Facebook is constantly coming up with new ways to interact with its users. This includes everything from Avatars and Personalized Advertising to AI-powered clothing and facial expressions. While these innovations are all exciting and useful, there are also numerous patents that they’ve infringed on.
Avatars
Facebook has been granted a number of patents in the past four months. Many of these applications relate to the company’s efforts to build a 3D, immersive virtual world. In fact, the company plans to invest $10 billion in its virtual reality division this year.
The new patents are designed to help people interact with avatars, which are digital representations of real people. These avatars can be used to show facial expressions, clothing and other accessories that reflect a person’s style and personality.
Avatars can also be used to simulate real world activities. For example, an avatar might represent a person in a wheelchair. This allows the person to participate in more complex virtual experiences.
Meta’s technology is designed to create avatars that behave realistically. It uses a facial recognition system to generate a 3D map of a person.
It also incorporates a magnetic sensor system that can be placed around a user’s torso. According to the patent application, this will be used to track a user’s movements and facial expressions.
Another new Facebook patent involves suspend mode, which allows users to carry out a separate task while freezing the augmented reality environment. Future Facebook avatars will be able to move realistically and display authentic facial expressions.
One of the major challenges to building large scale virtual worlds is the ability to predict musculoskeletal position and body mapping. Waveguide technology is used to track eye movements and facial expressions, and is one of the central technologies in augmented and virtual reality.
AI-powered facial expressions
If you’re a Facebook user, you may have noticed the recent discontinuation of facial analysis tools. As of this week, new users won’t have the ability to use this feature. But the technology will still be in place for existing users.
While this technology is still in the early stages, it has several potential applications. For instance, it can be used to detect when a user’s profile photo is being used by someone else. In addition, it can be used to verify a user’s identity. The technology also provides a way to identify users if they’re in a crowd.
However, the use of AI-powered facial recognition systems has raised several ethical questions. It’s possible that the technology may be able to violate human rights. Moreover, there’s a risk that it could be used by government agencies.
Facebook is working to develop an interactive feature that can analyze users’ emotions. That feature will be available in the future. Until then, it will use FacioMetrics to help it detect seven different emotions in users’ faces.
Researchers at the Facebook AI Research team have been training a bot to mimic human facial expressions. A panel of volunteers tested the system and judged the results to be believable.
Among other things, the system learned to choose the right reaction to each situation. Ultimately, it could be developed to understand human emotion and empathy.
Facial analysis can infer age, gender and emotional states. This will help users manage their online identity better.
AI-powered clothes
The latest craze to hit the digital fashion arena is AI-powered clothes. It’s a technology that is being pushed by several companies to make shopping more fun and accessible. From 3D fitting rooms to virtual shopping centers, AI is bringing the next level of convenience to retail.
Aside from being a convenient way to shop, these technologies could help retailers improve their operations. For example, a store assistant can suggest products based on the shopper’s taste and demographic profile. They also provide unique style suggestions. Moreover, consumers can try on different items and accessories, all from the comfort of their own home.
This year, Amazon announced an AI-powered virtual try-on system. Designed to help shoppers visualize and test out new outfits, the Outfit-VITON will be available in the second half of 2020. And as the industry expands, the potential for AI-powered clothes is growing. Using artificial intelligence to analyze photos of customers wearing apparel and other merchandise, the engine can suggest similar items that fit.
Artificial intelligence is also being used to create digital avatars that represent real-world human characteristics. These avatars are capable of displaying various facial expressions and movements, and can even be custom-made to look like the wearer. Interestingly, AI can also be used to process items from different orders.
In the coming years, consumers will be able to access a myriad of virtual fashion stores. Depending on the type of store, customers can browse, test drive, and purchase. Ultimately, the magic of the metaverse will bring a whole new dimension to retail.
Personalized advertising
The latest developments in Personalized advertising on Facebook might raise some ethical questions. Personalized advertising helps consumers discover new products and services. It also helps small businesses get in front of their target audience. In turn, it could be lucrative.
Recently, several companies have filed hundreds of patent applications. Many of these cover new uses for AR and VR. While most of these are never used, they often provide valuable guidance on how tech companies plan to move forward.
One company in particular, Meta, has been filing a slew of patents. These patents reveal how the company envisions monetizing its virtual world.
Currently, the company plans to rely on user data to drive a hyper-targeted advertising model. Specifically, they plan to use biometric data, such as facial expressions and body poses, to power sponsored content.
These data are typically collected with tiny cameras in headsets. They help to create a realistic experience for the user.
Other aspects of the patented technology include a “spectator image,” which is a first-person perspective that can be shared with other users. This could be used to invite friends to watch live events.
A third-party sponsor might bid for the right to place an object in the metaverse. Companies could also use biometric data, such as eye movement, to target ads.
A recent Financial Times article on the company’s patented technology outlines how the technology could be used to monetize the metaverse. As the virtual world becomes more realistic, the company will have to find ways to make money.
Infringed patents
It’s no secret that Facebook, the parent company of Instagram, has been in the headlines over a number of patent infringement lawsuits. Several companies have filed suits alleging that their products infringe on the META name. However, only one company has won a court case so far.
Voxer, the developer of the walkie-talkie app, sued the parent company of Facebook for using its patented technology. The company has developed several technologies that help users communicate with each other on the internet.
According to the Voxer patents, they cover live video streaming, “push-to-talk” multi-user streaming comms, and a method for streaming video. Those technologies are now being used in products offered by Meta Platforms, Inc. A judge has ruled that these products infringe on the Voxer patents.
While the jury was able to find that Meta infringed on the video messaging patent, they also found that it did not infringe on the patents associated with live video. Nevertheless, the verdict does leave a large financial hole for the company.
Although Voxer claimed that Meta infringed on its patented technology, the jury found that the services offered by the company were not quite as good as the patented tech. In the end, the jury awarded $174.5 million in patent royalties to Voxer.
Meta hopes to appeal the decision, but the company’s spokesperson said that it did not infringe on any of the Voxer patents.
McDermott team’s work with Meta
Allen Lo is a vice president and deputy general counsel at Facebook. He joined the company in 2017. His team manages the legal affairs of Meta Platforms Inc., a social network platform and experiential technology firm. In addition to handling all legal matters related to intellectual property, his team has helped Meta onboard new hires.
McDermott’s work with Meta includes a number of strategic patent innovations. The company is recasting the confines of enterprise software with an innovative data-driven approach.
Patents play an increasingly important role in supporting innovators. As the metaverse continues to develop, companies will be seeking to protect their brands and products.
A well-balanced patent system is essential. This allows for easy dispute resolution, prevents incentives to abuse, and promotes innovation.
While the technology is still in its infancy, companies are already using it to monitor fake news, hate speech, and potentially illegal actions. Facebook is also developing technology to help users blend virtual landscapes with real comforts.
Facebook is aiming to launch its AR glasses by 2020. Mark Zuckerberg believes that VR and AR will help create a more social experience. These interactions will include rich user-to-user interaction. Additionally, these technologies will be incorporated into communication platforms.
At the first Diversity in Innovation Conference, a group of more than 200 highly engaged attendees learned about the importance of diversity in innovation. They were also invited to share their own perspectives on advancing this issue.
