System and method of converting frame-based animations into interpolator-based animations and rendering animations

Abstract

Rendering an animation on a mobile device having a display screen, including: (a) storing in a memory of the mobile device a binary animation instruction set that includes a visual graph and a sequence graph, the visual graph including instructions defining visual objects that are to be displayed on the display screen and visual attributes of the visual objects, the sequence graph including instructions setting out behavioral operations to be performed on the visual objects, at least some of the behavioral operations defining changes to the visual attributes of the visual objects; and (b) rendering the visual objects on the display screen in accordance with the instructions contained in the visual graph and periodically re-rendering at least some of the visual objects in accordance with the behavioral operations set out in the sequence graph.

1 . A method of rendering an animation on a mobile device having a display screen, comprising: 
 (a) storing in a memory of the mobile device a binary animation instruction set that includes a visual graph and a sequence graph, the visual graph including instructions defining visual objects that are to be displayed on the display screen and visual attributes of the visual objects, the sequence graph including instructions setting out behavioral operations to be performed on the visual objects, at least some of the behavioral operations defining changes to the visual attributes of the visual objects; and    (b) rendering the visual objects on the display screen in accordance with the instructions contained in the visual graph and periodically re-rendering at least some of the visual objects in accordance with the behavioral operations set out in the sequence graph.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein periodically re-rendering least some of the visual objects includes periodically updating in a stored representation of the visual graph at the mobile device the visual attributes of at least some of the visual objects in accordance with the behavioral operations set out in the sequence graph, and rendering the visual objects on the display screen in accordance with the instructions contained in the updated stored representation of the visual graph.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the visual graph includes at least one parent node having a plurality of child nodes associated therewith, the parent node defining a visual attributes for application to the child nodes, at least some of the child nodes each defining a respective one of the visual objects and a further visual attribute thereof, wherein rendering the visual objects includes processing the nodes in a predefined order, and for each child node defining a respective one of the visual objects, displaying a representation of the visual object on the display screen with visual attributes as defined in the child node and the parent node.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the visual attribute in the parent node includes a reference coordinate location on the display screen, and the visual attribute as defined in at least one of the child nodes includes a further coordinate location defined relative to the reference coordinate location, wherein displaying the representation of the visual object defined in the at least child node includes displaying the representation of the visual object at a display coordinate location corresponding to the reference coordinate location as adjusted by the further coordinate location.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the visual objects include text, lines, shapes, or images, and the visual attributes include display location, colour, size, or font.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the behavioral elements defines an interpolation curve defining on-screen movement of a selected one of the visual objects over a duration of time.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the behavioral elements defines that a selected one of the visual objects is an on-screen hot-spot responsive to user selection thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  including requesting content including the binary animation instruction set by sending an HHTP request from the mobile device through a wireless communication channel and receiving the binary animation instruction set at the mobile device through the wireless communications channel.  
     
     
         9 . A mobile device comprising: 
 a wireless communications system for sending and receiving signals over a wireless network;    a display screen;    a storage;    a processor coupled to the wireless communications system, display screen and storage for controlling operation of the mobile device;    a binary animation instruction set stored in the storage and including a visual graph and a sequence graph, the visual graph including instructions defining visual objects that are to be displayed on the display screen and visual attributes of the visual objects, the sequence graph including instructions setting out behavioral operations to be performed on the visual objects, at least some of the behavioral operations defining changes to the visual attributes of the visual objects; and    rendering agent means associated with the processor for rendering the visual objects on the display screen in accordance with the instructions contained in the visual graph and periodically re-rendering at least some of the visual objects in accordance with the behavioral operations set out in the sequence graph.    
     
     
         10 . The mobile device of  claim 9  wherein the rendering agent means is configured for periodically re-rendering least some of the visual objects by periodically updating in a stored representation of the visual graph at the mobile device the visual attributes of at least some of the visual objects in accordance with the behavioral operations set out in the sequence graph, and rendering the visual objects on the display screen in accordance with the instructions contained in the updated stored representation of the visual graph.  
     
     
         11 . The mobile device of  claim 9  wherein the visual graph includes at least one parent node having a plurality of child nodes associated therewith, the parent node defining a visual attributes for application to the child nodes, at least some of the child nodes each defining a respective one of the visual objects and a further visual attribute thereof, wherein the rendering agent means is configured for processing the nodes in a predefined order, and for each child node defining a respective one of the visual objects, displaying a representation of the visual object on the display screen with visual attributes as defined in the child node and the parent node.  
     
     
         12 . The mobile device of  claim 11  wherein the visual attribute in the parent node includes a reference coordinate location on the display screen, and the visual attribute as defined in at least one of the child nodes includes a further coordinate location defined relative to the reference coordinate location, wherein displaying the representation of the visual object defined in the at least child node includes displaying the representation of the visual object at a display coordinate location corresponding to the reference coordinate location as adjusted by the further coordinate location.  
     
     
         13 . The mobile device of  claim 9  wherein the visual objects include text, lines, shapes, or images, and the visual attributes include display location, colour, size, or font.  
     
     
         14 . The mobile device of  claim 9  wherein at least one of the behavioral elements defines an interpolation curve defining on-screen movement of a selected one of the visual objects over a duration of time.  
     
     
         15 . The mobile device of  claim 9  wherein at least one of the behavioral elements defines that a selected one of the visual objects is an on-screen hot-spot responsive to user selection thereof.  
     
     
         16 . A computer implemented method for converting a computer animation from a frame-based animation format into an interpolator-based animation format, 
 wherein in the frame based animation format a frame-based computer animation is displayed as a series of successive frames in which appear animation objects each having associated display properties that change throughout the frames, the animation objects each appearing at a unique associated depth in the frames, the frame-based computer animation being represented in computer memory as data defining the animation objects and frame instructions identifying for each frame the animation objects appearing therein and the display properties and depth associated with each of the animation objects appearing therein,    wherein in the interpolator-based animation format an interpolator-based computer animation is displayed in which animation objects appear having display properties that change over time, the interpolator-based computer animation being represented in computer memory as data defining animation objects appearing in the interpolator-based computer animation and interpolators associated with each of the animation objects that specify changes in the display properties of the animation object over time,    the method including:    a) identifying in a frame-based computer animation each unique combination of animation object and associated depth identified in the frame instructions for the plurality of frames;    b) for each identified unique combination, identifying the display properties associated with the animation object of the combination through the successive frames; and    c) for each identified display property for each identified unique combination, creating an interpolator associated with the animation object of the combination which specifies any changes that occur in the display property for the associated animation object throughout the plurality of frames.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein each unique combination of animation object and associated depth is identified by a unique key based on an identifier for the animation object and a value assigned to the associated depth.