Cloud-Based Animation Asset Segmentation for Real-Time Rendering

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Solution Overview

Problem

The animation industry faces challenges in creating and distributing large volumes of interactive animated content efficiently, particularly for small teams and user devices with limited bandwidth and resources, as traditional methods are unsuitable for generating and updating extensive content quickly.

Innovation Solution

A cloud-based system that generates and delivers animated multimedia by breaking content into constituent assets, allowing real-time generation and updating of animations based on user behavior, using a content delivery and feedback topology that includes a content server system, user devices, and network communication, with features like programmatic lip syncing, multi-level tagging, and on-device rendering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If traditional animation production methods are used, then high quality animation can be achieved, but the production cost and time increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanimation qualityVSAvoidcontent generation speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments animation production into modular components including character models, animation clips, dialogue tracks, and metadata. This allows independent creation and reuse of animation assets across multiple scenes and characters, significantly reducing production time while maintaining quality consistency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates and reuses animation templates and character models across multiple projects. Once a character model or animation sequence is created, it can be copied and adapted for different scenes, reducing the need to create everything from scratch and accelerating content generation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Adaptability or versatility

If large volumes of animation content are created for multiple characters, then comprehensive interactive experience is achieved, but the complexity of managing and synchronizing dialogue and animation increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinteractive experienceVSAvoidcontent management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal metadata system that works across all characters and animation assets. The metadata structure standardizes how dialogue, timing, and animation references are stored, allowing the same management system to handle any number of characters and scenes consistently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where animation playback results are analyzed and used to automatically adjust timing and synchronization metadata. This closed-loop approach reduces manual adjustment complexity while ensuring proper synchronization across multi-character interactions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Manufacturing precision

If high fidelity animation assets are delivered to user devices, then quality experience is achieved, but bandwidth consumption and device resource requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanimation fidelityVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent delivers animation assets at different quality levels based on device capabilities and network conditions. Critical animation elements receive higher fidelity while less important elements use lower resolution variants, optimizing bandwidth usage while maintaining perceived quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts animation asset delivery based on real-time device performance feedback and network conditions. Animation complexity, resolution, and detail levels are adaptively modified to match current resource availability, ensuring smooth playback without excessive bandwidth consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Reliability

If traditional distribution methods are used for animated content, then complete content delivery is achieved, but update frequency and responsiveness to user behavior are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent delivery completenessVSAvoidupdate frequency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent pre-generates and pre-delivers animation content and assets to user devices before they are actually needed for playback. This allows the system to provide complete content experiences while maintaining the ability to quickly update metadata and individual assets without requiring complete redelivery of content bundles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9454838B2Multi-character authoring interface for large scale animations

Publication Date: 2016.09.27 CHATTERBOX CAPITAL LLC

AI summary

Various of the disclosed embodiments relate to systems and methods for providing animated multimedia, e.g. animated shows, to an audience over a network. Particularly, some embodiments provide systems and methods for generating and providing audio, animation, and other experience-related information so that user's may readily experience the content in a seamless manner (e.g., as an audience member watching a show, playing a video game, etc.). Various embodiments animate “to the audience” based, e.g., on what content the audience is consuming. The animations may be generated in real-time from constituent components and assets in response to user behavior.