Method and apparatus for providing real-time notification for avatars

• US 20050216529A1
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patwardhan, Chintamini, Torgemane, Henri, Lim, Hanjoo, Ashtekar, Ashish
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier

Abstract

A real time notification for updating online identities, known as avatars, is disclosed. For example, when a user updates his or her avatar(s), the changes are stored in a user database. The changes are also detected by an event router that sends a change notification in real time to all pertinent servers that are currently supporting on-line applications for the user. The servers will send the change notification in real time to pertinent clients, e.g., an instant messenger client, a mobile instant messenger client, an interactive game client and the like.

Claims

1. A method for providing a notification of a change to an online identity;

comprising;

receiving a change to the online identity created by a user;

updating a user database to reflect said change to the online identity; and

sending a change notification relating to said change to the online identity in real time to at least one server that is supporting an online application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said online application is an instant messenger (IM) application.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending said change notification to an instant messenger client.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending said change notification to a mobile instant messenger client.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said online application is an interactive game application.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sending said change notification to an interactive game client.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said change to the online identity comprises at least one of:

a change in a clothing item of the online identity, a change in a face tone of the online identity, a change in a hair color of the online identity, a change in an eye color of the online identity, a change in an accessory of the online identity, a change in a background of the online identity, a change in a mood of the online identity and a change in a gesture of the online identity.

8. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for providing a notification of a change to an online identity, comprising of:

receiving a change to the online identity created by a user;

updating a user database to reflect said change to the online identity; and

sending a change notification relating to said change to the online identity in real time to at least one server that is supporting an online application.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein said online application is an instant messenger (IM) application.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

sending said change notification to an instant messenger client.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

sending said change notification to a mobile instant messenger client.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein said online application is an interactive game application.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

sending said change notification to an interactive game client.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein said change to the online identity comprises at least one of:

a change in a clothing item of the online identity, a change in a face tone of the online identity, a change in a hair color of the online identity, a change in an eye color of the online identity, a change in an accessory of the online identity, a change in a background of the online identity, a change in a mood of the online identity and a change in a gesture of the online identity.

15. An apparatus for providing a notification of a change to an online identity;

comprising;

means for receiving a change to the online identity created by a user;

means for updating a user database to reflect said change to the online identity; and

means for sending a change notification relating to said change to the online identity in real time to at least one server that is supporting an online application.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said online application is an instant messenger (IM) application.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

sending said change notification to an instant messenger client.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

sending said change notification to a mobile instant messenger client.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said online application is an interactive game application.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

sending said change notification to an interactive game client.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said change to the online identity comprises at least one of:

a change in a clothing item of the online identity, a change in a face tone of the online identity, a change in a hair color of the online identity, a change in an eye color of the online identity, a change in an accessory of the online identity, a change in a background of the online identity, a change in a mood of the online identity and a change in a gesture of the online identity.