Systems and Methods for Providing An Interactive Avatar

• US 20130257876A1
• Filed: 03/28/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Videx Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Videx Incorporated
• Inventors: Davis, Paul R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,702,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/473
• 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 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/08 Probabilistic or stochastic CAD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• 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: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for a computer-implemented method of providing an interactive avatar that reacts to a communication from a communicating party. Data from an avatar characteristic table is provided to an avatar action model, where the avatar characteristic table is a data structure stored on a computer-readable medium that includes values for a plurality of avatar personality characteristics. A communication with the avatar is received from the communicating party. A next state for the avatar is determined using the avatar action model, where the avatar action model determines the next state based on the data from the avatar characteristic table, a current state for the avatar, and the communication. The next state for the avatar is implemented, and the avatar characteristic table is updated based on the communication from the communicating party, where a subsequent state for the avatar is determined based on the updated avatar characteristic table.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing an interactive avatar that reacts to a communication from a communicating party, comprising:

providing data from an avatar characteristic table to an avatar action model, wherein the avatar characteristic table is a data structure stored on a computer-readable medium that includes values for a plurality of avatar personality characteristics;

receiving a communication with the avatar from the communicating party;

determining a next state for the avatar using the avatar action model, wherein the avatar action model determines the next state based on the data from the avatar characteristic table, a current state for the avatar, and the communication;

implementing the next state for the avatar, wherein the implemented next state is made discernible to the communicating party; and

updating the avatar characteristic table based on the communication from the communicating party, wherein a subsequent state for the avatar is determined based on the updated avatar characteristic table.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the avatar is configured to represent traits of a human subject.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the avatar characteristic table is generated or adjusted based on observations of the human subject.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the observations of the human subject are made during an interview with the human subject.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the next state comprises:

providing the data from the avatar characteristic table, the current state for the avatar, and the human communication to a Markov model to determine the next state.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the avatar characteristic table includes data associated with a visual characteristic of the human subject, a vocal characteristic of the human subject, and a behavioral characteristic of the human subject.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the behavioral characteristic is used in determining the next state for the avatar, and wherein the visual characteristic and the vocal characteristic are used in implementing the next state for the avatar.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication with the avatar is received via a keyboard, a mouse, video, motion capture, or automatic speech recognition.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the next state identifies a phoneme that should be played or a facial expression that should be displayed in implementing the next state for the avatar.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the next state identifies a video segment that should be played in implementing the next state for the avatar.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the avatar is animated by playing a plurality of video segments in order.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a smoothing operation is performed to smooth transitions between the plurality of video segments.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the video segment was captured via an interview with the human subject or via an observed interaction involving the human subject.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the avatar characteristic table results in the communication with the avatar from the communicating party being remembered by the avatar in the future.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the communicating party communicates with the avatar representing traits of the human subject after the death of the human subject.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the avatar characteristic table is configured to contain a story told by the human subject, wherein the next state for the avatar comprises recitation of the story by the avatar.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the avatar is provided for interaction or display for a fee.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the avatar is provided for interaction or display via a mobile telephone.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the avatar characteristic table is adjusted upon payment of a fee.

20. The method of claim 2, wherein implementing the next state includes displaying a facial expression representative of an appearance of the human subject and playing a phoneme representative of a voice of the human subject.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein implementing the next state further includes outputting a smell.

22. The method of claim 2, wherein the avatar characteristic table includes a vocabulary of the human subject, a likelihood of a type of response of the human subject, a gesture of the human subject, or a likelihood of a gesture of the human subject.

23. The method of claim 2, wherein the avatar is provided on a mobile telephone when a call or other message is received.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the avatar is animated on the mobile telephone during a telephone call from the human subject, wherein the human avatar lip syncs words spoken by the human subject.

25. The method of claim of claim 1, wherein the avatar is provided on a mobile telephone when a call or other message is received from a human subject, wherein the avatar is configured to represent traits of the human subject or a person other than the human subject.

26. A system for providing an interactive avatar that reacts to a communication from a communicating party, comprising:

one or more data processors;

one or more computer-readable mediums encoded with instructions for commanding the one or more data processors to execute steps including;

providing data from an avatar characteristic table to an avatar action model, wherein the avatar characteristic table is a data structure stored on a computer-readable medium that includes values for a plurality of avatar personality characteristics;

receiving a communication with the avatar from the communicating party;

determining a next state for the avatar using the avatar action model, wherein the avatar action model determines the next state based on the data from the avatar characteristic table, a current state for the avatar, and the communication;

implementing the next state for the avatar, wherein the implemented next state is made discernible to the communicating party; and

updating the avatar characteristic table based on the communication from the communicating party, wherein a subsequent state for the avatar is determined based on the updated avatar characteristic table.

27. A computer-readable medium encoded with instructions for commanding one or more data processors to execute steps of a method for providing an interactive avatar that reacts to a communication from a communicating party, the steps comprising:

providing data from an avatar characteristic table to an avatar action model, wherein the avatar characteristic table is a data structure stored on a computer-readable medium that includes values for a plurality of avatar personality characteristics;

receiving a communication with the avatar from the communicating party;

determining a next state for the avatar using the avatar action model, wherein the avatar action model determines the next state based on the data from the avatar characteristic table, a current state for the avatar, and the communication;

implementing the next state for the avatar, wherein the implemented next state is made discernible to the communicating party; and

updating the avatar characteristic table based on the communication from the communicating party, wherein a subsequent state for the avatar is determined based on the updated avatar characteristic table.