Patent Description:
The present disclosure relates generally to facilitating interactions between a messaging client and third-party resources.

The popularity of computer-implemented programs that permit users to access and interact with content and other users online continues to grow. Various computer-implemented applications exist that permit users to share content with other users through messaging clients. Some of such computer-implemented applications, termed apps, can be designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, a tablet, or a wearable device, while having a backend service provided on a server computer system to perform operations that may require resources greater than is reasonable to perform at a client device (e.g., storing large amounts of data or performing computationally expensive processing).

A messaging app executing at a client device may provide a user interface (UI) that allows a user to capture a photo or a video of themselves, using a front-facing camera of the client device, and to share the captured content to other devices. The UI provided by a messaging app may include various user selectable elements that can be activated by touching the area of the screen that displays the user selectable element. For example, the UI may include a user selectable element that starts and stops video recording, in response to a tap.

<CIT> describes concepts and technologies for selective presentation of augmented reality ("AR") objects.

Embodiments of the present disclosure improve the functionality of electronic messaging software and systems by enhancing users' experience of engaging with augmented reality (AR) technology. The users' experience of engaging with AR technology is enhanced by permitting users to engage a user selectable element, which is presented on a camera view screen, without physical contact with the screen or with another device. A user selectable element that can be engaged without physical contact with the screen, in a touchless manner, may be used beneficially, especially in scenarios, where a user does not hold the client device (such as a phone), but is some distance away from the device. For instance, a user may wish to be some distance away from the client device in order to take a full body photo of themselves or in order to "try on" various virtual wearable items.

The technical problem of providing user interface (UI) elements that can be activated without physical contact with any specific device is addressed by configuring an AR component to display a UI element (also referred to as a user selectable element) that can be activated (can perform a function) in response to detecting collision of an object from the output of a digital image sensor of a camera with a user selectable element. For the purposes of this description, an AR component configured to display, in a camera view screen, a user selectable element, which can be activated in response to detecting collision of an object from the output of a digital image sensor of a camera with a user selectable element, is referred to as a body UI AR component. One or more UI elements configured to permit touchless operation, by means of detecting collision of an object from the output of a digital image sensor of a camera with a user selectable element are referred to, collectively, as body UI. A UI element configured to permit touchless operation, by means of detecting collision of an object from the output of a digital image sensor of a camera with a user selectable element is referred to as a touchless user selectable element. <FIG>, which are described further below, illustrate an example process of engaging user selectable elements in a touchless manner in the context of starting and stopping recording of a selfie video. <FIG>, which are described further below, illustrate an example process of engaging user selectable elements in a touchless manner in the context of "trying on" a virtual wearable item. A body UI comprising touchless user selectable elements is provided in a messaging system that hosts a backend service for an associated messaging client.

A messaging system that hosts a backend service for an associated messaging client is configured to permit users to capture images and videos with a camera provided with a client device that hosts the messaging client and to share the captured content with other users via a network communication. The messaging system is also configured to provide AR components accessible via the messaging client. AR components can be used to modify content displayed on a camera view screen or captured by a camera, e.g., by overlaying pictures or animation on top of the captured image or video frame, or by adding three-dimensional (3D) effects, objects, characters, and transformations. A camera view screen, also referred to as a camera view UI, is displayed by a messaging client and includes the output of a digital image sensor of a camera, a user selectable element actionable to capture an image by the camera or to start and stop video recording, and also can display one or more user selectable elements representing respective AR components An AR component may be implemented using a programming language suitable for app development, such as, e.g., JavaScript or Java. The AR components are identified in the messaging server system by respective AR component identifiers. A user can access functionality provided by an AR component by engaging a user selectable element included in a camera view UI presented by the messaging client. When an AR component is loaded, the output of a digital image sensor of a camera displayed in the camera view UI is augmented with the modification provided by the AR component. For example, an AR component can be configured to detect the head position of the person being captured by the digital image sensor and overlay an image of a party hat over the detected head position, such that the viewer would see the person presented on the camera view screen as wearing the party hat. Loading a body UI AR component comprises commencing monitoring the image of a person in the camera view to determine whether or not the image is of a whole person, a full body image. This determination is made by detecting anchor points assigned to respective segments of a person image in the camera view user interface.

A human body can be represented as a set of anchor points assigned to respective segments of a body, such as skeletal joints, and respective distances between the skeletal joints represented by the anchor points. A set of anchor points representing a person may include anchor points assigned to head, shoulders elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles. A set of anchor points representing an image including an object depicting a person can indicate whether the image is of a full body of a person. For example, if an object is associated with a set of anchor points that includes anchor points assigned to head and shoulders, but does not include anchor points representing ankles, knees and hips, it may be inferred that the object represents a head shot of a person. If, on the other hand, an object is associated with a set of anchor points that includes anchor points assigned to head, neck and shoulders, as well as anchor points representing ankles, knees and hips, it may be inferred that the object represents a full body image of a person. For the purposes of this description, an object depicting a person in an image may be referred to as merely a person.

The system uses one or more machine learning models, such as, for example, neural networks, to detect a person in an image and to determine anchor points assigned to the depicted person. A machine learning model is trained using a training set of images depicting people. In some examples, during training, the machine learning model receives a training image depicting a person, extracts one or more features from a training image and, based on the extracted features, estimates a set of anchor points assigned to the depicted person. The estimated anchor points are compared with the ground truth and, based on a difference threshold of the comparison, the machine learning model updates one or more coefficients and repeats the process using another training image from the training set of images. After a specified number of epochs and/or when the difference threshold reaches a specified value, the machine learning model module completes the training and the parameters and coefficients of the machine learning model are stored. The trained machine learning model takes, as input an image depicting a person and produces a set of anchor points assigned to the depicted person. <FIG> is a diagram <NUM> of example anchor points <NUM> assigned to a depicted person. The anchor points <NUM> include anchor points assigned to the head, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles of the depicted person. An example body UI AR component may be configured to determine that a depiction of a person is a full body depiction, based on the presence of a set of full body indicator anchor points. A set of anchor points that includes at least the anchor points assigned to the shoulders, hips and knees may be defined as a full body indicator set. A set of anchor points that does not include at least the anchor points assigned to the shoulders, hips and knees is not a full body indicator set.

When a full body image is detected in the camera view screen, the body UI AR component displays, in the camera view UI, a touchless user selectable element. A touchless user selectable element may be placed in the camera view screen in a position relative to the image of a person; for example, the body UI AR may be configured to track movement of the image of a person on the camera view screen and change the position of the touchless user selectable element in a way that it remains within a certain distance from a shoulder object in the image of the person. The body UI AR component detects collision of the touchless user selectable element with a hand object from the person image and, in response, triggers a predetermined action, such as, for example, starting or stopping recording of the output of a digital image sensor or capturing a still image of the output of a digital image sensor. Content captured by the camera using the body UI AR component can be shared to further computing devices.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing an example messaging system <NUM> for exchanging data (e.g., messages and associated content) over a network. The messaging system <NUM> includes multiple instances of a client device <NUM>, each of which hosts a number of applications, including a messaging client <NUM>. Each messaging client <NUM> is communicatively coupled to other instances of the messaging client <NUM> and a messaging server system <NUM> via a network <NUM> (e.g., the Internet).

A messaging client <NUM> is able to communicate and exchange data with another messaging client <NUM> and with the messaging server system <NUM> via the network <NUM>. The data exchanged between messaging client <NUM>, and between a messaging client <NUM> and the messaging server system <NUM>, includes functions (e.g., commands to invoke functions) as well as payload data (e.g., text, audio, video or other multimedia data). For example, the messaging client <NUM> permits a user to access functionality provided by the body UI AR component, which may reside, at least partially, at the messaging server system <NUM>.

The messaging server system <NUM> provides server-side functionality via the network <NUM> to a particular messaging client <NUM>. While certain functions of the messaging system <NUM> are described herein as being performed by either a messaging client <NUM> or by the messaging server system <NUM>, the location of certain functionality either within the messaging client <NUM> or the messaging server system <NUM> may be a design choice. For example, it may be technically preferable to initially deploy certain technology and functionality within the messaging server system <NUM> but to later migrate this technology and functionality to the messaging client <NUM> where a client device <NUM> has sufficient processing capacity.

The messaging server system <NUM> supports various services and operations that are provided to the messaging client <NUM>. Such operations include transmitting data to, receiving data from, and processing data generated by the messaging client <NUM>. This data may include message content, client device information, geolocation information, media augmentation and overlays, message content persistence conditions, social network information, and live event information, as examples. Data exchanges within the messaging system <NUM> are invoked and controlled through functions available via user interfaces (UIs) of the messaging client <NUM>. For example, the messaging client <NUM> can present a camera view user interface that displays the output of a digital image sensor of a camera provided with the client device <NUM>, and also to display a user selectable element actionable to load the body UI AR component in the messaging client <NUM>.

Turning now specifically to the messaging server system <NUM>, an Application Program Interface (API) server <NUM> is coupled to, and provides a programmatic interface to, application servers <NUM>. The application servers <NUM> are communicatively coupled to a database server <NUM>, which facilitates access to a database <NUM> that stores data associated with messages processed by the application servers <NUM>. Similarly, a web server <NUM> is coupled to the application servers <NUM>, and provides web-based interfaces to the application servers <NUM>. To this end, the web server <NUM> processes incoming network requests over the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and several other related protocols.

The Application Program Interface (API) server <NUM> receives and transmits message data (e.g., commands and message payloads) between the client device <NUM> and the application servers <NUM>. Specifically, the Application Program Interface (API) server <NUM> provides a set of interfaces (e.g., routines and protocols) that can be called or queried by the messaging client <NUM> in order to invoke functionality of the application servers <NUM><NUM>. The Application Program Interface (API) server <NUM> exposes various functions supported by the application servers <NUM>, including account registration, login functionality, the sending of messages, via the application servers <NUM>, from a particular messaging client <NUM> to another messaging client <NUM>, the sending of media files (e.g., images or video) from a messaging client <NUM> to a messaging server <NUM>, and for possible access by another messaging client <NUM>, the settings of a collection of media data (e.g., story), the retrieval of a list of friends of a user of a client device <NUM>, the retrieval of such collections, the retrieval of messages and content, the addition and deletion of entities (e.g., friends) to an entity graph (e.g., a social graph), the location of friends within a social graph, and opening an application event (e.g., relating to the messaging client <NUM>).

The application servers <NUM> host a number of server applications and subsystems, including for example a messaging server <NUM>, an image processing server <NUM>, and a social network server <NUM>. The messaging server <NUM> implements a number of message processing technologies and functions, particularly related to the aggregation and other processing of content (e.g., textual and multimedia content) included in messages received from multiple instances of the messaging client <NUM>. As will be described in further detail, the text and media content from multiple sources may be aggregated into collections of content (e.g., called stories or galleries). These collections are then made available to the messaging client <NUM>. Other processor and memory intensive processing of data may also be performed server-side by the messaging server <NUM>, in view of the hardware requirements for such processing.

The application servers <NUM> also include an image processing server <NUM> that is dedicated to performing various image processing operations, typically with respect to images or video within the payload of a message sent from or received at the messaging server <NUM>. Some of the various image processing operations may be performed by various AR components, which can be hosted or supported by the image processing server <NUM>.

The social network server <NUM> supports various social networking functions and services and makes these functions and services available to the messaging server <NUM>. To this end, the social network server <NUM> maintains and accesses an entity graph <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>) within the database <NUM>. Examples of functions and services supported by the social network server <NUM> include the identification of other users of the messaging system <NUM> with which a particular user has a "friend" relationship or is "following," and also the identification of other entities and interests of a particular user.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating further details regarding the messaging system <NUM>, according to some examples. Specifically, the messaging system <NUM> is shown to comprise the messaging client <NUM> and the application servers <NUM>. The messaging system <NUM> embodies a number of subsystems, which are supported on the client-side by the messaging client <NUM>, and on the sever-side by the application servers <NUM>. These subsystems include, for example, an ephemeral timer system <NUM>, a collection management system <NUM>, and an augmentation system <NUM>.

The ephemeral timer system <NUM> is responsible for enforcing the temporary or time-limited access to content by the messaging client <NUM> and the messaging server <NUM>. The ephemeral timer system <NUM> incorporates a number of timers that, based on duration and display parameters associated with a message, or collection of messages (e.g., a story), selectively enable access (e.g., for presentation and display) to messages and associated content via the messaging client <NUM>. Further details regarding the operation of the ephemeral timer system <NUM> are provided below.

The collection management system <NUM> is responsible for managing sets or collections of media (e.g., collections of text, image, video, and audio data). A collection of content (e.g., messages, including images, video, text, and audio) may be organized into an "event gallery" or an "event story. " Such a collection may be made available for a specified time period, such as the duration of an event to which the content relates. For example, content relating to a music concert may be made available as a "story" for the duration of that music concert. In a further example, a collection may include content, which was generated using one or more AR components, including a body UI AR component. The collection management system <NUM> may also be responsible for publishing an icon that provides notification of the existence of a particular collection to the user interface of the messaging client <NUM>.

The augmentation system <NUM> provides various functions that enable a user to augment (e.g., annotate or otherwise modify or edit) media content, which may be associated with a message. For example, the augmentation system <NUM> provides functions related to the generation and publishing of media overlays for messages processed by the messaging system <NUM>. The media overlays may be stored in the database <NUM> and accessed through the database server <NUM>.

In some examples, the augmentation system <NUM> is configured to provide access to AR components that can be implemented using a programming language suitable for app development, such as, e.g., JavaScript or Java and that are identified in the messaging server system by respective AR component identifiers. An AR component may include or reference various image processing operations corresponding to an image modification, filter, media overlay, transformation, and the like. These image processing operations can provide an interactive experience of a real-world environment, where objects, surfaces, backgrounds, lighting etc., captured by a digital image sensor or a camera, are enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information. In this context an AR component comprises the collection of data, parameters, and other assets needed to apply a selected augmented reality experience to an image or a video feed.

In some embodiments, an AR component includes modules configured to modify or transform image data presented within a graphical user interface (GUI) of a client device in some way. For example, complex additions or transformations to the content images may be performed using AR component data, such as adding rabbit ears to the head of a person in a video clip, adding floating hearts with background coloring to a video clip, altering the proportions of a person's features within a video clip, or many numerous other such transformations. This includes both real-time modifications that modify an image as it is captured using a camera associated with a client device and then displayed on a screen of the client device with the AR component modifications, as well as modifications to stored content, such as video clips in a gallery that may be modified using AR components.

Various augmented reality functionality that may be provided by an AR component include detection of objects (e.g. faces, hands, bodies, cats, dogs, surfaces, objects, etc.), tracking of such objects as they leave, enter, and move around the field of view in video frames, and the modification or transformation of such objects as they are tracked. In various embodiments, different methods for achieving such transformations may be used. For example, some embodiments may involve generating a 3D mesh model of the object or objects, and using transformations and animated textures of the model within the video to achieve the transformation. In other embodiments, tracking of points on an object may be used to place an image or texture, which may be two dimensional or three dimensional, at the tracked position. In still further embodiments, neural network analysis of video frames may be used to place images, models, or textures in content (e.g. images or frames of video). AR component data thus refers to both to the images, models, and textures used to create transformations in content, as well as to additional modeling and analysis information needed to achieve such transformations with object detection, tracking, and placement. A body UI AR component may include, in addition to functionality that permits touchless operation, other AR functionality, such as the functionality described above.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating data structures <NUM>, which may be stored in the database <NUM> of the messaging server system <NUM>, according to certain examples. While the content of the database <NUM> is shown to comprise a number of tables, it will be appreciated that the data could be stored in other types of data structures (e.g., as an object-oriented database).

The database <NUM> includes message data stored within a message table <NUM>. This message data includes, for any particular one message, at least message sender data, message recipient (or receiver) data, and a payload. The payload of a message may include content generated using a body UI AR component. Further details regarding information that may be included in a message, and included within the message data stored in the message table <NUM> is described below with reference to <FIG>.

An entity table <NUM> stores entity data, and is linked (e.g., referentially) to an entity graph <NUM> and profile data <NUM>. Entities for which records are maintained within the entity table <NUM> may include individuals, corporate entities, organizations, objects, places, events, and so forth. Regardless of entity type, any entity regarding which the messaging server system <NUM> stores data may be a recognized entity. Each entity is provided with a unique identifier, as well as an entity type identifier (not shown).

The entity graph <NUM> stores information regarding relationships and associations between entities. Such relationships may be social, professional (e.g., work at a common corporation or organization) interested-based or activity-based, merely for example. With reference to the functionality provided by the AR component, the entity graph <NUM> stores information that can be used, in cases where the AR component is configured to permit using a portrait image of a user other than that of the user controlling the associated client device for modifying the target media content object, to determine a further profile that is connected to the profile representing the user controlling the associated client device. As mentioned above, the portrait image of a user may be stored in a user profile representing the user in the messaging system.

The profile data <NUM> stores multiple types of profile data about a particular entity. The profile data <NUM> may be selectively used and presented to other users of the messaging system <NUM>, based on privacy settings specified by a particular entity. Where the entity is an individual, the profile data <NUM> includes, for example, a user name, telephone number, address, settings (e.g., notification and privacy settings), as well as a user-selected avatar representation (or collection of such avatar representations). A particular user may then selectively include one or more of these avatar representations within the content of messages communicated via the messaging system <NUM>, and on map interfaces displayed by messaging clients <NUM> to other users. The collection of avatar representations may include "status avatars," which present a graphical representation of a status or activity that the user may select to communicate at a particular time.

The database <NUM> also stores augmentation data in an augmentation table <NUM><NUM>. The augmentation data is associated with and applied to videos (for which data is stored in a video table <NUM>) and images (for which data is stored in an image table <NUM>). In some examples, the augmentation data is used by various AR components, including the AR component. An example of augmentation data is a target media content object, which may be associated with an AR component and used to generate an AR experience for a user, as described above.

Another example of augmentation data is augmented reality (AR) tools that can be used in AR components to effectuate image transformations. Image transformations include real-time modifications, which modify an image (e.g., a video frame) as it is captured using a digital image sensor of a client device <NUM>. The modified image is displayed on a screen of the client device <NUM> with the modifications. AR tools may also be used to apply modifications to stored content, such as video clips or still images stored in a gallery. In a client device <NUM> with access to multiple AR tools, a user can apply different AR tools (e.g., by engaging different AR components configured to utilize different AR tools) to a single video clip to see how the different AR tools would modify the same video clip. For example, multiple AR tools that apply different pseudorandom movement models can be applied to the same captured content by selecting different AR tools for the same captured content. Similarly, real-time video capture may be used with an illustrated modification to show how video images currently being captured by a digital image sensor of a camera provided with a client device <NUM> would modify the captured data. Such data may simply be displayed on the screen and not stored in memory, or the content captured by digital image sensor may be recorded and stored in memory with or without the modifications (or both). A messaging client <NUM> can be configured to include a preview feature that can show how modifications produced by different AR tools will look, within different windows in a display at the same time. This can, for example, permit a user to view multiple windows with different pseudorandom animations presented on a display at the same time.

In some examples, when a particular modification is selected along with content to be transformed, elements to be transformed are identified by the computing device, and then detected and tracked if they are present in the frames of the video. The elements of the object are modified according to the request for modification, thus transforming the frames of the video stream. Transformation of frames of a video stream can be performed by different methods for different kinds of transformation. For example, for transformations of frames mostly referring to changing forms of object's elements characteristic points for each element of an object are calculated (e.g., using an Active Shape Model (ASM) or other known methods). Then, a mesh based on the characteristic points is generated for each of the at least one element of the object. This mesh used in the following stage of tracking the elements of the object in the video stream. In the process of tracking, the mentioned mesh for each element is aligned with a position of each element. Then, additional points are generated on the mesh. A first set of first points is generated for each element based on a request for modification, and a set of second points is generated for each element based on the set of first points and the request for modification. Then, the frames of the video stream can be transformed by modifying the elements of the object on the basis of the sets of first and second points and the mesh. In such method, a background of the modified object can be changed or distorted as well by tracking and modifying the background.

In some examples, transformations changing some areas of an object using its elements can be performed by calculating characteristic points for each element of an object and generating a mesh based on the calculated characteristic points. Points are generated on the mesh, and then various areas based on the points are generated. The elements of the object are then tracked by aligning the area for each element with a position for each of the at least one element, and properties of the areas can be modified based on the request for modification, thus transforming the frames of the video stream. Depending on the specific request for modification properties of the mentioned areas can be transformed in different ways. Such modifications may involve changing color of areas; removing at least some part of areas from the frames of the video stream; including one or more new objects into areas which are based on a request for modification; and modifying or distorting the elements of an area or object. In various embodiments, any combination of such modifications or other similar modifications may be used. For certain models to be animated, some characteristic points can be selected as control points to be used in determining the entire state-space of options for the model animation.

A story table <NUM> stores data regarding collections of messages and associated image, video, or audio data, which are compiled into a collection (e.g., a story or a gallery). The creation of a particular collection may be initiated by a particular user (e.g., each user for which a record is maintained in the entity table <NUM>). A user may create a "personal story" in the form of a collection of content that has been created and sent/broadcast by that user. To this end, the user interface of the messaging client <NUM> may include an icon that is user-selectable to enable a sending user to add specific content to his or her personal story. In some examples, the story table <NUM> stores one or more images or videos that were created using the AR component.

A collection may also constitute a "live story," which is a collection of content from multiple users that is created manually, automatically, or using a combination of manual and automatic techniques. For example, a "live story" may constitute a curated stream of user-submitted content from varies locations and events. Users whose client devices have location services enabled and are at a common location event at a particular time may, for example, be presented with an option, via a user interface of the messaging client <NUM>, to contribute content to a particular live story. The live story may be identified to the user by the messaging client <NUM>, based on his or her location. The end result is a "live story" told from a community perspective.

A further type of content collection is known as a "location story," which enables a user whose client device <NUM> is located within a specific geographic location (e.g., on a college or university campus) to contribute to a particular collection. In some examples, a contribution to a location story may require a second degree of authentication to verify that the end user belongs to a specific organization or other entity (e.g., is a student on the university campus).

As mentioned above, the video table <NUM> stores video data that, in one example, is associated with messages for which records are maintained within the message table <NUM>. Similarly, the image table <NUM> stores image data associated with messages for which message data is stored in the entity table <NUM>. The entity table <NUM> may associate various augmentations from the augmentation table <NUM> with various images and videos stored in the image table <NUM> and the video table <NUM>.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of a message <NUM>, according to some examples, generated by a messaging client <NUM> for communication to a further messaging client <NUM> or the messaging server <NUM>. The content of a particular message <NUM> is used to populate the message table <NUM> stored within the database <NUM>, accessible by the messaging server <NUM>. Similarly, the content of a message <NUM> is stored in memory as "in-transit" or "in-flight" data of the client device <NUM> or the application servers <NUM>. The content of a message <NUM>, in some examples, includes an image or a video that was created using the AR component. A message <NUM> is shown to include the following example components:.

The contents (e.g., values) of the various components of message <NUM> may be pointers to locations in tables within which content data values are stored. For example, an image value in the message image payload <NUM> may be a pointer to (or address of) a location within an image table <NUM>. Similarly, values within the message video payload <NUM> may point to data stored within a video table <NUM>, values stored within the message augmentations <NUM> may point to data stored in an augmentation table <NUM>, values stored within the message story identifier <NUM> may point to data stored in a story table <NUM>, and values stored within the message sender identifier <NUM> and the message receiver identifier <NUM> may point to user records stored within an entity table <NUM>.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating an access-limiting process <NUM>, in terms of which access to content (e.g., an ephemeral message <NUM>, and associated multimedia payload of data) or a content collection (e.g., an ephemeral message group <NUM>) may be time-limited (e.g., made ephemeral). The content of an ephemeral message <NUM>, in some examples, includes an image or a video that was created using a body UI AR component.

An ephemeral message <NUM> is shown to be associated with a message duration parameter <NUM>, the value of which determines an amount of time that the ephemeral message <NUM> will be displayed to a receiving user of the ephemeral message <NUM> by the messaging client <NUM>. In one example, an ephemeral message <NUM> is viewable by a receiving user for up to a maximum of <NUM> seconds, depending on the amount of time that the sending user specifies using the message duration parameter <NUM>.

The message duration parameter <NUM> and the message receiver identifier <NUM> are shown to be inputs to a message timer <NUM>, which is responsible for determining the amount of time that the ephemeral message <NUM> is shown to a particular receiving user identified by the message receiver identifier <NUM>. In particular, the ephemeral message <NUM> will only be shown to the relevant receiving user for a time period determined by the value of the message duration parameter <NUM>. The message timer <NUM> is shown to provide output to a more generalized ephemeral timer system <NUM>, which is responsible for the overall timing of display of content (e.g., an ephemeral message <NUM>) to a receiving user.

The ephemeral message <NUM> is shown in <FIG> to be included within an ephemeral message group <NUM> (e.g., a collection of messages in a personal story, or an event story). The ephemeral message group <NUM> has an associated group duration parameter <NUM>, a value of which determines a time duration for which the ephemeral message group <NUM> is presented and accessible to users of the messaging system <NUM>. The group duration parameter <NUM>, for example, may be the duration of a music concert, where the ephemeral message group <NUM> is a collection of content pertaining to that concert. Alternatively, a user (either the owning user or a curator user) may specify the value for the group duration parameter <NUM> when performing the setup and creation of the ephemeral message group <NUM>.

Additionally, each ephemeral message <NUM> within the ephemeral message group <NUM> has an associated group participation parameter <NUM>, a value of which determines the duration of time for which the ephemeral message <NUM> will be accessible within the context of the ephemeral message group <NUM>. Accordingly, a particular ephemeral message group <NUM> may "expire" and become inaccessible within the context of the ephemeral message group <NUM>, prior to the ephemeral message group <NUM> itself expiring in terms of the group duration parameter <NUM>. The group duration parameter <NUM>, group participation parameter <NUM>, and message receiver identifier <NUM> each provide input to a group timer <NUM>, which operationally determines, firstly, whether a particular ephemeral message <NUM> of the ephemeral message group <NUM> will be displayed to a particular receiving user and, if so, for how long. Note that the ephemeral message group <NUM> is also aware of the identity of the particular receiving user as a result of the message receiver identifier <NUM>.

Accordingly, the group timer <NUM> operationally controls the overall lifespan of an associated ephemeral message group <NUM>, as well as an individual ephemeral message <NUM> included in the ephemeral message group <NUM>. In one example, each and every ephemeral message <NUM> within the ephemeral message group <NUM> remains viewable and accessible for a time period specified by the group duration parameter <NUM>. In a further example, a certain ephemeral message <NUM> may expire, within the context of ephemeral message group <NUM>, based on a group participation parameter <NUM>. Note that a message duration parameter <NUM> may still determine the duration of time for which a particular ephemeral message <NUM> is displayed to a receiving user, even within the context of the ephemeral message group <NUM>. Accordingly, the message duration parameter <NUM> determines the duration of time that a particular ephemeral message <NUM> is displayed to a receiving user, regardless of whether the receiving user is viewing that ephemeral message <NUM> inside or outside the context of an ephemeral message group <NUM>.

The ephemeral timer system <NUM> may furthermore operationally remove a particular ephemeral message <NUM> from the ephemeral message group <NUM> based on a determination that it has exceeded an associated group participation parameter <NUM>. For example, when a sending user has established a group participation parameter <NUM> of <NUM> hours from posting, the ephemeral timer system <NUM> will remove the relevant ephemeral message <NUM> from the ephemeral message group <NUM> after the specified <NUM> hours. The ephemeral timer system <NUM> also operates to remove an ephemeral message group <NUM> when either the group participation parameter <NUM> for each and every ephemeral message <NUM> within the ephemeral message group <NUM> has expired, or when the ephemeral message group <NUM> itself has expired in terms of the group duration parameter <NUM>.

In certain use cases, a creator of a particular ephemeral message group <NUM> may specify an indefinite group duration parameter <NUM>. In this case, the expiration of the group participation parameter <NUM> for the last remaining ephemeral message <NUM> within the ephemeral message group <NUM> will determine when the ephemeral message group <NUM> itself expires. In this case, a new ephemeral message <NUM>, added to the ephemeral message group <NUM>, with a new group participation parameter <NUM>, effectively extends the life of an ephemeral message group <NUM> to equal the value of the group participation parameter <NUM>.

Responsive to the ephemeral timer system <NUM> determining that an ephemeral message group <NUM> has expired (e.g., is no longer accessible), the ephemeral timer system <NUM> communicates with the messaging system <NUM> (and, for example, specifically the messaging client <NUM>) to cause an indicium (e.g., an icon) associated with the relevant ephemeral message group <NUM> to no longer be displayed within a user interface of the messaging client <NUM>. Similarly, when the ephemeral timer system <NUM> determines that the message duration parameter <NUM> for a particular ephemeral message <NUM> has expired, the ephemeral timer system <NUM> causes the messaging client <NUM> to no longer display an indicium (e.g., an icon or textual identification) associated with the ephemeral message <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart of a method <NUM> for providing an augmented reality experience, in accordance with some examples. In one example embodiment, some or all processing logic resides at the client device <NUM> of <FIG> and/or at the messaging server system <NUM> of <FIG>. The method <NUM> commences at operation <NUM>, when the augmentation system <NUM> of <FIG> configures a body UI AR component to detect anchor points assigned to segments of a human body image. As explained above, a human body can be represented as a set of anchor points assigned to respective segments of a body. A set of anchor points representing a person may include anchor points assigned to head, shoulders elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles, as illustrated in <FIG>. At operation <NUM>, the body UI AR component is loaded in a camera view user interface of the messaging client at a client device. The operation of loading comprises commencing detecting anchor points assigned to respective segments of a person image in the camera view user interface. At operation <NUM>, the loaded body UI AR component determines that the detected anchor points include a full body indicator set of anchor points. A full body indicator set of anchor points may be defined as a set of anchor points that includes at least anchor points assigned to shoulders and hips. As described above, the detecting of the anchor points assigned to respective segments of the person image in the camera view user interface may be achieved by executing a machine learning model trained using a training set of images. The machine learning model, such as a neural network, takes an image of a person as input and produces a set of anchor points as an output. At operation <NUM>, in response to determining that the detected anchor points include a full body indicator set of anchor points, the body UI AR component causes displaying in the camera view user interface a touchless user selectable element configured to trigger an action in the messaging system in response to collision of the touchless user selectable element with a trigger segment from the person image. The action may be taking a photo or commencing recording of a video with the camera of the client device, as well as other actions, such as making a change to or replacing a carousel of selectable user elements. The displaying in the camera view user interface the touchless user selectable element may include tracking position of a body segment object in the person image (such as a shoulder object) and displaying the touchless user selectable element at a location in the camera view user interface determined based on the tracked position of the body segment object.

<FIG> illustrate camera view screens presented on a display device while a user is engaging with AR experience provided by a body UI AR component. <FIG> is a diagrammatic representation of a camera view user interface <NUM> with a body UI AR component loaded, in accordance with some examples. <FIG> is a diagrammatic representation of a camera view user interface <NUM> displaying a touchless user selectable element configured to cause recording of a video, in accordance with some examples. <FIG> is a diagrammatic representation of a camera view user interface <NUM> displaying a collision of a hand object with the touchless user selectable element configured to cause recording of a video, in accordance with some examples. <FIG> is a diagrammatic representation of a camera view user interface <NUM> displaying a touchless user selectable element configured to cause stopping of the recording, in accordance with some examples. <FIG> is a diagrammatic representation of a camera view user interface <NUM> displaying a collision of a hand object with the touchless user selectable element configured to cause stopping of the recording, in accordance with some examples. <FIG> is a diagrammatic representation of a camera view user interface <NUM> displaying a touchless user selectable element configured to cause capturing of an image with a camera and another touchless user selectable element configured to cause replacing an item selection carousel with a color selection carousel, in accordance with some examples. <FIG> is a diagrammatic representation of a camera view user interface <NUM> displaying a collision of a hand object with the touchless user selectable element configured to cause replacing an item selection carousel with a color selection carousel, in accordance with some examples. <FIG> is a diagrammatic representation of a camera view user interface <NUM> displaying a visualization of replacing an item selection carousel with a color selection carousel, in accordance with some examples. <FIG> is a diagrammatic representation of a camera view user interface <NUM> displaying a color selection carousel that replaced the item selection carousel, in accordance with some examples.

<FIG> is a diagrammatic representation of the machine <NUM> within which instructions <NUM> (e.g., software, a program, an application, an applet, an app, or other executable code) for causing the machine <NUM> to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein may be executed. For example, the instructions <NUM> may cause the machine <NUM> to execute any one or more of the methods described herein. The instructions <NUM> transform the general, non-programmed machine <NUM> into a particular machine <NUM> programmed to carry out the described and illustrated functions in the manner described. The machine <NUM> may operate as a standalone device or may be coupled (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine <NUM> may operate in the capacity of a server machine or a client machine in a server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine <NUM> may comprise, but not be limited to, a server computer, a client computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a netbook, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an entertainment media system, a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a mobile device, a wearable device (e.g., a smartwatch), a smart home device (e.g., a smart appliance), other smart devices, a web appliance, a network router, a network switch, a network bridge, or any machine capable of executing the instructions <NUM>, sequentially or otherwise, that specify actions to be taken by the machine <NUM>. Further, while only a single machine <NUM> is illustrated, the term "machine" shall also be taken to include a collection of machines that individually or jointly execute the instructions <NUM> to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. The machine <NUM>, for example, may comprise the client device <NUM> or any one of a number of server devices forming part of the messaging server system <NUM>. In some examples, the machine <NUM> may also comprise both client and server systems, with certain operations of a particular method or algorithm being performed on the server-side and with certain operations of the particular method or algorithm being performed on the client-side.

The machine <NUM> may include processors <NUM>, memory <NUM>, and input/output I/O components <NUM>, which may be configured to communicate with each other via a bus <NUM>. In an example, the processors <NUM> (e.g., a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) Processor, a Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) Processor, a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC), another processor, or any suitable combination thereof) may include, for example, a processor <NUM> and a processor <NUM> that execute the instructions <NUM>. The term "processor" is intended to include multi-core processors that may comprise two or more independent processors (sometimes referred to as "cores") that may execute instructions contemporaneously. Although <FIG> shows multiple processors <NUM>, the machine <NUM> may include a single processor with a single-core, a single processor with multiple cores (e.g., a multi-core processor), multiple processors with a single core, multiple processors with multiples cores, or any combination thereof.

The I/O components <NUM> may include a wide variety of components to receive input, provide output, produce output, transmit information, exchange information, capture measurements, and so on. The specific I/O components <NUM> that are included in a particular machine will depend on the type of machine. For example, portable machines such as mobile phones may include a touch input device or other such input mechanisms, while a headless server machine will likely not include such a touch input device. It will be appreciated that the I/O components <NUM> may include many other components that are not shown in <FIG>. In various examples, the I/O components <NUM> may include user output components <NUM> and user input components <NUM>. The user output components <NUM> may include visual components (e.g., a display such as a plasma display panel (PDP), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a projector, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), acoustic components (e.g., speakers), haptic components (e.g., a vibratory motor, resistance mechanisms), other signal generators, and so forth. The user input components1726 may include alphanumeric input components (e.g., a keyboard, a touch screen configured to receive alphanumeric input, a photo-optical keyboard, or other alphanumeric input components), point-based input components (e.g., a mouse, a touchpad, a trackball, a joystick, a motion sensor, or another pointing instrument), tactile input components (e.g., a physical button, a touch screen that provides location and force of touches or touch gestures, or other tactile input components), audio input components (e.g., a microphone), and the like.

The environmental components <NUM> include, for example, one or cameras (with still image/photograph and video capabilities), illumination sensor components (e.g., photometer), temperature sensor components (e.g., one or more thermometers that detect ambient temperature), humidity sensor components, pressure sensor components (e.g., barometer), acoustic sensor components (e.g., one or more microphones that detect background noise), proximity sensor components (e.g., infrared sensors that detect nearby objects), gas sensors (e.g., gas detection sensors to detection concentrations of hazardous gases for safety or to measure pollutants in the atmosphere), or other components that may provide indications, measurements, or signals corresponding to a surrounding physical environment.

With respect to cameras, the client device <NUM> may have a camera system comprising, for example, front cameras on a front surface of the client device <NUM> and rear cameras on a rear surface of the client device <NUM>. The front cameras may, for example, be used to capture still images and video of a user of the client device <NUM> (e.g., "selfies"), which may then be augmented with augmentation data (e.g., filters) described above. The rear cameras may, for example, be used to capture still images and videos in a more traditional camera mode, with these images similarly being augmented with augmentation data. In addition to front and rear cameras, the client device <NUM> may also include a <NUM>° camera for capturing <NUM>° photographs and videos.

Further, the camera system of a client device <NUM> may include dual rear cameras (e.g., a primary camera as well as a depth-sensing camera), or even triple, quad or penta rear camera configurations on the front and rear sides of the client device <NUM>. These multiple cameras systems may include a wide camera, an ultra-wide camera, a telephoto camera, a macro camera and a depth sensor, for example.

The position components <NUM> include location sensor components (e.g., a GPS receiver component), altitude sensor components (e.g., altimeters or barometers that detect air pressure from which altitude may be derived), orientation sensor components (e.g., magnetometers), and the like.

Communication may be implemented using a wide variety of technologies. The I/O components <NUM> further include communication components <NUM> operable to couple the machine <NUM> to a network <NUM> or devices <NUM> via respective coupling or connections. For example, the communication components <NUM> may include a network interface Component or another suitable device to interface with the network <NUM>. In further examples, the communication components <NUM> may include wired communication components, wireless communication components, cellular communication components, Near Field Communication (NFC) components, Bluetooth® components (e.g., Bluetooth® Low Energy), Wi-Fi® components, and other communication components to provide communication via other modalities. The devices <NUM> may be another machine or any of a wide variety of peripheral devices (e.g., a peripheral device coupled via a USB).

The instructions <NUM> may be transmitted or received over the network <NUM>, using a transmission medium, via a network interface device (e.g., a network interface component included in the communication components <NUM>) and using any one of several well-known transfer protocols (e.g., hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)). Similarly, the instructions <NUM> may be transmitted or received using a transmission medium via a coupling (e.g., a peer-to-peer coupling) to the devices <NUM>.

"Component" refers to a device, physical entity, or logic having boundaries defined by function or subroutine calls, branch points, APIs, or other technologies that provide for the partitioning or modularization of particular processing or control functions. Components may be combined via their interfaces with other components to carry out a machine process. A component may be a packaged functional hardware unit designed for use with other components and a part of a program that usually performs a particular function of related functions. Components may constitute either software components (e.g., code embodied on a machine-readable medium) or hardware components. A "hardware component" is a tangible unit capable of performing certain operations and may be configured or arranged in a certain physical manner. In various example embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone computer system, a client computer system, or a server computer system) or one or more hardware components of a computer system (e.g., a processor or a group of processors) may be configured by software (e.g., an application or application portion) as a hardware component that operates to perform certain operations as described herein. A hardware component may also be implemented mechanically, electronically, or any suitable combination thereof. For example, a hardware component may include dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured to perform certain operations. A hardware component may be a special-purpose processor, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). A hardware component may also include programmable logic or circuitry that is temporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. For example, a hardware component may include software executed by a general-purpose processor or other programmable processor. Once configured by such software, hardware components become specific machines (or specific components of a machine) uniquely tailored to perform the configured functions and are no longer general-purpose processors. It will be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware component mechanically, in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry, or in temporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software), may be driven by cost and time considerations. Accordingly, the phrase "hardware component"(or "hardware-implemented component") should be understood to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner or to perform certain operations described herein. Considering embodiments in which hardware components are temporarily configured (e.g., programmed), each of the hardware components need not be configured or instantiated at any one instance in time. For example, where a hardware component comprises a general-purpose processor configured by software to become a special-purpose processor, the general-purpose processor may be configured as respectively different special-purpose processors (e.g., comprising different hardware components) at different times. Software accordingly configures a particular processor or processors, for example, to constitute a particular hardware component at one instance of time and to constitute a different hardware component at a different instance of time. Hardware components can provide information to, and receive information from, other hardware components. Accordingly, the described hardware components may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Where multiple hardware components exist contemporaneously, communications may be achieved through signal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuits and buses) between or among two or more of the hardware components. In embodiments in which multiple hardware components are configured or instantiated at different times, communications between such hardware components may be achieved, for example, through the storage and retrieval of information in memory structures to which the multiple hardware components have access. For example, one hardware component may perform an operation and store the output of that operation in a memory device to which it is communicatively coupled. A further hardware component may then, at a later time, access the memory device to retrieve and process the stored output. Hardware components may also initiate communications with input or output devices, and can operate on a resource (e.g., a collection of information). Whether temporarily or permanently configured, such processors may constitute processor-implemented components that operate to perform one or more operations or functions described herein. As used herein, "processor-implemented component" refers to a hardware component implemented using one or more processors. Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least partially processor-implemented, with a particular processor or processors being an example of hardware. For example, at least some of the operations of a method may be performed by one or more processors <NUM> or processor-implemented components. For example, at least some of the operations may be performed by a group of computers (as examples of machines including processors), with these operations being accessible via a network (e.g., the Internet) and via one or more appropriate interfaces (e.g., an API). The performance of certain of the operations may be distributed among the processors, not only residing within a single machine, but deployed across a number of machines. In some example embodiments, the processors or processor-implemented components may be located in a single geographic location (e.g., within a home environment, an office environment, or a server farm). In other example embodiments, the processors or processor-implemented components may be distributed across a number of geographic locations.

Claim 1:
A method comprising:
in a messaging system that provides a messaging client, configuring (<NUM>) an augmented reality component to detect anchor points assigned to segments of a human body image;
causing to load (<NUM>) the augmented reality component in a camera view user interface of the messaging client at a client device, the camera view user interface including output of a digital image sensor of a camera of the client device, the loading comprising commencing detecting of anchor points assigned to respective segments of a person image in the camera view user interface;
determining (<NUM>) that the detected anchor points include a full body indicator set of anchor points; and
in response to the determining, causing displaying (<NUM>) in the camera view user interface a touchless user selectable element configured to trigger an action in the messaging system in response to collision of the touchless user selectable element with a trigger segment from the person image.