Agent system, information providing method , information providing apparatus , and data recording medium

• US 7,441,190 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Asami, Akiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): PITARO, RYAN F
• Application Number:
  US10/149,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20030052914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,597 Days
• Field of Search: 715/706, 715/716, 715/746, 715/708, 715/972
• US Class Current: 715/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/972 Inserted real-time video in operator interface

Abstract

An agent system which provides information for a user, displaying a character, includes: an agent program provided in a user computer connectable to a communication channel network; a user information storage part that stores user information; and a character display data storage part that stores character display data for determining a display form of the character. The agent program performs processing of collecting the user information and information selected by the user information, processing of creating a key word specific to the user based on the user information and the selected information, and processing of providing information, varying the display form related to the character from the selected information and the character display data, for every item of information. That is, a character as a virtual creature is provided in an information communication apparatus such as a personal computer or the like, so that information can be collected with interests and fun through communication between the user and the character.

Claims

1. An agent system providing information for a user by displaying a computer-controlled character, comprising:

an agent program portion provided in a user computer connected to a communication channel of a network;

a user information storage portion storing user information; and

a character display data storage portion storing character display data for determining a display form of the character, the character display data storage portion including;

an outer state storage part for storing outer parameters describing physical properties of the character; and

an inner state storage part for storing inner parameters describing personal feelings of the character,

wherein the agent program portion is adapted to (i) collect the user information and information selected by the user, (ii) create a key word based only on the user information, and (iii) use the character for;

obtaining the selected information from a server connected to the network;

providing the selected information to the user with the display form of the character;

varying the display form of the character based on the selected information and the character display data in compliance with a type of the selected information; and

inquiring at predetermined times on user selections.

2. The agent system according to claim 1, wherein the selected information is information from at least one web page.

3. The agent system according to claim 2, wherein the information from the at least one web page is downloaded to and is then displayed on the user computer.

4. The agent system according to claim 1, wherein the key word is created based on an answer given by the user to a question asked by the character.

5. The agent system according to claim 1, wherein the key word includes an address of at least one web page accessed by the user computer through the communication channel of the network.

6. The agent system according to claim 1, wherein the user computer includes a mobile computing apparatus.

7. A method for providing a user with information using a computer-controlled character, the method comprising:

collecting individual information of the user;

creating a key word based only on the individual information of the user;

searching specific information selected by the user based on the key word using the character, the character being adapted for obtaining the selected information from a server connected to a network;

selecting for the character a form based on the specific information;

storing outer parameters describing physical properties of the character;

storing inner parameters describing personal feelings of the character;

providing the specific information to the user by displaying the character in the selected form and varying the selected form of the character based on a type of the selected information; and

inquiring at predetermined times on user selections.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the specific information is information from at least one web page.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the individual information is obtained from user answers to questions asked by the character.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the individual information is obtained from data inputted by the user based on a conversation with the character.

11. An information providing apparatus, comprising:

a processing unit adapted for executing;

an agent program creating a computer-controlled character;

a first process of obtaining user information;

a second process of determining a character display form using character display data including outer parameters describing physical properties of the character and inner parameters describing personal feelings of the character;

a third process of collecting the user information and/or information selected by the user;

a fourth process of creating a key word based only on the user information; and

a fifth process of providing the selected information to a user with the character display; and

varying the character display form, the outer and inner parameters of the character, the selected information and the character display data in compliance with a type of the selected information;

a transmission/reception unit adapted to transmit information to and receive information from a user computer through a communication channel of a network using the character;

an information storage unit storing predetermined information; and

an information search unit adapted to search the predetermined information using the key word.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit is a portion of the user computer or a server computer.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the transmission/reception unit, the information storage unit, and the information search unit are provided in the user computer or a server computer.

14. A data recording medium storing a computerexecutable program having instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

collecting user information and information selected by a user;

creating a key word based only on the user information;

selecting a display form for a computer-controlled character;

storing outer parameters describing physical properties of the character;

storing inner parameters describing personal feelings of the character;

varying the display form based on the selected information; and

displaying the outer parameters, the inner parameters, and the selected information using the display form of the character.