Stateless Bounce Animation Transfer Function

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing simulation technologies are resource-intensive and difficult to use for user interface animation, as they require complex models that cannot be started or reversed, making it challenging to create realistic bounce animations with customizable control over bounciness and number of bounces.

Innovation Solution

An animation system that uses a transfer function to simulate bounce behavior, allowing users to specify the number of bounces and bounciness factor, mapping normalized time to a unit space and fitting points to a quadratic curve for stateless evaluation, accurately simulating an object's motion under gravity with elastic collisions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a complex simulation model with state information is used to simulate bounce behavior, then the realism of the animation is improved, but the resource consumption and system complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverealism of bounce animationVSAvoidcomplexity of simulation model

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a simplified mathematical copy of bounce behavior using transfer functions and quadratic curves that replicate the visual appearance of realistic bouncing without requiring complex physics simulations. The transfer function maps normalized time to bounce positions, creating a convincing bounce animation through mathematical approximation rather than physical simulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical physics simulation system with a mathematical computation system. Instead of using force, mass, and energy calculations to simulate bouncing, the system uses transfer functions and quadratic curve fitting to directly compute bounce positions, eliminating the need for complex mechanical models while maintaining visual realism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If a complex simulation model with state information is used to simulate bounce behavior, then the realism of the animation is improved, but the ease of operation and flexibility decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverealism of bounce animationVSAvoidflexibility to start or reverse simulation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The transfer function is self-contained and can be evaluated at any normalized time value independently, without requiring knowledge of previous or future states. This allows the animation to be started, paused, reversed, or jumped to any point freely, as each evaluation is autonomous and does not depend on simulation state continuity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system allows dynamic control of bounce parameters including the number of bounces and bounciness factor, enabling flexible adjustment of animation behavior. The transfer function can be reconfigured with different parameters to create various bounce patterns without requiring a complete simulation restart.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If traditional simulation models are used for bounce animation, then realistic physics can be achieved, but the productivity and efficiency of creating animations decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of bounce simulationVSAvoidefficiency of animation creation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The bounce animation is segmented into discrete bounces, where each bounce is represented by a quadratic curve segment. The transfer function divides the animation into individual bounce units, allowing efficient computation and rendering of each bounce independently, which improves overall animation creation efficiency while maintaining realistic appearance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9262855B2Stateless animation, such as bounce easing

Publication Date: 2016.02.16 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

An animation system is described herein that uses a transfer function on the progress of an animation that realistically simulates a bounce behavior. The transfer function maps normalized time and allows a user to specify both a number of bounces and a bounciness factor. Given a normalized time input, the animation system maps the time input onto a unit space where a single unit is the duration of the first bounce. In this coordinate space, the system can find the corresponding bounce and compute the start unit and end unit of this bounce. The system projects the start and end units back onto a normalized time scale and fits these points to a quadratic curve. The quadratic curve can be directly evaluated at the normalized time input to produce a particular output.