Patents Assigned to Image Metrics Ltd
  • Patent number: 12299930
    Abstract: In one or more implementations, body features of a subject can be tracked and a pose estimation produced using an unconstrained video sequence. The video sequence constitutes a physical record of the body features of the subject. A set of 2D coordinates corresponding to the body features of the subject can be received from a first neural network and 2D Keypoints are detected and transmitted to a second neural network. The second neural network can return corresponding depth estimation values, which can be processed to generate a set of 3D coordinates that correspond to the body features of the subject in camera space. Furthermore, one or more non-linear optimizations can be applied to fit a predetermined skeleton to the generate 3D Keypoints, and produce the pose estimation corresponding to the body features of the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Assignee: Image Metrics, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin Walker, Mike Rogers, Chris Bowles, Matthew Oakes, Mike Taylor, Vincent Drouard
  • Patent number: 10949649
    Abstract: A method for locating and tracking facial features in an unconstrained video sequence includes: in a face-detecting process, delineating, with region-bounding coordinates, the face of the subject within an image selected from the sequence; detecting, in the selected image, a small set of landmarks, corresponding to the face of the subject, using a convolutional neural network, trained to take as input an image region corresponding to the face of the—subject and to return a set of coordinates at computational speeds approximating real time; projectively fitting a three-dimensional character model to the detected landmarks, and using the fitted model to estimate physical locations of additional landmarks, so as to provide a complete hypothesized set of facial landmarks; and in a feature tracker process, updating the hypothesized set of facial landmarks to improve convergence between predicted feature locations and their actual physical locations based on data sampled from the selected image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Image Metrics, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin Walker, Mike Rogers, Mike Taylor, Matthew Oakes, Vincent Drouard, Carl Moore
  • Publication number: 20110304622
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and computer program products for automatically transferring expressions between rigs with consistent joint structure, and for automatically transferring skin weights between different skin meshes based on joint positioning. A method is provided for transferring an expression between a plurality of source rigs and a target rig, where each rig characterizes an animated character, and each rig, in turn, is characterized by a set of joints and a skin mesh having a plurality of vertices, with each vertex characterized by a matrix of weights relating a response of the vertex to movement of associated joints. A set of offsets is calculated of joint positions of a goal expression of each source rig relative to a neutral expression of the source rig. A scaling transformation is then applied to the set of offsets to produce a scaled set of offsets, which are added, in turn, to a neutral expression of the target rig.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: Image Metrics Ltd
    Inventors: Michael Rogers, Kevin Walker, Steven Caulkin, Gareth Edwards
  • Patent number: 8026917
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and computer program products for automatically transferring expressions between rigs with consistent joint structure, and for automatically transferring skin weights between different skin meshes based on joint positioning. A method is provided for transferring an expression between a source rig and a target rig, where each rig characterizes an animated character, and each rig, in turn, is characterized by a set of joints and a skin mesh having a plurality of vertices, with each vertex characterized by a matrix of weights relating a response of the vertex to movement of associated joints. A set of offsets is calculated of joint positions of a goal expression of the source rig relative to a neutral expression of the source rig. A scaling transformation is then applied to the set of offsets to produce a scaled set of offsets, which are added, in turn, to a neutral expression of the target rig.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Image Metrics Ltd
    Inventors: Michael Rogers, Kevin Walker, Steve Caulkin, Gareth Edwards