SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MESSAGE TRANSMISSION BY RECORDING AND REPRODUCING AVATAR ACTION
Technical Field The present invention relates to a system and method for message transmission by recording and reproduction of avatar actions. In particular, according to this invention when a sender accesses to a three-dimensional cyberspace established in a web server to produce and store an avatar action record file as the form of script file (hereinafter will be also referred to as Avatar Message Script (AMS) file) including his/her message while controlling an avatar, an avatar message server transmits a notification mail for informing arrival of an avatar message to a corresponding recipient by using a general e-mail service, and the recipient accesses to the web server to receive information through reproduction of the avatar action record file produced by the sender.
Background Art
As the internet has been generalized, various information is provided through networks from web servers. Information may be defined as a comprehensive concept of message which is transmitted from one person or organization to another person or organization, and includes various introductory message, advertisement, bulletin board, e- mail and the like. Message transmission has been carried out through a two-dimensional script such as HTML, POP3 and so on in the past, and lately, is carried out through a web card mode having a still image attached thereto or a dynamic image or a voice message mode having an audio file attached thereto.
E-mail, which is widely used among subscribers for message transmission, means a message transmission system in which a sender transmits a message containing the address of a recipient and contents via a network such as the internet, which re-transmits the message to the corresponding recipient through address analysis. In the aspect of system, the e-mail can be defined as "a network application for electronic transmission of a message among final users by using a variety of network protocols on a number of networks."
A typical e-mail system is constituted by an e-mail server and e-mail clients. The e-mail server, which is realized by a workstation or a Pentium PC, accesses to the internet and controls a message which is sent for a registered client's account of its own or a registered client to send an e-mail to an account of another e-mail server.
An e-mail client has an account of the e-mail server, and accesses to the internet via an LAN or a telephone network to receive an e-mail arrived in the e-mail server of its own or to transmit an e-mail to the e-mail server so as to send the same to another e-mail client.
The e-mail should be sent or received through the e-mail server. An example of e-mail server side standards is Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) for controlling between two computers for sending and receiving a message, in which a message body is transmitted when confirmation is made about proper connection between both computers and about a recipient. An example of client or e-mail terminal side standards is Post Office Protocol (POP). POP is a protocol for allowing e-mail application, in which the client has an internet e-mail account in a host connected to the internet and accesses to the host to use the e-mail.
Lately, e-mail functions are being realized in various fashions. For example, the e-mail is attached with various image data or coupled with advertisement data. Further, in addition to e-mail transmission systems via e-mail dedicated programs such as Outlook Express, Netscape Messenger and so on using accounts which are respectively allocated to users, e-mail services such as Hot Mail are widely used, in which a web server allocates e- mail accounts to its members by using its web page. The latter service is called a web message service.
Meanwhile, technologies have been developed beyond the conventional two- dimensional home page, in which a three-dimensional space and virtual characters are created for a web service. In such a web service such as a chatting and game, is well known a so-called avatar program where a dynamic image character moving in a cyberspace or virtual reality space is set as the other self of the user.
The avatar program is installed in a PC of each user as a client program, in which a number of spaces and characters are created for the user to select one desired character as his/her avatar in the chatting or game. The user avatar can display letters entered by the user or make simple expressions of feeling through gestures or motions.
Disclosure of Invention
Accordingly, the present invention has been made on an idea that a message can transmitted very impressively if a user or sender controls an avatar to act according to the message that the user wants to transmit and stores avatar actions as a script file in a server so that another user or recipient can download the stored script file after accessing to the server and reproduce the same to read the message from the sender.
A number of new services can be realized using the present invention: First, the invention applied to an e-mail service can realize a new type of e-mail service in which the avatar transmits the message while walking in the virtual reality space differently from static e-mail services of the conventional art. The difference between the e-mail service of the conventional art and the avatar e-mail of the invention may be the same as the difference between a letter written in paper and a video tape having a message recorded with a camcorder.
Second, the invention can realize a play or drama service where a plurality of avatars appear and play. The avatars are controlled to behave and speak according to a scenario and roles while actions and speeches of the avatars are recorded to produce an avatar action record file. When the file is reproduced, a play or drama can be played.
Third, a new type of internet advertisement can be made according to the invention, in which the avatar actions are stored with company introduction or product advertisement messages attached thereto and the stored avatar action record file is distributed as the form of mail through the internet for general users to reproduce the file. In this advertisement, in order to enhance the effect of the advertisement, trade marks of specific products can be exposed on graphic objects in a three-dimensional background where the avatars act or clothes or personal belongings ofthe avatars. Alternatively, those graphic objects, clothes and personal belongings can be respectively linked to home pages of corresponding companies when the user clicks them.
Fourth, the invention can be utilized as a help function in a general internet home page service. In this function, when a specific home page is accessed, the avatar action record file is reproduced introducing the corresponding home page so that the home page
can be introduced more vividly. Also, explanation of specific functions can be served in the same fashion when the specific functions are used in the home page. Like this, the invention can be utilized to realize numerous services of new idea on the internet.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a system for message transmission by recording and reproduction of avatar actions which comprises means for accessing to the web server, by the sender, to produce and store the avatar action record file through adding his/her message, and means for accessing to the web server, by the recipient, to reproduce the avatar action record file produced by the sender.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method of message transmission by recording and reproduction of the avatar actions, the method comprising the following steps of: accessing, by the sender, to the web server to produce and stored the avatar action record file through adding his/her message; accessing, by the recipient, to the web server to reproduce the avatar action record file produced by the sender.
The invention is realized in a system comprising: a web server for recording the avatar actions in a three-dimensional space; a sending part provided with a web browser capable of accessing the web server to enter a page stored in the web server for file execution; a receiving part provided with a web browser capable of accessing the web server to read a message stored in the web server and with a general mail browser; wherein the web server, the sending part and the receiving part are connected via the internet. Upon accessing the web server, the sender controls the avatar to act and adds his/her message to produce and store the avatar action record file, and then the avatar message server transmits the notification mail of avatar message arrival to the corresponding receiver. In sequence, the receiver accesses to the web server to reproduce
the avatar action record file produced by the sender to receive information.
The notification mail from the avatar message server is transmitted to the receiver through an additional general e-mail so that a general user is allocated with the web server URL and the message ID and password for opening the corresponding avatar action record file in the web server through the general e-mail.
According to the invention, the message that the sender wants to send can be attached to the avatar actions in transmission of the avatar action record file different from a two-dimensional letter or other media transmission method such as the conventional message and advertisement, so that the sender or advertiser can raise the effect of the message transmission, the receiver can have the interest in receiving information and a web server operation can secure more members.
Detailed description will be made about the configuration and operation of the invention in the following description ofthe embodiments.
Brief Description of Drawings
Fig. 1A shows the structure of a message transmission system according to the invention;
Fig. IB shows the detailed construction according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 shows the structures of a definition file and a background description file;
Fig. 3A shows the structure of an avatar action record file;
Fig. 3B shows an avatar message database table;
Fig. 3C shows an example of a notification message for informing arrival of an
avatar message;
Fig. 4A is a flow chart of transmitting information data in a message transmission method according to the invention;
Fig. 4B is a flow chart of receiving information data in a message transmission method according to the invention;
Fig. 4C is a flow chart in receiving information data according to another embodiment ofthe invention; and
Fig. 5A to Fig. 5C illustrate screens of avatar message reproduction steps according to the invention.
Best Modes for Carrying out the Invention Fig. 1A schematically shows the structure of a message transmission system according to a message transmission method ofthe invention.
Referring to the structure of Fig. 1, the message transmission system is comprised of a server 10 connected to the internet, a sender 18, a recipient 14, and an SMTP server 16 for processing message transmission. The server 10 is constituted by a web server 11 for storing a message creation/viewer component file, a graphic/audio object file, a definition file, a background description file and so on and allowing these files to be downloaded when wanted by the sender 18 and the recipient 14; an avatar message server 13 for storing/managing an avatar action record file 31 and producing an avatar message notification mail 35 to transmit to the recipient through the SMTP server 16; and a database server 33 for storing information data about the avatar action record file 31.
The sender or a sender PC 18 is installed with a web browser 17 capable of
accessing to the web server 1 1 to enter a page stored therein for file processing. The recipient or a recipient PC 14 is installed with a web browser 19 capable of accessing to the web server 11 to read messages stored therein and a general mail browser 15 such as Outlook Express, Netscape Messenger and so on capable of receiving and reading the avatar message notification mail. While Fig. 1A illustrates a PC user via the internet, the invention can be realized via a radio internet using mobile communication terminals.
Considering the operation, the message sender 18 accesses to the web server 1 1 and controls an avatar to act according to a message that the sender 18 wants to transmit. For example, a three-dimensional space can be defined as a specific place where the avatar is controlled to perform certain actions. Of course, this is carried out by a component module provided by the web server 11. The avatar actions in the web server 11 are stored as an avatar action record file in the avatar message server 13 and the information data about the avatar action record file are stored in the database server 33. Meanwhile, the avatar message server 13 sends a general e-mail message to the recipient 14 through the SMTP server 16. The e-mail message includes a message for informing present arrival of the avatar message, a URL of a web page where the avatar message can be confirmed, a message ID and a password. The recipient 14, after accessing to a web page corresponding to the URL, can reproduce the avatar action message stored in the avatar message server 13 left by the sender 18 by using the message ID and password. Fig. IB shows the structure shown in Fig. 1 A in detail.
The web server 11 stores a message creating component file 21, a message viewer component file 23, graphic/audio objects 25, a definition file 27 and a background description file 29.
The avatar message server 13 stores the avatar action record file or AMS file 31, and the information data about the avatar action record file are stored in the database server 33. The information data include the path and name of the avatar action record file, the message ID and password, which are necessary for allowing the recipient to search the received avatar message. Further, the avatar message server 13 creates the notification mail 35 for notifying arrival of the avatar message and sends the same to the general mail browser 15.
Through the sending web browser 17, the sender can access to the web server 11, download an avatar message creation component 21a and execute the component on the web browser 17 to create a message, in which, the sender PC 18(Fig. 1A) stores graphic/audio objects 25a, a definition file 27a, a background description file 29a and an avatar action record file 31a created by executing the avatar message creation component 21a.
Upon completing avatar message creation like this, the sender inputs an e-mail address of the recipient and then sends a message to the recipient. In reality, the avatar action record file created by the sender is uploaded and stored into the avatar message server and the information data about the stored action record file are recorded in the database before the notification mail is sent to the recipient. The notification mail for avatar message arrival is automatically produced by the avatar message server 13 and then sent to the e-mail address of recipient inputted by the sender through the SMTP server 16.
Upon recognizing arrival of the avatar message through the general mail browser 15, the recipient can access to the web server 11 using the browser 19 to confirm the message through the avatar message viewer component 23a. In this case, the URL of the
web page for the message to be confirmed, and the ID and the password required to confirm the message are transmitted through the notification mail of avatar message arrival which is described above. The recipient PC 14(Fig. 1A) stores graphic/audio objects 25b, a definition file 27b, a background description file 29b and the avatar action record file 31a. While it has been described that the avatar action record file is transmitted to a specific recipient through the notification mail in the above description, the action record file can be uploaded on a bulletin board for unspecified parts as the recipient. In other words, the avatar action record file produced by the sender is stored in the bulletin board in a specific web site as a text is uploaded in a general text bulletin board so that any unspecified users accessed to the web site can reproduce the avatar action record file uploaded on the text bulletin board. This means that the avatar action storage/reproduction technology of the invention is applied to a general bulletin board service so that a noble type dynamic bulletin board service can be realized using the avatar.
Fig. 2 shows the structures of the definition file 27 and the background description file 29 according to the invention.
The definition file is mainly constituted by a graphic/audio object ID definition block and an avatar action definition block. The graphic/audio object definition block allocates an ID to each of the graphic/audio objects and groups the graphic/audio objects according to object type. The three-dimensional space provided by the web server 11 displays or reproduces the graphic/audio objects such as walls, floor tiles, various ware and furniture, which are stored in the web server as the form of file. The definition file 27 functions to allocate an ID to the each object and group the objects according to object type. On the other hand, the avatar action definition block allocates an ID to each of the avatar
actions such as smiling, crying, being angry, greeting, sitting, standing, walking, dozing and so on and a name to each avatar. Each ofthe avatar actions is stored in the web server as the form of image file, and the definition file 27 respectively allocates a name and an ID to the each avatar and the each action stored in the server. The background description file 29 describes a background of the three- dimensional space, and is constituted by a header block, a general graphic object description block and a tile graphic object description block. The header block contains room titles, background music file IDs, screen size information and tile size information. The general graphic object description block contains object IDs, object position coordinate information and site link information. The tile graphic object description block contains tile IDs, tile position coordinate information and site link information.
When a specific object for example a desk is stored with a file name of "desk.bmp", if the definition file 27 allocates an ID of "desk.ext=S31 " and the background description file 29 designates S31=(10,20), the desk (desk.bmp) is displayed at the coordinate (10,20) in the avatar message creation/viewer page on the web browser. Like this, the definition file 27 stores information for defining the objects used in the whole program, and the background description file 29 stores position information about the each object when producing a specific space.
Fig. 3A to Fig. 3C respectively show the structures of the AMS file or the avatar action record file, an avatar message database table and the notification message for informing arrival ofthe avatar message.
The avatar action record file, as shown in Fig. 3A, is created by the sender, which executes the message creation component file 21 on the web browser to include a message
of the sender in the avatar actions. The avatar action record file is constituted by a header block for recording background description file names for describing the three-dimensional backgrounds used in creation of the avatar action message, the used avatar ID, the message title, sender information, recipient information and sending date and time; avatar data according to time lapse such as positions, motions and actions of the avatars; and a contents script block for recording the text message data.
The avatar action record file of the avatar message created by the sender is stored in the avatar message server 13, and the recipient can download the avatar action record file through the browser 19 for confirmation thereof. The avatar message management database table, as shown in Fig. 3B, includes the avatar message ID and password, and name and path of the avatar action record files as explained above. The avatar message ID and password are transmitted to the recipient using the general mail browser.
The notification message of avatar message arrival, as shown in Fig. 3C, is transmitted to the recipient through a general message system by the avatar message server 13, and includes the web page URL for allowing the recipient to confirm the avatar message delivered to the recipient, the avatar message ID and the password as described above. The recipient PC receives the notification message through the general mail browser, and accesses to the web server 11 to reproduce and read the avatar message arrived to the recipient.
Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B are flow charts of the avatar message service of the invention, in which Fig. 4A shows procedures for creating and transmitting the message, and Fig. 4B shows message receiving procedures.
Referring to Fig 4A, when the user inputs the message service URL of the web server 1 1 in the web browser, the home page in HTML type is displayed (101). The user selects an avatar message creation menu (103).
The server confirms if an execution module and basic objects are stored in the user PC (105). The execution module means the message creation component 21. In the graphic/audio objects 25, the basic objects mean the necessary basic objects or the objects essential to the user PC. The basic objects or the necessary minimal objects are transmitted only one time to be stored in the user PC and additional objects are downloaded from the web server whenever necessary. This is called "object reuse structure". If the execution module or the basic objects do not exist in the user PC, they are downloaded from the web server (107). If the execution module and the basic objects exist in the user PC, the message is created (109). In these steps, the recipient address, title, background screen, avatar and the like are selected.
A record menu (starting action record) is selected to let the avatar act while creating the avatar message (111). In other words, the user inputs the text message to be sent while controlling the avatar to move in the background screen with various actions and emotional expressions. In this case, the inputted message is displayed in a graphic box in the shape of a balloon menu text over the avatar's head. If there is anything to be corrected, the message is corrected (113). When the 'send' button is pressed, the message is stored in the avatar message server 13 in the form of the avatar action record file 31, and the avatar message server 13 transmits the notification message of avatar message arrival as the general message to the recipient (1 15).
Referring to Fig. 4B, the user executes the general mail browser (201) to confirm
arrival of the avatar message (203). By using information about the URL, the message ID and the password of the avatar message confirmation page ofthe web server 1 1 confirmed in the avatar message notification message, the user directly accesses to the avatar message confirmation page. Then, the user enters the message ID and password, or clicks the ID and password hypertext linked in the notification message to automatically move to the avatar message confirmation page.
The web server 11 confirms if the execution module 23 and the basic objects are stored in the user PC (209), and downloads the execution module 23 and the basic objects if they do not exist in the user PC (210), or reproduces or plays the avatar message if the execution module 21 and the basic objects are in the user PC (211). The execution mode and the basic objects can be replayed through program execution (213). The recipient can confirm the avatar message through the foregoing manner.
In addition to the foregoing embodiment, it will be described about an alternative embodiment in which the sender of the avatar message inserts the URL of a specific web site in creation of the message. When the avatar message with the URL included by the sender is reproduced in the recipient side as in the flow in Fig. 4B, the avatar message receiving module automatically renders the URL site as a separate web browser window.
For example, when the recipient reproduces an avatar message attached with a text message "Have you ever visit http://www.xxx.com?" sent by the sender, the avatar message receiving module automatically shows the URL site to the recipient through the separate web browser window as soon as the text message "Have you ever visit http://www.xxx.com?" is reproduced.
Such an embodiment is a routine inserted between A and B in Fig. 4B, and can be
realized through a process shown in Fig. 4C. The process is comprised of the following steps: 1) In addition to the step 209 of confirming if the execution module and the basic objects are in the PC, search is made for texts starting with "http://" in the contexts of the avatar message (301) 2) If the text starting with "http://" (i.e., URL) is not found, execution proceeds to the step 211 of playing the avatar message in Fig. 4B. If the URL is searched, the web browser is opened with the separate window (303). 3) The searched URL is inputted to a URL input window of the web browser and then the enter key is inputted (305). 4) The URL site is connected (307). 5) Execution returns to the step 21 1 of playing the avatar message in Fig. 4B (309). In this embodiment, when the sender inserts other URLs in the text message, new web browser windows are opened or the URLs are updated in the first opened web browser window in the recipient side. This can be selected by the sender.
According to the foregoing embodiments, the URLs are inserted in the avatar message to automatically connect to the corresponding sites so that the web sites that the sender wants to show can be sequentially displayed to the recipient in addition to reproducing the avatar actions. Then, the recipient can feel as if the sender shows each of the sites beside the recipient. In order to improve the effect of advertisement, the URLs can be inputted as containing images and introductions of specific products which will be advertised. Fig. 5A to Fig. 5C show examples of reproduction after the avatar message is received, in which screens in specific time points during reproduction ofthe avatar message are displayed in time sequence. The text messages of the sender are shown in the box in the shape of a balloon menu text over the head of the avatar while the avatar moves places
in the three-dimensional space and making various actions.
While hereinbefore the technical principle of the present invention has been embodied as message transmission service, the technical principle of the invention also includes a message transmission method which is executed through storage and reproduction ofthe avatar actions.
For example, when the avatar action record file recorded with the advertisement message according to the avatar actions is transmitted to consumers, the consumers may contact with the advertisement with more interest and enjoyment.
Further, when the number of avatars are used in such a way that each avatar acts according to the scenario and a conversation is used in the each action to produce the avatar action record file and the avatar action record file is transmitted to the general users, the play or drama service using the avatars can be realized.
In addition, when the avatar action record file is made about the introduction ofthe internet home page or the help of functions thereof to be reproduced to the users who accessed to the home page, easier and friendlier help service can be realized.