System and method for remotely controlling character avatar image using mobile phone

• US 7,634,731 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Hae Pyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANK, ANDREW L
• Application Number:
  US10/714,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20040097221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,219 Days
• Field of Search: 715/726, 715/706, 715/866, 715/864, 715/740, 715/751, 715/757, 715/848, 463/42, 345/638, 455/566, 703/11
• US Class Current: 715/706
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1025 of avatars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks

Abstract

A system and a method can remotely control an avatar image using a mobile phone. A calling party can remotely control an avatar image included in data transmitted to a called party using a mobile phone. Preferred embodiments of systems and methods according to the present invention can include joint-key button controllers that make buttons corresponding to joints of an avatar image remotely control movements of the joints, respectively. Accordingly, an avatar image received by a called party can be respectively controlled. Since the calling party can remotely control the avatar image transmitted to the called party, it is possible to deliver emotions and messages of the calling party through movements of a visual avatar image.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an avatar at a called party, the method comprising:

displaying the avatar at a mobile phone of the called party, the avatar including a plurality of joints, each joint of the avatar corresponding to a different key of a mobile phone of a calling party;

receiving signals for controlling a joint of the avatar displayed on the mobile phone of the called party based on at least three inputted ones of the keys of the mobile phone of the calling party, wherein the received signals are transmitted from the mobile phone of the calling party to the mobile phone of the called party, the received signals based on the at least three inputted keys, the at least three inputted keys including a first key corresponding to one joint of the avatar, a second key to cause motion of the one joint of the avatar corresponding to the first key and a third key to end motion of the one joint of the avatar; and

controlling the one joint of the displayed avatar in accordance with the received signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the avatar is transmitted from the mobile phone of the calling party over a network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the avatar on the mobile phone of the calling party and controlling the displayed avatar equally at the mobile phone of the calling party and the mobile phone of the called party.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the signals include an identifier number for identifying the avatar.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the identifier number has at least one cipher.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the signals are transmitted via a wired network or a wireless network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one joint of the displayed avatar includes controlling an expression of the displayed avatar.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one joint of the displayed avatar includes controlling actions of the displayed avatar.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving another signal from the mobile phone of the calling party based on another inputted one of the keys, the received another signal based on the another inputted one of the keys corresponding to another one of the joints of the avatar; and

controlling the another joint of the displayed avatar based on the received another signal.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver, at a mobile phone of a called party, for receiving signals for controlling an avatar having a plurality of joints, wherein the signals are transmitted from a mobile phone of a calling party based on at least three inputted keys of a key pad of the mobile phone of the calling party, each joint of the avatar corresponding to a different key of the mobile phone of the calling party, the at least three inputted keys including a first key corresponding to one joint of the avatar, a second key to cause movement of the one joint of the avatar corresponding to the first key and a third key to end movement of the one joint of the avatar;

a display for displaying the avatar at the mobile phone of the called party; and

a controller for controlling different states of the displayed avatar at the mobile phone of the called party in accordance with the received signals, wherein the controller controls the different states by controlling the joints of the avatar corresponding to inputted keys of the mobile phone of the calling party.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the avatar is transmitted from the mobile phone of the calling party over a network.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the signals include an identifier number for identifying the avatar being controlled.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the identifier number has at least one cipher.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the signals are transmitted via a wired network or a wireless network.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the received signals correspond to input keys from the mobile phone of the calling party.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller controls an expression of the displayed avatar in accordance with the received signals and by controlling at least one joint of the avatar.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller controls actions of the displayed avatar in accordance with the received signals and by controlling at least one joint of the avatar.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the avatar being controlled at the mobile phone of the called party is the same as in the mobile phone of the calling party.

19. A method of controlling an avatar displayed at a mobile phone of a called party using a mobile phone of a calling party, the method comprising:

displaying the avatar on the mobile phone of the called party and displaying the avatar on the mobile phone of the calling party, wherein the avatar displayed on the mobile phone of the calling party has a plurality of joints, each joint of the avatar displayed on the mobile phone of the calling party corresponding to a different key of the mobile phone of the calling party;

generating signals, based on at least three inputted ones of the keys, for controlling the corresponding one joint of the avatar displayed on the mobile phone of the called party, the at least three inputted keys including a first key corresponding to the one joint of the avatar, a second key to cause movement of the one joint of the avatar corresponding to the first key and a third key to end movement of the one joint of the avatar; and

transmitting the signals to the mobile phone of the called party via a network.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising changing a communication mode to a control mode.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the avatar is displayed equally at the mobile phone of the calling party and at the mobile phone of the called party.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the signals include an identifier number for identifying the avatar being controlled.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the identifier number has at least one cipher.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the signals are transmitted via a wired network or a wireless network.

25. A mobile phone of a calling party for controlling an avatar displayed at a mobile phone of a called party, the mobile phone comprising:

a display for displaying the avatar at the mobile phone of the calling party;

a key pad having a plurality of keys, each joint of the avatar corresponding to a different key of the mobile phone of the calling party;

a controller for generating signals for controlling the avatar displayed at the mobile phone of the called party based on a selected three of the keys of the key pad and the controller for controlling the avatar displayed at the mobile phone of the calling party by changing a specific joint of the avatar corresponding to a selected key of the mobile phone of the calling party, the selected three keys include a first key corresponding to the specific joint of the avatar, a second key to cause motion of the specific joint of the avatar corresponding to the first key and a third key to end motion of the specific joint of the avatar; and

a transmitter for transmitting the signals from the mobile phone of the calling party to the mobile phone of the called party via a network.

26. The mobile phone of claim 25, wherein the avatar is displayed equally at the mobile phone of the calling party and at the mobile phone of the called party.

27. The mobile phone of claim 25, wherein the signals include an identifier number for identifying the avatar being controlled.

28. The mobile phone of claim 27, wherein the identifier number has at least one cipher.

29. The mobile phone of claim 25, wherein the transmitter transmits the signals to the mobile phone of the called party via a wired network or a wireless network.

30. A method of controlling an avatar, the method comprising:

generating signals to control the avatar at a mobile phone of a called party by selecting at least three keys of a mobile phone of a calling party, wherein the avatar

includes a plurality of joints and each joint of the avatar corresponds to a different key of the mobile phone of the calling party, the at least three keys including a first key corresponding to one joint of the avatar, a second key to cause motion of the one joint of the avatar corresponding to the first key and a third key to end motion of the one joint of the avatar;

transmitting the signals via a network;

receiving the signals at the mobile phone of a called party; and

displaying the avatar in different representations at the mobile phone of the called party based on the received signals, wherein each representation includes a different arrangement of at least one joint of the avatar.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising displaying the avatar in different representations at the mobile phone of the calling party.

32. The communication system of claim 30, wherein the avatar being controlled at the mobile phone of the called party is the same as in the mobile phone of the calling party.

33. A method of controlling an avatar at a mobile phone of a called party, the method comprising:

receiving signals for controlling a joint of the avatar, wherein the received signal is transmitted from a mobile phone of a calling party to the mobile phone of the called party; and

displaying the avatar controlled in accordance with the received signals at the mobile phone of the called party based on selection of at least three keys from the mobile phone of the calling party, the received signals corresponding to both one joint of the avatar and one of the keys of the mobile phone of the calling party, the at least three keys including a first key corresponding to the one joint of the avatar, a second key to cause motion of the one joint of the avatar corresponding to the first key and a third key to end motion of the one joint of the avatar,

wherein the avatar being controlled at the mobile phone of the called party is the same as in the mobile phone of the calling party, wherein the avatar of the mobile phone of the calling party is equally controlled and displayed corresponding to an input signal generated by a user of the mobile phone of the calling party.

34. A method of controlling an avatar at a mobile phone of a called party, the method comprising:

receiving signals for controlling the avatar based on a specific key pad selection of the mobile phone of the calling party, wherein the received signals are transmitted from the mobile phone of the calling party to the mobile phone of the called party, wherein the specific key pad selection includes a first key corresponding to one joint of the avatar, a second key to cause movement of the one joint of the avatar corresponding to the first key and a third key to end movement of the one joint of the avatar;

controlling the avatar in accordance with the received signals; and

displaying the controlled avatar at the mobile phone of the called party,

wherein the avatar being controlled at the mobile phone of the called party is the same as in the mobile phone of the calling party, wherein the avatar of the mobile phone of the calling party is equally controlled and displayed corresponding to the signals generated by a user of the mobile phone of the calling party based on the first key, the second key and the third key.

35. A method of controlling an avatar stored in a mobile phone of a called party using a mobile phone of a calling party, the method comprising:

selecting the avatar being controlled using the mobile phone of the calling party;

generating signals for controlling the selected avatar, wherein the generated signals are based on at least three keys of the mobile phone of the calling party and a corresponding one joint of the avatar, the at least three keys include a first key corresponding to the one joint of the avatar, a second key to cause movement of the one joint of the avatar corresponding to the first key and a third key to end movement of the one joint of the avatar; and

transmitting the signals to the mobile phone of the called party via a network,

wherein the avatar being controlled at the mobile phone of the called party is the same as in the mobile phone of the calling party, wherein the avatar of the mobile phone of the calling party is controlled and displayed corresponding to the generated signals.

36. A method of controlling an avatar stored in a mobile phone of a called party using a mobile phone of a calling party, the method comprising:

selecting the avatar being controlled using the mobile phone of the calling party;

displaying the selected avatar on the mobile phone of the calling party;

generating signals for controlling the displayed avatar, wherein the generated signals are based on at least three inputted keys of the mobile phone of the calling party and a corresponding one joint of the avatar, the at least three inputted keys including a first key corresponding to the one joint of the avatar, a second key to cause motion of the one joint of the avatar corresponding to the first key and a third key to end motion of the one joint of the avatar; and

transmitting the signals to control the displayed avatar to the mobile phone of the called party via a network,

wherein the avatar being controlled at the mobile phone of the called party is the same as in the mobile phone of the calling party, wherein the avatar of the mobile phone of the calling party is equally controlled and displayed corresponding to the generated signals.

37. A method of controlling an avatar at a mobile phone of a called party, the method comprising:

receiving, at the mobile phone of the called party, a special number from a mobile phone of a calling party, wherein the special number represents an identified number for controlling the avatar;

displaying the avatar at the mobile phone of the called party, the avatar including a plurality of joints;

receiving signals for controlling the avatar from the mobile phone of the calling party based on at least three input keys of the mobile phone, the received signals corresponding to the at least three input keys of the mobile phone and one of the joints of the avatar, the at least three input keys including a first key corresponding to one joint of the avatar, a second key to cause movement of the one joint of the avatar corresponding to the first key and a third key to end movement of the one joint of the avatar; and

controlling the one of the joints of the displayed avatar in accordance with the received signals.

38. A method of controlling an avatar displayed at a mobile phone of a called party using a mobile phone of a calling party, the method comprising:

pressing a phone number of the mobile phone of the called party;

pressing a special number, wherein the special number represents an identifier number for controlling the avatar;

displaying the avatar on a display of the mobile phone of the calling party, wherein the avatar has a plurality of joints;

generating signals for controlling at least one joint of the avatar by pressing at least three of a plurality of key buttons of the mobile phone of the calling party, the at least three keys including a first key corresponding to the at least one joint of the avatar, a second key to cause motion of the at least one joint of the avatar corresponding to the first key and a third key to end motion of the at least one joint of the avatar; and

transmitting the signals to the mobile phone of the called party via a network.

39. A mobile phone of a calling party for controlling an avatar displayed at a mobile phone of a called party, the mobile phone of the calling party comprising:

key buttons;

a display for displaying the avatar at the mobile phone of the calling party;

a controller for generating a special signal based on a special number input through the key buttons and for generating a control signal for controlling the avatar displayed at the called party, wherein the special number represents an identifier number for controlling the avatar, and the control signal corresponds to at least three of the key buttons, wherein the avatar includes a plurality of joints and the control signal corresponds to one of the joints of the avatar, the at least three keys including a first key corresponding to the one joint of the avatar, a second key to cause motion of the one joint of the avatar corresponding to the first key and a third key to end motion of the joint of the avatar; and

a transmitter for transmitting the special signal and the control signal to the mobile phone of the called party via a network.