Systems and methods for simulating animation of an object

Abstract

Systems and methods for simulating animation of an object are provided. Such systems and methods include capturing a first sequence of images of the object with a camera while in an activated lighting apparatus, importing the first sequence of images into a first stage video file having a preconfigured size and masked off such that the first surface appears over a first background, and incorporating the first stage video file into a template of a three-dimensional (3D) model by aligning the first surface with a video mask of the template such that the video mask obscures the first background of the first stage video file and superimposes a location of the first surface in the first stage video file onto a virtual surface of the 3D model.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 positioning an object within an illumination region of a lighting apparatus such that a first surface of the object is approximately parallel to a focus plane of a camera;   activating the lighting apparatus to rotate light around the first surface;   capturing a first sequence of images of the object with the camera while the lighting apparatus is activated;   importing the first sequence of images into a first stage video file having a preconfigured size and masked off such that the first surface appears over a first background;   incorporating the first stage video file into a template of a three-dimensional (3D) model by aligning the first surface with a video mask of the template such that the video mask obscures the first background of the first stage video file and superimposes a location of the first surface in the first stage video file onto a virtual surface of the 3D model, wherein the 3D model is configured in the template to cast shadows onto a second background of the template as the 3D model is rotated relative to the second background; and   output the combined first stage video file and template as a file depicting an animated approximation of the object.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the file depicting the animated approximation of the object includes a video file. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the file depicting the animated approximation of the object includes a digital 3D object file. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 incorporating the first stage video file into the template of the 3D model as a video texture; and 
 aligning rotation of the light as seen on the first surface in the first stage video file with rotation of the shadows when incorporating the first stage video file into the template. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 positioning the object within the illumination region such that a second surface of the object is approximately parallel to the focus plane of the camera; 
 activating the lighting apparatus to rotate light around the second surface; 
 capturing a second sequence of images of the object with the camera while the lighting apparatus is activated; 
 importing the second sequence of images into the first stage video file after the first sequence of images, wherein the second surface appears over the first background in the location of the first surface within the first stage video file. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the second surface is opposite the first surface. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the lighting apparatus includes a ring or frame positioned above and defining the illumination region and comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), and wherein activating the lighting apparatus to rotate light around the first surface includes a microcontroller dimming and brightening each of the plurality of LEDs in a sequenced order around the ring or frame. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the microcontroller dimming and brightening each of the plurality of LEDs in sequence includes two of the plurality of LEDs being controlled at a time such that a first of the controlled LEDs is being dimmed from fully on to fully off while a second of the controlled LEDs is being brightened from fully off to fully on, wherein the microcontroller controls the first of the controlled LEDs and the second of the controlled LEDs such that the first of the controlled LEDs reaches fully off simultaneous with the second of the controlled LEDs reaching fully on, and wherein once the first of the controlled LEDs reaches fully off and the second of the controlled LEDs reaches fully on, the microcontroller begins to dim the second of the controlled LEDs to fully off and begins to control a next one of the plurality of LEDs in the sequenced order to brighten the next one of the plurality of LEDs from fully off to fully on. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the microcontroller dimming and brightening each of the plurality of LEDs in sequence includes four of the plurality of LEDs being controlled at a time such that a first and second of the controlled LEDs is being dimmed from fully on to fully off while a third and fourth of the controlled LEDs is being brightened from fully off to fully on, wherein the microcontroller controls the first, second, third, and fourth of the controlled LEDs such that the first of the controlled LEDs reaches fully off simultaneous with the third of the controlled LEDs reaching fully on and the second of the controlled LEDs reaches fully off simultaneous with the fourth of the controlled LEDs reaching fully on, and wherein once the first of the controlled LEDs reaches fully off and the third of the controlled LEDs reaches fully on, the microcontroller begins to dim the third of the controlled LEDs to fully off and begins to control a next one of the plurality of LEDs in the sequenced order to brighten the next one of the plurality of LEDs from fully off to fully on. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the plurality of LEDs include pure white LEDs. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the lighting apparatus includes a ring or frame positioned above the illumination region and comprising an LED, and wherein activating the lighting apparatus to rotate light around the first surface includes a microcontroller initiating physical movement of the LED within the ring or frame. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the object includes a round coin and wherein the 3D model includes a shape matching the round coin. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the object includes a rectangular card and wherein the 3D model includes a shape matching the rectangular card. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the lighting apparatus includes a ring or frame that defines the illumination region and which is positioned above the illumination region, and wherein the ring or frame includes a first exterior dimension that is large than a second exterior dimension of the object. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 a camera;   a lighting apparatus that defines an illumination region and includes mounting connectors configured to couple the camera to the lighting apparatus at a plurality of positions;   a microcontroller configured to control the lighting apparatus to rotate light around a first surface of an object placed within the illumination region; and   a programmable processor configured to:
 receive a first sequence of images of the object, wherein the camera is configured to capture the first sequence of images while the lighting apparatus is activated; 
 import the first sequence of images into a first stage video file having a preconfigured size and masked off such that the first surface appears over a first background; 
 incorporate the first stage video file into a template of a three-dimensional (3D) model by aligning the first surface with a video mask of the template such that the video mask obscures the first background of the first stage video file and superimposes a location of the first surface in the first stage video file onto a virtual surface of the 3D model, wherein the 3D model is configured in the template to cast shadows onto a second background of the template as the 3D model is rotated relative to the second background; and 
 output the combined first stage video file and template as a file depicting an animated approximation of the object. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the lighting apparatus includes a ring or frame positioned above and defining the illumination region and comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), and wherein activating the lighting apparatus to rotate light around the first surface includes a microcontroller dimming and brightening each of the plurality of LEDs in a sequenced order around the ring or frame such that a first of the plurality of LEDs is being dimmed from fully on to fully off while a second of the plurality of LEDs is being brightened from fully off to fully on, wherein the microcontroller controls the first of the plurality of LEDs and the second of the plurality of LEDs such that the first of the plurality LEDs reaches fully off simultaneous with the second of the plurality LEDs reaching fully on, and wherein once the first of the plurality LEDs reaches fully off and the second of the plurality LEDs reaches fully on, the microcontroller begins to dim the second of the plurality LEDs to fully off and begins to control a next one of the plurality of LEDs in the sequenced order to brighten the next one of the plurality of LEDs from fully off to fully on. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the plurality of LEDs include pure white LEDs. 
     
     
         18 . A lighting apparatus comprising:
 mounting connectors configured to couple a camera to the lighting apparatus at a plurality of positions;   a ring or frame positioned above and defining an illumination region and comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs); and   a microcontroller configured to control the plurality of LEDs to rotate light around a first surface of an object placed within the illumination region.   
     
     
         19 . The lighting apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the microcontroller controls the plurality of LEDs by dimming and brightening each of the plurality of LEDs in a sequenced order around the ring or frame such that a first of the plurality of LEDs is being dimmed from fully on to fully off while a second of the plurality of LEDs is being brightened from fully off to fully on, wherein the microcontroller controls the first of the plurality of LEDs and the second of the plurality of LEDs such that the first of the plurality LEDs reaches fully off simultaneous with the second of the plurality LEDs reaching fully on, and wherein once the first of the plurality LEDs reaches fully off and the second of the plurality LEDs reaches fully on, the microcontroller begins to dim the second of the plurality LEDs to fully off and begins to control a next one of the plurality of LEDs in the sequenced order to brighten the next one of the plurality of LEDs from fully off to fully on. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the plurality of LEDs include pure white LEDs.