Soul Machines Limited

Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC

Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

Tim Szu-Hsien Wu

Mark Andrew Sagar

Homoud B Alkouh

Colin Joseph Hodges

Frank Filipe Bonniwell

Xiani Tan

Xueyuan Zhang

Werner Ollewagen

To realistically animate a String (such as a sentence) a hierarchical search algorithm is provided to search for stored examples (Animation Snippets) of sub-strings of the String, in decreasing order of sub-string length, and concatenate retrieved sub-strings to complete the String of speech animation. In one embodiment, real-time generation of speech animation uses model visemes to predict the animation sequences at onsets of visemes and a look-up table based (data-driven) algorithm to predict the dynamics at transitions of visemes. Specifically posed Model Visemes may be blended with speech animation generated using another method at corresponding time points in the animation when the visemes are to be expressed. An Output Weighting Function is used to map Speech input and Expression input into Muscle-Based Descriptor weightings.

Real-time generation of speech animation

Systems and methods for image retargeting are provided. Image data may be acquired that includes motion capture data indicative of motion of a plurality of markers disposed on a surface of a first subject. Each of the markers may be associated with a respective location on the first subject. A plurality of blendshapes may be calculated for the motion capture data based on a configuration of the markers. An error function may be identified for the plurality of blendshapes, and it may be determined that the plurality of blendshapes can be used to retarget a second subject based on the error function. The plurality of blendshapes may then be applied to a second subject to generate a new animation.

Image regularization and retargeting system

A method for creating a model of a virtual object or digital entity is described, the method comprising receiving a plurality of basic shapes for a plurality of models; receiving a plurality of specified modification variables specifying a modification to be made to the basic shapes; and applying the specified modification(s) to the plurality of basic shapes to generate a plurality of modified basic shapes for at least one model.

Digital character blending and generation system and method

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Auckland Central, New Zealand

Tim Szu-Hsien Wu