Abstract: In an embodiment, a method is provided for creating a personal animated entity for delivering a multi-media message from a sender to a recipient. An image file from the sender may be received by a server. The image file may include an image of an entity. The sender may be requested to provide input with respect to facial features of the image of the entity in preparation for animating the image of the entity. After the sender provides the input with respect to the facial features of the image of the entity, the image of the entity may be presented as a personal animated entity to the sender to preview. Upon approval of the preview from the sender, the image of the entity may be presented as a sender-selectable personal animated entity for delivering the multi-media message to the recipient.

Abstract: Apparatuses, computer media, and methods for altering a submitted image of a person. The submitted image is transformed in accordance with associated data regarding the person's condition. Global data may be processed by a statistical process to obtain cluster information, and the transformation parameter is then determined from cluster information. The transformation parameter is then applied to a portion of the submitted image to render a transformed image. A transformation parameter may include a texture alteration parameter, a hair descriptive parameter, or a reshaping parameter. An error measure may be determined that gauges a discrepancy between a transformed image and an actual image. A transformation model is subsequently reconfigured with a modified model in order to reduce the error measure. Also, the transformation model may be trained to reduce an error measure for the transformed image.

Abstract: Apparatuses, computer media, and methods for altering an image of a person' face. Points on a two-dimensional image of a face and a neck of the person are located. A superimposed mesh is generated from the points. A subset of the points is relocated, forming a transformed mesh. Consequently, the face is reshaped from the transformed mesh to obtain a desired degree of fattening or thinning, and a reshaped image is rendered. A subset of points on the face is relocated by applying a deformation vector to each point of the subset of points. The deformation vector is determined from a product of factors. The factors include a weight value factor, a scale factor, a deformation factor, and a direction vector. The weight factor may be determined from a desired amount of fattening or thinning.

Abstract: Apparatuses, computer media, and methods for altering a camera image, in which the source image may be angularly displaced from a camera image. A plurality of points on the camera image is located and a mesh is generated. Compensation information based on the displacement is determined, and a reshaped image is rendered from the mesh, the compensation information, and the camera image. The camera image is reshaped by relocating a proper subset of the points on the camera image. Deformation vectors are applied to corresponding points on the mesh using the compensation information. A correction factor is obtained from an angular displacement and a translation displacement of the source image from the camera image. The deformation factor is multiplied by the compensation factor to form a deformation vector to compensate for angular and translational displacements of the source image from the camera image.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method is provided for creating a personal animated entity for delivering a multi-media message from a sender to a recipient. An image file from the sender may be received by a server. The image file may include an image of an entity. The sender may be requested to provide input with respect to facial features of the image of the entity in preparation for animating the image of the entity. After the sender provides the input with respect to the facial features of the image of the entity, the image of the entity may be presented as a personal animated entity to the sender to preview. Upon approval of the preview from the sender, the image of the entity may be presented as a sender-selectable personal animated entity for delivering the multi-media message to the recipient.

Abstract: A method of creating a personal animated entity for delivering a multi-media message from a sender to a recipient is disclosed. The method comprises receiving from the sender an image file at a server, the image file having an entity and a background image. The server presents to the sender the image file and requests the sender to mark features on the image file. After the sender marks the image file, the server presents to the sender the image file as an optional animated entity when the sender chooses an animated entity to deliver a multi-media message. If the sender selects the image file for delivering the multi-media message, the server delivers the multi-media message using the personal animated entity in the context of the background image of the image file. Extrapolation is used to fill in background voids created by the movement of the personal animated entity in the context of the background image.