IP Library Granted Patent US 11,416,732
Granted Patent B2
US 11,416,732 · App. 16/210,928 · Granted Aug 16, 2022

Simulated human-like affect-driven behavior by a virtual agent

Inventors: Jakob Buhmann (Zürich, CH); Douglas A. Fidaleo (Canyon Country, CA); Maayan Shvo (Toronto, CA); Mubbasir Kapadia (Baden, CH); Jill Fain Lehman (Pittsburgh, PA); Sarah K. Wulfeck (Alameda, CA); Rylan Gibbens (San Diego, CA); Steven Poulakos (Zurich, CH); John Wiseman (Los Angeles, CA)
Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
G06N3/006
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,416,732
App. No.
16/210,928
Granted
Aug 16, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for simulating human-like affect-driven behavior includes a hardware processor and a system memory storing software code providing a virtual agent. The hardware processor executes the software code to identify a character assumed by the virtual agent and having a personality, a target state of motivational fulfillment, a baseline mood, and emotions. The software code identifies current physical and motivational fulfillment states, and currently active emotions of the character, and determines a current mood of the character based on the baseline mood and the currently active emotions. The software code further detects an experience by the character and plans multiple behaviors including a first behavior based on the experience and the current physical state, the second behavior based on the experience, the personality, the current mood, and the currently active emotions, and a third behavior based on the target and current states of motivational fulfillment.

Claims (47)

1. A system for simulating human-like affect-driven behavior of a virtual agent for interactions with a human having a first character including a first personality and first emotions, the system comprising:

a computing platform including a hardware processor and a system memory;

a software code stored in the system memory, the software code configured to provide the virtual agent;

wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute the software code to control the virtual agent to:

identify a second character assumed by the virtual agent, the second character having a second personality, a target state of motivational fulfillment, a baseline mood, and second emotions;

identify a current physical state, a current state of motivational fulfillment, and a currently active emotion of the second emotions of the second character wherein the current physical state includes one or more of hunger, tiredness or depth-of-sleep;

determine a current mood of the second character based on the baseline mood and the currently active emotion that decays in intensity as a function of time, wherein the baseline mood is determined based on a plurality of traits determined based on the second personality;

receive an input corresponding to one of an interaction or an event experienced by the second character; and

plan a plurality of behaviors including at least a first behavior, a second behavior, and a third behavior for the second character;

wherein the first behavior is based on the input and the current physical state of the second character;

wherein the second behavior is an affect-driven behavior based on the input, the second personality, the current mood, and the currently active emotion; and

wherein the third behavior is another affect-driven behavior based on a difference between the target state of motivational fulfillment and the current state of motivational fulfillment.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first behavior, the second behavior, or the third behavior comprises an interaction with another character formed as a machine.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first behavior, the second behavior, or the third behavior comprises at least one of a language-based communication, a gesture, or a facial expression by the second character.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second character assumed by the virtual agent is independent of the first character of the human.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first behavior, the second behavior, or the third behavior comprises an interaction with an inanimate real object.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second character is rendered on a display.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first behavior, the second behavior, or the third behavior comprises an interaction with a virtual object, the interaction with the virtual object causing a real world event to occur.

8. A method for use by a system for simulating human-like affect-driven behavior of a virtual agent for interactions with a human having a first character including a first personality and first emotions, the system comprising a computing platform having a hardware processor and a system memory storing a software code configured to provide the virtual agent, the method comprising:

identifying, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, a second character assumed by the virtual agent, the second character having a second personality, a target state of motivational fulfillment, a baseline mood, and second emotions;

identifying, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, a current physical state, a current state of motivational fulfillment, and a currently active emotion of the second emotions of the second character, wherein the current physical state includes one or more of hunger, tiredness or depth-of-sleep;

determining, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, a current mood of the second character based on the baseline mood and the currently active emotion that decays in intensity as a function of time, wherein the baseline mood is determined based on a plurality of traits determined based on the second personality;

receiving, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, an input corresponding to one of an interaction or an event experienced by the second character; and

planning, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, a plurality of behaviors including at least a first behavior, a second behavior, and a third behavior for the second character;

wherein the first behavior is based on the input and the current physical state of the second character;

wherein the second behavior is an affect-driven behavior based on the input, the second personality, the current mood, and the currently active emotion; and

wherein the third behavior is another affect-driven behavior based on a difference between the target state of motivational fulfillment and the current state of motivational fulfillment.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first behavior, the second behavior, or the third behavior comprises an interaction with another character formed as a machine.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first behavior, the second behavior, or the third behavior comprises at least one of a language-based communication, a gesture, or a facial expression by the second character.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second character assumed by the virtual agent is independent of the first character of the human.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first behavior, the second behavior, or the third behavior comprises an interaction with an inanimate real object.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second character is rendered on a display.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first behavior, the second behavior, or the third behavior comprises an interaction with a virtual object, the interaction with the virtual object causing a real world event to occur.

15. A computer-readable non-transitory medium having stored thereon instructions for simulating human-like affect-driven behavior of a virtual agent for interactions with a human having a first character including a first personality and first emotions, which when executed by a hardware processor, instantiate a method comprising:

identifying a second character assumed by the virtual agent, the second character having a second personality, a target state of motivational fulfillment, a baseline mood, and second emotions;

identifying a current physical state, a current state of motivational fulfillment, and a currently active emotion of the second emotions of the second character, wherein the current physical state includes one or more of hunger, tiredness or depth-of-sleep;

determining a current mood of the second character based on the baseline mood and the currently active emotion that decays in intensity as a function of time, wherein the baseline mood is determined based on a plurality of traits determined based on the second personality;

receiving an input corresponding to one of an interaction or an event experienced by the second character; and

planning a plurality of behaviors including at least a first behavior, a second behavior, and a third behavior for the second character;

wherein the first behavior is based on the input and the current physical state of the second character;

wherein the second behavior is an affect-driven behavior based on the input, the second personality, the current mood, and the currently active emotion; and

wherein the third behavior is another affect-driven behavior based on a difference between the target state of motivational fulfillment and the current state of motivational fulfillment.

16. The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first behavior, the second behavior, or the third behavior comprises an interaction with another character formed as a machine.

17. The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first behavior, the second behavior, or the third behavior comprises at least one of a language-based communication, a gesture, or a facial expression by the second character.

18. The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 15 , wherein the second character assumed by the virtual agent is independent of the first character of the human.

19. The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 15 , wherein the second character is rendered on a display.

20. The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first behavior, the second behavior, or the third behavior comprises an interaction with a virtual object, the interaction with the virtual object causing a real world event to occur.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 6, 2018
From: BUHMANN, JAKOB; FIDALEO, DOUGLAS A.; SHVO, MAAYAN; KAPADIA, MUBBASIR; LEHMAN, JILL FAIN; WULFECK, SARAH K.; GIBBENS, RYLAN; POULAKOS, STEVEN; WISEMAN, JOHN
To: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
Reel/Frame 047734/0143 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200184306A1 · Jun 11, 2020