Patent ID: 7682250

Claim:
A method for modeling a gymnastic exercise comprising: displaying an animated game character holding on to an elongated object, the animated game character being moveable independently of said elongated object; detecting user manipulation of a control input device; determining, in response to said detected user manipulation, whether said user in manipulating said control input device has supplied a gesture simulating touch imparting a push to said elongated object; using animation to cause said displayed elongated object to appear to spin with an angular momentum so that repeated gestures simulating pushes in the direction of spin increase the apparent rate said virtual object spins; using animation to make the displayed elongated object appear to impart spin to said independently-movable animated game character so that said animated game character appears to spin with the spinning elongated object; and changing the rate of the spin of said elongated object in response at least in part to the detected control input.