Apple wants a photographer’s Memoji to tell you to say ‘cheese’ for iPhone photos

Future Memoji could tell folks to say “cheese” (or some other key word) when they’re getting their pic taken with an iPhone, according to a newly granted patent (number 10,924,659) for an “electronic device with image capture and stimulus features.” 

Memoji is the name used for Apple’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. 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. 

The way the “cheesy” feature would is that the second camera on an iPhone could be used to “read” the facial features of the photographer to create a virtual avatar that would be animated and displayed on the screen and visible to the subject of the photo. This would allow the animated image of the photographer to alert the person or persons being photographed to smile.

Such a feature could also be useful in taking photos of children. For example, the stimulus feature can be provided after and in response to certain actions performed by the subject. For example, kids could get a funny reaction from the photography’s Memoji if they still and smile as their picture is being  taken.

Here’s the summary of the patent filing: “Portable electronic devices can be provided with stimulus features for the benefit of the subject to be captured in an image. Such stimulus features can attract the attention of the subject toward the camera when provided by components that are integrated with or coupled to the electronic device. The stimulus features can attract the attention and gaze of the subject prior to and during capture of the image. The stimulus features can also be provided to the subject as a reward during and after capture of the image. These features allow the user of the electronic device to focus on operation of the electronic device.”