Abstract: An image animation method implementable in software includes: fitting a fitting model to at least an object in the image, and animating the object in accordance with a corresponding animation model, where the fitting model is at least as rigid as the animation model, and the animation model is no more rigid than the fitting model.

Abstract: A system includes an aligner to align an initial position of a partially kinematically, parameterized model with an object in an image, and a modelizer to adjust parameters of the model to match the model to contours of the object, given the initial alignment. An animation system includes a modelizer to hierarchically match a hierarchically rigid model to an object in an image, and a cutter to cut the object from the image and to associate it with the model. A method for animation includes hierarchically matching a hierarchically rigid model to an object in an image, and cutting the object from the image to associate it with the model.

Abstract: A method for processing images includes identifying empiric model elements (EMEs) in an original high resolution photo-realistic image, where each EME includes a straight central segment, a color profile, and a control area; and geometrically modeling the EMEs in vectorized forms to achieve a generally full visual quality for a representation of said image.

Abstract: An image animation method implementable in software includes: fitting a fitting model to at least an object in the image, and animating the object in accordance with a corresponding animation model, where the fitting model is at least as rigid as the animation model, and the animation model is no more rigid than the fitting model.

Abstract: A system includes an aligner to align an initial position of an at least partially kinematically, parameterized model with an object in an image, and a modelizer to adjust parameters of the model to match the model to contours of the object, given the initial alignment. An animation system includes a modelizer to hierarchically match a hierarchically rigid model to an object in an image, and a cutter to cut said object from said image and to associate it with said model. A method for animation includes hierarchically matching a hierarchically rigid model to an object in an image, and cutting said object from said image to associate it with said model.

Abstract: A method of generating a character from an image. The method includes providing an image depicting a character, identifying, automatically by a processor, characteristic lines in the image, receiving an indication of a character to be cut from the image, and suggesting border lines for the character to be cut from the image, responsive to the identified characteristic lines and the received indication.

Abstract: A method for representing an image includes identifying characteristic lines of the image and the visual relationships among the characteristic lines. The visual relationships include proximities and crossings of the characteristic lines. The method further includes defining a background of the image, the background including a slow-scale background, background patches and background textures. Mathematical models representing the characteristic lines, the visual relationships among the characteristic lines and the background, respectively, are assembled and aggregated.

Abstract: A method of representing an image, comprising: determining one or more characteristic lines over which the profile of the image changes considerably; and storing, for each of the one or more characteristic lines, one or more cross section profiles including data on the brightness of the line and of one or more background points adjacent the line having a brightness substantially different from the brightness of the line.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for analyzing and processing images by identification of characteristic lines and corresponding parameters. More particularly, the method and apparatus transforms an image into mathematical models derived from the characteristic lines and parameters, based on repetitive image patterns. The parameters include central lines, signatures, cross-sections, characteristic strips, margins, end areas, fitting transformations and fitting sequences. Each of the parameters associated with the identified characteristic lines are representable by mathematical models, which accurately approximate the geometric and brightness (or color) attributes of the respective characteristic lines.

Abstract: A method for representing an image includes identifying characteristic lines of the image and the visual relationships among the characteristic lines. The visual relationships include proximities and crossings of the characteristic lines. The method further includes defining a background of the image, the background including a slow-scale background, background patches and background textures. Mathematical models representing the characteristic lines, the visual relationships among the characteristic lines and the background, respectively, are assembled and aggregated.

Abstract: A process for producing a compressed representation of 2D and 3D images. The image is represented in a compressed form by approximating regions with slowly changing brightness or color, by a background, formed by low degree polynomials. Fast brightness or color changes are represented by special models, including local models and curvilinear structures. Visual adjacency relations between the models are identified, the background partition represents these adjacency relations, curvilinear structures are approximated by spline functions. The three-dimensional image is represented by producing one or several compressed images of the scene from different positions, in which a depth value is associated to each model. A view of the scene from any prescribed point is produced by a geometric processing of these compressed data.

Abstract: Processes for pictorial representation by data compression including dividing a picture into regions of designated brightness values, fixing a characteristic scale for each region representing a number of pixels, dividing each region into cells, identifying each cell representing the basic structure of each cell by way of models, and storing and/or transmitting the data for each such model in the form of primary compression of the picture.