Method of image processing an animated figure

A method of image processing a digital still image to generate a plurality of animated images, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing the digital still image;
• b) identifying the figure in the digital still image to be animated;
• c) generating an animation model of the figure;
• d) substituting the animation model for the figure in the digital still image;
• e) detecting an area of missing detail in the digital still image resulting from the substitution;
• f) identifying information in the digital still image adjacent the area of missing detail;
• g) replicating the identified information;
• h) inserting the replicated identified information into the area of missing detail to generate a first animated image;
• and
• i) defining the first animated image to be the digital still image and generating a second animated image by repeating the steps of a) through h).

A method of image processing a digital still image to generate a plurality of animated images, comprising the steps of:

• a) setting a counter n equal to 1;
• b) providing a digital still image I(n);
• c) identifying a FIG. F(n) in the image I(n) to be animated;
• d) extracting the FIG. F(n) from the image I(n);
• e) generating an animation model F(n+1) from the FIG. F(n);
• f) substituting the animation model F(n+1) for the FIG. F(n) in the image I(n);
• g) detecting a difference area D(F(n);F(n+1) between the animation model F(n+1) and the FIG. F(n);
• h) identifying information in the image I(n) adjacent the difference area D(F(n);F(n+1));
• i) replicating the identified information;
• j) inserting the replicated identified information into the difference area D(F(n);F(n+1)) to generate an animated image I(n+1);
• and
• k) repeating steps c) through j) to generate a plurality of animated images.

A method of image processing a digital still image to generated an animated digital still image, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing the digital still image;
• b) identifying the figure in the digital still image to be animated;
• c) generating an animation model of the figure;
• d) substituting the animation model for the figure in the digital still image;
• e) determining a difference area in the digital still image resulting from the substitution;
• f) identifying information in the digital still image adjacent the difference area;
• g) replicating the identified information;
• and
• h) inserting the replicated identified information into the difference area to generate the animated digital still image.

An imaging system, comprising:

• an image capture device providing a digital still image;
• means for extracting a figure from the digital still image to generate a difference image comprised of a background section and an extraction section;
• means for animating the figure to generate an animation model;
• means for substituting the animation model in the difference image;
• means for detecting an area of missing detail in the difference image resulting from the substitution;
• means for identifying information in the difference image adjacent the area of missing detail;
• means for replicating the identified information;
• and
• means for inserting the replicated identified information into the area of missing detail to generate an animated digital still image.