Use of avatars with automatic gesturing and bounded interaction in on-line chat session

A method for enabling a plurality of different gestures to be implemented by a plurality of different avatars that represent participants in an on-line graphic chat session, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a different script for each of the gestures, each script being applicable to all of the plurality of avatars used in the chat session, each gesture comprising a sequence of visual frames, said visual frames portraying different views of an avatar to produce a visual impression of an animation of said avatar when rapidly displayed in the sequence;
• (b) in the script for each gesture, indicating specific visual frames comprising the sequence and time intervals determining a duration for displaying each visual frame of the sequence;
• and
• (c) causing the avatars representing participants in the chat session to automatically implement desired gestures by selectively executing the scripts for the desired gestures, any change to a script to modify a desired gesture causing a corresponding change in said gesture for all of the different avatars executing said gesture.

A system for use in enabling a participant in an on-line chat session who is represented by an avatar to indicate at least one of a plurality of different personality traits and/or current emotions to others in the on-line chat session, comprising:

• (a) an interface to a network on which the on-line chat session is being run, said interface enabling the participant to transmit and receive data over the network;
• (b) a display for displaying a graphic representation of a virtual space in which the on-line chat session is occurring;
• (c) a memory for storing machine instructions;
• and
• (d) a central processor for executing the machine instructions, said machine instructions, when executed by the central processor, causing the central processor to control the interface and the display, so that;
• (i) an animation is provided for the avatar in the virtual space, said animation comprising a plurality of frames played in sequence so that the avatar appears to move in a defined manner within said virtual space, said movement by the avatar representing a gesture when viewed by others participating in the on-line chat session that conveys at least one of the plurality of different personality traits and/or current emotions;
• (ii) during an idle period for the participant in the chat session, when the avatar representing said participant is otherwise inactive, the animation is automatically initiated;
• and
• (iii) during an active period for the participant in the chat session, when the avatar representing the participant is performing a selected action, automatically initiating another animation in which the avatar appears to move in a defined manner that conveys another gesture, the other gesture being determined by the participant to convey at least one of a plurality of different personality traits and/or current emotions.

A system for enabling a plurality of different gestures to be implemented by a plurality of different avatars that represent participants in an on-line graphic chat session, comprising:

• (a) an interface to a network on which the chat session is being run, said interface enabling a participant to transmit and receive data over the network;
• (b) a display for displaying a graphic representation of a virtual space in which the chat session is occurring;
• (c) a memory for storing machine instructions;
• and
• (d) a central processor for executing the machine instructions, said machine instructions, when executed by the central processor, causing the central processor to control the interface and the display, so that:
• (i) a different script is provided for each of the gestures, each script being applicable to all of the plurality of avatars used in the chat session, each gesture comprising a sequence of visual frames, said visual frames portraying different views of an avatar to produce a visual impression of an animation of said avatar when rapidly displayed on the display in the sequence;
• (ii) in the script for each gesture, specific visual frames comprising the sequence and time intervals determining a duration for displaying each visual frame of the sequence are indicated;
• and
• (iii) the avatars representing participants in the chat session are caused to automatically implement desired gestures by selectively executing the scripts for the desired gestures, any change to a script to modify a desired gesture causing a corresponding change in said gesture for all of the different avatars executing said gesture.

A method for enabling a participant in a graphic on-line chat session who is represented by an avatar to restrict communication with others participating in the on-line chat session, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing the participant with an identification of other persons currently participating in the on-line chat session;
• (b) enabling the participant to select specific persons that are currently participating in the on-line chat session from whom the participant will perceive communications during the on-line chat session;
• and
• (c) precluding the participant from perceiving communications from other than the selected specific persons, during the on-line chat session.

A method for enabling a participant in a graphic on-line chat session who is represented by an avatar to restrict communication with others participating in the on-line chat session, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing the participant with an identification of other persons participating in the on-line chat session;
• (b) enabling the participant to select specific persons from whom the participant will perceive communications during the on-line chat session, the participant employing a graphic control to set a radius around the avatar representing the participant to indicate a defined space adjacent to the avatar, so that only communications from any of the other persons participating in the on-line chat session who are represented by an avatar disposed within said defined space will be perceived by the participant;
• and
• (c) precluding the participant from perceiving communications from other than said specific persons, during the on-line chat session.

A method for enabling a participant in a graphic on-line chat session who is represented by an avatar to restrict communication with others participating in the on-line chat session, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing the participant with an identification of other persons participating in the on-line chat session;
• (b) enabling the participant to select specific persons from whom the participant will perceive communications during the on-line chat session, the participant using a pointing device to trace a path defining a perimeter of a defined space in which the avatars representing the specific persons are disposed;
• and
• (c) precluding the participant from perceiving communications from any person represented by an avatar that is disposed outside said perimeter, during the on-line chat session.

A method for communicating a gesture by an avatar that represents a participant in an on-line graphic chat session, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an animation in which the avatar appears to move in a defined manner that conveys the gesture, said gesture being determined by the participant;
• (b) during an idle period for the participant in the chat session, when the avatar is otherwise inactive, automatically initiating the animation without requiring any input by the participant;
• and
• (c) enabling the participant to perceive communications from another participant in the chat session only if the other participant is represented by an avatar that is disposed within a defined distance of the participant's avatar.

A method for enabling a plurality of different gestures to be implemented by a plurality of different avatars that represent participants in an on-line graphic chat session, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a different script for each of the gestures, each script being applicable to all of the plurality of avatars used in the chat session, each gesture comprising a sequence of visual frames, said visual frames portraying different views of an avatar to produce a visual impression of an animation of said avatar when rapidly displayed in the sequence;
• (b) in the script for each gesture, indicating specific visual frames comprising the sequence and time intervals determining a duration for displaying each visual frame of the sequence;
• (c) causing the avatars representing participants in the chat session to implement desired gestures by selectively executing the scripts for the desired gestures;
• and
• (d) enabling a participant to automatically perceive communications from another participant in the chat session only if the other participant is represented by an avatar that is disposed within a defined distance of the participant's avatar.

A system for use in enabling a participant in an on-line chat session who is represented by an avatar to indicate a personality trait and/or an emotion to others in the on-line chat session, comprising:

• (a) an interface to a network on which the on-line cat session is being run, said interface enabling the participant to transmit and receive data over the network;
• (b) a display for displaying a graphic representation of a virtual space in which the on-line chat session is occurring;
• (c) a memory for storing machine instructions;
• and
• (d) a central processor for executing the machine instructions, said machine instructions, when executed by the central processor, causing the central processor to control the interface and the display, so that;
• (i) an animation is provided for the avatar in the virtual space, said animation comprising a plurality of frames played in sequence so that the avatar appears to move in a defined manner within said virtual space, said movement by the avatar representing a gesture when viewed by others participating in the on-line chat session;
• (ii) during an idle period for the participant in the chat session, when the avatar representing said participant is otherwise inactive, the animation is automatically initiated;
• and
• (iii) the participant is enabled to perceive communications from another participant in the chat session only if the other participant is represented by an avatar that is disposed within a defined distance of the participant's avatar.