METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTING AVATAR MODIFICATIONS IN ANOTHER USER'S AVATAR

• US 20090158160A1
• Filed: 12/13/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: THORSON, Dean, ALBERTH, William P. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 9,191,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/733
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1025 of avatars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus that implements avatar modifications to another user'"'"'s avatar from a first mobile communication device is disclosed. The method may include selecting an avatar modification to relating to a user of a second mobile communication device based on input from a user, and sending a signal to initiate transmission of selected avatar modification to at least one of the second mobile communication device, an avatar management server, and a plurality of mobile communication devices wherein the user'"'"'s avatar modification may be viewed by other mobile communication device users.

Claims

1. A method for implementing avatar modifications to another user'"'"'s avatar from a first mobile communication device, comprising:

selecting an avatar modification relating to a user of a second mobile communication device; and

sending a signal to initiate transmission of selected avatar modification to at least one of the second mobile communication device, an avatar management server, and a plurality of mobile communication devices wherein the user'"'"'s avatar modification may be viewed by other mobile communication device users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected avatar modification shows one of emotions, mood, state or mind, presence, and present status, on the second communication device user'"'"'s avatar.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating the avatar modification, wherein the created avatar modification is selected.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device are members of a mobile communication group, one member of the group causing other members of the group to view the second mobile communication device user'"'"'s avatar with modification.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein another member of the mobile communication group may modify the avatar modification.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the avatar modification expires after a predetermined time period.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected avatar modification shows the user'"'"'s avatar as one of smiling, frowning, crying, sleeping, angry, and laughing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each mobile communication device is one of a portable MP3 player, a satellite radio receiver, an AM/FM radio receiver, a satellite television, a portable music player, a portable computer, a wireless radio, a wireless telephone, a portable digital video recorder, a cellular telephone, a mobile telephone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

9. A mobile communication device that implements avatar modifications to another user'"'"'s avatar, comprising:

a communication interface; and

an avatar management unit that selects an avatar modification relating to a user of a second mobile communication device based on input from a user, and sends a signal using the communication interface to initiate transmission of selected avatar modification to at least one of the second mobile communication device, an avatar management server, and a plurality of mobile communication devices wherein the user'"'"'s avatar modification may be viewed by other mobile communication device users.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the selected avatar modification shows one of emotions, mood, state or mind, presence, and present status, on the second communication device user'"'"'s avatar.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the avatar management unit receives an avatar modification created by a user, wherein the created avatar modification is selected based on the user'"'"'s input.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the first mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device are members of a mobile communication group, one member of the group causing other members of the group to view the second mobile communication device user'"'"'s avatar modification.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein another member of the mobile communication group may modify the avatar modification.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the avatar modification expires after a predetermined time period.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the selected avatar modification shows the user'"'"'s avatar as one of smiling, frowning, crying, sleeping, angry, and laughing.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the mobile communication device is one of a portable MP3 player, a satellite radio receiver, an AM/FM radio receiver, a satellite television, a portable music player, a portable computer, a wireless radio, a wireless telephone, a portable digital video recorder, a cellular telephone, a mobile telephone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

17. A method for managing avatar modifications in a mobile communication system, comprising:

receiving an avatar modification from a first mobile communication device, the avatar relating to a user of a second mobile communication device;

storing the avatar modification relating to the user of the second mobile communication device;

receiving a signal to send the stored avatar modification to one or more mobile communication devices; and

sending the avatar modification to the one or more mobile communication devices.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a second avatar modification to the avatar of the second mobile communication device; and

updating the avatar modification of the avatar of the second mobile communication device user.

19. An avatar management server, comprising:

a memory; and

an avatar management module that receives an avatar modification from a first mobile communication device, the avatar relating to a user of a second mobile communication device, stores the avatar modification relating to the user of the second mobile communication device in the memory, receiving a signal to send the stored avatar modification to one or more mobile communication devices, and sending the avatar modification to the one or more mobile communication devices.

20. The avatar management server of claim 19, wherein the avatar management module receives a second avatar modification to the avatar of the second mobile communication device, and updates the avatar modification of the avatar of the second mobile communication device user.