SYSTEM AND METHOD TO MODIFY AVATAR CHARACTERISTICS BASED ON INFERRED CONDITIONS

• US 20100153868A1
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J., Finn, Peter G., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Pickover, Clifford A., ALLEN, Sheila E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,741,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827

Abstract

A system and method to modify avatar characteristics and, in particular, to modify avatar characteristics based on inferred conditions. The system comprises a collection engine configured to collect one or more inputs and at least one rule set. The system also comprises an emotion engine configured to accept the one or more inputs and operate on the at least one rule set by comparing the one or more inputs to the at least one rule set, the emotion engine configured to modify at least one characteristic of a user participating in a virtual universe when the comparing produces a match.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a collection engine configured to collect one or more inputs;

at least one rule set; and

an emotion engine configured to accept the one or more inputs and operate on the at least one rule set by comparing the one or more inputs to the at least one rule set, the emotion engine configured to modify at least one characteristic of a user participating in a virtual universe when the comparing produces a match.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a feedback engine configured to provide feedback to the user based on the comparing, wherein an amount and type of the feedback is determined from a policy table.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the policy table comprises one or more audio and/or visual modifications, which are configured to alter an inferred mood.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one rule set comprises at least one of a rule name, rule number, condition test, condition priority, characteristic action, characteristic duration or the at least one characteristic.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more inputs are obtained from at least one of an analysis agent, financial transaction agent, medical and/or prescription agent, environmental sensor, calendar agent, profile information, physiological agent, or biometric agent.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an override configured to prevent the at least one characteristic from being modified and a filter to prevent at least one of the one or more inputs from being sent to the emotion engine.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic is associated with one or more of an avatar, a landscape, a map, and a building.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more inputs are aggregated from a plurality of users and reflected in a building or a landscape.

9. A method implemented on a computer infrastructure for modify characteristics comprising:

ascertaining one or more inputs of an avatar in a virtual universe;

comparing the one or more inputs to at least one rule set via which comprises at least one characteristic;

applying a priority to the at least one characteristic; and

modifying the at least one characteristic based on the priority.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the modifying step is performed when the comparing step produces a match between the one or more inputs and the at least one rule set.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one characteristic includes one or more of hair color, skin color, height, weight, build, emotion, facial expression, voice, clothing, stature, and body movements.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising controlling the at least one avatar characteristic through an Application Program Interface.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing feedback to a user in a virtual universe based on the comparing step and displaying a modified characteristic to one or more avatars within a virtual universe.

14. The method of claim 9, comprising:

ascertaining the one or more inputs from at least one of a text analysis agent, financial transaction agent, medical and/or prescription agent, environmental sensor, calendar agent, profile information, physiological agent, or biometric agent;

comparing the one or more inputs to the at least one rule set via an emotion engine, wherein the rule set comprises at least one of a rule name, rule number, condition test, condition priority, or the at least one characteristic;

providing feedback to a user based on the comparing step, wherein the feedback is determined from a policy table;

allowing the user to override a modification from the modifying step before or after the modification is applied; and

displaying a modified characteristic to one more avatars within a virtual universe.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps of claim 9 are offered by a service provider based on one of a fee and subscription basis.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps of claim 9 are provided on a computer infrastructure, which is one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps of claim 9 are implemented on a combination of software and hardware or hardware.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having readable program code embodied in the storage medium, the computer program product includes at least one component operable to:

obtain one or more inputs;

compare the one or more inputs to at least one rule set to determine an applicability of the at least one rule set, wherein the comparison is performed by an emotion engine;

modify at least one characteristic based on the comparison; and

display the modified at least one characteristic in a virtual universe.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer program product is operable to provide feedback to a user before the display and is further operable to permit the user to override at least one of the modification and the display.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer program product is at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer program product is operable to:

ascertain the one or more inputs from at least one of a text analysis agent, financial transaction agent, medical and/or prescription agent, environmental sensor, calendar agent, profile information, physiological agent, or biometric agent;

compare the one or more inputs to at least one rule set, wherein the rule set comprises at least one of a rule name, rule number, condition test, condition priority, or the at least one characteristic;

provide feedback to a user based on the comparison, wherein the feedback is determined from a policy table;

allow the user to override a modification before or after the modification is applied; and

display a modified characteristic to one more avatars within a virtual universe.

22. A method for deploying an application for modifying audio communications, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

ascertain one or more inputs;

compare the one or more inputs to at least one rule set;

modify at least one avatar characteristic based on the comparison; and

display the modified at least one avatar characteristic in a virtual universe.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one avatar characteristic includes one or more of hair color, skin color, height, weight, build, emotion, facial expression, voice, clothing, stature, and body movements.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more inputs are from one or more of a text analysis agent, financial transaction agent, medical and/or prescription agent, environmental sensor, calendar agent, profile information, physiological agent, or biometric agent.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the computer infrastructure is at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.