Method and apparatus for creating personal autonomous avatars

• US 20030206170A1
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Majandro LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Churchill, Elizabeth F., Cook, Linda K., Bly, Sara A., Bickmore, Timothy W., Sullivan, Joseph W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,006,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings

Abstract

A method and apparatus for facilitating communication about a document between two users creates autonomous, animated computer characters, or avatars, which are then attached to the document under discussion. The avatar is created by one user, who need not be the author of the document, and is attached to the document to represent a point of view. The avatar represents the physical likeness of its creator. The avatar is animated, using an avatar scripting language, to perform specified behaviors including pointing, walking and changing facial expressions. The avatar includes audio files that are synchronized with movement of the avatar'"'"'s mouth to provide an audio message.

Claims

1. A method for creating an avatar, comprising:

defining the avatar;

defining at least one avatar behavior; and

associating the at least one avatar behavior with the avatar.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the avatar includes:

defining an avatar reference point; and

creating a head and a body of the avatar, the head and the body being independent, the head and the body tied to the avatar reference point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the avatar represents a likeness of a person, and includes at least one of the person'"'"'s recorded voice, visual likeness, physical mannerisms and personality.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the visual likeness is created by tracing a digital image of the person.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the physical mannerisms include facial expressions and gestures.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the at least one avatar behavior includes creating at least one animation sequence for the avatar.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least animation sequence includes changing facial expressions, making gestures, changing poses and idling.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the facial expressions include moving pupils, raising eyebrows and opening a mouth.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein opening the mouth is synchronized with a recorded utterance.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the gestures include pointing, shrugging shoulders, waving hands, and scratching.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the poses include standing, walking and crouching.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein, for each at least one animation sequence, that animation sequence is performed by the avatar over a specified time duration.

13. An avatar, comprising:

an avatar description; and

at least one avatar behavior;

wherein;

each avatar behavior is associated with the avatar description;

the avatar description represents the likeness of a person, including at least one of the person'"'"'s recorded voice, visual likeness, visual mannerisms and personality; and

the at least one avatar behavior includes at least one animation sequence for the avatar.

14. The avatar of claim 13, wherein each animation sequence includes at least one of changing facial expressions, making gestures and assuming poses.

15. The avatar of claim 14, wherein the avatar description defines a head of the avatar and a body of the avatar, the head and the body being independent of each other, the head and the body located relative to each other based on an avatar reference point.

16. The avatar of claim 13, wherein the physical mannerisms are coordinated with the recorded voice.

17. The avatar of claim 13, wherein the at least one avatar behavior includes activating at least one hypertext link in a document, the activation allowing the avatar to navigate a user through the document.

18. An apparatus for creating an avatar, comprising:

a display for displaying an avatar frame;

an overlay for placing a likeness of a person on the avatar frame; and

an animator for specifying at least one behavior of the avatar.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the avatar frame includes control points usable by the animator to produce movement of the avatar relative to a reference point.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the movements include facial expressions, gestures and poses.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein a recorded voice of the person is associated with the avatar, the recorded voice capable of being played synchronized with movement of a mouth of the avatar.