METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AN ELECTRONIC IMAGE
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a Continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent
Application Ser. No. 08/138,531, filed October 15, 1993, and expressly
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a
series of electronic images of an animated figure having at least two body
portions, wherein a first body portion from one source is automatically combined
in anatomically appropriate fashion with a second body portion from the same or
different source. The series of electronic images are then further combined with
other images.
In the following description, the term "head' is intended to include
not only the head of a human being with its hair (however long) face, ears,
etc., but also any and all appurtenant accessories such as a hat, glasses, hair
adornments, jewelry (earrings, etc.) and the like. The term "body" as it is used
herein, is intended to include the body of a human being, animal, fish, etc.,
(either real or fictional, animated or photorealistic) including not only the
torso, arms, legs, tail, fins, etc., but also any and all appurtenant clothing,
shoes, jewelry, and the like. The image of the head and/or
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body may be obtained from a "real" head or body, respectively, either
photographically or by electronic image scanning, or from an artistic or
computer generated rendering thereof.
It is known to produce pictures of human subjects with the head of one
human being superimposed upon the body of another human being, animal, fish,
etc. This superposition is normally accomplished "mechanically" by cutting
around the outline of the head of a person shown in a first photograph and
applying this head, in the proper position and orientation, to a body in a
second photograph. The resulting "mechanical" is thereafter photographed and/or
scanned electronically to produce a third photograph or electronic image.
Electronic implementation of this process is also known, where the head is
electronically traced and superimposed.
This superposition process is time consuming and requires that the head
and body in the first and second photographs, respectively, be adjusted in scale
photogaphically; that is, that either the first or second photograph be cnlarged
or reduced so that the head and body are of the same relative size.
Consequently, this superposition process is only rarely used, and when
used it is limited to situations where the cost of the process is small compared
to the cost of the overall desired product.
Steir et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,060,171 relates to a system for
superimposing images. A video image of a head is captured. This image is
apparently processed as a static single frame, and a separate hairstyle is
overlayed with a translation and scaling transform. The system does not provide
for dynamically
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merging a first image with a second image which changes. See also, U.S. Patent
No. 5,289,568.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a method
and apparatus for producing an electronic image of an animated subject in which
the head of one subject is automatically superimposed upon the body of another
subject which may be a person, animal, fish, etc.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and
apparatus for producing an electronic image of a combination of a head from one
subject and a body from another subject, which is substantially less time
consuming and less costly than the superposition process known heretofore.
These objects, as well as further objects which will become apparent
from the discussion that follows, are achieved, in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention, by a method, and by apparatus for carrying
out a method, which comprises the steps of:*
* Language has been omitted and filed separately with the Securities and
Exchange Commission pursuant to a request for confidential treatment.
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[PAGES 5-18 HAVE BEEN REDACTED]
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The preferred embodiment of the invention will be shown by way of
drawings of the Figures, in which:
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing one frame of an image in which a boy's head
is superimposed upon a hand-drawn boy's body;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing how the head of a human subject,
in various angular positions, is electronically scanned to produce a plurality
of electronic images;
Fig. 3 is a block diagram of an electronic system employed, according
to the present invention, to produce electronic images of the type shown in
Fig. 1;
Figs. 4a and 4b are image frames containing the head of a human subject
in front and side views, respectively, as may be obtained with the apparatus of
Fig. 2;
Figs. 5a and 5b depict image frames in which the head of a human
subject has been enlarged and reduced in scale, respectively;
Fig. 6 depicts an image frame containing the body of a human subject,
without a head;
Fig. 7 depicts an image frame in which the head of a human subject has
been superimposed upon the body shown in Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a representative diagram of a voice recording showing how the
name of a person is inserted into a line of text:
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Fig. 9 is a block diagram of the an electronic svstem, according to the
invention, for inserting the name of a person in a voice recording;
Fig. 10 is a flow chart of a computer program for implementing the
electronic image producing process in the apparatus of Fig. 3;
Fig. 11 is a flow chart of a computer program for implementing the
audio recording process in the apparatus of Fig. 9;
Fig. 12 is a graphical flow chart depicting the transformations
according to the present invention;
Fig. 13 depicts images having differing positioning;
Fig. 14 is a semi-schematic view of an apparatus for obtaining
customization information;
Fig. 15 is a block diagram of an embodiment according to the present
invention;
Fig. 16 depicts two images with "tweened" frames, which if presented
dynamically, provide a "morphed" image; and
Fig. 17 depicts a starting and ending frame of a "morph" transition,
with several interframes.
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[PAGES 21-48 HAVE BEEN REDACTED]
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
[see description of above drawings on p. 19 hereof]
Fig. 3
Fig. 4a Fig. 4b
[see description of above drawings on p. 19 hereof]
Fig. 5a Fig. 5b
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
[see description of above drawings on p. 19 hereof]
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
[see description of above drawings on pp. 19-20 hereof]
[FIGURES 10 AND 11 HAVE BEEN REDACTED]
Fig. 12
[see description of above drawing on p. 20 hereof]
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
[see descriptions of above drawings on p. 20 hereof]
Fig. 15
[see description of above drawing on p. 20 hereof]
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
[see descriptions of above drawings on p. 20 hereof]
COMBINED DECLARATION AND POWER OF ATTORNEY
KPI 201.1 CIP-KFM
As a below named inventor, I hereby declare that:
My residence, post office address and citizenship are as stated below next to my
name.
I believe I am the original, first and sole inventor (if only one name is listed
below) or an original, first and joint inventor (if plural names are listed
below) of the subject matter which is claimed and for which a patent is sought
on the invention
entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AN ELECTRONIC IMAGE
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the application of which (check one) [X] is attached hereto.
[ ] was filed on ______________________ as
Application Serial No. and
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was amended on
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(if applicable)
was amended through
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(if applicable)
I hereby state that I have reviewed and understand the contents of the above
identified specification, including the claims, as amended by any amendment
referred to above.
I acknowledge the duty to disclose information which is material to the
examination of this application in accordance with Title 37, Code of Federal
Regulations, Section 1.56(a).
I hereby claim foreign priority benefits under Title 35, United States Code,
Section 119 of any foreign application(s) for patent or inventor's certificate
listed below and have also identified below any foreign application for patent
or inventor's certificate having a filing date before that of the application on
which priority is claimed:
Prior Foreign Application(s) Priority Claimed
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(Number) (Country) (Day/Month/Year Filed) Yes No
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(Number) (Country) (Day/Month/Year Filed) Yes No
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(Number) (Country) (Day/Month/Year Filed) Yes No
I hereby claim the benefit under Title 35, United States Code, Section 120 of
any United States application(s) listed below and, insofar as the subject matter
of each of the claims of this application is not disclosed in the prior United
States application in the manner provided by the first paragraph of Title 35,
United States Code, Section 112, I acknowledge the duty to disclose material
lnformation as defined in Title 37, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1.56(a)
which occurred between the filing date of the prior application and the national
or PCT International filing date of this application:
08/138,531 October 15, 1993 Pending
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(Application Serial No.) (Filing Date) (Status)
(patented, pending, abandoned)
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(Application Serial No.) (Filing Date) (Status)
(patented, pending, abandoned)
I hereby declare that all statements made herein of my own knowledge are true
and that all statements made on information and belief are believed to be true;
and further that these statements were made with the knowledge that willful
false statements and the like so made are punishable by fine or imprisonment, or
both, under Section 1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code and that such
willful false statements may jeopardize the validity of the application or any
patent issued thereon.
POWER OF ATTORNEY: As a named inventor, I hereby appoint the following attorneys
to prosecute this application and transact all business in the Patent and
Trademark Office connected therewith:
KARL F. MILDE, JR., Reg. No. 24,822 and Philip Furgang, Reg. No. 24,246 both of
Centerock East, 2 Crosfield Avenue, Suite 210 West Nyack, New York 10994, my
attorneys with full power of substitution and revocation.
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| Send Correspondence To: | Direct Telephone Calls To: |
| | |
| KARL F. MILDE JR. P.C. | Karl F. Milde, Jr. |
| 2 CROSFIELD AVE., STE. 210 | (914) 353-1818 |
| WEST NYACK, NY 10094 | |
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| Full Name Of Sole or First Inventor | Inventor's Signature | Date |
| Richard L. Bulman | | 6.9.95 |
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| Residence | Citizenship |
| 33 Greenwich Avenue, Apt. 7B, New York, NY 10014 | |
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| Post Office Address |
| SAME AS ABOVE |
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