Method and apparatus for creating personal autonomous avatars
First Claim
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1. A method for creating an avatar, comprising:
- defining the avatar;
defining at least one avatar behavior;
associating the at least one avatar behavior with the avatar;
creating a head of the avatar, the head including one or more control points;
creating a body of the avatar, the body including one or more control points, the head and the body being independent;
defining an avatar reference point, the avatar reference point independent of the one or more head control points and the one or more body control points; and
wherein the avatar represents a visual facial likeness of a given human being, and further includes at least one of the given human being'"'"'s recorded voice, physical mannerisms and personality.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for facilitating communication about a document between two users creates autonomous, animated computer characters, or avatars, which are then attached to the document under discussion. The avatar is created by one user, who need not be the author of the document, and is attached to the document to represent a point of view. The avatar represents the physical likeness of its creator. The avatar is animated, using an avatar scripting language, to perform specified behaviors including pointing, walking and changing facial expressions. The avatar includes audio files that are synchronized with movement of the avatar'"'"'s mouth to provide an audio message.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for creating an avatar, comprising:
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defining the avatar;
defining at least one avatar behavior;
associating the at least one avatar behavior with the avatar;
creating a head of the avatar, the head including one or more control points;
creating a body of the avatar, the body including one or more control points, the head and the body being independent;
defining an avatar reference point, the avatar reference point independent of the one or more head control points and the one or more body control points; and
wherein the avatar represents a visual facial likeness of a given human being, and further includes at least one of the given human being'"'"'s recorded voice, physical mannerisms and personality. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17, 18, 19)
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11. An avatar, comprising:
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an avatar description selected by a user; and
at least one avatar behavior;
wherein;
each avatar behavior is associated with the avatar description;
the avatar description selected by the user represents the visual facial likeness of a given human being, and further includes at least one of the given human being'"'"'s recorded voice, physical mannerisms and personality; and
the at least one avatar behavior includes at least one animation sequence for the avatar. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for creating an avatar, comprising:
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a display for displaying an avatar frame;
an overlay for placing a visual facial likeness of a given human being on the avatar frame wherein the likeness of the given human being is selected by a user and further includes at least one of the given human being'"'"'s recorded voice, physical mannerisms and personality; and
an animator for specifying at least one behavior of the avatar.
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Specification