Dialog server for handling conversation in virtual space method and computer program for having conversation in virtual space

• US 8,554,841 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kurata, Gakuto, Nagano, Tohru, Tatsubori, Michiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Imad
• Application Number:
  US13/406,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20120158879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 715/706, 715/757, 463/31
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827

Abstract

A dialog server which provides dialogs made by at least one user through their respective avatars in a virtual space. A method and a computer readable article of manufacture tangibly embodying computer readable instructions for executing the steps of the method are also provided. The dialog server includes: a position storage unit which stores positional information on the avatars; an utterance receiver which receives at least one utterance of avatars and utterance strength representing an importance or attention level of the utterance; an interest level calculator which calculates interest levels between avatars based on their positional information; a message processor which generates a message based on the utterance in accordance with a value calculated from the interest levels and the utterance strength; and a message transmitter which transmits the message to the avatars.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

storing positional information on at least a first avatar and a second avatar;

receiving (i) at least one utterance from said first avatar and (ii) at least one utterance strength representing an importance or attention level of said at least one utterance;

calculating at least one interest level between said first avatar and said second avatar based on said positional information;

modifying an appearance of said second avatar in accordance with a value calculated from said at least one interest level and said at least one utterance strength;

wherein said appearance of said second avatar is modified only when a value calculated from said at least one interest level and said at least one utterance strength is less than a predetermined threshold value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

in the step of receiving said at least one utterance and said at least one utterance strength of the utterance, sound data of said at least one utterance, and said at least one utterance strength are received.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

in the step of receiving said at least one utterance and said at least one utterance strength, text data of said at least one utterance, and said at least one utterance strength are received.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the step of calculating said at least one interest level, said at least one interest level is calculated from said positional information such that said at least one interest level becomes higher as said first avatar and said second avatar become closer.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the step of calculating said at least one interest level, said at least one interest level is calculated from the positional information such that the interest level becomes higher as the angle between a direction of said first avatar and a direction of said second avatar becomes smaller.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said positional information.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting said positional information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the additional step of:

delivering a message generated from said at least one utterance of said first avatar to said second avatar at a second time, wherein said message was undelivered at a first time prior to said second time, wherein delivering said message includes transmitting said message to said second avatar at said second time when said at least one interest level is increased such that said value calculated at said second time from said at least one interest level and said at least one utterance strength is at least equal to said predetermined threshold value.

9. A computer readable article of manufacture comprising a tangible, computer-readable recordable storage medium tangibly embodying, in a non-transitory manner, computer readable instructions which cause at least one hardware processor to execute a method, said method comprising the steps of:

storing positional information on at least a first avatar and a second avatar;

receiving (i) at least one utterance from said first avatar and (ii) at least one utterance strength representing an importance or attention level of said at least one utterance;

calculating at least one interest level between said first avatar and said second avatar based on said positional information;

modifying an appearance of said second avatar in accordance with a value calculated from said at least one interest level and said at least one utterance strength;

wherein said appearance of said second avatar is modified only when a value calculated from said at least one interest level and said at least one utterance strength is less than a predetermined threshold value.

10. The article of manufacture according to claim 9, wherein said computer readable instructions further comprise computer readable instructions which cause said at least one hardware processor to execute at least one of:

receiving said positional information; and

transmitting said positional information.

11. The article of manufacture according to claim 9, wherein said computer readable instructions further comprise computer readable instructions which cause said at least one hardware processor to:

delivering a message generated from said at least one utterance of said first avatar to said second avatar at a second time, wherein said message was undelivered at a first time prior to said second time, wherein delivering said message includes transmitting said message to said second avatar at said second time when said at least one interest level is increased such that said value calculated at said second time from said at least one interest level and said at least one utterance strength is at least equal to said predetermined threshold value.