Patent · US Expired

Method for smoothly maintaining a vertical orientation during computer animation

US5559941A · kind A · utility

5Cited by
9References
4Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 26, 1994
Grant dateSep 24, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 26, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06T15/10
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method is described which smoothly maintains a vertical orientation of a user during a computer animation while avoiding both vertical and disorientation effects. The method includes the steps of: PA1 a) setting initial look, L, up, U, and vertical, V, directions for an initial computer generated scene; PA1 b) determining the current look, L, direction based on user input; PA1 c) determining the weighted average of the up and vertical directions in accordance with: EQU .alpha.V+(1-.alpha.) V, PA1 where .alpha. is a predetermined value between zero and one; PA1 d) setting a new horizontal H' direction in accordance with: EQU H'=L' [.alpha.V+(1-.alpha.) V]; PA1 e) setting a new vertical V' direction in accordance with: EQU V'=H' L'; PA1 and PA1 f) redrawing the computer generated scene in accordance with the new horizontal and vertical directions H', V', respectively.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.