Facebook patents 'skin smoothing' and karaoke features for live video

Who needs a skincare regimen when you have Facebook?

Two new patents — which were filed by the Menlo Park-based company last year but made public today — hint at new features that may be coming to a live stream near you. And one of them might help cover up all those "perceived imperfections." (Facebook's words, not ours.)

SEE ALSO: Facebook patents 'emotion detecting' selfie filters

The first patent describes a process for "smoothing or softening skin appearance in videos or images in real-time." The concept is similar to selfie filters that create that glowing, airbrushed look, but would work in real time during a live stream. The software would be able to make "perceived imperfections," such as "skin blemishes, wrinkles, discolorations, [and] uneven surfaces" less noticeable, according to the filing.

Furthermore, it would be able to do so " without removing desirable image details, such as the edges/boundaries of a person's face, eyes, nose, lips, mouth, ears, hair, and/or other facial features."

Example images of the before and after effects of such a feature can be seen below.

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Left:Before. Before. Credit: US PTO Right:After. After. Thanks, Facebook. Credit: US PTO

In another patent released Thursday, Facebook describes a feature that could essentially act as a teleprompter for live video streaming.

Described in the patent as "Facebook Live Notes," the feature would let the person broadcasting the livestream create preset notes they could view while they are streaming. These could be everything from reminders to full-on scripts, which would create a teleprompter-like effect.

Credit: us pto Credit: us pto

"This functionality may allow the user to deliver a live broadcast with the aid of a prepared script using a single device and to read the script while looking in the direction of an I/O device capturing a video of the user," the filing says.

The patent also hints at another potential use for the tech: karaoke. Though the text of the patent doesn't reference karaoke, it does make several references to song lyrics and the word "karaoke" is used in one of the accompanying images.

That's a long way off from a full-fledged karaoke feature, and it's worth noting that not everything Facebook patents becomes a consumer-facing feature. But these patent filings at least open the door for Facebook to make streaming a little less intimidating for everyone who's been hesitant to go live.

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