Reactive avatars
AssigneeAOL LLC, a Delaware Limited Liability Company (Formerly Known as Ameria Online, Inc.)
InventorsPatrick D. Blattner, John D. Robinson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Avatars are used to graphically represent users in a communications session, and the avatars are capable of being animated. An indication of an animation of one of the avatars is received. Another avatar that represents another of the users is animated in response to, and based on, the animation of the avatar in the same communications session.
Claims40
A computer-implemented method for animating a first avatar based on perceived animation of a second avatar, the method comprising:
- graphically representing a first user with a first avatar capable of being animated;
- graphically representing a second user with a second avatar capable of being animated wherein communication messages are being sent between the first user and the second user;
- receiving an indication of an animation of the first avatar;
- accessing information associating animations of avatars;
- identifying, based on the accessed information, an animation for the second avatar that is responsive to the indicated animation of the first avatar;
- and
- in response to the received indication, animating the second avatar based on the identified responsive animation.
A system for animating a first avatar based on perceived animation of a second avatar, the system comprising a processor connected to a storage device and one or more input/output devices, wherein the processor is configured to:
- graphically represent a first user with a first avatar capable of being animated;
- graphically represent a second user with a second avatar capable of being animated wherein communication messages are being sent between the first user and the second user;
- receive an indication of an animation of the first avatar;
- access information associating animations of avatars;
- identify, based on the accessed information, an animation for the second avatar that is responsive to the indicated animation of the first avatar;
- and
- animate the second avatar, in response to the received indication, based on the identified responsive animation.
A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program configured to animate a first avatar based on perceived animation of a second avatar, the computer program comprising one or more code segments that when executed are configured to:
- graphically represent a first user with a first avatar capable of being animated;
- graphically represent a second user with a second avatar capable of being animated wherein communication messages are being sent between the first user and the second user;
- receive an indication of an animation of the first avatar;
- access information associating animations of avatars;
- identify, based on the accessed information, an animation for the second avatar that is responsive to the indicated animation of the first avatar;
- and
- animate the second avatar, in response to the received indication, based on the identified responsive animation.
A system for animating a first avatar based on perceived animation of a second avatar, the system comprises:
- means to graphically represent a first user with a first avatar capable of being animated and graphically represent a second user with a second avatar capable of being animated wherein communication messages are being sent between the first user and the second user;
- means to receive an indication of an animation of the first avatar;
- means to access information associating animations of avatars;
- means to identify, based on the accessed information, an animation for the second avatar that is responsive to the indicated animation of the first avatar;
- and
- means to animate the second avatar, in response to the received indication, based on the identified responsive animation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.