Modifying avatar behavior based on user action or mood

• US 10,616,367 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2016
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Blattner, Patrick D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pillai, Namitha
• Application Number:
  US15/006,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20160165003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: 715706
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

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.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for modifying an avatar associated with an identity of a user of a communications application, the method comprising:

receiving a first user customization associating a particular user mood with a first animation trigger for a first avatar;

generating an association between the first user customization and the first user of the communications application;

generating, based on an out-of-band communications indicator comprising information about a physical state of the first user, an inferred mood of the first user of the communications application;

based on determining that the inferred mood is the particular user mood, modifying the first avatar based on the first animation trigger to convey the inferred mood of the first user of the communications application;

causing the modified avatar to be sent to a first recipient in the communications application;

identifying, based on a second user customization associated with a second user, a second animation trigger for a second avatar of the second user, wherein;

the second animation trigger is associated with an identified mood of the second user by the second user customization;

the second animation trigger is the same as the first animation trigger; and

the identified mood of the second user is different from the particular mood of the first user; and

causing the second avatar to convey the identified mood of the second user to a second recipient in the communications application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical state of the first user is determined based on an out-of-band communications indicator from a second device, the second device comprising at least one sensor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor is a camera focused on the first user of the communications application.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

locating points on the face of the first user based on visual information received from the at least one sensor; and

generating the inferred mood of the first user based on the located points on the face of the first user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein modifying the first avatar comprises causing the first avatar to reflect motion of the located points on the face of the first user.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor is a heart rate monitor configured to detect a heart rate of the first user, and the method further includes modifying the first avatar based on the detected heart rate.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

further modifying the first avatar based on a determined activity of the first user.

8. A system for modifying an avatar associated with an identity of a user of a communications application, comprising:

at least one processor;

memory, operatively connected to the at least one processor and containing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform a method, the method comprising;

receiving a first user customization associating a particular mood with a first animation trigger for a first avatar;

generating an association between the first user customization and the first user of the communications application;

generating, based on an out-of-band communications indicator comprising information about a physical state of the first user, an inferred mood of the first user of the communications application;

based on determining that the inferred mood is the particular mood, modifying the first avatar based on the first animation trigger to convey the inferred mood of the first user of the communications application;

causing the modified avatar to be sent to a recipient in the communications application;

identifying, based on a second user customization associated with a second user, a second animation trigger for a second avatar of the second user, wherein;

the second animation trigger is associated with an identified mood of the second user by the second user customization;

the second animation trigger is the same as the first animation trigger; and

the identified mood of the second user is different from the particular mood of the first user; and

causing the second avatar to convey the identified mood of the second user to a second recipient in the communications application.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the physical state of the first user is determined using a separate device that comprises at least one sensor.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor is a camera focused on the first user of the communications application.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

locating points on the face of the first user based on visual information received from the at least one sensor; and

generating the inferred the mood of the first user based on the located points on the face of the first user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein modifying the first avatar comprises causing the first avatar to reflect motion of the located points on face of the first user.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor is a heart rate monitor configured to detect a heart rate of the first user, and the method further includes modifying the first avatar based on the detected heart rate.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

further modifying the first avatar based on a determined activity of the first user.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage media for modifying an avatar associated with an identity of a user of a communications application, wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage media contains instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a first user customization associating a particular user mood with a first animation trigger for a first avatar;

generating an association between the first user customization and the first user of the communications application;

generating an inferred mood of the first user of the communications application;

based on determining that the inferred mood is the particular user mood, modifying the first avatar based on the first animation trigger to convey the inferred mood of the first user of the communications application;

causing the modified avatar to be sent to a first recipient in the communications application;

identifying, based on a second user customization associated with a second user, a second animation trigger for a second avatar of the second user, wherein;

the second animation trigger is associated with an identified mood of the second user by the second user customization;

the second animation trigger is the same as the first animation trigger; and

the identified mood of the second user is different from the particular mood of the first user; and

causing the second avatar to convey the identified mood of the second user to a second recipient in the communications application.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the inferred mood of the first user is generated based on an out-of-band communications indicator received from a second device, the second device comprising at least one sensor.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the at least one sensor is a camera focused on the first user of the communications application.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

locating points on the face of the first user based on visual information received from the at least one sensor; and

generating the inferred mood of the first user based on the located points on the face of the first user.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 18, wherein modifying the first avatar comprises causing the first avatar to reflect motion of the located points on the face of the first user.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the at least one sensor is a heart rate monitor configured to detect a heart rate of the first user, and the method further includes modifying the first avatar based on the detected heart rate.