Communication support method, system, and server device

A system for supporting communication among avatars representing users in a virtual world shared by a plurality of users' client terminals and a server which are connected with each other through a network, the system comprising:

• a statistical information storage unit for storing combinations each including a component of a message transmitted by one or more avatars and an avatar motion matching the component, and a degree of usage of each of the combinations;
• a keyword generation unit for generating a keyword group from the components of a message transmitted by an avatar in response to the transmission of the message;
• a motion extracting unit for searching through the statistical information by use of the keyword group to extract the avatar motions and the degrees of usage according to the keyword group;
• a motion candidate determination processing unit for obtaining the avatar motions each having a degree of usage that satisfies a predetermined condition, as motion candidates for a motion that the avatar is to take for the message transmitted thereby;
• and
• a motion presentation unit for presenting one or more of the avatar motions obtained as the avatar motion candidates, to the user of the avatar.

A communication support server device in a virtual world shared by a plurality of users' client terminals and a server connected with each other through a network, the communication support server device comprising:

• a receiving unit for receiving any one of a message and a keyword group of the message in response to input of the message from any one of the users;
• a statistical information storage unit for storing combinations each including a component of a message transmitted by one or more avatar users and an avatar motion matching the component, and a degree of usage of each of the combinations;
• and
• a transmission unit for transmitting, to the client terminal having transmitted the message, the message or the keyword group received, and avatar motion candidates having been recognized to match the message in the statistical information storage unit.

A computer readable article of manufacture tangibly embodying computer readable instructions for executing a computer implemented method for supporting communication among avatars representing users in a virtual world shared by a plurality of users' client terminals and a server connected with each other through a network, the method comprising the steps of:

• accumulating statistical information, which includes (i) a combination of a component of a message transmitted by one or more avatars and avatar motion matching the component, and (ii) a degree of usage of the combination;
• generating a keyword group from the components of a message transmitted by the one or more avatars in response to the transmission of the message;
• searching through the statistical information by use of the keyword group to extract the avatar motions and the degrees of usage according to the keyword group;
• obtaining one or more avatar motions as motion candidates for a motion that the avatar is to take for the message transmitted thereby, wherein the one or more avatar motions have a degree of usage satisfying a predetermined condition;
• and
• presenting the avatar motion candidates to the user of the avatar.