AVATAR CUSTOMIZATION

• US 20080215973A1
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Vass, Attila, Goodwin, Mitchell, Zalewski, Gary, Waugaman, Scott, Gillo, Tomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/706
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality

Abstract

A method for user interaction with a three-dimensional virtual world is disclosed. The virtual world comprises one or more public spaces and one or more private spaces. A user may be represented in the virtual world by an avatar. The user can manipulate the avatar via a user interface. According to the method a custom gesture may be generated for the avatar. The gesture may be associated with one or more user interface signals.

Claims

1. A method for user interaction with a three-dimensional virtual world, wherein the virtual world comprises one or more public spaces and one or more private spaces, wherein the user is represented in the virtual world by an avatar, wherein the user can manipulate the avatar via a user interface, the method comprising:

generating a custom gesture for the avatar; and

associating the gesture with one or more user interface signals.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

distributing the user interface signals to one or more other users, whereby the other users can customize their avatars to perform the custom gesture.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the custom gesture includes motion capture or performance capture of a performer performing the gesture.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the performer is the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising moderating the display of the custom gesture by the avatar in the virtual world.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein moderating the display of the custom gesture includes restricting an ability of a particular user to make an avatar perform the custom gesture or an ability of the particular user to perceive the avatar performing the custom gesture based on predetermined criteria.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the predetermined criteria include an age of the user, the age of a viewer of the gesture or a sensitivity of the viewer to offense based on religious, ethnic or other affiliation of the viewer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising customizing one or more other features of the avatar custom avatar features to identify the user and/or avatar with a particular social group.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein customizing one or more other features of the avatar includes customizing the avatar'"'"'s clothing, footwear, hairstyles or ethnic characteristics.