Smooth morphing between personal video calling avatars
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for generating image data associated with a user comprising:
- selecting a graphical rendition corresponding to a user that obscures a visual identity of the user;
receiving an indication of active movements applicable to the selected graphical rendition and applicable to the progressed image;
rendering the graphical rendition in each frame of a first series of image frames as a rendered image depicting the active movements;
selecting a progressed image that is more revealing of the visual identity of the user than the graphical rendition;
receiving an initiator signal provided by the user to begin transforming the rendered image to the progressed image;
in response to receipt of the user-provided initiator signal, generating the progressed image depicting the active movements in each frame of a second series of image frames concurrently with the first series of image frames;
further in response to the user-provided initiator signal, generating a third series of image frames depicting the active movements, each frame in the third series of image frames being generated by combining a frame from the first series of image frames depicting the active movements with a corresponding frame from the second series of image frames depicting the active movements, where the combining is performed by progressive interpolation to cause the third series of image frames to progress from the rendered image to the progressed image while maintaining the active movements; and
rendering the third series of image frames.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Dynamic animated avatars selectively morph to reveal or depict the user'"'"'s identity while simultaneously emulating or tracking active movements associated with the user'"'"'s verbal stream or perceived movements of the user. A user elects morphing to transition the rendered avatar to another, more revealing avatar, for example from a cartoon caricature to a posed photographic image. Animation processing identifies active movements derived from an input stream to compute animations of the mouth and profile based on speech, text, or captured video from the user. The computed animations appear as active movements to the currently rendered avatar, and emulate the user speaking or moving according to text, audio or video being transmitted. A user maintains an anonymous or posed identity with respect to the receiving party, and chooses to reveal a different avatar depicting a truer identity at the user'"'"'s discretion, while continuing to display active movements paralleling the user'"'"'s verbal activities.
39 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for generating image data associated with a user comprising:
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selecting a graphical rendition corresponding to a user that obscures a visual identity of the user; receiving an indication of active movements applicable to the selected graphical rendition and applicable to the progressed image; rendering the graphical rendition in each frame of a first series of image frames as a rendered image depicting the active movements; selecting a progressed image that is more revealing of the visual identity of the user than the graphical rendition; receiving an initiator signal provided by the user to begin transforming the rendered image to the progressed image; in response to receipt of the user-provided initiator signal, generating the progressed image depicting the active movements in each frame of a second series of image frames concurrently with the first series of image frames; further in response to the user-provided initiator signal, generating a third series of image frames depicting the active movements, each frame in the third series of image frames being generated by combining a frame from the first series of image frames depicting the active movements with a corresponding frame from the second series of image frames depicting the active movements, where the combining is performed by progressive interpolation to cause the third series of image frames to progress from the rendered image to the progressed image while maintaining the active movements; and rendering the third series of image frames. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A communications device for generating image data associated with a user comprising:
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at least one processor; an interface to a base image repository being operable to provide to the base image repository a selection of a graphical rendition corresponding to a user that obscures a visual identity of the user; a selection interface being operable to permit selection of a progressed image that is more revealing of the visual identity of the user than the graphical rendition; an extractor operable to receive an indication of active movements applicable to the selected graphical rendition and to the selected progressed image; an animator operable to render the graphical rendition in each frame of a first series of image frames as a rendered image depicting the active movements, and being further operable to be responsive to an initiator signal provided by the user to generate the progressed image depicting the active movements in each frame of a second series of image frames concurrently with the first series of image frames; and a morpher operable to be responsive to the user-provided initiator signal to generate a third series of image frames depicting the active movements, each frame in the third series of image frames being generated by combining a frame from the first series of image frames depicting the active movements with a corresponding frame from the second series of image frames depicting the active movements, where the combining is performed by progressive interpolation to cause the third series of image frames to progress from the rendered image to the progressed image while maintaining the active movements. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24)
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23. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium operable to store a set of encoded instructions for execution by a processor responsive to the instructions for generating image data associated with a user, the set of encoded instructions comprising:
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computer program code for selecting a graphical rendition corresponding to a user that obscures a visual identity of the user; computer program code for capturing expressive input via an input stream; computer program code for rendering the graphical rendition as a rendered image using the expressive input in each frame of a first series of image frames, the expressive input corresponding to facial features of spoken verbiage; computer program code for selecting a progressed image that is more revealing of the visual identity of the user than the graphical rendition; computer program code for receiving an indication provided by the user to transform the rendered image to the progressed image; computer program code for responding to receiving the indication by generating the progressed image using the expressive input in each frame of a second series of image frames concurrently with the first series of image frames; computer program code for responding to receiving the indication by generating a third series of image frames that maintain the usage of the expressive input, each frame in the third series of image frames being generated by combining a frame from the first series of image frames with a corresponding frame from the second series of image frames, where the combining is performed by progressive interpolation to generate a progression of resulting morphed image frames that maintain the usage of the expressive input while gradually transforming the rendered image to the progressed image; and computer program code for rendering the progression of resulting morphed image frames.
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Specification