Method of creating avatar from user submitted image

1. A method for creating an avatar from an image, the method comprising:

receiving an image including a face from a user;

constructing a 3D model of the face from the image, wherein constructing a 3D model of the face includes:

adding an alpha channel using an alpha template, wherein the alpha template is deformed so that its facial feature coordinates match those of the face from the user;

adding a predefined teeth texture to the 3D model; and

adjusting the color of the 3D model to match the skin color of the animated character;

animating the 3D model, wherein animating the 3D model includes:

an expression definition, wherein the expression definition:

defines a certain facial state; and

includes:

muscle parameters, wherein the muscle parameters:

model the contraction an anatomically plausible facial muscle; and

are applied in successive iterations; and

attaching the 3D model to an animated character.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein constructing a 3D model of the face includes:

finding a region contain the face in the image using a cascade classifier.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein constructing a 3D model of the face includes:

identifying the coordinates of one or more facial features within the face using at least one of:

an active shape model;

a genetic algorithm method; or

a mean shift method.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein constructing a 3D model of the face includes:

identifying a facial expression within the face;

choosing a predefined 3D model with a facial expression that matches the identified facial expression; and

deforming the predefined 3D model to match the shape and location of the identified coordinates of the one or more facial features.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein constructing a 3D model of the face includes:

projecting the facial image over a predefined 3D model.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein constructing a 3D model of the face includes:

transforming the 3D model to become frontal, wherein transforming the 3D model to become frontal includes:

storing the facial feature coordinates of an average frontal face;

calculating a deformation matrix from the facial feature coordinates of the average frontal face and from the 3D coordinates of the 3D model.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein constructing a 3D model of the face includes:

correcting uneven lighting of the 3D model.

8. A method for creating an avatar from an image, the method comprising:

receiving an image including a face from a user;

identifying the coordinates of one or more facial features within the face;

constructing a 3D model of the face from the image including:

choosing a predefined 3D model;

adding an alpha channel using an alpha template, wherein the alpha template is deformed so that its facial feature coordinates match those of the face from the user;

deforming the predefined 3D model to match the shape and location of the identified coordinates of the one or more facial features;

projecting the facial image over a predefined 3D model;

correcting uneven lighting of the 3D model;

adding a predefined teeth texture to the 3D model; and

adjusting the color of the 3D model to match the skin color of the animated character;

animating the 3D model, wherein animating the 3D model includes:

an expression definition, wherein the expression definition:

defines a certain facial state: and

includes:

muscle parameters, wherein the muscle parameters:

 model the contraction an anatomically plausible facial muscle; and

 are applied in successive iterations; and

translation parameters; and

furrow parameters, wherein the furrow parameters:

 alter the texture of the 3D model;

 deform a furrow image so that its facial feature coordinates match those of the face from the user; and

 leave the coordinates of the vertices of the 3D model unchanged; and

attaching the 3D model to an animated character.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein animating the 3D model includes:

rendering the 3D model at a predefined 3D angle as a 2D image.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein animating the 3D model includes:

scaling the rendered 3D model to match the size of the animated character; and

pasting the scaled 2D image over the character's 2D image.

11. In a computing system, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to create an avatar from an image by performing the steps:

receiving an image including a face from a user;

identifying the coordinates of one or more facial features within the face;

constructing a 3D model of the face from the image including:

choosing a predefined 3D model;

adding an alpha channel using an alpha template, wherein the alpha template is deformed so that its facial feature coordinates match those of the face from the user;

deforming the predefined 3D model to match the shape and location of the identified coordinates of the one or more facial features;

transforming the 3D model to become frontal, wherein transforming the 3D model to become frontal includes:

storing the facial feature coordinates of an average frontal face;

calculating a deformation matrix from the facial feature coordinates of the average frontal face and from the 3D coordinates of the 3D model;

projecting the facial image over a predefined 3D model;

adding a predefined teeth texture to the 3D model; and

adjusting the color of the 3D model to match the skin color of the animated character;

rendering the 3D model at a predefined 3D angle;

animating the 3D model, wherein animating the 3D model includes:

an expression definition, wherein the expression definition:

defines a certain facial state: and

includes:

translation parameters;

muscle parameters, wherein the muscle parameters:

 model the contraction an anatomically plausible facial muscle; and

 are applied in successive iterations;

 include:

 a vertex to which a muscle is attached; and

 a vertex which moves on muscle contraction; and

furrow parameters, wherein the furrow parameters:

alter the texture of the 3D model;

deform a furrow image so that its facial feature coordinates match those of the face from the user; and

leave the coordinates of the vertices of the 3D model unchanged; and

attaching the 3D model to an animated character.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein animating the 3D model includes:

achieving special effects.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein achieving special effects includes:

simulating a facial layer, wherein simulating a facial layer includes depicting elements over certain facial features; and

deforming the facial layer to align the facial features of the facial layer with the facial features of the face.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein animating the 3D model includes:

specifying parameters for each frame, wherein the parameters include:

specifying the parameters of each expression definition to show various expressions;

the image of a bottom layer; and

the image of a top layer.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein animating the 3D model includes:

rendering each frame according to a template.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein animating the 3D model includes:

saving the rendered frames to a video file.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein animating the 3D model includes:

displaying the video file to the user.