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Microsoft's 20090309891: truth in avataring?

By Lawrence B. Ebert, Esq.

Claim 1 of US published application 20090309891:

A method of interacting with a virtual environment, comprising:

accessing a physical characteristic nonvolitionally obtained from a user;
assigning an attribute corresponding to the physical characteristic to an avatar identified for the user; and
facilitating user interaction with a virtual environment via the avatar as constrained by the assigned attribute.

Claim 22:

A computer program product for interacting with a virtual environment, comprising:a computer-readable medium, comprising:
a first set of codes for causing a computer to access a physical characteristic nonvolitionally obtained from a user;a second set of codes causing the computer to assign an attribute corresponding to the physical characteristic to an avatar identified for the user; anda third set of codes for causing the computer to facilitate user interaction with a virtual environment via the avatar as constrained by the assigned attribute.

Claim 23:

An apparatus for interacting with a virtual environment, comprising:an information source accessible for receiving a physical characteristic nonvolitionally obtained from a user;an avatar generation component for assigning an attribute corresponding to the physical characteristic to an avatar identified for the user; anda computing environment facilitating user interaction with a virtual environment via the avatar as constrained by the assigned attribute.

The issue from paragraph [0003]:

The artificiality of the avatars often results in frustration and miscommunication, thwarting the useful virtual social interaction for many people and reducing the potential for competitive interactions as well.

The gist of the solution from paragraph [0005]:

The subject innovation relates to systems and/or methods that provide a degree of reality for how an avatar is presented or allowed to interact within a virtual space of a computing environment. Linking the avatar to a physical characteristic of a user provides leverage to provide incentives or constraints that can encourage good behavior (e.g., healthy behaviors, virtuous behaviors, etc.).

See also:

http://ipbiz.blogspot.com/2009/12/microsofts-juku-plurkd-in-china.html

http://ipbiz.blogspot.com/2008/12/scientific-american-discusses-rejected.html

http://ipbiz.blogspot.com/2008/08/microsofts-666-patent.html

http://ipbiz.blogspot.com/2008/06/microsoft-brain-lateralization-and.html

http://ipbiz.blogspot.com/2006/12/fear-in-blogosphere-that-microsoft.html

Full post as published by IPBiz on December 20, 2009 (boomark / email).