Mapping Attitudes to Movements Based on Cultural Norms

• US 20070206017A1
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Southern California
• Original Assignee: University of Southern California
• Inventors: Wang, Ning, Vilhjalmsson, Hannes, Samtani, Prasan, Valente, Andre, Johnson, W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,778,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/06 Foreign languages with audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation

Abstract

A character programming and control system and method for programming and controlling a virtual character during a social simulation, a character programming method for programming the actions of a virtual character, and a system and method for developing social skills of a user.

Claims

1. A character programming and control system for programming and controlling a virtual character during a social simulation, comprising:

a behavior module configured to cause the virtual character to perform selected pre-programmed movements during the social simulation;

an authoring tool configured to receive from an author a selection of a plurality of pre-programmed attitudes that the virtual character should exhibit during the social simulation; and

a social puppet module configured to dictate which of the pre-programmed movements correspond to each of the selected attitudes.

2. The character programming and control system of claim 1 further comprising an action scheduler configured to cause the virtual character to exhibit each pre-programmed attitude by directing the behavior module at an appropriate time to perform the pre-programmed movements that correspond to the attitude as dictated by the social puppet.

3. The character programming and control system of claim 2 wherein the appropriate time to exhibit at least one of the attitudes is based on the manner in which a user interacts with the virtual character.

4. The character programming and control system of claim 3 wherein the authoring tool is configured to receive from the author a specification of the circumstances under which the virtual character should exhibit each selected attitude.

5. The character programming and control system of claim 1 wherein one of the pre-programmed attitudes is annoyance or a substantially similar attitude.

6. The character programming and control system of claim 1 wherein one of the pre-programmed attitudes is contentment or a substantially similar attitude.

7. The character programming and control system of claim 1 wherein one of the pre-programmed movements is head movement.

8. The character programming and control system of claim 1 wherein one of the pre-programmed movements is hand movement.

9. The character programming and control system of claim 1 wherein one of the pre-programmed movements is torso movement.

10. The character programming and control system of claim 1 wherein one of the pre-programmed movements is a facial expression.

11. The character programming and control system of claim 1 wherein one of the pre-programmed movements is a gaze.

12. The character programming and control system of claim 1 wherein one of the pre-programmed movements is an utterance.

13. The character programming and control system of claim 1 wherein the social puppet module includes a map that sets forth the correspondence between each pre-programmed attitude and one or more of the pre-programmed movements.

14. The character programming and control system of claim 13 wherein the map is configured to implement cultural norms.

15. The character programming and control system of claim 14 wherein the social puppet module is configured to allow an author to configure the map.

16. The character programming and control system of claim 1 wherein the system is configured to cause the virtual character to communicate with the user during the social simulation.

17. A character programming and control method for programming and controlling a virtual character during a social simulation, comprising:

causing the virtual character to perform selected pre-programmed movements during the social simulation;

receiving from an author a selection of a plurality of pre-programmed attitudes that the virtual character should exhibit during the social simulation; and

dictating which of the pre-programmed movements correspond to each of the selected attitudes.

18. A character programming method for programming the actions of a virtual character, comprising:

for each of a set of specified movements, programming into a computer system the changes that should occur to the appearance of the virtual character to effectuate the performance of the movement; and

for each of a set of specified attitudes, programming into a computer system a selection of one or more of the set of specified movements that the virtual character should perform to exhibit the attitude.

19. The character programming method of claim 19 wherein the programming of the selection of the one or more movements to exhibit each attitude are based on norms of a culture.

20. The character programming method of claim 19 wherein the programming of the changes and the programming of the selection are performed by different persons.

21. The character programming method of claim 20 wherein the programming of the changes is performed by a person skilled in animation and the programming of the selection is performed by a person knowledgeable about norms of a culture.

22. The character programming method of claim 19 further comprising programming the circumstances when the virtual character should exhibit each of the attitudes based on the manner in which a user interacts with the virtual character.

23. The character programming method of claim 19 wherein one of the specified attitudes is annoyance or a substantially similar attitude.

24. The character programming method of claim 19 wherein one of the specified attitudes is contentment or a substantially similar attitude.

25. The character programming method of claim 19 wherein one of the specified movements is head movement, hand movement, torso movement, a facial expression, a gaze, or an utterance.

26. A system for developing social skills of a user, comprising:

a user interface configured to receive non-verbal movement information indicative of movements of the user during participation in a social simulation; and

an input manager module configured to receive the non-verbal movement information and to translate it into a communication that the movement indicated by the movement information objectively indicates under the norms of a culture.

27. The system for developing social skills of claim 26 further comprising a social simulation module configured to provide an interactive environment that requires a user to exercise one or more social skills to achieve a goal and to process the communication from the input manager.

28. The system for developing social skills of claim 27 wherein the social simulation is configured to determine whether the non-verbal movement is consist with the interactive environment based on the norms of the culture.

29. The system for developing social skills of claim 26 further comprising a learner model module that generates an assessment representative of the user'"'"'s proficiency in at least one of the social skills based at least in part on the non-verbal movement.

30. The system for developing social skills of claim 27 further comprising a learner model module that generates an assessment representative of the user'"'"'s progress in learning at least one of the social skills based at least in part on the non-verbal movement.

31. The system for developing social skills of claim 26 wherein the nonverbal movement is a gesture.

32. The system for developing social skills of claim 31 further including a social simulation module configured to evaluate whether the gesture is consistent with social norms for a culture.

33. The system for developing social skills of claim 31 wherein the gesture is a hand gesture.

34. The system for developing social skills of claim 31 wherein the user interface includes a video camera and image processing apparatus configured to allow the user to act out the gesture.

35. The system for developing social skills of claim 26 further including a virtual character configured to respond to the nonverbal communication.

36. A method for developing social skills of a user, comprising:

receiving non-verbal movement information indicative of movements of the user during participation in a social simulation; and

translating the non-verbal movement information into a communication that the movement indicated by the movement information objectively indicates under the norms of a culture.