	US 12,482,161 B2
	Virtual avatar animation based on facial feature movement
Nicolas Scapel, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Guillaume Pierre André Barlier, San Mateo, CA (US); Aurelio Guzman, San Jose, CA (US); and Jason Rickwald, Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/461,014.
Application 17/461,014 is a continuation of application No. 16/663,062, filed on Oct. 24, 2019, granted, now 11,107,261.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/794,496, filed on Jan. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0390753 A1, Dec. 16, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06T 13/40 (2011.01); G06V 40/16 (2022.01)

CPC G06T 13/40 (2013.01) [G06V 40/166 (2022.01); G06V 40/169 (2022.01)]

48 Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display apparatus;

one or more cameras;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

displaying, via the display apparatus, a virtual avatar having:

a respective avatar feature that moves independently of detected changes in pose of a face in a field of view of the one or more cameras; and

a plurality of avatar features that change appearance in response to detected changes in pose of the face in the field of view of the one or more cameras, the plurality of avatar features including:

a first avatar feature;

a second avatar feature different from the first avatar feature; and

a third avatar feature different from the first and second avatar features;

while displaying the respective avatar feature moving independently of changes in pose of the face in the field of view of the one or more cameras and while the face is detected in the field of view of the one or more cameras, the face including a plurality of detected facial features including a first facial feature and a second facial feature different from the first facial feature, detecting movement of one or more facial features of the face; and

in response to detecting the movement of the one or more facial features:

in accordance with a determination that the detected movement of the one or more facial features includes movement of the first facial feature in a first direction:

moving the first avatar feature in the first direction based on the detected movement of the first facial feature in the first direction;

moving the second avatar feature and the third avatar feature in a second direction different from the first direction and based on the detected movement of the first facial feature in the first direction; and

continuing to display the respective avatar feature moving independently of changes in pose of the face in the field of view of the one or more cameras; and

in accordance with a determination that the detected movement of the one or more facial features includes movement of the second facial feature:

moving the second avatar feature based on at least one of a direction and a magnitude of movement of the second facial feature; and

continuing to display the respective avatar feature moving independently of changes in pose of the face in the field of view of the one or more cameras.