Apple patents method to refine facial animation models in real-time
The patent describes a system that creates a personalized digital model of a user's face by analyzing sensor data. It continuously updates this model to accurately track subtle movements and generate a matching graphical representation of the user's expressions.
In the filing’s own words
Embodiments relate to a method for real-time facial animation, and a processing device for real-time facial animation. The method includes providing a dynamic expression model, receiving tracking data corresponding to a facial expression of a user, estimating tracking parameters based on the dynamic expression model and the tracking data, and refining the dynamic expression model based on the tracking data and estimated tracking parameters. The method may further include generating a graphical representation corresponding to the facial expression of the user based on the tracking parameters. Embodiments pertain to a real-time facial animation system.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable code executable by one or more processors to: capture, by a local device, first sensor data comprising a face of a user; in response to capturing the first sensor data, refine a predefined user-specific model based on the first sensor data to obtain a refined user-specific model; and upon receiving additional sensor data of the user, generate a graphical representation of the user using the additional sensor data and the refined user-specific model.
Facts
- Company
- Apple (Apple Inc.)
- Official title
- Online modeling for real-time facial animation
- Patent number
- US12737957B2
- Application number
- 18591702
- Filed
- Feb 29, 2024
- Granted
- Sep 15, 2026
- Inventors
- 2
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G06T 13/40 Physics & computingG06T 7/292 Physics & computingG06T 15/503 Physics & computingG06V 40/176 Physics & computingMore from Apple in AR, VR & displays
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.