US 12,086,917 B2
Systems and methods for real-time complex character animations and interactivity
Nathaniel Christopher Dirksen, Redwood City, CA (US); Michael Scott Hutchinson, San Carlos, CA (US); Eric Richard Darnell, Campbell, CA (US); Lawrence David Cutler, San Francisco, CA (US); Daniel Tomas Steamer, Menlo Park, CA (US); and Apostolos Lerios, Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to Baobab Studios, Inc., Redwood City, CA (US)
Filed by Baobab Studios Inc., Redwood City, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/153,779.
Application 17/153,779 is a continuation of application No. 16/045,563, filed on Jul. 25, 2018, granted, now 10,937,219.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/538,590, filed on Jul. 28, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0142546 A1, May 13, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06T 15/00 (2011.01); G06F 17/16 (2006.01); G06F 18/2135 (2023.01); G06F 18/23213 (2023.01); G06T 9/00 (2006.01); G06T 13/20 (2011.01); G06T 13/40 (2011.01); G06T 15/04 (2011.01); G06T 17/05 (2011.01); G06T 17/20 (2006.01); G06T 19/00 (2011.01); G06T 19/20 (2011.01); G06V 10/762 (2022.01); G06V 10/77 (2022.01); G10L 19/038 (2013.01); H04L 65/4053 (2022.01); H04N 19/124 (2014.01); H04N 19/46 (2014.01); H04N 19/463 (2014.01); G10L 19/00 (2013.01)
CPC G06T 13/40 (2013.01) [G06F 17/16 (2013.01); G06F 18/2135 (2023.01); G06F 18/23213 (2023.01); G06T 9/001 (2013.01); G06T 13/20 (2013.01); G06T 15/04 (2013.01); G06T 17/05 (2013.01); G06T 17/20 (2013.01); G06T 19/003 (2013.01); G06T 19/006 (2013.01); G06T 19/20 (2013.01); G06V 10/763 (2022.01); G06V 10/7715 (2022.01); G10L 19/038 (2013.01); H04L 65/4053 (2013.01); H04N 19/124 (2014.11); H04N 19/46 (2014.11); H04N 19/463 (2014.11); G06T 2210/12 (2013.01); G06T 2219/2021 (2013.01); G10L 19/00 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by a computing system, virtual model information associated with a virtual character, the virtual model information comprising
a complex rig comprising a first plurality of deformations, a first plurality of transforms, and a first plurality of vertices defined by a default model, and
a simplified rig based on the complex rig, the simplified rig comprising one or more deformations, one or more transforms, and one or more vertices, wherein the one or more vertices correspond to the first plurality of vertices defined by the default model, the simplified rig comprising a simplified skeleton representing a subset of skeletal joints present in a complex skeleton of the complex rig;
calculating, by the computing system, a set of offset data comprising, for a vertex in the first plurality of vertices of the complex rig, an offset between the vertex of the complex rig and a corresponding vertex of the simplified rig; and
animating, by the computing system, the virtual character using a real-time processing engine, wherein the real-time processing engine animates the virtual character by
deforming the simplified rig and applying the set of offset data to the one or more vertices of the simplified rig to generate a complex deformation model, and
deforming the complex rig using the complex deformation model to animate the virtual character.