# US 12,223,107 B2 · System and method for controlling digital cinematic content based on emotional state of characters > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,223,107 B2 - Document ID: US12223107B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/499,620 - Filed: 2023-11-01 - Published: 2024-04-25 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-10-11 - Assignees: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. - Applicants: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. - Inventors: Arvel Chappell, III; Michael Zink; Ha Nguyen; Clayton Mosher; Andrew Veeder; Michael Martinez; Shanshan Sun; Gary Lake-Schaal - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12223107B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/015: {Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection} - G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)} - G06F 3/012: {Head tracking input arrangements} - G06F 3/013: {Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence)} - G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)} - G06F 2203/011: Emotion or mood input determined on the basis of sensed human body parameters such as pulse, heart rate or beat, temperature of skin, facial expressions, iris, voice pitch, brain activity patterns - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Provided is a system for controlling digital cinematic content based on emotional state of characters. A focus on one or more computer-controlled characters appearing in digital cinematic content is determined based on emotion indicators of a first user actively interacting with at least the one or more computer-controlled characters. A set of emotion indicators is inferred for each of the one or more computer-controlled characters based on one or more criteria and multifactor feedback loops are created. A story line of the digital cinematic content and behavioural characteristics of the one or more computer-controlled characters are controlled to achieve a target emotional arc of the first user based on the multifactor feedback loops. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising memory and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to: generate one or more inferred emotion indicators for a computer-controlled character that plays a role within a digital cinematic content based at least in part on one or more criteria associated with the computer-controlled character, wherein the computer-controlled character is a non-player character that is controlled within the digital cinematic content based on one or more behavioural characteristics; generate a multifactor feedback loop based at least in part on (i) the one or more inferred emotion indicators and the one or more behavioural characteristics of the computer-controlled character and (ii) a story line corresponding to the digital cinematic content; and generate a target emotional arc for a user based on the multifactor feedback loop and one or more emotional indicators for the user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the multifactor feedback loop corresponds to one or more factors associated with the story line and a content engagement power (CEP) value of the digital cinematic content. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the multifactor feedback loop may be configured to generate the CEP value based on the one or more inferred emotion indicators. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more emotional indicators for the user comprise one or more near-real time indicators measured using one or more biometric sensors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the target emotional arc is further based on a comparison between the one or more emotional indicators for the user and the one or more inferred emotion indicators for the computer-controlled character. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the multifactor feedback loop may be configured to adjust the one or more behavioural characteristics for the computer-controlled character based on the one or more inferred emotion indicators. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein adjusting the one or more behavioural characteristics comprises: adjusting one or more of a focus, emotional goal, or tactic for the computer-controlled character. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein adjusting the one or more behavioural characteristics comprises: adjusting a next dialogue tactic for the computer-controlled character based on the one or more of the focus, emotional goal, or tactic for the computer-controlled character. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors further configured to: select a next scene in a narrative branch based on the target emotional arc of the user and the one or more inferred emotion indicators for the computer-controlled character. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria associated with the computer-controlled character comprise one or more of (i) a semantic criteria, (ii) a body-language criteria, (iii) a sentiment criteria, (iv) an emotive criteria, or (v) an arousal criteria. ### Claim 11 A computer-implemented method, comprising: generating, by one or more processors, one or more inferred emotion indicators for a computer-controlled character that plays a role within a digital cinematic content based at least in part on one or more criteria associated with the computer-controlled character, wherein the computer-controlled character is a non-player character that is controlled within the digital cinematic content based on one or more behavioural characteristics; generating, by the one or more processors, a multifactor feedback loop based at least in part on (i) the one or more inferred emotion indicators and the one or more behavioural characteristics of the computer-controlled character and (ii) a story line corresponding to the digital cinematic content; and generating, by the one or more processors, a target emotional arc for a user based on the multifactor feedback loop and one or more emotional indicators for the user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the multifactor feedback loop corresponds to one or more factors associated with the story line and a content engagement power (CEP) value of the digital cinematic content. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the multifactor feedback loop may be configured to generate the CEP value based on the one or more inferred emotion indicators. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the one or more emotional indicators for the user comprise one or more near-real time indicators measured using one or more biometric sensors. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the target emotional arc is further based on a comparison between the one or more emotional indicators for the user and the one or more inferred emotion indicators for the computer-controlled character. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the multifactor feedback loop may be configured to adjust the one or more behavioural characteristics for the computer-controlled character based on the one or more inferred emotion indicators. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein adjusting the one or more behavioural characteristics comprises: adjusting one or more of a focus, emotional goal, or tactic for the computer-controlled character. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein adjusting the one or more behavioural characteristics comprises: adjusting a next dialogue tactic for the computer-controlled character based on the one or more of the focus, emotional goal, or tactic for the computer-controlled character. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising: selecting, by the one or more processors, a next scene in a narrative branch based on the target emotional arc of the user and the one or more inferred emotion indicators for the computer-controlled character. ### Claim 20 One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: generate one or more inferred emotion indicators for a computer-controlled character that plays a role within a digital cinematic content based at least in part on one or more criteria associated with the computer-controlled character, wherein the computer-controlled character is a non-player character that is controlled within the digital cinematic content based on one or more behavioural characteristics; generate a multifactor feedback loop based at least in part on (i) the one or more inferred emotion indicators and the one or more behavioural characteristics of the computer-controlled character and (ii) a story line corresponding to the digital cinematic content; and generate a target emotional arc for a user based on the multifactor feedback loop and one or more emotional indicators for the user.