CREATING A CUSTOMIZED AVATAR THAT REFLECTS A USER'S DISTINGUISHABLE ATTRIBUTES

• US 20120106796A1
• Filed: 01/09/2012
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Scott T., Paolini, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,058,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 13/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring differences of two or more fluid pressure values
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/08 involving all processing steps from image acquisition to 3D model generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

A capture system captures detectable attributes of a user. A differential system compares the detectable attributes with a normalized model of attributes, wherein the normalized model of attributes characterize normal representative attribute values across a sample of a plurality of users and generates differential attributes representing the differences between the detectable attributes and the normalized model of attributes. Multiple separate avatar creator systems receive the differential attributes and each apply the differential attributes to different base avatars to create custom avatars which reflect a selection of the detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.

Claims

1. A method for creating a computer-implemented avatar, comprising:

receiving, by an avatar creator system, at least one differential attribute from a differential system, wherein the differential attribute represents the difference between a plurality of detectable attributes captured of a user and a normalized model of attributes, wherein the normalized model of attributes characterize normal representative attribute values for a particular attribute as sampled across a plurality of users;

customizing an appearance of at least one avatar, by the avatar creator system, by adjusting at least one adjustable attribute of a base avatar definition by the at least one differential attribute, wherein the customized avatar reflects a selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes as applied to the base avatar definition; and

graphically distinguishing the customized portions of the appearance of the at least one avatar as applied to the base avatar definition by displaying an additional graphical attribute applied only to the customized portions of the at least one avatar reflecting the at least one differential attribute.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

capturing, at a first depth, a surface mapping of the detectable external surface of the user;

capturing, at a second depth, a surface mapping of the user through clothing worn by the user;

capturing, at a third depth, a mapping of points representing at least one of muscle movement and bone movement; and

combining the surface mapping at the first depth, the surface mapping at the second depth and the mapping at the third depth into a three dimensional representation of the user with multiple depths.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

capturing a plurality of video images of the user each at a different angle;

identifying a plurality of objects within the plurality of video images which each track one of a selection of parts of a user;

combining each selection of a plurality of objects tracking a same part into a three-dimensional representation of the same part; and

specifying the plurality of detectable attributes of the user by each combined three-dimensional representation of the same part.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

prompting the user to respond to a particular instruction for a particular script from among a plurality of scripts, wherein a particular behavioral attribute is associated with the particular instruction;

capturing at least one of speech of the user and body movement of the user associated with the particular instruction; and

specifying the plurality of detectable attributes of the user by marking the at least one of speech and body movement as the particular behavioral attribute.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

capturing a plurality of sets of user detectable attributes for a group of users over a period of time;

detecting at least one common attribute among the plurality of sets of user detectable attributes different from the normalized model; and

creating the normalized model of attributes for the plurality of users based on the at least one common attribute.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein graphically distinguishing the customized portions of the appearance of the at least one avatar as applied to the base avatar definition by displaying an additional graphical attribute applied only to the customized portions of the at least one avatar reflecting the at least one differential attribute further comprises:

graphically distinguishing the customized portions of the appearance of the at least one avatar as applied to the base avatar definition by displaying an additional graphical attribute comprising a particular color applied only to the customized portions of the at least one avatar reflecting the at least one differential attribute.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein customizing an appearance of at least one avatar, by the avatar creator system, by adjusting at least one adjustable attribute of a base avatar definition by the at least one differential attribute, wherein the customized avatar reflects a selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes as applied to the base avatar definition, further comprises customizing the at least one avatar for interacting within an environment responsive to a plurality of scripts customized by a plurality of behavioral attributes from at least one selection of differential attributes for a user applied during at least one point in time.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

comparing, by the differential system, said plurality of detectable attributes with the normalized model of attributes, wherein the normalized model of attributes represent a range of normal representative attribute values for the particular attribute;

outputting, by the differential system the at least one differential attribute representing the difference between the plurality of detectable attributes which are outside the range of normal representative attribute values for the particular attribute.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing the plurality of detectable attributes of the user with a timestamp for a time captured;

accessing the plurality of detectable attributes by the avatar creator system at another time;

setting the base level of the at least one adjustable attribute for the at least one avatar by the plurality of detectable attributes from the accessed plurality of detectable attributes.

10. A system for creating a computer-implemented avatar, comprising:

an avatar creator system operative on one or more processors and one or more memories;

the avatar creator system operative to receive at least one differential attribute from a differential system, wherein the differential attribute represents the difference between a plurality of detectable attributes captured of a user and a normalized model of attributes, wherein the normalized model of attributes characterize normal representative attribute values for a particular attribute as sampled across a plurality of users;

the avatar creator system operative to customize an appearance of at least one avatar by adjusting at least one adjustable attribute of a base avatar definition by the at least one differential attribute, wherein the customized avatar reflects a selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes as applied to the base avatar definition; and

the avatar creator system operative to graphically distinguish the customized portions of the appearance of the at least one avatar as applied to the base avatar definition by displaying an additional graphical attribute applied only to the customized portions of the at least one avatar reflecting the at least one differential attribute.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a capture system operative to capture, at a first depth, a surface mapping of the detectable external surface of the user;

the capture system operative to capture, at a second depth, a surface mapping of the user through clothing worn by the user;

the capture system operative to capture, at a third depth, a mapping of points representing at least one of muscle movement and bone movement; and

the capture system operative to combine the surface mapping at the first depth, the surface mapping at the second depth and the mapping at the third depth into a three dimensional representation of the user with multiple depths.

12. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a capture system operative to capture a plurality of video images of the user each at a different angle;

the capture system operative to identify a plurality of objects within the plurality of video images which each track one of a selection of parts of a user;

the capture system operative to combine each selection of a plurality of objects tracking a same part into a three-dimensional representation of the same part; and

the capture system operative to specify the plurality of detectable attributes of the user by each combined three-dimensional representation of the same part.

13. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a capture system for capturing a plurality of sets of user detectable attributes for a group of users over a period of time;

the differential system for detecting at least one common attribute among the plurality of sets of user detectable attributes different from the normalized model;

the differential system for creating the normalized model of attributes of the plurality of users based on the at least one common attribute.

14. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

the differential system for concurrently outputting the at least one differential attribute concurrently via a network to a plurality of avatar creator systems;

each of a plurality of avatar creator systems for applying a separate equation specifying a separate base level of a separate at least one adjustable attribute to customize a different base avatar at each of the plurality of avatar creator systems.

15. A program product comprising a computer-readable storage device including a computer-readable program for creating a computer-implemented avatar, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

receive at least one differential attribute from a differential system, wherein the differential attribute represents the difference between a plurality of detectable attributes captured of a user and a normalized model of attributes, wherein the normalized model of attributes characterize normal representative attribute values for a particular attribute as sampled across a plurality of users;

customize an appearance of at least one avatar by adjusting at least one adjustable attribute of a base avatar definition by the at least one differential attribute, wherein the customized avatar reflects a selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes as applied to the base avatar definition; and

graphically distinguish the customized portions of the appearance of the at least one avatar as applied to the base avatar definition by displaying an additional graphical attribute applied only to the customized portions of the at least one avatar reflecting the at least one differential attribute.