Interactive personal narrative agent system and method

• US 7,246,315 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Realtime Data LLC (Realtime Data Compression Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Realtime Data LLC (Realtime Data Compression Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Andrieu, Joe, Rawlings, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US09/723,607
• Time in Patent Office: 2,422 Days
• Field of Search: 715/706, 715/753, 715/745, 715/758
• US Class Current: 715/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing

Abstract

A software application and method enables a personal narrative agent (PNA) to create and manage multiple dynamic customized story experiences for a subject user in a user-observable environment having one or more objects with which the subject user may interact. The PNA selectively interacts with one or more of those objects to manipulate the environment in furtherance of the story experiences. The PNA further maintains data relating to the subject user, the environment and the multiple story experiences of the subject user. The PNA also simultaneously manages each of the story experiences which each reach its own narrative conclusion consistent with input and characteristics of the subject user and any objects selected to influence the story experiences. A unique PNA may be assigned to each of multiple users which independently manage different story opportunities for their respective users, such as to enable each of the multiple users to pursue individual stories independent from the stories of the other user. A PNA of one user may interact with a PNA of another user to negotiate a story opportunity involving the second user for the first user, and vice-versa.

Claims

1. A software application stored on an information storage medium including a personal narrative agent having instructions, which when executed cause one or more processors to create and manage multiple dynamic customized story experiences for a subject user in a user-observable environment having at least one object with which the subject user may interact, by performing the steps of:

selectively interacting with said at least one object to manipulate the environment in furtherance of the story experiences;

maintaining data relating to the subject user, the environment and the multiple story experiences of the subject user; and

simultaneously managing each of said multiple story experiences each pf which reaches its own narrative conclusion consistent with input and characteristics of the subject user and any objects selected to influence said story experiences.

2. The software application of claim 1, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of maintaining an awareness of possible story opportunities for the subject user, activities which could trigger those stories from those opportunities, and activities which could advance those stories.

3. The software application of claim 2, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of maintaining an awareness of possible objects that could trigger and/or advance those stories.

4. The software application of claim 3, wherein the possible objects include a character corresponding to a second user.

5. The software application of claim 1, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further steps of:

maintaining a personal datastore of information relating preferences of the subject user; and

offering a story opportunity to the subject user based on information of said personal datastore.

6. The software application of claim 1, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further steps of:

monitoring the activities of the subject user; and

offering a story opportunity to the subject user based on information gathered from said monitoring of said activities of the subject user.

7. The software application of claim 6, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of storing data about user activities.

8. The software program of any of claims 5 or 6, wherein said information is further used for evolving a story.

9. The software application of claim 1, further including a second personal narrative agent for providing instructions to one or more processors to create and manage one or more dynamic customized story experiences for a second user in said user-observable environment having said at least one object with which the second user may interact, the one or more processors permitting the second personal narrative agent to perform the steps of:

selectively interacting with said at least one object to manipulate the environment in furtherance of the story experiences of the second user;

maintaining data relating to the second user, the environment and the story experiences of the second user; and

simultaneously managing each of said story experiences of said second user independent of said story experiences of said subject user, and each of which reaches its own narrative conclusion consistent with input and characteristics of the second user and any objects selected to influence said story experiences of said second user, to enable said second user to pursue individual stories independent from the stories of the first user.

10. The software application of claim 9, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent of the subject user to perform the further step of negotiating a story opportunity involving said second user for the subject user with said second personal narrative agent uniquely assigned to the second user consistent with said one or more story experiences of said subject user.

11. The software application of claim 9, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent of the subject user to perform the further step of negotiating for use of one or more objects with said second personal narrative agent uniquely assigned to said second user, said objects being used in one or more story experiences of one or both of said subject and second users.

12. The software application of claim 11, wherein a market mechanism is used to determine an outcome of the negotiation.

13. The software application of claim 12, wherein said market mechanism includes bidding for the objects to determine a value of the objects.

14. The software application of any of claims 11, 12, or 13, wherein said negotiation includes receiving input from one or both of the subject and second users.

15. The software application of claim 9, the one or more processors permitting each personal narrative agent to perform the further steps of modifying the presentation of the environment to its respective user to further said one or more story experiences.

16. The software application of claim 9, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of modifying the environment to further said story experiences.

17. The software application of claim 1, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of negotiating a story opportunity involving a second user for the subject user with a second personal narrative agent uniquely assigned to the second user consistent with said one or more story experiences.

18. The software application of any of claims 10 or 17, wherein said second personal narrative agent performs the further step of negotiating a story opportunity involving a third user for the second user with a third personal narrative agent uniquely assigned to the third user, consistent with said one or more story experiences of said second user and said one or more story experiences of said subject user.

19. The software application of claim 1, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of negotiating for use of one or more objects with a second personal narrative agent uniquely assigned to a second user, said objects being used in one or more story experiences of one or both of said subject and second users.

20. The software application of claim 19, wherein a market mechanism is used to determine an outcome of the negotiation.

21. The software application of claim 20, wherein said market mechanism includes bidding for the objects to determine a value of the objects.

22. The software application of any of claims 19, 20, or 21, wherein said negotiation includes receiving input from one or both of the subject and second users.

23. The software application of claim 1, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of managing scenes.

24. The software application of claim 23, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of managing transitions between scenes.

25. The software application of claim 24, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of managing transitions between scenes where the last scene and the next scene are in different stories.

26. The software application of claim 25, wherein said stories are elements of a larger narrative arc.

27. The software application of claim 23, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of managing scenes which further more than one story experience within a single scene, thereby weaving said story experiences together.

28. The software application of claim 1, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of modifying the presentation of the environment to the user to further said story experiences.

29. The software application of claim 1, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of modifying the environment to further said story experiences.

30. The software application of claim 1, further including a second personal narrative agent for providing instructions to one or more processors to create and manage one or more dynamic customized stories for a computer-controlled character in said user-observable environment having said at least one object with which the computer-controlled character may interact, the one or more processors permitting the second personal narrative agent to perform the steps of:

selectively interacting with said at least one object to manipulate the environment in furtherance of the stories;

maintaining data relating to the computer-controlled character, the environment and the stories of the computer-controlled character; and

simultaneously managing each of said stories of said computer-controlled character independent of said stories of said first user, each of which reaches its own narrative conclusion consistent with input and characteristics of the computer-controlled character and any objects selected to influence said stories of said computer-controlled character, to enable said computer-controlled character to pursue stories independent from the stories of the first user.

31. The software application of claim 30, the one or more processors permitting the second personal narrative agent to perform the further step of reverting computer-control of the computer-controlled character to control by a second user, wherein said character continues to pursue one or more story experiences previously controlled by computer- control.

32. The software application of claim 1, wherein a character object represents said subject user in the environment, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of reverting control by said subject user of the character object to computer control, wherein said character object continues to pursue one or more story experiences previously controlled by the subject user.

33. The software application of claim 1, wherein a first character object represents said subject user in the environment, and wherein a second character object represents a second user in the environment, and said second character object is controlled and managed by said second user, said second character object not being associated with a second personal narrative agent.

34. The software application of claim 1, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further steps of:

recognizing story patterns in actions of said subject user; and

creating and managing story experiences consistent with those patterns.

35. The software application of claim 34, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of maintaining consistency of said story experiences with a previous active story.

36. The software application of claim 1, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of creating stories based on narrative forms, said narrative forms defining structures and themes of said stories.

37. The software application of claim 36, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of creating multiple distinct stories based on multiple narrative forms.

38. The software application of claim 36, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of transforming a story based on a first narrative form into a story based on a second narrative form.

39. The software application of claim 38, wherein a link defining a transition possibility between said first narrative form and said second narrative form is modular.

40. The software application of claim 36, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of creating multiple distinct stories based on a single narrative form.

71. The software application of any of claims 1, 9, 41, or 48, the one or more processors permitting each personal narrative agent to perform the further step of creating and managing one or more of said stories consistent with one or more larger narrative arcs.

72. The software application of any of claims 1, 9, 41, or 48, the one or more processors permitting each personal narrative agent to perform the further steps of:

storing the state of said stories; and

restoring said stories from their saved state.

73. The software application of any of claims 1, 9, 41, or 48, the one or more processors permitting each personal narrative agent to perform the further step of managing one or more stories for multiple users.

41. A software application stored on an information storage medium having instructions, which when executed cause one or more processors to create and manage one or more dynamic customized story experiences for each of multiple users wherein a unique personal narrative agent is assigned to assist each user throughout the story experiences of the user in a user-observable environment having at least one object with which the users may interact, by performing the steps of:

selectively interacting with said at least one object and a second personal narrative agent which is assigned to a second user to manipulate the environment in furtherance of said one or more story experiences, including negotiating a story opportunity involving a second user for the first user with said second personal narrative agent consistent with said one or more story experiences;

maintaining data relating to the first user, the one or more story experiences of the first user, and the environment; and

managing said one or more story experiences to a narrative conclusion consistent with input and characteristics of the first user and any objects selected to influence said one or more story experiences.

42. The software application of claim 41, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent of the subject user to perform the further step of negotiating for use of said at least one object with said second personal narrative agent uniquely assigned to said second user, said at least one object being used in one or more story experiences of one or both of said subject and second users.

43. The software application of claim 42, wherein a market mechanism is used to determine an outcome of the negotiation.

44. The software application of claim 43, wherein said market mechanism includes bidding for the objects to determine a value of the objects.

45. The software application claim 44, wherein said negotiation includes receiving input from one or both of the subject and second users.

46. The software application claim 43, wherein said negotiation includes receiving input from one or both of the subject and second users.

47. The software application claim 42, wherein said negotiation includes receiving input from one or both of the subject and second users.

49. The software application of any of claims 9, 41, or 48, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of maintaining an awareness of possible story opportunities for the subject user, activities which could trigger those stories from those opportunities, and activities which could advance those stories.

50. The software application of claim 49, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of maintaining an awareness of possible objects that could trigger and/or advance those stories.

51. The software application of claim 50, wherein the possible objects include a character corresponding to a second user.

52. The software application of any of claims 9, 41, or 48, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further steps of:

maintaining a personal datastore of information relating preferences of the subject user; and

offering a story opportunity to the subject user based on information of said personal datastore.

53. The software program of claim 52, wherein said information is further used for evolving a story.

54. The software application of any of claims 9, 41, or 48, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further steps of:

monitoring the activities of the subject user; and

offering a story opportunity to the subject user based on information gathered from said monitoring of said activities of the subject user.

55. The software application of claim 54, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of storing data about user activities.

56. The software program of claim 54, wherein said information is further used for evolving a story.

64. The software application of any of claims 9, 41, or 48, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of managing scenes.

65. The software application of claim 64, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of managing transitions between scenes.

66. The software application of claim 65, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of managing transitions between scenes where the last scene and the next scene are in different stories.

67. The software application of claim 66, wherein said stories are elements of a larger narrative arc.

68. The software application of claim 64, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of managing scenes which further more than one story experience within a single scene, thereby weaving said story experiences together.

69. The software application of any of claims 41, or 48, the one or more processors permitting each personal narrative agent to perform the further steps of modifying the presentation of the environment to its respective user to further said one or more story experiences.

70. The software application of any of claims 41, or 48, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent to perform the further step of modifying the environment to further said story experiences.

48. A software application stored on an information storage medium having instructions, which when executed cause one or more processors to create and manage one or more dynamic customized story experiences for each of multiple users wherein a unique personal narrative agent is assigned to assist each user throughout the story experiences of the user in a user-observable environment having at least one object with which the users may interact, by performing the steps of:

selectively interacting with said at least one object and a second personal narrative agent which is assigned to a second user to manipulate the environment in furtherance of said one or more story experiences, including negotiating for use of one or more objects with said second personal narrative agent, said objects being used in one or more story experiences of one or both of said first and second users;

maintaining data relating to the first user, the one or more story experiences of the first user, and the environment; and

managing said one or more story experiences to a narrative conclusion consistent with input and characteristics of the first user and any objects selected to influence said one or more story experiences.

57. The software application of claim 48, the one or more processors permitting the personal narrative agent of the subject user to perform the further step of negotiating a story opportunity involving said second user for the subject user with said second personal narrative agent uniquely assigned to the second user consistent with said one or more story experiences of said subject user.

58. The software application of claim 57, wherein said second personal narrative agent performs the further step of negotiating a story opportunity involving a third user for the second user with a third personal narrative agent uniquely assigned to the third user, consistent with said one or more story experiences of said second user and said one or more story experiences of said subject user.

59. The software application of claim 48, wherein a market mechanism is used to determine an outcome of the negotiation.

60. The software application of claim 59, wherein said market mechanism includes bidding for the objects to determine a value of the objects.

61. The software application of claim 60, wherein said negotiation includes receiving input from one or both of the subject and second users.

62. The software application of claim 59, wherein said negotiation includes receiving input from one or both of the subject and second users.

63. The software application of claim 48, wherein said negotiation includes receiving input from one or both of the subject and second users.