System and method for creating an avatar

• US 10,022,631 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Nims, Jason, Tagliabue, Roberto, Quatrochi, Danielle
• Primary Examiner(s): Bycer, Eric J
• Application Number:
  US12/476,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20090300513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,332 Days
• Field of Search: 715706, 715747, 715757, 463 7, 463 42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5258 by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/55 Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/816 Athletics, e.g. track-and-field sports
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/88 Mini-games executed independently while main games are being loaded
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An avatar or avatar environment to visualize data may be provided within a social networking system or service, for example as part of the Internet, and/or within a desktop widget, panel, gadget, or the like. The avatar may further evolve or alter its appearance, animation, or other visual or audio characteristics in response to the data or other input such as athletic activity performed by a corresponding user. In particular, the avatar of an embodiment may respond to and provide visualization of athletic or sport performance data.

Claims

1. A method for creating an avatar representing a level of athletic activity of a user, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, user specifications for creating the avatar representing an amount of athletic activity performed by the user;

determining, by the computing device, a set of one or more selectable avatar customization options based on the amount of athletic activity performed by the user;

providing the set of one or more avatar customization options to the user;

determining, by the computing device, a frequency of a type of athletic activity previously performed by the user;

generating a user interface displaying the avatar and other avatars in a distance traversed competition, where each avatar represents a user competing in the distance traversed competition, the user interface including a first portion displaying all avatars in the distance traversed competition and representing an entirety of a distance associated with the distance traversed competition, where a horizontal position of each displayed avatar represents the distance covered by the user represented by the avatar during the distance traversed competition, and a second portion displaying a portion of the distance associated with the distance traversed competition, the portion of the distance being less than the entirety of the distance associated with the distance traversed competition and the portion of the distance being dynamically determined based on a number of avatars matching a predetermined number of avatars for display in the second portion, the second portion displaying fewer than all of the avatars in the distance traversed competition; and

based on the determined frequency of the type of athletic activity previously performed by the user;

selecting a type of activity for the avatar to perform, wherein different frequencies of the type of athletic activity previously performed by the user correspond to different respective types of activity for the avatar to perform and wherein the selected type of activity is different from the type of athletic activity previously performed by the user; and

animating the avatar to perform the selected type of activity and display the avatar in the second portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more avatar customization options include apparel worn by the avatar.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the apparel includes footwear.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the apparel includes shirts.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more avatar customization options includes a physical characteristic of the avatar.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the physical characteristic includes a facial expression.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of an avatar characteristic from the set of one or more avatar customization options; and

generating the avatar based on the user specifications and the user selection.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a facial expression of the avatar based on the amount of athletic activity performed by the user; and

applying the facial expression to the avatar.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining an interface background based on the amount of athletic activity performed by the user; and

displaying the avatar against the interface background.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user specifications include an animated facial expression of the avatar.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to;

receive user specifications for creating an avatar representing an amount of athletic activity performed by a first user;

determine a set of one or more selectable avatar customization options based on the amount of athletic activity performed by the first user;

provide the set of one or more avatar customization options to the first user;

determine a frequency of a type of athletic activity previously performed by the first user;

generate a user interface displaying the avatar and other avatars in a distance traversed competition, where each avatar represents a user competing in the distance traversed competition, the user interface including a first portion displaying all avatars in the distance traversed competition and representing an entirety of a distance associated with the distance traversed competition, where a horizontal position of each displayed avatar represents the distance covered by the user represented by the avatar during the distance traversed competition, and a second portion displaying a portion of the distance associated with the distance traversed competition, the portion of the distance being less than the entirety of the distance associated with the distance traversed competition and the portion of the distance being dynamically determined based on a number of avatars matching a predetermined number of avatars for display in the second portion, the second portion displaying fewer than all of the avatars in the distance traversed competition; and

based on the determined frequency of the type of athletic activity previously performed by the first user;

select a type of activity for the avatar to perform, wherein different frequencies of the type of athletic activity previously performed by the first user correspond to different respective types of activity for the avatar to perform and wherein the selected type of activity is different from the type of athletic activity previously performed by the first user; and

animate the avatar to perform the selected type of activity and display the avatar in the second portion.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more avatar customization options include apparel worn by the avatar.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparel includes footwear.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparel includes shirts.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more avatar customization options includes a physical characteristic of the avatar.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the physical characteristic includes a facial characteristic.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

receive a user selection of an avatar characteristic from the set of one or more avatar customization options; and

generate the avatar based on the user specifications and the user selection.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

determine a facial expression of the avatar based on the amount of athletic activity performed by the user; and

apply the facial expression to the avatar.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

determine an interface background based on the amount of athletic activity performed by the first user; and

display the avatar against the interface background.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the user specifications include an animated facial expression of the avatar.

21. The apparatus of claim 11, further including:

receiving user input from the first user associated with the avatar, the user input including a comment associated with the avatar; and

determining whether a second user has an avatar in the second portion;

responsive to determining that the second user has an avatar in the second portion, displaying the received comment adjacent to the avatar of the first user in the second portion; and

responsive to determining that the second user does not have an avatar in the second portion, displaying the comment in a comment region.

22. One or more tangible, non-transitory computer readable media storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

receive user specifications for creating an avatar representing an amount of athletic activity performed by a user;

determine a set of one or more selectable avatar customization options based on the amount of athletic activity performed by the user;

provide the set of one or more avatar customization options to the user;

determine a frequency of a type of athletic activity previously performed by the user;

generate a user interface displaying the avatar and other avatars in a distance traversed competition, where each avatar represents a user competing in the distance traversed competition, the user interface including a first portion displaying all avatars in the distance traversed competition and representing an entirety of a distance associated with the distance traversed competition, where a horizontal position of each displayed avatar represents the distance covered by the user represented by the avatar during the distance traversed competition, and a second portion displaying a portion of the distance associated with the distance traversed competition, the portion of the distance being less than the entirety of the distance associated with the distance traversed competition and the portion of the distance being dynamically determined based on a number of avatars matching a predetermined number of avatars for display in the second portion, the second portion displaying fewer than all of the avatars in the distance traversed competition; and

based on the determined frequency of the type of athletic activity previously performed by the user;

select a type of activity for the avatar to perform, wherein different frequencies of the type of athletic activity previously performed by the user correspond to different respective types of activity for the avatar to perform and wherein the selected type of activity is different from the type of athletic activity previously performed by the user; and

animate the avatar to perform the selected type of activity and display the avatar in the second portion.

23. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer readable media of claim 22, wherein the one or more avatar customization options include apparel worn by the avatar.

24. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer readable media of claim 22, wherein the one or more avatar customization options includes a physical characteristic of the avatar.

25. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer readable media of claim 24, wherein the physical characteristic includes a facial characteristic.

26. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer readable media of claim 22, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

receive a user selection of an avatar characteristic from the set of one or more avatar customization options; and

generate the avatar based on the user specifications and the user selection.

27. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer readable media of claim 26, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

determine a facial expression of the avatar based on the amount of athletic activity performed by the user; and

apply the facial expression to the avatar.

28. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer readable media of claim 26, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

determine an interface background based on the amount of athletic activity performed by the user; and

display the avatar against the interface background.

29. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer readable media of claim 22, wherein determining the set of one or more avatar customization options based on the amount of athletic activity performed by the user includes:

determining whether the user has completed an athletic activity goal; and

in response to determining that the user has completed the athletic activity goal, adding an avatar customization option to the set of one or more avatar customization options.

30. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to;

receive user specifications for creating an avatar representing an amount of athletic activity performed by a user;

determine a set of one or more avatar customization options from a plurality of avatar customization options based on the amount of athletic activity performed by the user, wherein the determined one or more avatar customization options include an article of footwear and an animation and wherein the one or more avatar customization options include less than all of the plurality of avatar customization options;

provide the set of one or more avatar customization options to the user, wherein a remainder of the plurality of avatar customization options are not selectable by the user;

receive a selection of the article of footwear and the animation from the set of one or more avatar customization options;

generate the avatar wearing the article of footwear;

animate the avatar according to the selected animation;

determine a frequency of a type of athletic activity previously performed by the user;

generate a user interface displaying the avatar and other avatars in a distance traversed competition, where each avatar represents a user competing in the distance traversed competition, the user interface including a first portion displaying all avatars in the distance traversed competition and representing an entirety of a distance associated with the distance traversed competition, where a horizontal position of each displayed avatar represents the distance covered by the user represented by the avatar during the distance traversed competition, and a second portion displaying a portion of the distance associated with the distance traversed competition, the portion of the distance being less than the entirety of the distance associated with the distance traversed competition and the portion of the distance being dynamically determined based on a number of avatars matching a predetermined number of avatars for display in the second portion, the second portion displaying fewer than all of the avatars in the distance traversed competition; and

based on the determined frequency of the type of athletic activity previously performed by the user;

select a type of activity for the avatar to perform, wherein different frequencies of the type of athletic activity previously performed by the user correspond to different respective types of activity for the avatar to perform; and

animate the avatar to perform the selected type of activity and display the avatar in the second portion.