Method and apparatus for three-dimensional alphanumeric character animation
US6404435B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 3, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jun 11, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 3, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T13/00
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A character is represented in a character generator as a set of polygons. The character may be manipulated using three-dimensional animation techniques. A code for a character may be used to access a set of curves defining the outline of the character. This set of curves is transformed into a set of polygons. The set of polygons may be rendered as a three-dimensional object. The set of polygons may be created by converting the curves into sets of connected line segments and then tessellating the polygon defined by the line segments. Animation properties are represented using a normalized scale over time. Animation may be provided in a manner that is independent of the spatial and temporal resolution of the video to which it is applied. Such animation may be applied to characters defined by a set of polygons. A user interface for editing a character string may provide two alternate displays. A first display allows a user to input and view any desired portion of the character string for the purpose of editing. A second display allows a user to view how the character string appears at a selected point in time during a titling effect for the purpose of animation. In both displays, the …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.