Modifying avatar behavior based on user action or mood
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer-implemented method for modifying an avatar associated with an identity, the method comprising:
- inferring, by one or more processors, a mood of an online user based on information other than an explicit user indication of the mood and other than instant messaging communications, the mood including an emotional state, wherein inferring the mood of the online user includes;
determining, from the user'"'"'s computer, other applications that are active near the time that an instant message is sent, andinferring a mood of an online identity based on the determined other applications; and
modifying, by the one or more processors, an avatar associated with the online user in response to the inferred mood, the modification causing the avatar to exhibit the inferred mood, and the modifying including;
accessing information that maps a single trigger used to animate the avatar to multiple different avatar animations, the single trigger including a character string, and each of the multiple avatar animations being associated with a different mood such that the single trigger causes a different animation to be played for each mood exhibited by the avatar, andmodifying, based on the accessed information, the avatar in response to the inferred mood of the user such that identification, by a processor, of the trigger in an instant message causes a different animation to be played by the modified avatar than the animation caused to be played by the unmodified avatar in response to the trigger.
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Abstract
Techniques are described for enabling the selection of wallpaper to modify the mood projected by an avatar. The mood projected by an avatar may be modified, for example, by modifying behaviors and/or appearance of the avatar to characterize a mood to be projected. The mood projected by an avatar also may be modified based on user action, such as user input of a mood to be projected by the avatar.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for modifying an avatar associated with an identity, the method comprising:
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inferring, by one or more processors, a mood of an online user based on information other than an explicit user indication of the mood and other than instant messaging communications, the mood including an emotional state, wherein inferring the mood of the online user includes; determining, from the user'"'"'s computer, other applications that are active near the time that an instant message is sent, and inferring a mood of an online identity based on the determined other applications; and modifying, by the one or more processors, an avatar associated with the online user in response to the inferred mood, the modification causing the avatar to exhibit the inferred mood, and the modifying including; accessing information that maps a single trigger used to animate the avatar to multiple different avatar animations, the single trigger including a character string, and each of the multiple avatar animations being associated with a different mood such that the single trigger causes a different animation to be played for each mood exhibited by the avatar, and modifying, based on the accessed information, the avatar in response to the inferred mood of the user such that identification, by a processor, of the trigger in an instant message causes a different animation to be played by the modified avatar than the animation caused to be played by the unmodified avatar in response to the trigger. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A non-transitory computer-usable medium having a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a computer to perform the following operations:
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infer a mood of an online user based on information other than an explicit user indication of the mood and other than instant messaging communications, the mood including an emotional state, wherein the instructions for causing the computer to infer the mood of the online user include instructions for causing the computer to; determine, from the user'"'"'s computer, other applications that are active near the time that an instant message is sent, and infer a mood of an online identity based on the determined other applications; and modify an avatar associated with the online user in response to the inferred mood, the modification causing the avatar to exhibit the inferred mood, wherein the instructions for causing the computer to modify an avatar associated with the online user in response to the inferred mood include instructions for causing the computer to; access information that maps a single trigger used to animate the avatar to multiple different avatar animations, the single trigger including a character string, and each of the multiple avatar animations being associated with a different mood such that the single trigger causes a different animation to be played for each mood exhibited by the avatar, and modify, based on the accessed information, the avatar in response to the inferred mood of the user such that identification, by a processor, of the trigger in an instant message causes a different animation to be played by the modified avatar than the animation caused to be played by the unmodified avatar in response to the trigger. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification