Animated messaging

• US 20070094330A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: E-Clips Intelligent Agent Technologies Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: E-Clips Intelligent Agent Technologies Pty Limited
• Inventors: Russell, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US10/522,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094330A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/105 Synthesis of the lips movements from speech, e.g. for talking heads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A method and apparatus that allows an animated interactive talking character to appear on a user'"'"'s screen when conducting an Instant Messaging (IM) session. The character which is displayed on the user'"'"'s screen is determined by a profile for the sender of the message. This allows a user to pre-select which character will be displayed on the screen of recipients of the instant message.

Claims

1. A method for instant messaging on a computer system, including receiving an instant message (IM) containing content from a sender;

displaying an animated character associated with said sender; and

delivering said content to a user through said animated character.

9. The method of claim 1 further including:

periodically retrieving advertisement details from a server;

downloading an animated character specified to represent said advertisement;

displaying said animated character specified to represent said advertisement; and

delivering content specified for said advertisement.

10. The method of claim 1, further including:

sending an alert to a server;

receiving a response containing content from said server generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) application;

displaying an animated character associated with said AI application; and

delivering said content to a user through said animated character associated with said AI application.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said sending an alert includes:

sending a message indicating that a web search is to be performed; and

sending keywords to search in said web search.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said delivering said content comprises delivering results of said web search.

13. The method of claim 1, further including:

allowing the user to select from one or more predefined animated characters to be displayed on a recipient'"'"'s computer system when said user sends an IM message to said recipient.

14. The method of claim 1, further including:

allowing the user to upload an image to be used in creating an animated character to be displayed on a recipient'"'"'s computer system when said user sends an IM message to said recipient.

2-8. -8. (canceled)

15. A method for instant messaging on a digital communication system such as a computer system or digital telephone system or combination thereof, including:

receiving one or more instant messages (IM) containing content from one or more senders;

forming a queue by creating a dynamic array and inserting incoming message into said queue;

controlling the timing of operations of actions in the queue and when required displaying an animated character associated with said sender; and

delivering said content to a user through said animated character.

16-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A method for managing an Instant Messaging (IM) system, including:

receiving a request from a user for an animated character, said request including an identification of a sender of an IM message to said user;

querying a database with said identification;

receiving information regarding said animated character from said database; and

forwarding said information regarding said animated character to said user.

20-30. -30. (canceled)

31. An apparatus for instant messaging on a computer system, including:

an IM receiver;

an animated character displayer coupled to said IM receiver; and

an animated character content deliverer coupled to said animated character displayer.

39. The apparatus of claim 31, further including:

an advertisement details periodic retriever; and

an animated character downloader coupled to said advertisement details periodic retriever and to said animated character content deliverer,.

40. The apparatus of claim 31, further including:

a server alert sender;

an artificial intelligence response receiver coupled to said animated character displayer and to said animated character content deliverer.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein said server alert sender includes:

a web search message sender; and

a keyword sender coupled to said web search message sender.

32-38. -38. (canceled)

42. (canceled)

43. An apparatus for managing an instant Messaging (IM) system, including:

an animated character request receiver;

a database query generator coupled to said animated character request receiver;

an animated character database information receiver; and

an animated character database information forwarder coupled to said animated character database information receiver.

44-49. -49. (canceled)

50. An apparatus for instant messaging on a computer system, including:

means for receiving an instant message (IM) containing content from a sender;

means for displaying an animated character associated with said sender; and

means for delivering said content to a user through said animated character.

62. The apparatus of claim 50, further including:

means for allowing the user to select from one or more predefined animated characters to be displayed on a recipient'"'"'s computer system when said user sends an IM message to said recipient.

63. The apparatus of claim 50, further including:

means for allowing the user to upload an image to be used in creating an animated character to be displayed on a recipient'"'"'s computer system when said user sends an IM message to said recipient.

51-61. -61. (canceled)

64. An apparatus for managing an Instant Messaging (IM) system, including:

means for receiving a request from a user for an animated character, said request including an identification of a sender of an IM message to said user;

means for querying a database with said identification;

means for receiving information regarding said animated character from said database; and

means for forwarding said information regarding said animated character to said user.

65-78. -78. (canceled)

79. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for instant messaging on a computer system, the method including:

receiving an instant message (IM) containing content from a sender;

displaying an animated character associated with said sender; and

delivering said content to a user through said animated character.

80. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for managing an Instant Messaging (IM) system, the method including:

receiving a request from a user for an animated character, said request including an identification of a sender of an IM message to said user;

querying a database with said identification;

receiving information regarding said animated character from said database; and

forwarding said information regarding said animated character to said user.