System and method for commercializing avatars

• US 9,412,126 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Clayton, Darnell, Schroeter, Horst, Chang, E-Lee, Roberts, Linda, Khandelwal, Madhur
• Primary Examiner(s): CASEY, ALEXIS M
• Application Number:
  US12/266,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20100114737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,833 Days
• Field of Search: 705/51
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a system having a controller to offer for sale an avatar engine that generates a visual representation of an interactive avatar capable of engaging in a verbal communication exchange by way of an audio system of a computing device from which the avatar engine is adapted to operate, receive a purchase request from a communication device, transmit to the communication device a usage policy and a copy of the avatar engine responsive to determining that the purchase request involves a request for a reproduction of at least a portion of the avatar engine, and enable the communication device to access services of the avatar engine responsive to determining that the purchase request involves the request for services of the avatar engine. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, a processor performs operations comprising:

receiving from a communication device of a user, a purchase request for avatar software that generates an interactive avatar for engaging in a verbal communication exchange with the user by way of an audio system of the communication device,

wherein the purchase request comprises determining a temporal use limit for the interactive avatar,

wherein the verbal communication exchange comprises the interactive avatar receiving a verbal input from the user and an analysis of the verbal input by the interactive avatar to generate a response by the interactive avatar,

wherein the purchase request is based on a selection of a group of avatar characteristics that are made available to end user devices including the communication device interfacing with an avatar engine,

wherein all of the group of avatar characteristics are made available to each of the end user devices for selection;

transmitting to the communication device a usage policy and a copy of the avatar software responsive to the purchase request; and

enabling the communication device to access services provided in conjunction with the avatar software via the interactive avatar responsive to the purchase request via the avatar engine.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

operating as a web portal; and

transmitting separate prices for the copy of the avatar software and for the services provided in conjunction with the avatar software.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

streaming the interactive avatar to the communication device responsive to a request of the communication device to activate the avatar software.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the usage policy includes distribution rules enforced by the communication device that limit distribution of the interactive avatar to selected other devices associated with a user of the communication device and prevent distribution of the interactive avatar to second devices that are not associated with the user, and wherein the operations further comprise detecting an attempt to distribute the interactive avatar to one of the second devices, and transmitting a prohibition notification to the communication device responsive to the detecting of the attempt.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the usage policy limits an amount of time that the services provided in conjunction with the avatar software via the interactive avatar can be accessed by the communication device according to the temporal limitation, and wherein the interactive avatar is generated based on a user profile associated with the communication device.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

presenting, to the communication device, the group of avatar characteristics for the interactive avatar;

detecting selections from the group of the avatar characteristics; and

constructing a model of the avatar software according to the selections as a constructed model that represents the selections from the group of avatar characteristics,

wherein the copy of the avatar software transmitted to the communication device corresponds to the constructed model of the avatar software, and

wherein the services made accessible to the communication device are generated based on the model of the avatar software.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise generating a response by the interactive avatar to the verbal input based on the analysis.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the services utilize one of an Internet Protocol Television communication system, a cable television communication system, a satellite television communication system, an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem communication system, a fixed-line circuit-switched communication system, a cellular communication system or an Internet Service Provider communication system.