CA2658174A1

CA2658174A1 - System to provide virtual avatars having real faces with biometric identification

Info

Publication number: CA2658174A1
Application number: CA2658174A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Stephane Duguay; Jean-Michel Portal
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-03-18
Filing date: 2009-03-18
Publication date: 2010-09-18

Abstract

A system to provide virtual world avatars with real human faces is disclosed.
The system generally takes or retrieves a digital picture of the real user to be associated with an avatar in a virtual world, processes the digital picture to extract the facial region thereof and applies the extracted facial region to the avatar so that the avatar bears the face of the user associated therewith when the avatar is used in a virtual world. The system also comprises a biometric identification unit to verify that the user controlling the avatar is the user from which the face has been taken.

Description

File number: 11304-007 Title of the Invention [0001] System to Provide Virtual Avatars Having Real Faces with Biometric Identification.
Cross-Reference to Related Applications

[0002] The present patent application claims the benefits of priority of Canadian Patent Application Nos. 2,604,162 and 2,615,190, respectively filed at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office on October 16, 2007, and December 18, 2007.

Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention generally relates to computer-generated virtual reality worlds and more particularly to avatars used in such virtual worlds.

Background of the Invention

[0004] Virtual worlds are these computer-generated environments where human-controlled virtual avatars can move and interact.

[0005] With the advent of more powerful computers and more sophisticated softwares, it is now possible to create virtual avatars from scratch. However, even the most sophisticated avatar creation softwares and applications include only a limited selection of attributes that can be used to personalize an avatar. Moreover, the faces of these avatars never really correspond to the faces of the human users associated therewith. Hence, avatars created using such softwares and applications generally provide only a pale resemblance to the human users to which they are associated.

[0006] There is thus a need for a system that improves the creation of virtual avatars Objects of the Invention File number: 11304-007

[0007] Accordingly, one of the main objects of the present invention is to provide a system and a method to generate virtual avatars, for use in computer-generated virtual worlds, which bear the face of the real world users associated therewith.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and a method which verify the identity of the user controlling an avatar with biometric identification.

[0009] Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiments about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice Summary of the Invention

[0010] The aforesaid and other objectives of the present invention are realized by generally providing a system and a method to generate virtual world avatars wherein the avatars are bearing a face substantially identical to the face of the real world users which are associated therewith.

[0011] The system, and method, generally works by first retrieving a digitized image comprising at least the face of the user. Typically, the digitized image can be retrieved from an image-capturing device (e.g. scanner, camera, etc.) or from an image computer file stored in a data storage unit (e.g. hard-drive, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, RAM, ROM, removable mass storage unit, etc.) connected to the system. Once the image is retrieved, the image is processed to select the facial region of the user and to extract the selected facial region. Then, the selected facial region is processed in order to generate a three-dimensional graphical representation of the face of the user.
Finally, the representation of the face of the user is applied on the facial region of a graphical representation of the avatar of the user such that the avatar bears a face substantially similar to the face of the user.

File number: 11304-007

[0012] In accordance with the present invention, in order to have a more realistic representation of the face of the user on the avatar, several images of the user taken from different angles (e.g. from the front, from the side, etc.) could be retrieved and processed. The three-dimensional graphical representation of the face of the user would then be generated by appropriately combining and processing the different images.

[0013] In addition, depending on the capacity of the system, the system could retrieve a digitized image of the user at regular interval in order for the face of the avatar to be essentially up-to-date. Other embodiments are also possible; the present invention is not so limited.

[0014] Accordingly, the system of the present invention is typically embodied into a computer system or a similar data processing machine. Hence, the system typically comprises at least one data processing unit (e.g. central processing unit), internal and/or external data storages units (e.g. hard-drive(s), CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, RAM, ROM, removable mass storage unit, etc.), common input devices (e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick, game pad, microphone, etc.), common output devices (e.g.
display screen, speakers, etc.).

[0015] In accordance with the present invention, at least one of the data storage units has stored therein computer-readable instructions for implementing the methods of the present invention.

[0016] Also, in accordance with the present invention, the system typically further comprises at least one image-capturing device such as a scanner, a charge-coupled device ("CCD"), a camera, etc., for allowing the input of one or more digitized images of the user into the system. Understandably, the digitized image(s) must comprise the face of the user.

[0017] In accordance with the present invention, when the real face bearing avatar will be used in a virtual world, other users will be able to recognize and/or identify the user associated with the avatar just by looking at the face thereof.

File number: 11304-007

[0018] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, in order to add a layer of security with the use of the avatars, the system of the present invention is preferably advantageously provided with a biometric identification unit, connected to the system, which is configured to verify the identity of the user controlling the avatar.

[0019] By comparing a biometric characteristic (e.g. fingerprint, voice pattern, iris pattern, etc.) to biometric data typically, but not necessarily, stored in the data storage unit(s), the biometric identification unit can verify if the user wishing to control the avatar is indeed the user from which the face has been taken.

[0020] The biometric identification unit generally prevents the unauthorized use of an avatar by the wrong person. The biometric identification unit is particularly important when the avatar actually bears the face of the real user.

[0021] The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic view of an exemplary system incorporating the principles of the invention.

[0024] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a first exemplary method incorporating the principles of the invention.

[0025] Figure 3 is a flow chart of a second exemplary method incorporating the principles of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment File number: 11304-007

[0026] A novel system and method will be described hereinafter. Although the invention is described in terms of specific illustrative embodiments, it is to be understood that the embodiments described herein are by way of example only and that the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited thereby.

[0027] The system and method of the present invention allow a user controlling an avatar in a virtual environment to have his or her face applied to the facial region of the avatar such that the avatar bears a face substantially similar to the face of the user.
The system and method of the present invention therefore allow a user to be recognized via his or her avatar as the latter circulates in the virtual environment. The system and method also allow a user to have his or her identification verified, via at least one biometric characteristic, before he or she can access and control the avatar.
The system and method of the present invention therefore prevent the unauthorized use of an avatar by another user.

[0028] Referring now to Fig. 1, the system 10 of the present invention generally comprises at least one data processing unit 100 such as, but not limited to, a central processing unit. The data processing unit 100 is operatively connected to one or more data storage units 110 via connection 105. Several types of data storage units could be used. For instance, hard-drives, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, RAM, ROM, removable mass storage unit, etc. At least one of the data storage units 110 has stored therein computer-readable instructions for implementing the methods of the present invention detailed in Figs. 2 and 3.

[0029] The system 10 also comprises at least one image-capturing device 160 operatively connected to the data processing unit 100 via connection 155. The image-capturing device 160 is adapted to capture and form a computer-readable digitized image of the user. Several types of image-capturing devices 160 can be used.
For instance, a scanner, a charge-coupled device ("CCD"), a digital camera (e.g.
handheld camera, webcam, etc.); the present invention is not so limited.

[0030] The system 10 also comprises at least one biometric identification unit operatively connected to the data processing unit 110 via connection 145. The biometric identification unit 150 is adapted to capture a digitized representation of a File number: 11304-007 biometric characteristic of the user such as, but not limited to fingerprint, voice pattern, and iris pattern. Alternatively, or simultaneously, the biometric identification unit 150 could be adapted to read a pattern from the biometric characteristic of the user.

[0031] The biometric identification unit 150 is also adapted to form biometric data which can be stored on the data storage unit 110 and/or which can be transmitted to a remote database (not shown) via a network interface 120 connected to the data processing unit 100 via connection 115.

[0032] Since the system 10 is typically embodied in a computer system, the system 10 generally comprises commonly used input devices such as, but not limited to, keyboard, pointing device, joystick, game pad, microphone, etc., to, among other things, control the movement of the avatar in the virtual environment, and commonly used output devices such as, but not limited to, display screen, etc. to, among other things, display the virtual environment.

[0033] Referring now to Fig. 2, the method 200 of the present invention is described in more details.

[0034] In order to apply a three-dimensional representation of the face of the user to the facial region of his or her avatar, the system, at step 202, first retrieves at least one digitized image of the user via the image-capturing device 160, from the data storage unit(s) 110 or from a remote database via the network interface 120.
Understandably, the digitized image or images of the user must comprise at least a portion of the face of the user.

[0035] At step 204, the facial region of the user is extracted from the digitized image or images.

[0036] At step 206, the extracted facial region is processed to generate a three-dimensional representation of the face of the user. Understandably, the quality and resemblance of the three-dimensional representation of the face of the user will generally depend on the quality of the digitized image(s).

File number: 11304-007

[0037] At step 208, the three-dimensional representation of the face of the user is applied to the facial region of the avatar such that the avatar will bear a face substantially similar to the face of the user.

[0038] Such an avatar will provide a visual identification of the user, thereby providing a more realistic feel to the virtual environment.

[0039] Understandably, to prevent unauthorized use of such an avatar, the system 10 will, in subsequent use of the avatar, verify the identity of the user with the biometric identification unit 150 according to the method the method 300 of the present invention is described in more details in Fig. 3.

[0040] In order to verify the identity of the user wishing to control an avatar, the system, at step 302, will prompt the user to identify himself or herself by typing his or her name or any other similar login information.

[00411 At step 304, the system will retrieve the original biometric data of the user either from the data storage units 110 of the system or from a remote database accessible through the network interface 120.

[0042] At step 306, the system will prompt the user to present the appropriate biometric characteristic to the biometric identification unit 150.

[0043] At step 308, the appropriate biometric characteristic is captured or read, depending on the applicable technology, and biometric data are formed.

[0044] At step 310, the biometric data formed at step 308 are compared with the original biometric data of the user in order to verify the identity of the user.
[0045] If there is no match (step 312) between the biometric data formed at step 308 and the original biometric data of the user, the user is denied access to the avatar.

File number: 11304-007 [0046] If there is match (step 314) between the biometric data formed at step 308 and the original biometric data of the user, the user is allowed access to the avatar which can now be used in the virtual environment.

[0047] While illustrative and presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail hereinabove, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations except insofar as limited by the prior art.

Claims

1) A system as substantially described herein.

2) A method to apply a digitized image of a face of a user to a facial region of an avatar.