AVATAR APPEARANCE TRANSFORMATION IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE

• US 20100083148A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Finn, Peter G., Sand, Anne R., Li, Jenny S., Hamilton,, Rick A. II
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings

Abstract

Methods, articles of manufacture, systems, articles and programmable devices are provided for configuring a chameleon avatar in response to data associated with a target avatar within a virtual universe. In response to determining that an engagement of a chameleon avatar with a target avatar is indicated, it is determined whether the chameleon avatar should maintain an initial appearance or be auto-morphed for engagement with the target avatar. Auto-morphing may be accomplished by reading an attribute from metadata associated with the target avatar, selecting a baseline avatar template and auto-morphing the baseline template to incorporate the read attribute. Target avatar attributes include gender, interests, outfits attribute, ethnic data, language and preferences, as well as others. The chameleon may mimic an appearance of the target avatar.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a chameleon avatar in response to data associated with a target avatar within a virtual universe, comprising:

determining that an engagement of a chameleon avatar with a target avatar is indicated, the chameleon avatar having an initial appearance configuration;

determining whether the chameleon avatar should be auto-morphed for engagement with the target avatar;

if the auto-morph determining determines that an auto-morph is appropriate for the indicated engagement;

reading an attribute from metadata associated with the target avatar;

selecting a baseline avatar template as a function of the read attribute; and

auto-morphing the baseline template to incorporate the read attribute; and

the chameleon avatar engaging the target avatar in the initial appearance configuration if the auto-morph determining determines that an auto-morph is not appropriate, or in the auto-morphed baseline template if the auto-morph determining determines that an auto-morph is appropriate.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a group of avatars associated with the target avatar;

and

wherein the selecting the baseline avatar template comprises forming the baseline template as an amalgam of attributes of a plurality of the group of avatars.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reading the attribute from metadata associated with the target avatar comprises reading at least one of:

a target avatar'"'"'s gender attribute, an interest attribute, an outfit attribute, an ethnic data attribute, a language-used attribute, a likes attribute and a preferences attribute.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising an appearance of the auto-morphed baseline template mimicking an appearance of the target avatar associated with the read attribute, wherein the mimicking appearance is selected from the group comprising a gender, a body dimension, a style of clothing, a hair style, a skin color, a language accent, a language slang expression, and an ethnic appearance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute is a plurality of attributes, and wherein auto-morphing the baseline template to incorporate the read attributes further comprises:

incorporating a value of each of the read attributes into an attribute field of the base template;

adding a delta value to a one of the read attribute values to generate a delta-revised read attribute value; and

incorporating the delta-revised read attribute value into an attribute field of the base template.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein auto-morphing the baseline template to incorporate the read attribute further comprises an appearance of the chameleon avatar auto-morphed baseline template diverging from an appearance of the target avatar associated with the read attribute as a function of the delta value.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising randomly setting the delta value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining that an engagement of the chameleon avatar with a target avatar further comprises:

predefining a target list of at least one listed avatar for the chameleon avatar;

detecting a proximity of an avatar within a defined proximity of the chameleon avatar; and

determining if the avatar detected within the defined proximity matches the at least one listed avatar.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining whether the chameleon avatar should be auto-morphed for engagement with the target avatar further comprises:

predefining a plurality of engagement contexts within the virtual universe for which auto-morphing of the chameleon is triggered;

detecting a current context of the indicated engagement; and

the auto-morph determining that an auto-morph is appropriate for the indicated engagement if the current context matches a one of the predefined plurality of engagement contexts.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transforming the chameleon avatar as a function of a changing determination of the current context.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising revising the delta value as a function of the determined context.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising associating an auto-morph on indicator or an auto-morph off indicator with each of the plurality of engagement contexts and the at least one listed avatar;

and

determining the chameleon avatar should be auto-morphed in response to an association of the auto-morph on indicator with an at least one listed avatar matching the avatar detected within the defined proximity and a one of the predefined plurality of engagement contexts matching the current context.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

defining a proximity threshold for the determining whether the chameleon avatar should be auto-morphed for engagement; and

determining the chameleon avatar should be auto-morphed in response to a location of the target avatar within the proximity threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the target avatar is a first target avatar and the read attribute is a first read attribute, further comprising:

determining that an engagement of the chameleon avatar with a second target avatar is indicated;

reading a second appearance attribute from metadata associated with the second target avatar, wherein auto-morphing the baseline template to incorporate the second read attribute produces an auto-morphed avatar appearance conflicting with a auto-morphed avatar appearance generated by auto-morphing the baseline template in response to the first read attribute; and

resolving the conflict by selecting the first read attribute over the second read attribute as a function of preferring the first target avatar over the second target avatar, and auto-morphing the baseline template to incorporate the selected attribute.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising preferring the first target avatar over the second target avatar as a function of at least one of:

a closer proximity of the first target avatar to the chameleon avatar relative to a proximity of the second target avatar to the chameleon avatar; and

a higher status of the first target avatar relative to a status of the second target avatar.

16. A service for configuring a chameleon avatar within a virtual universe in response to data associated with a target avatar, comprising:

a service provider deploying a computer application within the virtual universe configured to;

determine that an engagement of the chameleon avatar with a target avatar is indicated, the chameleon avatar having an initial appearance configuration;

determine whether the chameleon avatar should be auto-morphed for engagement with the target avatar;

if the auto-morph determining determines that an auto-morph is appropriate for the indicated engagement;

read an attribute from metadata associated with the target avatar;

select a baseline avatar template as a function of the read attribute; and

auto-morph the baseline template to incorporate the read attribute; and

cause the chameleon avatar to engage the target avatar in the initial appearance configuration if the auto-morph determining determines that an auto-morph is not appropriate, or in the auto-morphed baseline template if the auto-morph determining determines that an auto-morph is appropriate.

17. The service of claim 16, wherein the attribute is a plurality of attributes, and wherein the computer application is further configured to auto-morph the baseline template to incorporate the read attribute by:

incorporating a value of each of the read attributes into an attribute field of the base template;

adding a delta value to a one of the read attribute values to generate a delta-revised read attribute value; and

incorporating the delta-revised read attribute value into an attribute field of the base template.

18. The service of claim 17, wherein the computer application is further configured to cause an appearance of the auto-morphed baseline template to mimic an appearance of the target avatar associated with the read attribute, wherein the mimicking appearance is selected from the group comprising:

a gender, a body dimension, a style of clothing, a hair style, a skin color, a language accent, a language slang expression, and an ethnic appearance.

19. The service of claim 18 wherein the computer application is further configured to:

detect a current context of the virtual universe for the chameleon; and

cause the chameleon avatar to engage the target avatar in the auto-morphed baseline template if the current context matches one of a predefined plurality of engagement contexts for which auto-morphing of the chameleon is triggered.

20. A method for configuring a chameleon avatar in response to data associated with a target avatar within a virtual universe, comprising:

producing computer executable program code;

storing the code on a computer readable medium;

providing the program code to be deployed and executed on a computer system engaging a virtual universe, the program code causing the computer system to;

determine that an engagement of a chameleon avatar with a target avatar is indicated, the chameleon avatar having an initial appearance configuration;

determine whether the chameleon avatar should be auto-morphed for engagement with the target avatar;

if the auto-morph determining determines that an auto-morph is appropriate for the indicated engagement;

read an attribute from metadata associated with the target avatar;

select a baseline avatar template as a function of the read attribute; and

auto-morph the baseline template to incorporate the read attribute; and

cause the chameleon avatar to engage the target avatar in the initial appearance configuration if the auto-morph determining determines that an auto-morph is not appropriate, or in the auto-morphed baseline template if the auto-morph determining determines that an auto-morph is appropriate.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the attribute is a plurality of attributes, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to auto-morph the baseline template to incorporate the read plurality of attributes by:

incorporating a value of each of the read attributes into an attribute field of the base template;

adding a delta value to a one of the read attribute values to generate a delta-revised read attribute value; and

incorporating the delta-revised read attribute value into an attribute field of the base template.

22. The method of claim 21, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to further:

determine a context of the indicated engagement;

revise the delta value as a function of the determined context; and

determine whether the chameleon avatar should be auto-morphed for engagement as a function of the determined context.

23. A programmable device comprising:

a processing means;

a memory in communication with the processing means comprising a logic component; and

a network interface in communication with the processing means and the memory;

wherein the processing means is configured to configure a chameleon avatar within a virtual universe in communication with the network interface by;

determining that an engagement of the chameleon avatar with a target avatar is indicated, the chameleon avatar having an initial appearance configuration;

determining whether the chameleon avatar should be auto-morphed for engagement with the target avatar;

if the auto-morph determining determines that an auto-morph is appropriate for the indicated engagement;

reading an attribute from metadata associated with the target avatar;

selecting a baseline avatar template as a function of the read attribute; and

auto-morphing the baseline template to incorporate the read attribute; and

causing the chameleon avatar to engage the target avatar in the initial appearance configuration if the auto-morph determining determines that an auto-morph is not appropriate, or in the auto-morphed baseline template if the auto-morph determining determines that an auto-morph is appropriate.

24. The programmable device of claim 23, wherein the processing means is configured to detect a current context of the virtual universe for the chameleon;

and

cause the chameleon avatar to engage the target avatar in the auto-morphed baseline template if the current context matches one of a predefined plurality of engagement contexts for which auto-morphing of the chameleon is triggered.

25. The programmable device of claim 24, wherein the processing means is configured to select the read attribute from a first target avatar over an attribute of a second target avatar as a function of at least one of:

a closer proximity of the first target avatar to the chameleon avatar relative to a proximity of a second target avatar to the chameleon avatar; and

a higher status of the first target avatar relative to a status of the second target avatar.