations and at least a second rendering operation, wherein the second rendering operation for the object for the first image and the second rendering operation for the object for the second image are substantially similar, wherein the first plurality of rendering operations is performed for the first image, wherein the first plurality of rendering operations is performed for the second image, and wherein the second rendering operation is performed once for both the first image and for the second image.

Abstract: The illustrated and described embodiments describe techniques for capturing data that describes 3-dimensional (3-D) aspects of a face, transforming facial motion from one individual to another in a realistic manner, and modeling skin reflectance.

Abstract: A moving image data management apparatus which manages moving image data and representative image data by using one or plural representative image data in correspondence with each moving image data. A thumbnail representing an arbitrary section in a moving image represented by moving image data is generated, and stored in a thumbnail area of the moving image file. Indexes corresponding to the respective thumbnails are stored in an index area of the moving image file. Each index includes start point/end point indicating a section in moving image data represented by the thumbnail image and attribute information indicating usage of the thumbnail. By this attribute information, operability of moving image data using representative images can be improved upon execution of various moving image data processing, and management of the representative images can be simplified.

Abstract: A 3D model deformation program is provided capable of performing deformation processing of a 3D model using clusters in each drawing period in a video game. A CPU 21 finds for each cluster with which a vertex is associated the product of a weighting matrix expressing weightings representing the degree of association of a vertex in any desired frame with a cluster with which this vertex is associated, a co-ordinate transformation matrix for transforming the local co-ordinate system of the vertex in this frame to a world co-ordinate system, and an inverse transformation matrix which is the transformation matrix of the co-ordinate transformation matrix for transforming the local co-ordinate system of the vertex in the specified frame to the world co-ordinate system and finds an addition matrix by adding these products.

Abstract: A hierarchical movie is provided. A hierarchical movie is a movie that contains one or more embedded movies. Embedded movies may themselves contain embedded movies. Each movie contains zero or more media sequences. Within a hierarchical movie, media sequences that should be edited together may be grouped together using embedded movies. The media sequences of a hierarchical movie may be sequenced during playback based on a different time coordinate system than the time coordinate system that governs any embedded movies. This allows a movie to contain both time-based and time-independent media sequences. Also, the relative timing of events in the movie may vary from performance to performance. The hierarchical movie structure allows movies to be used as user interface controls, and even as field-sensitive databases.

Abstract: The illustrated and described embodiments describe techniques for capturing data that describes 3-dimensional (3-D) aspects of a face, transforming facial motion from one individual to another in a realistic manner, and modeling skin reflectance.

Abstract: A CD-ROM 201 for recording multi-media information of at least one page stream. Contents of each page stream are successively recorded in the storage areas in the CD-ROM 201. The following three items are shown by the page stream: a partial image list having at least one pair of partial image data which describes partial images of one screen image and display state information including X-Y coordinates, X-Y enlargement rates and a rotational angle showing the display state; control information which describes command to be executed corresponding to an input signal; time line information which describes parameters concerning time sequence processing to be executed corresponding to the control information. The display data creation unit 213 synthesizes partial images shown by the partial image list and creates display data from the partial image data and display state information in the page stream read from the CD-ROM 201, and writes the display data in the display data storage unit 209.