DIALOG SERVER FOR HANDLING CONVERSATION IN VIRTUAL SPACE METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR HAVING CONVERSATION IN VIRTUAL SPACE

• US 20150310866A9
• Filed: 10/07/2013
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kurata, Gakuto, Nagano, Tohru, Tatsubori, Michiaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,583,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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 dialog server which provides dialogs made by at least one user through their respective avatars in a virtual space. A method and a computer readable article of manufacture tangibly embodying computer readable instructions for executing the steps of the method are also provided. The dialog server includes: a position storage unit which stores positional information on the avatars; an utterance receiver which receives at least one utterance of avatars and utterance strength representing an importance or attention level of the utterance; an interest level calculator which calculates interest levels between avatars based on their positional information; a message processor which generates a message based on the utterance in accordance with a value calculated from the interest levels and the utterance strength; and a message transmitter which transmits the message to the avatars.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

storing positional information on at least a first avatar and a second avatar;

receiving (i) at least one utterance from said first avatar and (ii) at least one utterance strength representing an importance or attention level of said at least one utterance;

calculating at least one interest level between said first avatar and said second avatar based on said positional information;

generating at least one message from said at least one utterance in accordance with a value calculated from said at least one interest level and said at least one utterance strength; and

transmitting said at least one message to said second avatar;

wherein, in said step of generating said at least one message, said message is generated from said at least one utterance only when a value calculated from said at least one interest level and said at least one utterance strength is not less than a predetermined threshold value.