Creating a Customized Avatar that Reflects a User's Distinguishable Attributes

• US 20090044113A1
• Filed: 08/07/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Paolini, Michael A., Jones, Scott T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,146,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/707
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 13/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring differences of two or more fluid pressure values
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/08 involving all processing steps from image acquisition to 3D model generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

A capture system captures detectable attributes of a user. A differential system compares the detectable attributes with a normalized model of attributes, wherein the normalized model of attributes characterize normal representative attribute values across a sample of a plurality of users and generates differential attributes representing the differences between the detectable attributes and the normalized model of attributes. Multiple separate avatar creator systems receive the differential attributes and each apply the differential attributes to different base avatars to create custom avatars which reflect a selection of the detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.

Claims

1. A method for creating a computer-implemented avatar, comprising:

capturing a plurality of detectable attributes of a user;

comparing said plurality of detectable attributes with a normalized model of attributes, wherein the normalized model of attributes characterize normal representative attribute values for a particular sample across a plurality of users; and

customizing at least one avatar by applying at least one differential attribute representing the difference between the plurality of detectable attributes and the normalized model of attributes, wherein the customized avatar reflects a selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein capturing a plurality of detectable attributes of a user further comprises:

capturing, at a first depth, a surface mapping of the detectable external surface of a user;

capturing, at a second depth, a surface mapping of the user through clothing worn by the user;

capturing, at a third depth, a mapping of points representing at least one of muscle movement and bone movement; and

combining the surface mapping at the first depth, the surface mapping at the second depth and the mapping at the third depth into a three dimensional representation of the user with multiple depths.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein capturing a plurality of detectable attributes of a user further comprises:

capturing a plurality of video images of a user each at a different angle;

identifying a plurality of objects within the plurality of video images which each track one of a selection of parts of a user;

combining each selection of plurality of objects tracking a same part into a three-dimensional representation of the same part; and

specifying the plurality of detectable attributes of the user by each combined three-dimensional representation of the same part.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein capturing a plurality of detectable attributes of a user further comprises:

prompting a user to respond to a particular instruction for a particular script from among a plurality of scripts, wherein a particular behavioral attribute is associated with the particular instruction;

capturing at least one of speech of the user and body movement of the user associated with the particular instruction; and

specifying the plurality of detectable attributes of the user by marking the at least one of speech and body movement as the particular behavioral attribute.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

capturing a plurality of sets of user attributes for a group of users over a period of time;

detecting at least one common attribute among the group of users different from the normalized model;

specifying the at least one common attribute as the at least one differential attribute for the group of users; and

applying the at least one differential attribute to customize the at least one avatar to reflect the selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the group of users which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

graphically distinguishing the differential attributes applied to the customized avatar to visibly indicate the selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

graphically distinguishing a selection of differential attributes applied to the customized avatar that indicate an injury.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing the differential attributes for the user on a personal storage system;

authorizing an avatar creator system to access the stored differential attributes from the personal storage system; and

creating, by the avatar creator system, the custom avatar by applying the differential attributes to a particular base avatar of the avatar creator system.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein customizing at least one avatar by applying at least one differential attribute representing the difference between the plurality of detectable attributes and the normalized model of attributes, further comprises customizing the avatar representing a non-human character in a game to reflect one or more of the selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein customizing at least one avatar by applying at least one differential attribute representing the difference between the plurality of detectable attributes and the normalized model of attributes, further comprises customizing the at least one avatar for interacting within an environment responsive to a plurality of scripts customized by a plurality of behavioral attributes from at least one selection of differential attributes for a user applied at least one point in time.

11. A system for creating a computer-implemented avatar, comprising:

a capture system for capturing a plurality of detectable attributes of a user;

a differential system for comparing said plurality of detectable attributes with a normalized model of attributes, wherein the normalized model of attributes characterize normal representative attribute values for a particular sample across a plurality of users; and

an avatar creator system for customizing at least one avatar by applying at least one differential attribute representing the difference between the plurality of detectable attributes and the normalized model of attributes, wherein the customized avatar reflects a selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the capture system further comprises:

means for capturing, at a first depth, a surface mapping of the detectable external surface of a user;

means for capturing, at a second depth, a surface mapping of the user through clothing worn by the user;

means for capturing, at a third depth, a mapping of points representing at least one of muscle movement and bone movement; and

means for combining the surface mapping at the first depth, the surface mapping at the second depth and the mapping at the third depth into a three dimensional representation of the user with multiple depths.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the capture system further comprises:

means for capturing a plurality of video images of a user each at a different angle;

means for identifying a plurality of objects within the plurality of video images which each track one of a selection of parts of a user;

means for combining each selection of plurality of objects tracking a same part into a three-dimensional representation of the same part; and

means for specifying the plurality of detectable attributes of the user by each combined three-dimensional representation of the same part.

14. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

the capture system for capturing a plurality of sets of user attributes for a group of users over a period of time;

the differential system for detecting at least one common attribute among the group of users different from the normalized model;

the differential system for specifying the at least one common attribute as the at least one differential attribute for the group of users; and

the avatar creator system for applying the at least one differential attribute to customize the at least one avatar to reflect the selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the group of users which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.

15. The system according to claim 11, the avatar creator system further comprising means for graphically distinguishing the differential attributes applied to the customized avatar to visibly indicate the selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.

16. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a storage system for storing the differential attributes for the user; and

the storage system for controlling authorization of the avatar creator system to access the stored differential attributes from the personal storage system.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the avatar creator system further comprises means for customizing the avatar representing a non-human character in a game to reflect one or more of the selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.

18. A program product comprising a storage-type computer-usable medium including a computer-readable program for creating a computer-implemented avatar, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

capture a plurality of detectable attributes of a user;

compare said plurality of detectable attributes with a normalized model of attributes, wherein the normalized model of attributes characterize normal representative attribute values for a particular sample across a plurality of users; and

customize at least one avatar by applying at least one differential attribute representing the difference between the plurality of detectable attributes and the normalized model of attributes, wherein the customized avatar reflects a selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.

19. The program product of claim 18, wherein said computer-readable program is transmitted over a network.

20. The program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to graphically distinguish the differential attributes applied to the customized avatar to visibly indicate the selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.