IP Library Granted Patent US 9,124,923
Granted Patent B2
US 9,124,923 · App. 14/485,059 · Granted Sep 1, 2015

Presentation of an avatar in a media communication system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,124,923
App. No.
14/485,059
Granted
Sep 1, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a system to receive a response generated by a media processor based on an analysis of a communication exchange between a user and an avatar having characteristics that correspond to a user profile. The system can identify from the response a requirement for initiation of a communication session with a content source. An avatar profile is received from the content source, including gesture information based on gestures utilized by a character supplied by the content source. An adapted avatar is generated based on the avatar profile by adapting in part the characteristics of the avatar to have a first characteristic that duplicates a gesture of the character supplied by the content source, while retaining a second characteristic corresponding to the user profile. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims (40)

1. A system, comprising

a memory that stores executable instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the executable instructions facilitates performance of operations comprising:

receiving from a media processor a response generated by the media processor based on an analysis of a communication exchange between equipment of a user and an avatar having characteristics comprising a plurality of characteristics that corresponds to a user profile of the user;

identifying from the response a requirement for initiation of a communication session with a content source that provides the media processor with access to media content;

receiving from the content source an avatar profile comprising a gesture profile of a character, wherein the gesture profile is based on gestures indicative of a behavior of the character, based on a characteristic of the character supplied by the content source; and

generating an adapted avatar based on the avatar profile by adapting in part the characteristics of the avatar to exhibit the behavior of the character based on the gesture profile of the character supplied by the content source while retaining a second characteristic of the plurality of characteristics that correspond to the user profile.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second characteristic comprises a user voice characteristic, wherein the processor receives images from a camera, wherein the images capture gestures of the user, wherein the identification of the requirement for the initiation of the communication session with the content source is based on the images, and wherein the second characteristic is determined based on user preferences and behavior modeling of monitored media consumption.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting a termination of the communication session with the content source; and

adjusting the avatar to have the plurality of characteristics that correspond to the user profile of the user, responsive to the detecting of the termination of the communication session.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the avatar profile comprises appearance aspects, a content search method and a content presentation method, wherein media content of the content source is broadcast to the media processor, and wherein the generating of the adapted avatar is based on the avatar profile without utilizing another avatar profile provided by a local content source.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user profile comprises demographic profiling information associated with the user, psychographic profiling information associated with the user and user preferences received from equipment of the user.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the demographic profiling information associated with the user from media consumption behavior associated with the user.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the demographic profiling information associated with the user is based on one of age, gender, income, number of occupants in household, occupation, education, value of residential property, location of residential property, fees paid for services rendered or a combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the psychographic profiling information associated with the user is determined from consumption behavior monitored, and wherein the psychographic profiling information is based on one of user traits, user attitudes, user interests, or user lifestyles determined from the consumption behavior.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving an advertisement that is selected based on the user profile, wherein the adapted avatar is presented with the advertisement.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the content source comprises one of a media on demand source, a digital media recorder source or both, wherein the avatar profile is supplied by the one of the media on demand source, the digital media recorder source or both.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of characteristics that correspond to the user profile comprise health characteristics associated with the user, wherein the generating of the adapted avatar is based on the health characteristics associated with the user.

12. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to facilitate performance of operations comprising:

detecting a response of a user during a communication exchange between equipment of the user and an avatar having a plurality of characteristics that correspond to a user profile of the user;

initiating a communication session with a content source responsive to identifying from the response, a requirement for initiation of the communication session with the content source, wherein the content source provides access to media content including a character supplied by the content source; and

generating an adapted avatar by adapting a gesture profile of the avatar to include gestures indicative of a behavior of the character, based on a characteristic of the character supplied by the content source, wherein the adapted avatar emulates the gestures.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:

retaining in the adapted avatar a first characteristic of the plurality of characteristics that correspond to the user profile, while adapting a second characteristic of the plurality of characteristics to an avatar profile received from the content source;

detecting a termination of the communication session with the content source; and

restoring the avatar, responsive to the detecting of the termination, based on the plurality of characteristics that correspond to the user profile.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the user profile comprises one of demographic profiling information associated with the user, psychographic profiling information associated with the user, user preferences received from the equipment of the user, or a combination thereof, and wherein the adapting of the characteristic of the plurality of characteristics is based on an avatar profile received from the content source, wherein the avatar profile comprises appearance aspects, a content search method, and a content presentation method associated with the character supplied by the content source.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the demographic profiling information associated with the user from a subscriber account associated with the user and a media consumption behavior associated with the user.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the demographic profiling information associated with the user is based on one of age, gender, income, number of occupants in household, occupation, education, value of residential property, location of residential property, fees paid for services rendered by an interactive television system or combinations thereof, wherein the psychographic profiling information associated with the user is determined from consumption behavior, and wherein the psychographic profiling information is based on one of user traits, user attitudes, user interests, user lifestyle determined from the consumption behavior or combinations thereof.

17. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a system comprising a processor, a user response during a communication exchange between equipment of a user and an avatar presentable on a media presentation device, wherein the avatar reflects a plurality of characteristics that correspond to a user profile of the user;

initiating, by the system, a communication session with a content source, responsive to identifying from the response, a requirement for initiation of the communication session with the content source, wherein the content source provides the processor with access to media content including a character supplied by the content source; and

generating, by the system, an adapted avatar for presentation on the media presentation device, wherein the adapted avatar has a first characteristic of the plurality of characteristics that correspond to the user profile and a second characteristic of the plurality of characteristics that corresponds to an avatar profile supplied by the content source, wherein the avatar profile comprises gesture information based on a gesture indicative of a behavior of the character, while retaining the first characteristic.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising presenting, by the system, on the media presentation device, by the system, the adapted avatar, wherein the adapted avatar emulates the gestures of the character supplied by the content source.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

retrieving, by the system, the user profile associated with the user, wherein the generating of the adapted avatar comprises retaining the first characteristic of the plurality of characteristics of the avatar that correspond to the user profile, while adapting another characteristic of the plurality of characteristics to comply with the second characteristic of the plurality of characteristics of the avatar to the avatar profile, wherein the first characteristic of the plurality of characteristics is determined based on behavior modeling of the user utilizing media consumption behavior of the user;

detecting, by the system, a termination of the communication session with the content source; and

restoring, by the system, the second characteristic of the plurality of characteristics of the avatar having characteristics that correlate to the user profile and terminating the second characteristic of the plurality of characteristics of the avatar correlated to the avatar profile responsive to detecting the termination of the communication session with the content source.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the avatar profile provided by the content source comprises one of appearance aspects, a content search method, a content presentation method or combinations thereof, and wherein the user profile comprises one of demographic profiling information of the user, psychographic profiling information of the user, user preferences supplied by the equipment of the user or combinations thereof, and wherein the method further comprises monitoring, by the system, the consumption behavior of the user and determining therefrom at least a portion of the user profile.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2022
From: LYFT, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 061880/0237 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 18, 2019
From: PROSPER TECHNOLOGY, LLC
To: LYFT, INC.
Reel/Frame 048097/0402 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 16, 2018
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
To: PROSPER TECHNOLOGY, LLC
Reel/Frame 046556/0096 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 19, 2014
From: CHANG, E-LEE; SCHROETER, HORST; ROBERTS, LINDA; CLAYTON, DARNELL; KHANDELWAL, MADHUR
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 033773/0495 →