"I hate what they've done to my child...I would never let my own children watch it. "
Vladimir Zworykin, television pioneer ; Talking about an invention in which he played a critical role.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8176421 | Virtual universe supervisory presence It is understood that the terms computer-readable medium or computer useable medium comprise one or more of any type of physical embodiment of the program code. In particular, the computer-readable/useable medium can comprise program code embodied on one or more por... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8171408 | Dynamic location generation within a virtual world An approach is provided for dynamic loading and rendering of avatar's initial login environment. The approach consists of a method and a system for dynamically rendering locations from a preference list of locations most likely to be visited by an avatar. In one emb... | 05/01/2012 |
| 8171407 | Rating virtual world merchandise by avatar visits Generating popularity ratings for virtual world artifacts based on how often and in what manner avatars access the artifacts is provided. The popularity ratings for virtual world artifacts may be used to determine what virtual world artifacts are selected to have a ... | 05/01/2012 |
| 8165924 | Virtual shopping center In one embodiment, a method of controlling a virtual shopping center can include: receiving a user input at a query input engine; aggregating an output from the query input engine with a user preference, such as a purchase history or other expressed interest, to for... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8151191 | Managing objectionable material in 3D immersive virtual worlds A method of and system for managing objectionable content in a virtual world associates a tag with an attribute associated with an avatar in the virtual world. The method places a limitation on the avatar in the virtual world based upon information in the tag while ... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8145998 | System and method for enabling users to interact in a virtual space The present invention provides a highly scalable architecture for a three-dimensional graphical, multi-user, interactive virtual world system. In a preferred embodiment a plurality of users interact in the three-dimensional, computer-generated graphical space where ... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8136038 | Offering menu items to a user The invention relates to an electronic device 1 offering a plurality of menu items to a user. In order to enable a user friendly selection of the menu items, the electronic device 1 comprises a screen 60, user input means 70, storing mean... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8136039 | Appliance with animation framework An appliance includes one or more control boards having control software to control a cycle of operation, access to memory, a graphical user interface in communication with the control boards for allowing a user to observe and interact with the appliance regarding t... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8132100 | Screen image presentation apparatus and method for mobile phone An apparatus and method is provided for idle mode screen image presentation device, such as a mobile phone. The screen image presentation apparatus includes a memory for storing a character house including variable and selectable background and function items for ex... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8126817 | Product repair assistance using a virtual universe An approach that provides product repair assistance using a virtual universe is described. In one embodiment, there is a method for providing repair assistance for a real-world product in a virtual universe. The method includes receiving diagnostic information relat... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8108774 | Avatar appearance transformation in a virtual universe Methods, articles of manufacture, systems, articles and programmable devices are provided for configuring a chameleon avatar in response to data associated with a target avatar within a virtual universe. In response to determining that an engagement of a chameleon a... | 01/31/2012 |
| 8095878 | Method for spell check based upon target and presence of avatars within a virtual environment The exemplary embodiment of the present invention relates to the dynamic activation and deactivation of a spell check feature option for instant message chat session features within a virtual environment. As such, the spell check feature can be activated and deactiv... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8082501 | System and method for enabling users to interact in a virtual space The present invention provides a highly scalable architecture for a three-dimensional graphical, multi-user, interactive virtual world system. In a preferred embodiment a plurality of users interact in the three-dimensional, computer-generated graphical space where ... | 12/20/2011 |
| 8006182 | Method and computer program product for implementing automatic avatar status indicators The exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a means for the simulating of real world activities within a virtual environment. Information retrieved from locally executing applications (e.g., such as a screen saver, voice over IP phone system, etc.) or... | 08/23/2011 |
| 7945856 | System and method for enabling users to interact in a virtual space The present invention provides a highly scalable architecture for a three-dimensional graphical, multi-user, interactive virtual world system. In a preferred embodiment a plurality of users interact in the three-dimensional, computer-generated graphical space where ... | 05/17/2011 |
| 7925976 | Refrigerator having user avatar display function A refrigerator is provided having a user avatar display function which can store avatars of each user, identify users, and display the avatars corresponding to the identified users. The refrigerator includes a photographing device that photographs images of users, a... | 04/12/2011 |
| 7921128 | Method and system for merging disparate virtual universes entities A migration tool for merging disparate virtual universes by selecting a source region or source account, selecting a destination edge or destination account, retrieving and storing virtual universe information for the source region or account, inserting the virtual ... | 04/05/2011 |
| 7908554 | Modifying avatar behavior based on user action or mood Techniques are described for enabling the selection of wallpaper to modify the mood projected by an avatar. The mood projected by an avatar may be modified, for example, by modifying behaviors and/or appearance of the avatar to characterize a mood to be projected. T... | 03/15/2011 |
| 7885924 | Management of recorded data for online simulations Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to online simulations. In one embodiment of the invention, a method for managing recorded data for an online simulation can be provided. The method can include determining that a first e... | 02/08/2011 |
| 7853876 | Method to imitate lifelike images for computer deformed objects A method to imitate lifelike images for computer deformed objects includes the following steps, selecting a number of significant points on an object, categorizing the significant points into measurable points and specific points, defining a relationship between the... | 12/14/2010 |
| 7770114 | System and method for using virtual environments A system for establishing a virtual environment is disclosed. According to an embodiment, the system includes at least one computer terminal for use by a participant for interfacing to the virtual environment and an operation module coupled to the computer terminal ... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7765478 | Scheduling and reserving virtual meeting locations in a calendaring application A mechanism is provided for scheduling and reserving virtual meeting locations in a calendaring application. Participants use a calendaring application to schedule meetings. If the meeting takes place in a location within the virtual persistent world, then the calen... | 07/27/2010 |
| 7685518 | Information processing apparatus, method and medium using a virtual reality space An object in a virtual reality space is made perform complicated movements. A user (or a keeper) who controls an object (or a pet) in a virtual reality space enters a command at the client terminal of the user by means of chat operation. The entered command is sent ... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7653877 | Information processing apparatus and method, and storage medium Disclosed is an information processing apparatus for controlling an application object moving autonomously in shared virtual space in which avatars representing users of other information processing apparatuses are active. The apparatus comprises a distribution exam... | 01/26/2010 |
| 7634731 | System and method for remotely controlling character avatar image using mobile phone A system and a method can remotely control an avatar image using a mobile phone. A calling party can remotely control an avatar image included in data transmitted to a called party using a mobile phone. Preferred embodiments of systems and methods according to the p... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7555717 | Method for displaying screen image on mobile terminal A mobile terminal that is capable of displaying a screen image during a specific state, which includes a character memory for storing character images and a screen image created by a combination of the character images and which is displayable during the specific st... | 06/30/2009 |
| 7442108 | System and method for toy adoption marketing A method provides a virtual presentation and includes, on a website, validating a registration code associated with a toy; responsive to said validating, providing a virtual replica of the toy on the website; and providing content that allows obtaining virtual curre... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7441190 | Agent system, information providing method , information providing apparatus , and data recording medium An agent system which provides information for a user, displaying a character, includes: an agent program provided in a user computer connectable to a communication channel network; a user information storage part that stores user information; and a character displa... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7429989 | Mobile communication terminal capable of editing avatar motions and method for editing avatar motions A mobile communication terminal capable of editing avatar motions. The mobile communication terminal includes a memory and a controller. The memory stores a plurality of commands corresponding respectively to a plurality of avatar motions. The plurality of commands ... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7426536 | Communication promotion method and system A communication promotion method is provided to appropriately support communication by a plurality of users in different environments. A character 2, operable by an IRC client 5, is linked to or installed in a user terminal 8. An administration ... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7425169 | System and method for toy adoption marketing A method includes first using a first registration code obtained from purchasing a first toy, to access a website, and second using a second registration code obtained from purchasing a second toy, to access the website. The method further includes allowing, using a... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7421660 | Method and apparatus to visually present discussions for data mining purposes A method of organizing information is disclosed. The method comprises providing a visualization of actor communications in the context of one or more discussion, a discussion including at least one actor and at least one documented communication. ... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7373375 | Information management system using agents An agent employment system comprising at least one data terminal and at least one server computer. The data terminal is connected to a communications network and having a display device. The sever computer is connected to the data terminal by the communications netw... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7369137 | Method for mapping a single decoded content stream to multiple textures in a virtual environment A system includes a computing device to obtain encoded content data corresponding to at least one participant of a virtual reality environment. A memory device stores at least one texture corresponding to the at least one participant. A single decoder decodes the en... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7359943 | Providing instant messaging functionality in non-instant messaging environments A system and method are disclosed for enabling a guest user who is not a registered user of an instant messaging system to communicate by instant messaging with a registered user of the system. An indication that the guest user desires to communicate with the regist... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7350140 | User-data relating apparatus with respect to continuous data In a meeting held with employment of a plurality of materials, conditions of this meeting are recorded in the form of continuous data, and these materials are distributed to a user P who participates in this meeting by way of a printed matter and/or a screen output.... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7333967 | Method and system for automatic computation creativity and specifically for story generation A computer-implemented method (and system) of automatically generating a story, includes selecting a theme of the story, examining elements of the theme and instantiating the theme, and using the theme to select and control other aspects of the story. ... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7333969 | Apparatus and method for synthesizing emotions based on the human nervous system Disclosed is a nervous system-based emotion synthesizing apparatus which enables an emotion of a humanoid to be synthesized in a manner similar to that of a human using a nervous system-adjusting mechanism of a human body according to emotions. The human nervous sys... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7327505 | Method for providing affective information in an imaging system A method for collecting and associating affective information for at least one image in an imaging system includes displaying a digital image for viewing by a particular user; automatically collecting affective information for the digital image as the particular use... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7321438 | Parallel processing for a first and second image data from one input image In an image processing apparatus, connected via an external bus to at least an external controller and an external storage device, input image data is processed by an image processor 2, then processed image data 1 and image data 2 are simultaneo... | 01/22/2008 |