Persistent, immersible and extractable avatars

• US 7,675,519 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2004
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elite Avatars, LLC
• Original Assignee: Elite Avatars Incorporated
• Inventors: Tobias, Richard Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Chauhan; Ulka
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chow; Jeffrey J
• Application Number:
  US10/913,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20060028475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 345/473, 715/706
• 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 computer including a storage medium storing a management application, the management application capable of immersing an avatar into at least an application and a second application, said application and said second application offering different functionality, said application operative to use said avatar to achieve a result in the real world the management application comprising:

a data store to store data for said avatar, said data store including at least a first data field, a second data field, and a third data field, wherein said third data field operative to store real-world data about a user, and wherein the data store is operative to store said data according to a standard set by a certifying organization that is independent of the management application, said application, and said second application;

a requester to request data fields used by said application;

a selector to select data from the data store corresponding to said data fields, wherein said selected data includes said first data field and said third data field and does not include said second data field;

an interface to immerse said avatar in said application by transmitting said selected data from the management application to said application and to receive updated data from said application; and

an integrator to integrate said updated data with said data for said avatar in the data store, after which said avatar is capable of being immersed in either said application or said second application.

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

3. A computer according to claim 2, wherein the scaler is operative to scale an intangible attribute of said avatar.

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

5. A computer according to claim 4, wherein the transformer is operative to alter only a graphical representation of said avatar.

6. A computer according to claim 1, wherein:

the requester is operative to request data fields used by a second application;

the selector is operative to select data from the data store corresponding to said data fields, wherein said selected data includes said second data field and does not include said first data field;

the interface is operative to immerse said avatar in said second application by providing said selected data to said second application and to receive second updated data from said second application; and

the integrator is operative to integrate said second updated data with said data for said avatar in the data store.

7. A computer according to claim 1, wherein the interface is operative to immerse said avatar without modifying said selected data.

8. A computer according to claim 1, wherein said application is capable of use by others when said avatar is not immersed in said application.

9. A system, comprising a first computer including a first storage medium storing a management application thereon and a second computer including a second storage medium storing an application thereon, the management application capable of immersing an avatar into at least the application and a second application offering different functionality, the application operative to use said avatar to achieve a result in the real world, wherein:

the management application includes;

a data store to store data for said avatar, said data store including at least a first data field, a second data field, and a third data field, wherein said third data field operative to store real-world data about a user, and wherein the data store is operative to store said data according to a standard set by a certifying organization that is independent of the management application, said application, and said second application;

a requester to request data fields used by said application;

a selector to select data from the data store corresponding to said data fields, wherein said selected data includes said first data field and said third data field and does not include said second data field;

an interface to immerse said avatar in the application by transmitting said selected data from the management application to the application and to receive updated data from the application; and

an integrator to integrate said updated data with said data for said avatar in the data store after which said avatar is capable of being immersed in either the application or said second 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 to transmit said updated data to the management application, wherein said data fields do not include at least said second data field for which the management application stores data for said avatar; 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 application further includes a data store to store data for said avatar unique to the application and not needed by any other application.

14. A computer-implemented method for using a management application, comprising:

sending an immersion request to immerse an avatar in an application, the application operative to use the avatar to achieve a result in the real world;

receiving a data request from the application;

selecting data from a data store corresponding to the received data request, wherein the selected data includes a second data field storing real-world data about a user and the selected data does not include a first data field, and wherein the data store is operative to store said data according to a standard set by a certifying organization that is independent of the management application, the application, and a second application;

scaling the selected data for the avatar requested by the application, the scaled data including at least one intangible attribute of the avatar;

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

receiving returned data from the application;

rescaling the returned data; and

incorporating the updated data into the data for the avatar, after which the avatar can be immersed in the application and the second application.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising transforming the avatar into a form consistent with the application.

16. A method according to claim 14, 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.

17. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

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

receiving a second data request from the second application;

selecting second selected data from the data store corresponding to the second received data request, wherein the second selected data does not include a second data field;

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

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

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein scaling the data for the avatar requested by the second application includes scaling the data for the avatar requested by the second application to the second scaled data that is different from the scaled data sent to the application.

19. A method according to claim 14, wherein:

receiving a data request from the application includes receiving scales to use in scaling the selected data; and

scaling the selected data includes scaling the selected data for the avatar requested by the application according to the scales to use in scaling the selected data.

20. 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, the application operative to use the avatar to achieve a result in the real world;

receiving a data request from the application;

selecting data from a data store corresponding to the received data request, wherein the selected data includes a second data field storing real-world data about a user and the selected data does not include a first data field, and wherein the data store is operative to store said data according to a standard set by a certifying organization that is independent of the management application, the application, and a second application;

scaling the selected data for the avatar requested by the application, the scaled data including at least one intangible attribute of the avatar;

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

receiving returned data from the application;

rescaling the returned data; and

incorporating the updated data into the data for the avatar, after which the avatar can be immersed in the application and the second application.

21. An article according to claim 20, 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.

22. An article according to claim 20, 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.

23. An article according to claim 20, 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;

selecting second selected data from the data store corresponding to the second received data request, wherein the second selected data does not include a second data field;

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

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

24. An article according to claim 23, wherein scaling the data for the avatar requested by the second application includes scaling the data for the avatar requested by the second application to the second scaled data that is different from the scaled data sent to the application.

25. An article according to claim 20, wherein:

receiving a data request from the application includes receiving scales to use in scaling the selected data; and

scaling the selected data includes scaling the selected data for the avatar requested by the application according to the scales to use in scaling the selected data.