System and method for a communication exchange with an avatar in a media communication system

1. An internet protocol television system, comprising:

a memory storing computer instructions; and

a controller coupled to the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:

detecting a search for media content that is initiated from a set-top box supported by the internet protocol television system, wherein the controller operates in a server that is remote from the set top box, and wherein the server is in communication with the set top box over an internet protocol television network; retrieving a user profile associated with a user of the set-top box;

causing the set-top box to present an avatar having characteristics that correlate to the user profile;

receiving from the set-top box one or more responses of the user, wherein the one or more responses are collected by the set-top box from a communication exchange between the avatar and the user;

analyzing the received one or more responses to identify a change in an emotional state of the user;

adapting the detected search for the media content to generate an adapted search according to the user profile and the identified change in the emotional state of the user;

adapting a portion of the characteristics of the avatar relating to emotional feedback to generate an adapted avatar according to the user profile and the identified change in the emotional state of the user; and

causing the set-top box to present the adapted avatar presenting content from a media content source identified from the adapted search for the media content without providing search results from an unmodified search.

2. The internet protocol television system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to identify the change in the emotional state of the user based on an analysis of a physiological expression of the user from images captured of the user, a context of speech of the user, a prosody of speech of the user, and a grammatical structure of speech of the user.

3. The internet protocol television system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to:

detect a negative disposition in the emotional state of the user; and

adapt the portion of the characteristics of the avatar to counteract the negative disposition.

4. The internet protocol television system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is adapted to:

identify from the user profile and the negative disposition an alternative search procedure to counteract the negative disposition; and

adapt the search for media content according to the alternative search procedure.

5. The internet protocol television system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is adapted to:

cause the set-top box to present the alternative search procedure;

receive from the set-top box a response from the user to the alternative search procedure;

detect from the response an attenuation in the negative disposition; and

adapt the search for media content according the alternative search procedure responsive to the detected attenuation in the negative disposition.

6. The internet protocol television system of claim 3 , wherein the negative disposition corresponds to at least one of a state of hostility, a state of melancholy, a state of apathy, or a state of tension.

7. The internet protocol television system of claim 1 , wherein the user profile comprises at least one of demographic profiling information of the user, psychographic profiling information of the user, or user preferences of the user.

8. The internet protocol television system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is adapted to determine the demographic profiling information of the user from at least one of a subscriber account of the user or media consumption behavior of the user.

9. The internet protocol television system of claim 7 , wherein demographic profiling information of the user is based on at least one of age, gender, income, number of occupants in household, occupation, education, value of residential property, location of residential property, or fees paid for services rendered by the internet protocol television system.

10. The internet protocol television system of claim 7 , wherein the psychographic profiling information of the user is determined from consumption behavior of the user monitored by the internet protocol television system, and wherein the psychographic profiling information is based on at least one of user traits, user attitudes, user interests, or user lifestyles determined from the consumption behavior.

11. A method, comprising:

detecting a search being performed for media content, wherein the detecting of the search is performed by a server, wherein the search is initiated from a set-top box supported by an interactive television system, wherein the server is remote from the set top box, and wherein the server is in communication with the set top box over an interne protocol television network;

providing an avatar from the server to the set-top box for presentation at a display device, wherein the avatar comprises characteristics that correlate to a user profile of a user of the set-top box;

detecting one or more responses of the user during a communication exchange between the user and the avatar;

utilizing the server for analyzing the one or more responses to identify a change in an emotional state of the user;

utilizing the server for adapting the detected search for the media content to generate an adapted search according to the user profile and the identified change in the emotional state of the user;

utilizing the server for adapting a portion of the characteristics of the avatar relating to emotional feedback to generate an adapted avatar according to the user profile and the identified change in the emotional state of the user; and

providing the adapted avatar from the server to the set top box for presentation of content from a media content source identified from the adapted search for media content without providing search results from an unmodified search.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising identifying the change in the emotional state of the user from an analysis of a physiological expression of the user, a context of speech of the user, a prosody of speech of the user, and a grammatical structure of speech of the user.

13. The method of claim 11 , comprising:

detecting a positive disposition in the emotional state of the user;

recording the positive disposition and a context of the exchange with the user for adapting future searches for media content; and

retaining characteristics of the avatar to preserve or enhance the detected positive disposition of the user.

14. The method of claim 11 , comprising:

detecting a negative disposition in the emotional state of the user; and

adapting the portion of the characteristics of the avatar to counteract the negative disposition.

15. The method of claim 14 , comprising:

identifying from the user profile and the negative disposition an alternative search procedure to counteract the negative disposition; and

adapting the search for media content according the alternative search procedure.

16. The method of claim 15 , comprising:

presenting the alternative search procedure;

receiving a response from the user to the alternative search procedure;

detecting from the response an attenuation in the negative disposition; and

adapting the search for media content according the alternative search procedure responsive to the detected attenuation in the negative disposition.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the negative disposition corresponds to at least one of a state of hostility, a state of melancholy, a state of apathy, or a state of tension.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the user profile comprises at least one of demographic profiling information of the user, psychographic profiling information of the user, or user preferences of the user.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein demographic profiling information of the user is based on at least one of age, gender, income, number of occupants in household, occupation, education, value of residential property, location of residential property, or fees paid for services rendered by the interactive television system, wherein the psychographic profiling information of the user is determined from consumption behavior of the user monitored by the interactive television system, and wherein the psychographic profiling information is based on at least one of user traits, user attitudes, user interests, or user lifestyles determined from the consumption behavior.

20. A set-top box, comprising:

a memory storing computer instructions; and

a controller coupled to the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:

initiating a search for media content;

presenting at a media presentation device an avatar received from a remote server over a network in response to the remote server detecting the initiated search, wherein the avatar comprises characteristics that correlate to a user profile of a user of the set-top box, wherein the user profile is stored by the remote server;

detecting one or more responses of a user during a communication exchange between the user and the avatar;

providing the one or more detected responses to the remote server for identifying a change in an emotional state of the user, wherein the detected search is adapted by the remote server according to the user profile and the identified change in the emotional state of the user;

receiving an adapted avatar over the network from the remote server, wherein the adapted avatar includes a portion of the characteristics that have been changed relating to emotional feedback according to the user profile and the identified change in the emotional state of the user; and

presenting the adapted avatar presenting content from a media content source identified from the adapted search for media content without providing search results from an unmodified search.

21. The set-top box of claim 20 , wherein the change in the emotional state of the user is identified based on an analysis of a physiological expression of the user, a context of speech of the user, a prosody of speech of the user, and a grammatical structure of speech of the user.

22. The set-top box of claim 20 , wherein the controller is adapted to:

detect a positive disposition in the emotional state of the user; and

retain characteristics of the avatar to preserve or enhance the positive disposition.

23. The set-top box of claim 20 , wherein the controller is adapted to:

detect a negative disposition in the emotional state of the user; and

adapt the portion of the characteristics of the avatar to counteract the negative disposition.

24. The set-top box of claim 23 , wherein the controller is adapted to:

identify from the user profile and the negative disposition an alternative search procedure to counteract the negative disposition; and

adapt the search for media content according the alternative search procedure.

25. The set-top box of claim 24 , wherein the controller is adapted to:

present the alternative search procedure;

receive a response from the user to the alternative search procedure;

detect from the response an attenuation in the negative disposition; and

adapt the search for media content according the alternative search procedure responsive to the detected attenuation in the negative disposition.