Method for expressing emotion in a text message

• US 20030110450A1
• Filed: 10/07/2002
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakai, Ryutaro
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,863 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/529
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, while composing a textual message, a portion of the textual message is dynamically indicated as having heightened emotional value. In one embodiment, this is indicated by depressing a key on a keyboard for a period longer than a typical debounce interval. While the key remains depressed, a plurality of text parameters for the character associated with the depressed key are accessed and one of the text parameters is chosen. Animation processing is then performed upon the textual message and the indicated portion of the textual message is visually emphasized in the animated text message.

Claims

1. A method for expressing emotion in a text message comprising:

while composing a textual message, dynamically indicating a portion of said textual message having heightened emotional value, said dynamically indicating comprising;

a) depressing a key on a keyboard for a period longer than a typical debounce interval;

b) accessing a plurality of text parameters for a character associated with said key while said key is depressed; and

c) choosing one of said plurality of text parameters associated with said character, and

animation processing of said textual message wherein said indicated portion of said textual message is visually emphasized in said animated text message.

2. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as recited in claim 1, further comprising de-emphasizing a portion of said animated text message which has not been indicated as having heightened emotional value.

3. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as recited in claim 1, wherein said animation processing further comprises using a different font parameter for displaying said indicated portion of said textual message in said animated text message.

4. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as recited in claim 1, wherein said animation processing further comprises:

utilizing an animation parameter to simulate motion of said textual message in said animated text message; and

utilizing a second animation parameter to simulate motion of said indicated portion of said textual message in said animated text message.

5. A method for expressing emotion in a text message comprising:

while composing a textual message, dynamically indicating a portion of said textual message having heightened emotional value, said dynamically indicating comprising;

a) utilizing a keyboard operable for detecting an amount of force exerted upon a key; and

b) depressing said key with a greater amount of force than that required to register a key press to indicate said portion of said textual message having heightened emotional value, and

animation processing of said textual message wherein said indicated portion of said textual message is visually emphasized in said animated text message.

6. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as recited in claim 5, wherein said animation processing further comprises using a different font parameter for displaying said indicated portion of said textual message in said animated text message.

7. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as recited in claim 5, wherein said animation processing further comprises:

utilizing an animation parameter to simulate motion of said textual message in said animated text message; and

utilizing a second animation parameter to simulate motion of said indicated portion of said textual message in said animated text message.

8. A method for expressing emotion in a text message comprising:

while composing a textual message, dynamically indicating a portion of said textual message having heightened emotional value, said dynamically indicating comprising;

a) composing said textual message using a pressure sensitive graphics tablet; and

b) exerting a greater amount of force than that required to register an input upon said pressure sensitive graphics tablet to indicate said portion of said textual message having heightened emotional value; and

animation processing of said textual message wherein said indicated portion of said textual message is visually emphasized in said animated text message.

9. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as recited in claim 8, wherein said animation processing further comprises using a different font parameter for displaying said indicated portion of said textual message in said animated text message.

10. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as recited in claim 8, wherein said animation processing further comprises:

utilizing an animation parameter to simulate motion of said textual message in said animated text message; and

utilizing a second animation parameter to simulate motion of said indicated portion of said textual message in said animated text message.

11. A method for expressing emotion in a text message comprising:

while composing a textual message, dynamically indicating a portion of said textual message having heightened emotional value, said dynamically indicating comprising;

a) establishing a first data entry rate; and

b) utilizing a second data entry rate to indicate said portion of said textual message having heightened emotional value, and

animation processing of said textual message wherein said indicated portion of said textual message is visually emphasized in said animated text message.

12. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as recited in claim 11, wherein said animation processing further comprises using a different font parameter for displaying said indicated portion of said textual message in said animated text message.

13. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as recited in claim 11, wherein said animation processing further comprises:

utilizing an animation parameter to simulate motion of said textual message in said animated text message; and

utilizing a second animation parameter to simulate motion of said indicated portion of said textual message in said animated text message.

14. A method for expressing emotion in a text message comprising:

accessing an audio message;

dynamically indicating a portion of said audio message having heightened emotional value; and

animation processing of said audio message wherein said indicated portion of said audio message is visually emphasized in an animated text message.

15. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as recited in claim 14, further comprising creating a textual equivalent of said audio message.

16. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as recited in claim 14, further comprising visually de-emphasizing a portion of said animated text message which has not been indicated as having heightened emotional value.

17. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as recited in claim 14, wherein said dynamically indicating further comprises identifying a portion of said audio message which is audibly louder than another portion of said spoken message.

18. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as recited in claim 14, wherein said dynamically indicating further comprises identifying a portion of said audio message having heightened emotional value and wherein said indicated portion is at an audibly higher pitch than another portion of said spoken message.

19. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as recited in claim 18, wherein said dynamically indicating further comprises identifying a portion of said audio message having heightened emotional value and wherein said indicated portion is at an audibly lower pitch than another portion of said spoken message.

20. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as recited in claim 19, further comprising visually de-emphasizing a portion of said animated text message which has not been indicated as having heightened emotional value.

21. The method for expressing emotion in a text message as described in claim 14, further comprising concurrently accessing a portion of said audio message while a corresponding portion of said animated text message is displayed.

22. A method for adding visual emphasis to an audio message comprising:

accessing an audio message;

creating a textual equivalent of said audio message;

identifying a first portion of said audio message having greater emotional value than a second portion of said audio message;

assigning a first processing parameter to a first portion of said textual equivalent corresponding to said first portion of said audio message; and

animation processing of said textual equivalent wherein said first portion of said textual equivalent is visually emphasized in an animated text message in response to said first processing parameter.

23. The method for adding visual emphasis to an audio message as recited in claim 22 further comprising:

assigning a second processing parameter to a second portion of said textual equivalent corresponding to said second portion of said audio message; and

visually de-emphasizing said second portion of said textual equivalent in said animated text message in response to said second processing parameter.

24. The method for adding visual emphasis to an audio message as recited in claim 22, wherein said identifying of said first portion of said audio message comprises identifying a portion of said audio message which is audibly louder than another portion of said spoken message.

25. The method for adding visual emphasis to an audio message as recited in claim 24, wherein said identifying of said first portion of said audio message further comprises identifying a portion of said audio message which is at an audibly higher pitch than another portion of said spoken message.

26. The method for adding visual emphasis to an audio message as recited in claim 25, wherein said identifying of said first portion of said audio message further comprises identifying a portion of said audio message which is at an audibly lower pitch than another portion of said spoken message.

27. The method for adding visual emphasis to an audio message as recited in claim 22, further comprising concurrently accessing a portion of said audio message while a corresponding portion of said animated text message is displayed.

28. The method for adding visual emphasis to an audio message as recited in claim 22, wherein said creating a textual equivalent of said audio message comprises creating a document compliant with a version of the Extensible Markup Language (XML).