System for low-latency animation of talking heads

• US 7,260,539 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Graf, Hans Peter, Cosatto, Eric, Ostermann, Joern
• Primary Examiner(s): Opsasnick; Michael N
• Application Number:
  US10/423,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 704/258, 704/270, 704/276, 704/272, 704/275, 345473-475
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for rendering a talking head on a client device are disclosed. The client device has a client cache capable of storing audio/visual data associated with rendering the talking head. The method comprises storing sentences in a client cache of a client device that relate to bridging delays in a dialog, storing sentence templates to be used in dialogs, generating a talking head response to a user inquiry from the client device, and determining whether sentences or stored templates stored in the client cache relate to the talking head response. If the stored sentences or stored templates relate to the talking head response, the method comprises instructing the client device to use the appropriate stored sentence or template from the client cache to render at least a part of the talking head response and transmitting a portion of the talking head response not stored in the client cache, if any, to the client device to render a complete talking head response. If the client cache has no stored data associated with the talking head response, the method comprises transmitting the talking head response to be rendered on the client device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of rendering a talking head on a client device, wherein the client device has a client cache capable of storing audio/visual data associated with rendering the talking head, the method comprising:

A. establishing a network connection between a client device and a server, and soon thereafter storing sentences from the server in a client cache of the client device that relate to bridging delays in a dialog;

B. storing templates to be used in dialogs;

C. generating a talking head response to a user inquiry from a client device;

D. determining whether sentences or stored templates stored in the client cache relate to the talking head response;

E. if stored sentences or stored templates relate to the talking head response;

1. instructing the client device to use the appropriate sentence or stored template from the client cache to render at least a part of the talking head response; and

2. transmitting a portion of the talking head response not stored in the client cache, if any, to the client device to render a complete talking head response;

F. if the client cache has no stored data associated with the talking head response;

1. transmitting the talking head response to be rendered on the client device; and

G. rendering the talking head response on the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method of rendering a talking head on a client device occurs over a network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored template is associated with a behavior template for the talking head when the talking head is asking a question for the second time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored template is associated with listening behavior.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored template is associated with behavior when waiting for an answer to a question.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing idle behavior associated with the talking head in the client cache.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the idle behavior relates to listening behavior and waiting behavior of the talking head.

8. A computing device for rendering a talking entity, the computing device having a computer-readable medium tangible storing functional modules and cache capable of storing data associated with rendering the talking entity, the computing device comprising:

A. a module configured to establish a network connection between a client device and a server, and soon thereafter store sentences from the server a client cache of the client device that relate to bridging delays in a dialog;

B. a module configured to store templates to be used in dialogs;

C. a module configured to generate a talking entity response to a user inquiry;

D. a module configured to determine whether sentences or stored templates in the cache relate to the talking entity response;

E. a module configured, if stored sentences of stored templates relate to the talking entity response to;

1. instruct the computing device to use the appropriate sentence or stored template from the cache to render at least a part of the talking entity response; and

2. transmit a portion of the response not stored in a cache, if any, to the computing device to render a complete talking entity response;

F. a module configured, if the client cache has no stored data associated with the talking head response to;

1. transmit the talking entity response to be rendered on a client device; and

G. a module configured to render the talking head response on the client device.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the talking entity is a talking head.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the stored template is associated with a behavior template for the talking entity when the talking entity is asking a question for the second time.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the stored template is associated with listening behavior.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the stored template is associated with behavior when waiting for an answer to a question.

13. The computing device of claim 8, further comprising a module configured to store idle behavior associated with the talking entity in the cache.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the idle behavior relates to listening behavior and waiting behavior of the talking entity.

15. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the computing device comprises two or more devices.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the two or more devices comprises a server device and a client device.