Population cohort-linked avatar

• US 20090172540A1
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rinaldo, John D. JR., Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Wood, Lowell L. JR., Malamud, Mark A., Leuthardt, Eric C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,775,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/706
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14553 specially adapted for cerebral tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/246 using evoked responses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/378 Visual stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/744 Displaying an avatar, e.g. an animated cartoon character

Abstract

Avatars, computer program products, devices and systems are described that relate to at least one cohort-linked avatar comprising at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state.

Claims

1. A cohort-linked avatar comprising at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state.

2. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 1 wherein the at least one avatar attribute comprises:

at least one attribute of a virtual world avatar.

3. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 1 wherein the at least one avatar attribute comprises:

at least one attribute of a social networking website avatar.

4. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 1 wherein the at least one avatar attribute comprises:

at least one attribute of a gaming avatar.

5. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 1 wherein the at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state comprises:

at least one physical attribute of an avatar that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state.

6. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 1 wherein the at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state comprises:

at least one expression attribute of an avatar that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state.

7. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 1 wherein the at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state comprises:

at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one brain activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state.

8. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 7 wherein the at least one physical attribute of an avatar that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state comprises:

at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one of an electrical brain activity or a blood oxygen level activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state.

9. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 7 wherein the at least one physical attribute of an avatar that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state comprises:

at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association between at least one of functional near infrared brain imaging, electroencephalography, magnetoencephalography, functional magnetic resonance brain imaging, or positron emission tomography of at least one member of a population cohort and at least one mental state.

10. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 1 wherein the at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state comprises:

at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one surrogate marker of brain activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state.

11. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 10 wherein the at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one of an electrical brain activity or a blood oxygen level activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state comprises:

at least one of a physiological skin response, voice stress analysis, iris dilation or constriction analysis, eye movement analysis, or gaze tracking analysis as the at least one surrogate marker of brain activity.

12. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 1 wherein the at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state comprises:

at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a demographic population cohort with at least one mental state.

13. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 1 wherein the at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state comprises:

at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of an ad hoc population cohort with at least one mental state.

14. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 1 wherein the at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state comprises:

at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least three members of a population cohort with at least one mental state.

15. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 1 wherein the at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state comprises:

at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with preference for the avatar attribute.

16. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 1 wherein the at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state comprises:

at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with a feeling of trust for the avatar attribute.

17. The cohort-linked avatar attribute of claim 1 wherein the at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state comprises:

at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with approval of the avatar attribute.

18. A computer program product comprising:

a signal-bearing medium bearing one or more instructions for specifying at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a computer-readable medium.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a recordable medium.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a communications medium.

22. A system comprising:

a computing device; and

instructions that when executed on the computing device cause the computing device to specify at least one avatar attribute that is at least partly based on an association of at least one physiologic activity of at least one member of a population cohort with at least one mental state.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the computing device comprises:

one or more of a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal entertainment device, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a tablet personal computer, a networked computer, a computing system comprised of a cluster of processors, a computing system comprised of a cluster of servers, a workstation computer, and/or a desktop computer.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the computing device is operable to specify the at least one avatar attribute from at least one memory.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the computing device is operable to present from at least one memory the at least one avatar attribute.