Method and apparatus for producing an electronic image

• US 6,351,265 B1
• Filed: 04/28/1999
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Big Tent Entertainment, LLC
• Original Assignee: Personalized Online Photo, LLC
• Inventors: Bulman, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Application Number:
  US09/300,987
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 345/435, 345/433, 345/473, 345/474, 345/113, 345/114
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A method of providing normalized images, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving an electronic representation of an image including a head;

(b) extracting the head from the image;

(c) determining a size of the head;

(d) rescaling the head to a plurality of desired sizes; and

(e) outputting the plurality of rescaled heads as printed images on a medium.

Claims

1. A method of producing an electronic image of a subject, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an electronic representation of a pixel image of a head of said subject from an external source;

(b) providing a background image containing a body configured to adjoin said head;

(c) producing, from the electronic representation, a set of digital representations defining an actual size of said head in said electronic representation;

(d) providing a set of digital representations defining a desired size of said head corresponding to said body;

(e) processing said electronic representation of said image of said head in dependence upon the size information defined by said actual size and said desired size, representing said scanned image of said head scaled to said desired size; and

(f) outputting said head, electronically rescaled to said desired size, superposed on said body.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said head has a reference vector and said body has a reference vector, further comprising the step of combining said head and said body to obtain a predetermined multidimensional relationship of the respective reference vectors of said head and said body.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said providing an electronic representation of an image of a head of a subject step includes the steps of obtaining store images of said head from a plurality of perspectives, thereby to produce a plurality of electronic representations, with each of said electronic representations representing said head in a different angular position with respect to a vertical axis;

wherein said reference vector of said head comprises an orientation parameter.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of defining a reference point of said electronic representation of said pixel image of said head of said subject, wherein said body has an associated reference point, further comprising the step of combining said head and said body to obtain a predetermined relationship of the respective reference points of said head and said body.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said head includes a chin and wherein said reference point of said head is located substantially on said chin.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said head includes a neck, and wherein said reference point is located substantially on said neck.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(g) providing a second image containing a second body configured to join said head;

(h) providing a second set of digital representations defining a second desired size of said head corresponding to said body of said second image;

(i) processing said electronic representation of said image of said head in dependence upon the size information defined by said actual size and said second desired size, representing scanned image of said head scaled to said second desired size; and

(j) outputting said head, electronically rescaled to said second desired size, superposed on said body.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said outputting step comprises generating said processed electronic representation as a composite video image of said scanned image of said head scaled to said desired size.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein colors in said image of said head are altered in correspondence to said colors of said drawing.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said body includes a collar immediately adjacent to a location of said superimposed head.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of producing an audio recording associated with said processed electronic representation, said recording including a sequence of spoken words, having inserted therein a sound including a name of a person.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of extracting positional information from said image of said head, and wherein said outputting step further comprises outputting said head having a positional predetermined relation to said body based on said positional information.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(g) providing a plurality of images each having a representation of a body and a corresponding desired size of an associated head;

(h) processing said electronic representation of said image of said head a plurality of times in dependence on the size information defined by the actual size and the desired size relating to said plurality of representations of a body;

(i) extracting positional information from said image of said head; and

(j) said outputting step comprising outputting, in a plurality of images, for each representation of a body, said processed electronic representation as an image of said head rescaled to said desired size and having a predetermined relation to said respective body based on said positional information.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of associating with each of said plurality of output images, an audio stream, comprising a first portion associated with an identification of said head and a second portion associated with said body, said first and second portions having a predetermined temporal relationship.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of associating said outputted image with an audio stream, said audio stream comprising a first portion associated with an identification of said head and a second portion associated with said body, said first and second portions having a predetermined temporal relationship.

16. A method of producing a composite electronic image of a subject comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining a first image and extracting information relating to a head of a subject from the image, and producing a set of first representations of the first image;

(b) producing a set of size representations associated with the first image information defining an actual size of the head;

(c) providing a normalized size parameter associated with a body;

(d) digitally converting the set of first representations of the first image into a set of second representations, in dependence upon the normalized size parameter, the set of second representations defining the head rescaled to the desired size; and

(e) outputting the head, anatomically superposed on said body, as image data.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of associating with said outputted image an audio stream, comprising a first portion associated with an identity of said head of said subject and a second portion associated with said body, said first and second audio portions having a predetermined temporal relationship.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of extracting positional information from said image of said head, and wherein said outputting step further comprises outputting said set of second representations in conjunction with said body and having a natural relation to said body based on said positional information.

19. A method of producing a composite image of a subject comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a raster electronic image of a subject and extracting from the image an anatomical portion of the subject, from a remainder of the image;

(b) associating a reference with the extracted anatomical portion to define an anatomical location;

(c) determining a size of the extracted anatomical portion based on a determined actual size of the extracted anatomical portion;

(c) superimposing the extracted anatomical portion on top of a first predetermined image including an anatomically adjoining portion and a background graphic, to provide an anatomically correct juxtaposition of the anatomical portion with the anatomically adjoining portion overlying the background graphic, wherein the juxtaposition is based on the associated reference and the anatomical portion is normalized in size to the anatomically adjoining portion based on a first normalization parameter associated with the first predetermined image;

(d) outputting the juxtaposed anatomical portion with the first predetermined image as a composite image.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the anatomical portion is a head of the subject.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

superimposing the extracted anatomical portion on top of a second predetermined image, including an anatomically adjoining portion and a background graphic, to provide an anatomically correct juxtaposition of the anatomical portion with the anatomically adjoining portion overlying the background graphic, wherein the juxtaposition is based on the associated reference and the anatomical portion is normalized in size to the anatomically adjoining portion based on a second normalization parameter associated with the second predetermined image, wherein the first and second normalization parameters are different; and

outputting the superimposed anatomical portion with the second predetermined image as a composite image.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said outputting step comprises printing the composite image on a recording medium.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein said outputting step comprises generating the composite image as a video signal.

24. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of associating said outputted image with an audio stream, the audio stream comprising a first portion associated with an identification of the subject and a second portion associated with the first image, said first and second portions having a predetermined temporal relationship.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the first predetermined image comprises a buffer zone that visually obscures misalignment and visual artifacts from superimposition of the extracted anatomical portion.

26. A method of producing a composite electronic image of a subject comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining a first image of a subject and separating information relating to a first anatomical portion of the subject from a remainder of the first image, and producing a set of first representations of the first anatomical portion of the subject;

(b) producing a set of digital representations associated with the first image, defining an actual size and anatomical orientation of the first anatomical portion;

(c) providing normalization parameters, the normalization parameters representing a size and anatomical positioning of a predetermined image, the predetermined image comprising an anatomically adjoining part;

(d) converting the set of first representations of the first image into a set of second representations, in dependence upon the normalization parameters and the set of digital representations, the set of second representations defining the first anatomical portion rescaled and reoriented to adjoin the anatomically adjoining part;

(e) superimposing the set of second representations into the predetermined image in anatomically correct juxtaposition with the anatomically adjoining part; and

(f) outputting the second representations superimposed on the predetermined image as image data.

27. A method of producing an electronic audio program, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an electronic representation of a customizable audio program, having a set of predetermined insertion points and associated context;

(b) providing an electronic representation of a variable audio program portion from an external source;

(c) producing a set of digital representations defining a duration of the variable audio program;

(d) merging the customizable audio program and the variable audio program while time-justifying the variable audio program within the customizable audio program based on the predetermined insertion points and associated context, to produce a natural speech pattern; and

(e) outputting the merged audio program.