Generating a background that allows a first avatar to take part in an activity with a second avatar
A user may create an avatar and/or animated sequence illustrating a particular object or living being performing a certain activity, using images of portions of the object or living being extracted from a still image or set of still images of the object or living being.
1 . A method comprising:
in a device:
receiving input from a user;
generating a first avatar depicting the user, wherein the generating comprises mapping texture information extracted from a composite image of the user onto a movable model having predefined reference points corresponding to anatomical features;
adjusting appearance aspects and motion aspects of the first avatar, wherein the motion aspects are controlled using a motion template comprising a time-ordered set of positional data for the predefined reference points;
generating a second avatar; and
generating a background for the first avatar and the second avatar, wherein:
the background comprises a first element that enables the first avatar to take part in an activity with the second avatar,
the background comprises a second element, different than the first element, that is selected from a plurality of images according to the input from the user,
the plurality of images are associated with a theme, and
the device animates the first avatar by moving the predefined reference points according to the motion template and rendering updated positions of the mapped texture information.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:
in the device:
configuring a movement of one or more reference points in the first avatar via a motion template.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the movement is described according to adjacent video frames in a sequence of video frames provided by the user.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the movement is described according to a time ordered list of distance vectors.
5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the movement is described according to a mathematical formula that determines a position, of the one or more reference points, over time.
6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the movement is in three dimensions.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second avatar depicts a public personality.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activity is a show.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activity comprises the first avatar talking with the second avatar.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the input from the user comprises one or more of a subject matter, a level of importance, a timeliness and a classification of geographic relevance.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the composite image comprises a plurality of objects or living beings and prior to the mapping, an object recognition algorithm is configured to identify portions of the composite image corresponding to the user.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined reference points correspond to joints or endpoints of skeletal elements of a human body.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the motion template comprises a time-ordered list of vectors defining movement of the predefined reference points.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the motion template comprises a function that determines positions of the predefined reference points over time.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping comprises applying the texture information to a surface of a three-dimensional model.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the animating comprises generating visual features based on relative motion of the predefined reference points.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the composite image is selected from a plurality of stored images based on a match to the user.
18 . A system comprising:
a device operable to:
receive input from a user;
generate a first avatar depicting the user, wherein the generating comprises mapping texture information extracted from a composite image of the user onto a movable model having predefined reference points corresponding to anatomical features;
adjust appearance aspects and motion aspects of the first avatar, wherein the motion aspects are controlled using a motion template comprising a time-ordered set of positional data for the predefined reference points;
generate a second avatar; and
generate a background for the first avatar and the second avatar, wherein:
the background comprises a first element that enables the first avatar to take part in an activity with the second avatar,
the background comprises a second element, different than the first element, that is selected from a plurality of images according to the input from the user,
the plurality of images are associated with a theme, and
the device is operable to animate the first avatar by moving the predefined reference points according to the motion template and rendering updated positions of the mapped texture information.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the device is operable to:
configure a movement of one or more reference points in the first avatar via a motion template.
20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the movement is described according to adjacent video frames in a sequence of video frames provided by the user.
21 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the movement is described according to a time ordered list of distance vectors.
22 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the movement is described according to a mathematical formula that determines a position, of the one or more reference points, over time.
23 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the movement is in three dimensions.
24 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the second avatar depicts a public personality.
25 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the activity is a show.
26 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the activity comprises the first avatar talking with the second avatar.
27 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the input from the user comprises one or more of a subject matter, a level of importance, a timeliness and a classification of geographic relevance.
28 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the device is operable to identify portions of the composite image corresponding to the user using an object recognition algorithm prior to mapping.
29 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the predefined reference points correspond to anatomical joints of a human model.
30 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the motion template comprises a time-ordered list of vectors or a function defining movement of the predefined reference points.
31 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the device is operable to render the first avatar by updating mapped texture information in response to movement of the predefined reference points.