# US 5,706,421 A · Method and system for reproducing an animated image sequence using wide-angle images > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,706,421 A - Document ID: US5706421A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/431,185 - Filed: 1995-04-28 - Granted: 1998-01-06 - Earliest claimed: 1995-04-28 - Assignees: Motorola, Inc. - Inventors: William Louis Reber; Cary Drake Perttunen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5706421A ## CPC - H04N 7/163: {by receiver means only} - H04N 7/164: {Coin-freed apparatus} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A system for producing an animated image sequence comprises an image processor and an animated character generator. The image processor processes a portion of at least one wide-angle image to form an image signal representative of at least one perspective corrected image. The animated character generator is responsive to the image signal and at least one control signal for generating an animated character within the at least one perspective corrected image. The animated character has at least one graphical member which moves in dependence upon the at least one control signal. In a preferred embodiment, the system further comprises at least one sensor for sensing a position of a body member of a user. The position of the body member is used to control the movement of a graphical member corresponding to the body member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for producing an animated image sequence, the system comprising: an image processor which processes a portion of at least one wide-angle image to form an image signal representative of at least one perspective corrected image; and an animated character generator responsive to the image signal and at least one control signal, the animated character generator generating an animated character within the at least one perspective corrected image, the animated character having at least one graphical member which moves in dependence upon the at least one control signal; wherein, within the animated image sequence, the portion of the at least one wide-angle image processed by the image processor is modified to facilitate interaction with the animated character. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one wide-angle image has a field of view greater than 120 degrees. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one wide-angle image includes a wide-angle image sequence. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein the wide-angle image sequence provides a live view of an environment. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising a user interface operatively associated with the image processor for selecting the portion of the at least one wide-angle image, wherein the portion of the at least one wide-angle image is modified within the animated image sequence based on a change in a physical location of a user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the animated character generator superimposes the animated character onto the at least one perspective corrected image. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising a sensor which senses a quantity based upon a position of a body member of a user and generates a sensor signal based upon the quantity, the sensor operatively associated with the animated character generator, wherein the at least one control signal includes a first control signal based upon the sensor signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein the at least one graphical member includes a first graphical member corresponding to the body member of the user, wherein the first graphical member moves in dependence upon the first control signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising a sensor which senses a position of a user and generates a sensor signal based on the position, and a processor which processes the sensor signal to form a selection signal, the selection signal applied to the image processor for modifying, within the animated image sequence, the portion of the at least one wide-angle image based upon the sensor signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein the portion is modified within the animated image sequence in response to a change in the position of the user. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein the selection signal causes the image processor to zoom to a new portion of the at least one wide-angle image in response to a change in position of the user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the selection signal causes the image processor to pan to a new portion of the at least one wide-angle image in response to a change in position of the user. ### Claim 13 A system for producing an animated image sequence, the system comprising: a first sensor which senses a position of a user and generates a first sensor signal based on the position; an image processor which processes a portion of a wide-angle image sequence in dependence upon the first sensor signal to form an image signal representative of a perspective corrected image sequence; a second sensor which senses a quantity based upon a position of a first body member of the user, the second sensor generating a second sensor signal based upon the quantity; and an animated character generator responsive to the image signal and the second sensor signal, the animated character generator generating an animated character within the perspective corrected image sequence, the animated character having a first graphical member corresponding to the first body member of the user which follows movement of the first body member in real-time based upon the second sensor signal. ### Claim 14 A method of producing an animated image sequence, the method comprising the steps of: processing a portion of at least one wide-angle image to form at least one perspective corrected image; receiving at least one control signal; and generating an animated character within the at least one perspective corrected image to form the animated image sequence, the animated character having at least one graphical member which moves in dependence upon the at least one control signal; wherein, within the animated image sequence, the portion of the at least one wide-angle image formed in the step of processing is modified to facilitate interaction with the animated character. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one wide-angle image has a field of view greater than 120 degrees. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one wide-angle image includes a wide-angle image sequence. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the wide-angle image sequence provides a live view of an environment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of selecting the portion of the at least one wide-angle image, wherein the portion of the at least one wide-angle image is modified within the animated image sequence based on a change in a physical location of a user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the animated character is superimposed onto the at least one perspective corrected image. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one graphical member includes a first graphical member corresponding to a body member of a user, the method further comprising the steps of: sensing a quantity based upon a position of the body member of a user; generating a first control signal based upon the quantity; and moving the first graphical member in dependence upon the first control signal. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of: sensing a quantity based upon a position of a user; generating a sensor signal based upon the quantity; processing the sensor signal to form a selection signal; and modifying, within the animated image sequence, the portion of the at least one wide-angle image based upon the selection signal. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein the portion is modified within the animated image sequence in response to a change in the position of the user. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein the step of modifying the portion includes zooming to a new portion of the at least one wide-angle image in response to a change in position of the user. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein the step of modifying the portion includes panning to a new portion of the at least one wide-angle image in response to a change in position of the user.