Abstract: A system for mobile devices that facilitates the creation and dissemination of interactive media to a plurality of mobile devices. A computer or PC comprising an interactive media generator is used to generate interactive media and communicate it to a distribution server. Mobile devices have an interactive media client component to receive and present interactive media to a user.

Abstract: In a multimedia presentation, having speech and graphic contributions, a list of graphic objects is provided. Each graphic is associated to a graphic file capable of being executed by a computer to display a corresponding graphic contribution on a screen. A speech file comprising a sequence of phrases is also created, each phrase comprising a speech contribution explaining at least one graphic contribution associated to a respective graphic object. Then, an arrangement string is created obtained as a sequence of a first graphic object and a respective first phrase, and then a second graphic object and a respective second phrase, and so on up to completion of all graphic objects and phrases of said list and of said speech file respectively. A processing speed for displaying the graphic objects is chosen.

Abstract: Animating speech of an avatar representing a participant in a mobile communication including selecting one or more images; selecting a generic animation template; fitting the one or more images with the generic animation template; texture wrapping the one more images over the generic animation template; and displaying the one or more images texture wrapped over the generic animation template. Receiving an audio speech signal; identifying a series of phonemes; and for each phoneme: identifying a new mouth position for the mouth of the generic animation template; altering the mouth position to the new mouth position; texture wrapping a portion of the one or more images corresponding to the altered mouth position; displaying the texture wrapped portion of the one or more images corresponding to the altered mouth position of the mouth of the generic animation template; and playing the portion of the audio speech signal represented by the phoneme.

Abstract: A system and method for generating photo-realistic talking-head animation from a text input utilizes an audio-visual unit selection process. The lip-synchronization is obtained by optimally selecting and concatenating variable-length video units of the mouth area. The unit selection process utilizes the acoustic data to determine the target costs for the candidate images and utilizes the visual data to determine the concatenation costs. The image database is prepared in a hierarchical fashion, including high-level features (such as a full 3D modeling of the head, geometric size and position of elements) and pixel-based, low-level features (such as a PCA-based metric for labeling the various feature bitmaps).

Abstract: A system for creating an on-line book with an animated cover. The system includes an animation program for inserting an animation sequence at the beginning of an on-line book which is compiled into the M14 format. The animation program includes: a user interface module configured to receive input from a user; a data sequencing module which arranges at least two graphical images in a sequence; and an update module which modifies at least one compilation control file. The animation program modifies the control files for an on-line book compiler to provide for the display of an animated object upon the opening of the on-line book.

Abstract: A system is configured to enable a user to assert voice-activated commands. When the user issues a non-ambiguous command, the system activates a corresponding control. The area of activity on the user interface is visually highlighted to emphasize to the user that what they spoke caused an action. In one specific embodiment, the highlighting involves floating text the user uttered to a visible user interface component.

Abstract: A mechanism for incorporating user input modes in a scripting language are provided for. A context allows use of user input modes in a scripting language in a manner that corresponds to their use in a GUI. A programming construct, referred to as a context, specifies at least one user input mode and a state for the user input mode that are applied to a set of instructions. The operations specified by the instructions that are referenced by a context are executed as if the user input modes referred to by the contexts have the state specified by the contexts.

Abstract: An animation image generating program is provided which allows animation images to be readily generated by CG without complicated setups, and more particularly the animation image generating program is suited to generate a plurality of types of face animation images by CG. The animation image generating program includes the steps of controlling selection of specific vertices of a standard model and a user model, providing control such that first target vertices are associated with second target vertices where the first target vertices are the selected specific vertices of the standard model and the second target vertices are the selected specific vertices of the user model, providing control by arithmetic means such that coordinates of the first target vertices approximate to those of the second target vertices, to generate fitting information, and animating the user model based on animation data of the standard model and on the fitting information.

Abstract: The illustrated and described embodiments describe techniques for capturing data that describes 3-dimensional (3-D) aspects of a face, transforming facial motion from one individual to another in a realistic manner, and modeling skin reflectance.

Abstract: Shape animation is described. In one aspect, examples that pertain to a shape or motion that is to be animated are provided. The examples are placed within a multi-dimensional abstract space. Each dimension of the abstract space is defined by at least one of an adjective and an adverb. A point within the multi-dimensional abstract space is selected. The selected point does not coincide with a point that is associated with any of the examples. The selected point corresponds to a shape or motion within the abstract space. A single weight value for each of the examples is computed. The single weight values for each of the examples are combined in a manner that defines an interpolated shape or motion that is a blended combination of each of the examples of the set of examples.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for representing speech in an animated image. In one embodiment, key point on the object to be animated are defined, and a table of trajectories is generated to map positions of the key points over time as the object performs defined actions accompanied by corresponding sounds. In another embodiment, the table of trajectories and a sound rate of the video are used to generate a frame list that includes information to render an animated image of the object in real time at a rate determined by the sound rate. In still another embodiment, a 2D animation of a human speaker is produced. Key points are selected from the Motion Picture Expert Group 4 (MPEG4) defined points for human lips and teeth.

Abstract: A virtual human interface for conducting survey questioning comprises a system and method which may include a script file which may include survey question data, response pattern data, expression data, advertising data, entertainment data, lobbying data and/or processing instructions. The expression data may include mouth and eye expression data along with respective duration data indicative of the length of time of respective visual representations. The virtual human interface may interact With a user by representing a character object that personifies communicative behavior to make interaction more natural and enjoyable.

Abstract: An auditory representation of a personal profile of a subject is generated, by first, acquiring a plurality of personal attributes of the subject through an assessment tool. The plurality of personal attributes is stored on a first computer system. The plurality of personal attributes is converted to a plurality of musical elements. The plurality of musical elements is arranged to form an auditory representation of the personal profile of the subject.

Abstract: A computer based training tool and method that emulates human behavior using a computer-simulated person in a realistic scenario. It provides an interactive experience in detecting deception during interviews and acceptance of statements during interpersonal conversations. The simulated person provides verbal responses in combination with an animated video display reflecting the body language of the simulated person in response to questions asked and during and after responses to the questions. The questions and responses are pre-programmed and interrelated groups of questions and responses are maintained in dynamic tables which are constantly adjusted as a function of questions asked and responses generated. The system provides a critique and numerical score for each training session.

Abstract: A real-time virtual presentation method is provided. The method includes capturing motion of a user, capturing audio of the user, transforming the audio of the user into audio of an opposite gender of the user and animating a character with the motion and transformed audio in real-time.

Abstract: A method for controlling and automatically animating lip synchronization and facial expressions of three dimensional animated characters using weighted morph targets and time aligned phonetic transcriptions of recorded text. The method utilizes a set of rules that determine the systems output comprising a stream of morph weight sets when a sequence of timed phonemes and/or other timed data is encountered. Other data, such as timed emotional state data or emotemes such as “surprise, “disgust, “embarrassment”, “timid smile”, or the like, may be inputted to affect the output stream of morph weight sets, or create additional streams.

Abstract: A method using computer software for automatic audio visual dubbing (5) using an efficient computerized automatic method for audio visual dubbing of movies by computerized image copying of the characteristic features of the lip movements of the dubber onto the mouth area of the original speaker. The invention uses a method of vicinity-searching, three-dimensional head modeling of the original speaker (3), and texture mapping (10) technique to produce new images which correspond to the dubbed sound track: The invention thus overcomes the well known disadvantage of the correlation problems between lip movement in an original movie and the sound track of the dubbed movie.

Abstract: A method for controlling and automatically animating lip synchronization and facial expressions of three dimensional animated characters using weighted morph targets and time aligned phonetic transcriptions of recorded text. The method utilizes a set of rules that determine the systems output comprising a stream of morph weight sets when a sequence of timed phonemes and/or other timed data is encountered. Other data, such as timed emotional state data or emotemes such as “surprise, “disgust, “embarrassment”, “timid smile”, or the like, may be inputted to affect the output stream of morph weight sets, or create additional streams.