PRESENTATION OF AN AVATAR IN A MEDIA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20150334447A1
• Filed: 07/27/2015
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, E-Lee, ROBERTS, LINDA, CLAYTON, DARNELL, KHANDELWAL, MADHUR, SCHROETER, HORST JUERGEN
• Granted Patent: US 9,648,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a system that generates an avatar having a first behavior determined by a user profile of a user. An avatar profile is received from a content source for modifying the avatar according to a second behavior. The avatar is modified to generate an adaptive avatar based on the avatar profile. The adaptive avatar has, at least in part, the second behavior determined by the avatar profile, while retaining, at least in part, the first behavior determined by the user profile of the user. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising

a processor;

and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

generating an avatar having a first behavior determined by user profile of a user;

receiving from a content source an avatar profile for modifying the avatar according to a second behavior; and

modifying the avatar to generate an adaptive avatar based on the avatar profile, the adaptive avatar in having at least in part the second behavior determined by the avatar profile retaining at least in part the first behavior determined by the user profile of the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise detecting a requirement for initiation of a communication session based on gestures detected by equipment of the user, wherein the second behavior is determined based on user preferences and behavior modeling of monitored media consumption.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the generating of the adapted avatar is responsive to initiation of a communication session between equipment of the user and the content source, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting a termination of the communication session with the content source, wherein the modifying of the avatar is responsive to the detecting of the termination of the communication session.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the avatar profile comprises appearance aspects, a content search method and a content presentation method, wherein media content of the content source is broadcast to media processing equipment of the user, and wherein the generating of the adapted avatar is based on the avatar profile without utilizing another avatar profile provided by a local content source.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user profile comprises demographic profiling information associated with the user, psychographic profiling information associated with the user and user preferences received from equipment of the user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise determining the demographic profiling information associated with the user from media consumption behavior associated with the user.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the demographic profiling information associated with the user is based on one of age, gender, income, number of occupants in household, occupation, education, value of residential property, location of residential property, fees paid for services rendered or a combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the psychographic profiling information associated with the user is determined from consumption behavior monitored, and wherein the psychographic profiling information is based on one of user traits, user attitudes, user interests, or user lifestyles determined from the consumption behavior.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving an advertisement that is selected based on the user profile, wherein the adapted avatar is presented with the advertisement.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the content source comprises one of a media on demand source, a digital media recorder source or both, wherein the avatar profile is supplied by the one of the media on demand source, the digital media recorder source or both.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first comprises health characteristics associated with the user, and wherein the modifying of the avatar is based on the health characteristics associated with the user.

12. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions, which when executed by a processor facilitate a performance of operations comprising:

accessing an avatar having a first plurality of characteristics determined by a user profile of a user; and

generating an adapted avatar according to an avatar profile supplied by a content source, the avatar profile including information descriptive of a second plurality of characteristics that differ from the first plurality of characteristics, and the adapted avatar emulating at least in part the first plurality of characteristics and the second plurality of characteristics.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the generating of the adapted avatar is based on a communication session between equipment of the user and the content source, wherein the operations further comprise:

retaining in the adapted avatar a first characteristic of the first plurality of characteristics that correspond to the user profile, while adding a second characteristic of the second plurality of characteristics to the avatar profile supplied by the content source;

detecting a termination of the communication session with the content source; and

restoring the avatar, responsive to the detecting of the termination, based on the first plurality of characteristics that correspond to the user profile.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the generating of the adapted avatar is based on the communication session between equipment of the user and the content source, wherein the user profile comprises one of demographic profiling information associated with the user, psychographic profiling information associated with the user, user preferences received from the equipment of the user, or a combination thereof, and wherein the avatar profile comprises appearance aspects, a content search method, and a content presentation method associated with the avatar profile supplied by the content source.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise determining the demographic profiling information associated with the user from a subscriber account associated with the user and a media consumption behavior associated with the user.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the demographic profiling information associated with the user is based on one of age, gender, income, number of occupants in household, occupation, education, value of residential property, location of residential property, fees paid for services rendered by an interactive television system or combinations thereof, wherein the psychographic profiling information associated with the user is determined from consumption behavior, and wherein the psychographic profiling information is based on one of user traits, user attitudes, user interests, user lifestyle determined from the consumption behavior or combinations thereof.

17. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a system comprising a processor, a communication exchange between equipment of a user and an avatar, wherein the avatar reflects a first plurality of characteristics that correspond to a user profile of the user; and

generating, by the system, an adapted avatar for presentation by modifying the avatar according to an avatar profile provided by a content source, the adapted avatar having a first characteristic of the first plurality of characteristics that correspond to the user profile and a second characteristic of a second plurality of characteristics that corresponds to the avatar profile supplied by the content source, the avatar profile comprising gesture information based on a gesture indicative of a behavior that differs from an original behavior of the avatar.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the avatar profile supplied by the content source is based on a character, the method further comprising presenting, by the system, the adapted avatar, wherein the adapted avatar emulates the gesture indicative of a behavior of the character.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the generating of the adapted avatar is based on a communication session between equipment of the user and the content source, the method further comprising:

retrieving, by the system, the user profile associated with the user, wherein the generating of the adapted avatar comprises retaining the first characteristic of the first plurality of characteristics, wherein the first characteristic of the first plurality of characteristics is determined based on behavior modeling of the user utilizing a media consumption behavior of the user;

detecting, by the system, a termination of the communication session with the content source; and

removing, by the system, from the adapted avatar, the second characteristic of the second plurality of characteristics in response to the detecting of the termination of the communication session with the content source.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the avatar profile provided by the content source comprises one of appearance aspects, a content search method, a content presentation method or combinations thereof, and wherein the user profile comprises one of demographic profiling information of the user, psychographic profiling information of the user, user preferences supplied by the equipment of the user or combinations thereof, and wherein the method further comprises monitoring, by the system, the consumption behavior of the user and determining therefrom at least a portion of the user profile.