SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADAPTABLE AVATARS

• US 20140160149A1
• Filed: 05/08/2013
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bitstrips, Inc. (Snap, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blackstock, Jacob Edward, Kennedy, David James, Panth, Shahan, Baldwin, Dorian Franklin
• Granted Patent: US 10,155,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a 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: 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: 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 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation

Abstract

There is disclosed a system and method of providing adaptable avatars. In an embodiment, the method comprises: designing an avatar with components for a first service environment; saving the avatar components; retrieving the avatar components from a second service environment; and rendering a new version of that avatar for the second service environment using the saved avatar components.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a first computing device maintaining avatar data describing at least one avatar component of a first avatar designed for a first service environment, the avatar data associated with an identifier;

the first computing device receiving a request from a second service environment related to generation of a second avatar, the request including identification data and at least one requested avatar component;

based at least partly on a correspondence between the respective identifier and the received identification data, the first computing device transmitting to the second service environment the avatar data describing the at least one avatar component corresponding to the at least one requested avatar component type; and

the second service environment generating the second avatar based at least partly on the avatar data received from the first computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising the first computing device deriving the avatar data from the first avatar.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising the second service environment rendering the generated second avatar.

4. The method of claim 1, the first computing device receiving a request from a third service environment related to generation of a third avatar, wherein a common look and feel is provided based on common elements of the second avatar and third avatar.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second service environment is operating at the first computing device.

6. A computer system for providing adaptable avatars comprising:

(a) a first computing device enabling the generation of avatar data describing at least one avatar component of a first avatar designed for a first service environment, the avatar data associated with an identifier;

the first computing device being responsive to a request from a second computing device associated with a second service environment, the request being related to generation of a second avatar, the request including identification data and at least one requested avatar component;

based at least partly on a correspondence between the respective identifier and the received identification data, the first computing device transmitting to the second service environment the avatar data describing the at least one avatar component corresponding to the at least one requested avatar component type; and

the second computing device using an API to generate the second avatar for a second service environment based at least partly on the avatar data received from the first computing device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the API is configured to receive a request from the second computing device for avatar data, and to communicate this request to the first computing device;

in response the first computing device accesses avatar data that is responsive to the request, and this avatar data is communicated to the API, and the API provides the avatar data to the second computing device in a form that enables the rendering of the second avatar.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first computing device maintains a profile for each user that includes the avatar data and other relevant information based on one or more interactions between avatars rendered for the user based on the avatar data for one or more online environments.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the system enables the rendering of an avatar to the second service environment in a way that adapts the avatar to one or more attributes of the second environment, without the need to recreate the avatar for the second environment.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the avatar data is generated for the first avatar in a way that avatar components are defined and organized relative to one another such that selected avatar components may be parsed and used to generate different versions of the avatar that still maintain aspects of the look and feel of the first avatar.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the avatar data is stored in a common data format that is usable by a wide variety of online environments.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the API is operable to interpret requests from the second service environment so as to generate and communicate to the first computer device a request that is actionable by the first computer device so as to access relevant portions of the profile that are responsive to the request in that they contain the information required for the second service environment.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the second avatar is rendered by the second service environment in a way that is contextually relevant and responsive to the user, without the need to deploy substantial technology infrastructure in the second service environment and other service environments.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the API is operable to collect information relevant to the interaction of the avatar with the second service environment and this information is transferred to the first service environment for logging to the profile to enhance the experience of the user in subsequent renderings of the avatar a different version of the avatar.