Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Matt Calkins

Leonardo Esteban Blanco

Paul C David

Andrei Baioura

Joseph S Beda, Iii

Gilman Kuey Wong

Kevin T Gallo

Michael John Hillberg

Kurt B Jacob

Elizabeth K Nelson

Smooth transitions between rich media (e.g., animations of visual elements of a UI) are provided when a 'second' animation is started on a property of a visual element for which a 'first' animation is already running. When the second animation is started, an animation system causes a current value of the property that resulted from the running of the &#x201c;first&#x201d; animation (i.e., snapshot) to be stored, terminates or releases the first animation, and then causes the second animation to run using the snapshot as the &#x201c;from&#x201d; value of the property. Because the second animation &#x201c;begins&#x201d; at exactly the point at which the first animation ended, the transition between the first and second animation is smooth. An animation storage object can be created for a property for which an animation has been triggered to store base values and snapshots of the property while being animated.

Smooth transitions between animations

A communications protocol is described that governs asynchronous exchange of data between a high level animation system and a low level animation system. The high level animation system has a variable, medium-frequency frame rate and is optimized for interactivity. The low level animation system has a constant, high frequency frame rate and is optimized for high refresh frame rate. The communications protocol includes messages that can be sent by the high-level animation system to the low-level animation system to designate an animation and how the animation is to change over a specified period of time. As a result, the low-level system can display the animation at the high refresh rate even if animation data is not received from the high-level system for every frame.

Communication protocol for synchronizing animation systems

Communication protocol for synchronizing animation

A graphical display animation system is disclosed that supports timed modification of element property values of elements within a graphical display. The animation system utilizes a display structure for maintaining a set of elements corresponding to displayed objects within a graphically displayed scene. The elements include a variable property value. The animation system also utilizes a property system that maintains properties associated with elements maintained by the display structure. The properties include dynamic properties that are capable of changing over time&#x2014;and thus affecting the appearance of the corresponding element on a graphical display. The animation system includes animation classes, from which animation objects are instantiated and associated with an element property at runtime. The animation object instances provide time varying values affecting values assigned to the dynamic properties maintained by the property system.

System supporting animation of graphical display elements through animation object instances

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Matt Calkins