System and method for providing user input to character animation

Abstract

The present invention provides a system that increases a user's control over character animation. Time-dependent signals are accepted from a user input device. The input is processed in real-time such that the user's input can be used to directly control the animation of an animated character. For example, the animation of a three-dimensional rendered character swinging a golf club in a golf game can be changed in mid-swing according to the user's operation of an input device. In general the system accepts user continuous and real-time user input. The user is given improved control and visual feedback on the movement being animated. One embodiment of the invention includes an analog input module, a control state machine module and an animation state machine module. The analog input module is configured to receive user analog input (e.g., from an analog joystick) related to animated character display and to normalize the user analog input to create a normalized user analog input.

1 . A method for controlling a computer animation of movement of an animated character, the method using a user input device coupled to a computer system that is to generate the computer animation, the method comprising: 
 receiving a signal from the user input device that represents a user's input by a time-based state, the time-based state representing a user input that changes over time; and    using the time-based state to control the computer animation of animated character movement generated by the computer system, wherein the computer animation is independent of user body movement used in manipulating the user input device.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving a signal from the user input device comprises receiving a signal from an analog joystick.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising animating a golf swing of the animated character.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving a signal from the user input device comprises receiving a signal from the user input device at a multiple of a base frame rate of an analog display system.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a step of modeling received user analog input.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a step of filtering received user analog input.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer animation comprises a combination of a plurality of preconfigured animation sequences wherein the particular combination used is determined by the time-based state.  
     
     
         8 . A method for controlling a computer animation of movement of an animated character, the method using a user input device coupled to a computer system that is to generate the computer animation, the method comprising: 
 receiving a signal from the user input device that represents a user's input; and    using the received signal to control the computer animation of animated character movement generated by the computer system, wherein the computer animation is independent of user body movement used in manipulating the user input device and wherein the computer animation comprises, for at least one received signal, a blending of a plurality of preconfigured animation sequences wherein the particular blending used is determined by the user's input.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein receiving a signal from the user input device comprises receiving a signal from an analog joystick.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising animating a golf swing of the animated character.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein receiving a signal from the user input device comprises receiving a signal from the user input device at a multiple of a base frame rate of an analog display system.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising a step of modeling received user analog input.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising a step of filtering received user analog input.