Apple granted patent for ‘optimized avatar asset resource’

Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,796,470) for “optimized avatar asset resource” that involves its Animoji and Memoji features.

Animojis allow a user can select an avatar to represent themselves. The Animoji can move and talk as if it were a video of the user.

Animojis enable users to create personalized versions of emojis in a fun and creative way. Memoji is the name used for iOS’s personalized Animoji characters that can be created and customized right within Messages by choosing from a set of inclusive and diverse characteristics to form a unique personality. 

The newly granted patent involves customization options are provided for customizing a 3D avatar of a head. Features of the head and assets corresponding to the features can be customized using blend shapes. An amount of storage for the plurality of blend shapes is minimized by determining overlapping blend shapes that can be reused for a plurality of different assets. What’s more, techniques are provided for dynamic changes to an avatar in accordance with selected features and assets.

Apple says the goal is to provide a user with various avatar customization options while consuming minimal resources of a mobile device, such as memory space and processing time. What’s more, the tech giant wants to quickly provide the user with various options for customizing an avatar without slowing down an iPhone or iPad.