# US 12,233,531 B2 · Systems and methods to control an entertainment figure

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- Number: US 12,233,531 B2
- Document ID: US12233531B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/829,608
- Filed: 2020-03-25
- Published: 2021-09-30
- Granted: 2025-02-25
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-25
- Assignees: Universal City Studios LLC
- Applicants: Universal City Studios LLC
- Inventors: Akiva Meir Krauthamer; Aaron Chandler Jeromin; Elam Kevin Hertzler
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12233531B2

## CPC

- A63G 31/00: Amusement arrangements
- B25J 11/0015: {Face robots, animated artificial faces for imitating human expressions}
- A63J 19/006: {Puppets or marionettes therefor}
- B25J 9/1045: {comprising tensioning means}
- B25J 9/106: {with articulated links}
- B25J 9/1623: {Parallel manipulator, Stewart platform, links are attached to a common base and to a common platform, plate which is moved parallel to the base}
- B25J 9/163: {learning, adaptive, model based, rule based expert control}
- B25J 9/1671: {characterised by simulation, either to verify existing program or to create and verify new program, CAD/CAM oriented, graphic oriented programming systems}
- B25J 11/003: {Manipulators for entertainment}
- G06T 13/40: of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
- G06T 19/20: Editing of three-dimensional [3D] images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
- G06T 2219/2021: Shape modification
- A63G: MERRY-GO-ROUNDS; SWINGS; ROCKING-HORSES; CHUTES; SWITCHBACKS; SIMILAR DEVICES FOR PUBLIC AMUSEMENT
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- A63J: DEVICES FOR THEATRES, CIRCUSES, OR THE LIKE; CONJURING APPLIANCES OR THE LIKE
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

An animated figure system includes an animated figure comprising a flexible skin layer, an actuating system coupled to a connection location of the flexible skin layer, and an automation controller. The automation controller is configured to access a digital model of the animated figure, in which the digital model comprises a vertex associated with the connection location, determine a first positioning of the vertex within the digital model, and control the actuating system to set a second positioning of the connection location based on the first positioning of the vertex.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An animated figure system, comprising:
an animated figure comprising a flexible skin layer;
an actuating system coupled to a connection location of the flexible skin layer; and
an automation controller configured to:
access a digital model of the animated figure, wherein the digital model comprises a vertex associated with the connection location;
determine a first positioning of the vertex within the digital model; and
control the actuating system to set a second positioning of the connection location based on the first positioning of the vertex;
wherein the first positioning of the vertex comprises a first position, a first orientation, or both, of the vertex, wherein the second positioning of the connection location comprises a second position, a second orientation, or both, of the connection location, and wherein the automation controller is configured to control the actuating system to cause the second position to correspond to the first position, the second orientation to correspond to the first orientation, or both.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The animated figure system of claim 1, wherein the actuating system comprises an actuator and an extension, wherein the extension extends between the connection location to the actuator, and wherein the automation controller is configured to control the actuator to move the extension to set the second positioning of the connection location.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The animated figure system of claim 2, comprising a support coupled to the extension at a location between the connection location and the actuator via a joint that enables the extension to rotate relative to the support.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The animated figure system of claim 3, comprising a base, wherein the support and the actuator are coupled to the base, and wherein the support is configured to bend relative to the base as the extension moves relative to the base.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The animated figure system of claim 2, wherein the actuator comprises a parallel manipulator comprising a plurality of extensions that includes the extension, and wherein the automation controller is configured to control the actuator to move the plurality of extensions to set the second positioning of the connection location.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The animated figure system of claim 1, wherein the automation controller is configured to:
determine a movement of the vertex from the first positioning to a third positioning within the digital model; and
control the actuating system to move the connection location from the second positioning to a fourth positioning based on the movement of the vertex from the first positioning to the third positioning.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The animated figure system of claim 1, wherein the digital model comprises an additional vertex associated with an additional connection location of the flexible skin layer, and the automation controller is configured to determine a third positioning of the additional vertex within the digital model and to control the actuating system to set a fourth positioning of the additional connection location based on the third positioning of the additional vertex simultaneously with the second positioning of the connection location.

### Claim 8

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, are configured to cause the processor to:
access a digital model of an animated figure, wherein the animated figure comprises a connection location, and wherein the digital model comprises a vertex associated with the connection location;
determine a first positioning of the vertex of the digital model;
control an actuating system of the animated figure to set a second positioning of the connection location based on the first positioning of the vertex of the digital model;
determine a plurality of positionings of the vertex over a time interval, wherein the plurality of positionings represents movement of the digital model; and
control the actuating system to move the connection location based on the plurality of positionings of the vertex.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the connection location is a first connection location, wherein the vertex is a first vertex, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, are configured to cause the processor to:
determine a third positioning of a second vertex of the digital model relative to the first vertex, wherein the second vertex associated with a second connection location of the animated figure; and
control the actuating system to set a fourth positioning of the second connection location relative to the first connection location based on the third positioning of the second vertex relative to the first vertex.

### Claim 10

An animated figure system, comprising:
an animated figure comprising a flexible skin layer;
an actuating system coupled to a connection location of the flexible skin layer; and
an automation controller configured to:
access a digital model of the animated figure, wherein the digital model comprises a vertex associated with the connection location;
determine a first positioning of the vertex within the digital model; and
control the actuating system to set a second positioning of the connection location based on the first positioning of the vertex;
wherein the digital model comprises an additional vertex associated with an additional connection location of the flexible skin layer, and the automation controller is configured to determine a third positioning of the additional vertex within the digital model and to control the actuating system to set a fourth positioning of the additional connection location based on the third positioning of the additional vertex simultaneously with the second positioning of the connection location.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The animated figure system of claim 10, wherein the actuating system comprises an actuator and an extension, wherein the extension extends between the connection location to the actuator, and wherein the automation controller is configured to control the actuator to move the extension to set the second positioning of the connection location.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The animated figure system of claim 11, comprising a support coupled to the extension at a location between the connection location and the actuator via a joint that enables the extension to rotate relative to the support.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The animated figure system of claim 12, comprising a base, wherein the support and the actuator are coupled to the base, and wherein the support is configured to bend relative to the base as the extension moves relative to the base.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The animated figure system of claim 11, wherein the actuator comprises a parallel manipulator comprising a plurality of extensions that includes the extension, and wherein the automation controller is configured to control the actuator to move the plurality of extensions to set the second positioning of the connection location.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The animated figure system of claim 10, wherein the automation controller is configured to:
determine a movement of the vertex from the first positioning to a third positioning within the digital model; and
control the actuating system to move the connection location from the second positioning to a fourth positioning based on the movement of the vertex from the first positioning to the third positioning.