System for designing and rendering personalities for autonomous synthetic characters

• US 7,061,493 B1
• Filed: 04/07/1999
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.), Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Churchill, Elizabeth, Cook, Linda K., Bickmore, Timothy W., Sullivan, Joseph W., Prevost, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US09/287,521
• Time in Patent Office: 2,624 Days
• Field of Search: 345/473, 345/474, 345/475
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2213/12 Rule based animation

Abstract

Personality traits displayed on a workbench are grouped into a character profile that is utilized in determining the personality and/or specific actions of a synthetic character. The personality traits are selectable by an operator from graduated dials. The personality traits may also be displayed in the form of selectable attributes or trait indicative behaviors that, when selected, are mapped into predetermined amounts of each trait in the character profile. The character profile is utilized to compute activation levels for primary behaviors, which are selected to influence or direct behavior of the synthetic character. Secondary behaviors are also selected, but discarded if conflicting with the selected primary behaviors. When behaviors are selected, the corresponding behaviors are translated into classes of ‘personality effectors’ that modulate the synthetic character'"'"'s behavioral expression to reflect the desired set of traits.

Claims

1. A system for designing personalities for synthetic characters, comprising:

a personality trait selection device that displays at least one selectable personality trait, said personality trait selection device comprises at least one trait indicator, each trait indicator representing an amount of a corresponding one of the selectable personality traits;

a personality builder that groups the selected personality traits into a character profile, said personality builder weights each selected personality trait in said character profile according the amount of each selected personality trait represented in the corresponding trait indicator;

a trait indicative behavior selection device that displays at least one selectable trait indicative behavior; and

a mapper configured to map each selected trait indicative behavior into amounts of the trait indicators according to an amount each selected personality attribute is represented in the selectable personality traits.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the trait indicators are graduated dials operating between a high anchor and a low anchor.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a personality attribute seletion device that displays at least one selectable personality attribute;

wherein the mapper is configured to map each selected personality attribute into amounts of the trait indicators according to an amount each selected personality attribute is represented in the selectable personality traits.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the selectable personality traits include at least one primary trait of dominance, warmth, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said character profile comprises a translation of the selected personality traits into a weighted set of personality traits.