Image Synthesis for Virtual Character Cosmetic Transformation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing diversity in appearance, physiognomy, decoration, and dress of virtual characters in theme parks, games, and movies creates barriers to affinity for some members of the public, as psychological mirroring, which enhances rapport, does not spontaneously occur between humans and non-human entities like virtual or dramatic characters or physical objects.

Innovation Solution

Systems and methods for performing cosmetic transformation through image synthesis that subtly transform a reference image to resemble user features while retaining its recognizable identity, enabling an analogue to psychological mirroring between users and non-human entities like virtual characters, animals, or physical objects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If virtual characters have diverse appearance, physiognomy, decoration, and dress to appeal to different users, then character variety and appeal are improved, but user affinity and identification are reduced because psychological mirroring cannot occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharacter varietyVSAvoiduser affinity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically changes the visual parameters of virtual characters (appearance, physiognomy, decoration, dress) to match user characteristics. This allows the same base character model to adapt its parameters to create psychological mirroring effects for different users, resolving the contradiction between character variety and user affinity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The character transformation is dynamic rather than static. The system continuously adjusts character properties based on real-time user input and feedback, enabling the character to mirror the user's current state. This dynamic adaptation maintains both character diversity and strong user affinity simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Stability of the object's composition

If virtual characters maintain fixed appearance and identity to preserve narrative consistency, then character identity stability is improved, but user identification and rapport are reduced due to lack of psychological mirroring

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharacter identity stabilityVSAvoiduser identification

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The character is segmented into multiple independent components (appearance, physiognomy, decoration, dress) that can be individually adjusted. This allows the core character identity to remain stable while peripheral visual properties are modified to create psychological mirroring, resolving the contradiction between identity stability and user identification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Only specific local properties of the character (facial features, clothing, accessories) are transformed to match user characteristics, while the core character identity and narrative role remain unchanged. This localized transformation enables psychological mirroring without compromising overall character identity stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If cosmetic transformation is applied to virtual characters to enable psychological mirroring, then user affinity is improved, but the complexity of the image synthesis system increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser affinityVSAvoidimage synthesis system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates simplified copies or representations of user characteristics (facial features, appearance properties) and applies them to the virtual character. Rather than performing complex real-time 3D rendering and transformation, the system uses pre-computed image synthesis techniques to generate transformed character appearances, reducing computational complexity while maintaining user affinity benefits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS11074736B2Cosmetic transformation through image synthesis

Publication Date: 2021.07.27 DISNEY ENTERPRISES INC

AI summary

According to one implementation, a system for performing cosmetic transformation through image synthesis includes a computing platform having a hardware processor and a system memory storing an image synthesis software code. The hardware processor executes the image synthesis software code to receive a user image depicting a user of the system, to receive a reference image for transforming to resemble the user image, the reference image projecting an identifiable persona, and to generate a user image metadata describing the user image, based on the user image. The hardware processor further executes the image synthesis software code to identify a reference image metadata describing the reference image, and to transform the reference image to resemble the user image, based on the user image metadata and the reference image metadata, while preserving the identifiable persona projected by the reference image.