Persistent, immersible and extractable avatars

• US 20060028475A1
• Filed: 08/05/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elite Avatars, LLC
• Original Assignee: Elite Avatars, LLC
• Inventors: Tobias, Richard Lynn
• Granted Patent: US 7,675,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6027 using adaptive systems learning from user actions, e.g. for skill level adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games

Abstract

Avatar data is stored in a management application. The management application sends an immersion request to the application. The management application identifies the avatar data fields used by the application, and any appropriate scaling and avatar transformation. The management application scales the data appropriately, transforms the avatar if necessary, and transmits the (scaled and transformed) avatar data to the application. When the avatar is to be removed from the application, the application transmits the avatar data back to the management application, which integrates any changes to the avatar data into the original avatar data.

Claims

1. A management application, comprising:

a data store to store data for an avatar;

a requester to request data fields used by an application;

a selector to select data from the data store corresponding to said data fields; and

an interface to immerse said avatar in said application by providing said selected data to said application.

2. A management application according to claim 1, further comprising a scaler to scale said selected data.

3. A management application according to claim 1, wherein:

the interface is operative to receive updated data from said application; and

the management application further comprises an integrator to integrate said updated data with said data for said avatar in the data store.

4. A management application according to claim 1, further comprising a transformer to transform said avatar to a form consistent with said application.

5. An application, comprising:

a receiver to receive a request for data fields used by the application and to receive data for said data fields from a management application;

a transmitter to transmit said data fields to said management application; and

an avatar instantiator to instantiate an avatar using said received data.

6. An application according to claim 5, wherein the transmitter is operative to transmit updated data from said data fields to said management application.

7. An application according to claim 5, further comprising a transformer to transform said avatar to a form consistent with the application.

8. An application according to claim 5, further comprising a data store to store data for said avatar unique to the application.

9. A system, comprising a management application and an application, wherein:

the management application includes;

a data store to store data for an avatar;

a requester to request data fields used by the application;

a selector to select data from the data store corresponding to said data fields; and

an interface to immerse said avatar in said application by providing said selected data to the application; and

the application, includes;

a receiver to receive the request for said data fields and to receive data for said data fields from the management application;

a transmitter to transmit said data fields to the management application; and

an avatar instantiator to instantiate said avatar using said received data.

10. A system according to claim 9, further comprising a transformer to transform said avatar to a form consistent with the application.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the management application includes the transformer.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein the application includes the transformer.

13. A system according to claim 10, wherein:

the transmitter is operative to transmit updated data from said data fields to the management application; and

the management application further includes;

a receiver to receive said updated data from the application; and

an integrator to integrate said updated data with said data for said avatar in the data store.

14. A system according to claim 10, wherein the application further includes a data store to store data for said avatar unique to the application.

15. A method for using a management application, comprising:

sending an immersion request to immerse an avatar in an application;

receiving a data request from the application;

scaling data for the avatar requested by the application; and

sending the scaled data to the application, thereby enabling the application to instantiate the avatar.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

receiving returned data from the application;

resealing the returned data; and

incorporating the updated data into the data for the avatar.

17. A method according to claim 15, further comprising transforming the avatar into a form consistent with the application.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein:

scaling data for the avatar including scaling a subset of the data for the avatar; and

sending the scaled data includes sending the scaled subset of the data to the application.

19. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

sending a second immersion request to immerse the avatar in a second application;

receiving a second data request from the second application;

scaling the data for the avatar requested by the second application; and

sending the scaled data to the second application, thereby enabling the second application to instantiate the avatar.

20. A method for an application to immerse an avatar, comprising:

receiving a request from a management application to immerse the avatar in the application;

identifying at least one data field the application uses for an avatar;

sending a data request to the management application, the data request including the identified data field;

receiving data for the avatar;

storing the data in the data fields; and

instantiating the avatar in the application.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein storing the data includes transforming the avatar into a form consistent with the application.

22. A method according to claim 20, wherein:

allowing the avatar to use the application includes updating the data in the data fields; and

the method further comprises sending the updated data to the management application.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein:

the method further comprises;

identifying a first data field for which the management application does not store the data; and

storing the data in the first data field for the avatar in a data store for the application; and

sending the updating data includes sending the updated data other than the data in the first data field to the management application.

24. An article comprising:

a storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a machine, result in;

sending an immersion request to immerse an avatar in an application;

receiving a data request from the application;

scaling data for the avatar requested by the application; and

sending the scaled data to the application, thereby enabling the application to instantiate the avatar.

25. An article according to claim 24, the storage medium having stored thereon further instructions, that, when executed by the machine, result in:

receiving returned data from the application;

resealing the returned data; and

incorporating the updated data into the data for the avatar.

26. An article according to claim 24, the storage medium having stored thereon further instructions, that, when executed by the machine, result in transforming the avatar into a form consistent with the application.

27. An article according to claim 24, wherein:

scaling data for the avatar including scaling a subset of the data for the avatar; and

sending the scaled data includes sending the scaled subset of the data to the application.

28. An article according to claim 24, the storage medium having stored thereon further instructions, that, when executed by the machine, result in:

sending a second immersion request to immerse the avatar in a second application;

receiving a second data request from the second application;

scaling the data for the avatar requested by the second application; and

sending the scaled data to the second application, thereby enabling the second application to instantiate the avatar.

29. An article comprising:

a storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a machine, result in;

receiving a request from a management application to immerse the avatar in the application;

identifying at least one data field the application uses for an avatar;

sending a data request to the management application, the data request including the identified data field;

receiving data for the avatar;

storing the data in the data fields; and

instantiating the avatar in the application.

30. An article according to claim 29, wherein storing the data includes transforming the avatar into a form consistent with the application.

31. An article according to claim 29, wherein:

allowing the avatar to use the application includes updating the data in the data fields; and

the storage medium having stored thereon further instructions, that, when executed by the machine, result in sending the updated data to the management application.

32. An article according to claim 31, wherein:

the storage medium having stored thereon further instructions, that, when executed by the machine, result in;

identifying a first data field for which the management application does not store the data; and

storing the data in the first data field for the avatar in a data store for the application; and

sending the updating data includes sending the updated data other than the data in the first data field to the management application.