Apple files avatar automation, emotion patents

Apple has applied for a pair of patents that describe creating digital avatars based on photos of a user's face, and then embuing those avatars with changeable elements that users can choose to express different emotions. The filings say that the resulting avatars could be used "in various applications, including but not …

[ratfox]

Here we go: Prior art! Not novel! Stupid USPTO!

Yadda yadda yadda

[Destroy All Monsters]

Also, "Avatar" is property of James Cameron.

But really, is Apple regressing to a Web 2.0 boutique?

[Tom Maddox]

Sooooo . . .

. . . are you trying to support the laughable assertion that this patent is not, in fact, covered by prior art?

[gerryg]

give me strength....

... is your pension fund 100% Apple shares or something?

[NoneSuch]

Good Lord

They are actually patenting THIS?

They are going to take people to court in the future and spend god knows how much on legal fees to stop people from making themselves into a smiley or frowny face.

My coat is the one with the barf bag in the pocket.

[Code Monkey]

Belm*

Does the Apple patent cover the belm?

* for those of you who didn't grow up in the North in the 70s/80s, Google it

[M Gale]

So how much of this is already covered by the MPEG4 facial animation standards?

Not to mention numerous other bits of software about that I'm pretty damned sure have done some mighty similar things.

[LarsG]

APPLE PATENT PENDING

'breathing fresh air', endorsed by US patent courts, not surprisingly.

This kind of patent filing stifles real development.

[Charlie Clark]

So this is why they are sueing Samsung

As Apple have obviously given up on real technical innovation, opting instead for the low-floating esoteric float of shit, they need to initiate legal proceedings against any company that still has an R&D department worth the name! To paraphrase "Christopher Unborn": "Fanbois avatarise! You may not live better but you will live cooler!"

[banjomike]

"Automatic Avatar Creation"

Geez, No! That sounds awful. I know that I would never use a product that threatened to do that.

Stuff Apple. Again.

[Keep Refrigerated]

Like to see them try to implement it without my patent!

I'm filing a patent for a method of taking a picture of someone holding an Android phone, then changing it to an iPhone, and vice versa. Then substituting it with a sad face or happy face depending upon the Fanboi/Fandroids preference.

Your move, Apple.

[wsm]

Not again

Apple is going off the deep end with yet another attempt to patent the world. They may actually break the patent system so badly that all patents will be made worthless by backlash legislation.

[Ru]

If only.

Every year the industry of the US ups the ante with increasingly awful patents. Every year it is predicted to bring the system down. It doesn't.

I can see this going on for years.

[Anonymous Coward]

One can only hope

[genghis_uk]

Breaking the patent system

Now if that was really the underlying reason I would applaud Apple... Not very likely though - it is much more likely that they are just setting themselves up with more lawsuit ammo

[Richard Wharram]

Maybe I'm missing the point.

But Avatar editing environments have been around for years :/

[derv]

fuck off apple, go do something original instead parasiting on human behaviour... wankers

[Shagbag]

Is this just a US thing? If so, then I'm not bothered. Just as long as it doesn't escape that Patent 'asylum'.

[Arctic fox]

What is it they think that they are patenting?

What novel and specific system or process have they invented that they are asking patent protection for? Can they at this time demonstrate this novel system or process? From my reading of it they appear to be trying to patent a generalised concept without a specific concrete novel approach. If I am misreading this of course I stand open for correction. Anybody feel that this is worthy of patent protection? If so, can you explain to me why? The IT? icon - precisely because I do not see where the technology is in this patent application.

[Anonymous Coward]

See, I told you, Apple crap!

So stop banging on about them. Doing so makes yourself look stupid.

[Anonymous Coward]

Apple invents the automatic Mii.

How long do think it will take them to create a product with this and the Siri functionality?

Imagine the joy in talking to a patronising cartoon version of yourself...

[richard 7]

Lots of apps that already do this...

Most of which then silently install spyware and malware...oh, yes, point taken, I'll just get my coat

[dssf]

UTTER BULLSH$T

Havent' we seen this already, as in in movies when the director zooms the cam to the actor's face to let the audience in on a wink/grimmace/wince/nod?

This is nothing more than using curves/polylines and geometry to cut out a lot of surfaces. Facial recognition without much of the face, and possibly a little of the pretentious "laugh track" sentimentality.

Sigh. This -- if approved-- would prevent thousands of app developers from short-cutting to the players who grew up watching cartoons like Batman. Recall when Batman and Robin fought their foes, and we heard Wwweeeuuu, woooo, whhehuur sounds as the B/R uppercuts and punches were accentuated with "BOOM", "SPLAT", "FOOMP" and the like.

Adviso/Caution/Warning USPTO: this is not passable, and will act as an unfair gatekeeper.

[David Webb]

From memory, didn't that occur with MSN and it's moticon thingies? You'd have a avatar you designed and if you typed in LOL your avatar would laugh? Bear in mind I haven't used MSN in years but I'm pretty sure that's what happened.

[Brian 59]

Prior art

Xbox Kinect has a fun labs app that takes a picture of you which is then animated in 3d, I see a lot of crossover here.

[Peter 48]

worthless

Thanks to a very sensible European court ruling this patent won't be worth the paper it is printed on: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/12/02/computer_program_that_copied_functions_of_another_did_not_infringe_copyright/

[CD001]

DYAC

Hmmm - a whole range of new possibilities for damnyouautocorrect.com perhaps?