Abstract: The invention relates to a technique for generating an animated three-dimensional video head based on sensed locations of facial features and texture mapping of corresponding two dimensional video image frames onto a shaped head mesh generated using the sensed locations.

Abstract: The present invention is embodied in an apparatus, and related method, for sensing a person's facial movements, features and characteristics and the like to generate and animate an avatar image based on facial sensing. The avatar apparatus uses an image processing technique based on model graphs and bunch graphs that efficiently represent image features as jets. The jets are composed of wavelet transforms processed at node or landmark locations on an image corresponding to readily identifiable features. The nodes are acquired and tracked to animate an avatar image in accordance with the person's facial movements. Also, the facial sensing may use jet similarity to determine the person's facial features and characteristic thus allows tracking of a person's natural characteristics without any unnatural elements that may interfere or inhibit the person's natural characteristics.

Abstract: The invention relates to a technique for generating an animated three-dimensional video head based on sensed locations of facial features and texture mapping of corresponding two dimensional video image frames onto a shaped head mesh generated using the sensed locations.

Abstract: The present invention is embodied in a method and system for generating an animation transform using a neutral face image. An avatar editor uses a frontal head image and a side head image of a neutral face model for generating an avatar. The avatar is generated by automatically finding head feature locations on the front and side head images using elastic bunch graph matching. Significant time savings may be accomplished by a generating an animation transform using the neutral face features. The animation transform for the neutral face features may be applied to the other facial expression avatar meshes to improve the quality of the resulting avatar. The neutral-face-based animation transform provides significant improvement to the facial expression head models without the significant editing time incurred by generating a particular animation transform for each particular facial expression (and/or pose) features.

Abstract: The present invention is embodied in an apparatus, and related method, for sensing a person's facial movements, features and characteristics and the like to generate and animate an avatar image based on facial sensing. The avatar apparatus uses an image processing technique based on model graphs and bunch graphs that efficiently represent image features as jets. The jets are composed of wavelet transforms processed at node or landmark locations on an image corresponding to readily identifiable features. The nodes are acquired and tracked to animate an avatar image in accordance with the person's facial movements. Also, the facial sensing may use jet similarity to determine the person's facial features and characteristic thus allows tracking of a person's natural characteristics without any unnatural elements that may interfere or inhibit the person's natural characteristics.

Abstract: The present invention is embodied in an apparatus, and related method, for detecting and recognizing an object in an image frame. The object may be, for example, a head having particular facial characteristics. The object detection process uses robust and computationally efficient techniques. The object identification and recognition process uses an image processing technique based on model graphs and bunch graphs that efficiently represent image features as jets. The jets are composed of wavelet transforms and are processed at nodes or landmark locations on an image corresponding to readily identifiable features. The system of the invention is particularly advantageous for recognizing a person over a wide variety of pose angles.

Abstract: The present invention is embodied in an apparatus, and related method, for sensing a person's facial movements, features and characteristics and the like to generate and animate an avatar image based on facial sensing. The avatar apparatus uses an image processing technique based on model graphs and bunch graphs that efficiently represent image features as jets. The jets are composed of wavelet transforms processed at node or landmark locations on an image corresponding to readily identifiable features. The nodes are acquired and tracked to animate an avatar image in accordance with the person's facial movements. Also, the facial sensing may use jet similarity to determine the person's facial features and characteristic thus allows tracking of a person's natural characteristics without any unnatural elements that may interfere or inhibit the person's natural characteristics.