AUTOMATED AVATAR MOOD EFFECTS IN A VIRTUAL WORLD

• US 20100146407A1
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Speicher, Steven K., Bokor, Brian R., Smith, Andrew B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,568,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A method for automated avatar mood effects in a virtual world may include detecting occurrence of a mood changing condition relatable to a user'"'"'s avatar. The method may also include determining an avatar mood effect from a plurality of predefined avatar mood effects to be applied to the user'"'"'s avatar in the virtual world based on the detected mood changing condition. The method may further include automatically applying the avatar mood effect to the user'"'"'s avatar in the virtual world in response to detecting occurrence of the mood changing condition and determining an applicable avatar mood effect based on the detected mood changing condition and presenting the automatically applied avatar mood effect in association with the user'"'"'s avatar in the virtual world.

Claims

1. A method for automated avatar mood effects in a virtual world, comprising:

detecting occurrence of a mood changing condition relatable to a user'"'"'s avatar;

determining an avatar mood effect from a plurality of predefined avatar mood effects to be applied to the user'"'"'s avatar in the virtual world based on the detected mood changing condition;

automatically applying the avatar mood effect to the user'"'"'s avatar in the virtual world in response to detecting occurrence of the mood changing condition and determining an applicable avatar mood effect based on the detected mood changing condition; and

presenting the automatically applied avatar mood effect in association with the user'"'"'s avatar in the virtual world.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting occurrence of a mood changing condition comprises at least one of:

detecting occurrence of the mood changing condition in the virtual world;

detecting occurrence of the mood changing condition outside of the virtual world; and

detecting occurrence of the mood changing condition in a combination of the virtual world and outside of the virtual world.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving data from a real world source to determine occurrence of a mood changing condition in the real world.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a rule to determine when a mood changing condition occurs and which of the plurality of predefined avatar mood effects is to be automatically applied to the user'"'"'s avatar.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the user to override the avatar mood effect automatically applied to the user'"'"'s avatar.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the user to select another mood effect to override the automatically applied avatar mood effect.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a programmed state machine for interaction between the virtual world and the real world for automatically applying the avatar mood effect to the user'"'"'s avatar.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an interface to define each of the plurality of avatar mood effects.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein presenting the interface to define each of the plurality of avatar mood effects comprises:

permitting a script to be associated with each avatar mood effect;

permitting an action to be associated with each avatar mood effect, wherein the action associated with a particular mood effect is performable by the user'"'"'s avatar while the particular mood effect is associated with user'"'"'s avatar; and

permitting an appearance of the user'"'"'s avatar to be associated with each mood effect.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an interface for defining rules for automatically applying the avatar mood effects and for transitioning from one avatar mood effect to another.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein presenting the interface for defining rules for automatically applying the avatar mood effects comprises:

allowing selection of at least one input for detecting occurrence of the mood changing condition; and

allowing creation of a conditional statement for automatically applying the avatar mood effect based on the detected mood changing condition.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting at least one of a visual indicator and an audible indicator associated with the user'"'"'s avatar to other users in the virtual world in response to the avatar mood effect being automatically applied to the user'"'"'s avatar.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically changing the avatar mood effect presentable to other users in the virtual world in response to detecting occurrence of another mood changing condition.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of presenting a predefined script in association with the user'"'"'s avatar to other users in the virtual world to indicate the automatically applied avatar mood effect of the user'"'"'s avatar in the virtual world, the user'"'"'s avatar performing a predefined action to indicate the automatically applied avatar mood effect of the user'"'"'s avatar in the virtual world, and the user'"'"'s avatar having a predetermined appearance in the virtual world to indicate the automatically applied mood of the user'"'"'s avatar.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

standardizing the plurality of mood effects as avatar mood effect attributes within the virtual world; and

permitting the mood effect attributes to be shared by other avatars in the virtual world.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising permitting a query by another user of the mood effect of the user'"'"'s avatar to assist in interacting within the virtual world.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing mining of mood effect changes and any actions taken by the user'"'"'s avatar while in a particular mood effect.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a predetermined action based on each avatar mood effect change, the predetermined action to be performed by the user'"'"'s avatar in the virtual world in response to the avatar mood effect being automatically applied to the user'"'"'s avatar; and

triggering the change in the mood effect in response to occurrence of the changing condition associate with the predetermined action.

19. A system for automated avatar mood effects in a virtual world, comprising:

a processor;

a module operable on the processor for automated avatar mood effects, wherein the module comprises;

a unit to detect occurrence of a mood changing condition relatable to a user'"'"'s avatar;

a unit to determine an avatar mood effect from a plurality of predefined avatar mood effects to be applied to the user'"'"'s avatar in the virtual world based on the detected mood changing condition;

a unit to automatically apply the avatar mood effect to the user'"'"'s avatar in the virtual world in response to detecting occurrence of the mood changing condition and determining an applicable avatar mood effect based on the detected mood changing condition; and

a unit to present the automatically applied avatar mood effect in association with the user'"'"'s avatar in the virtual world.

20. A computer program product for automated avatar mood effects in a virtual world, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therein, the computer usable medium comprising;

computer usable program code configured to detect occurrence of a mood changing condition relatable to a user'"'"'s avatar;

computer usable program code configured to determine an avatar mood effect from a plurality of predefined avatar mood effects to be applied to the user'"'"'s avatar in the virtual world based on the detected mood changing condition;

computer usable program code configured to automatically apply the avatar mood effect to the user'"'"'s avatar in the virtual world in response to detecting occurrence of the mood changing condition and determining an applicable avatar mood effect based on the detected mood changing condition; and

computer usable program code configured to present the automatically applied avatar mood effect in association with the user'"'"'s avatar in the virtual world.