Communication using interactive avatars

Abstract

Generally this disclosure describes a video communication system that replaces actual live images of the participating users with animated avatars. A method may include selecting an avatar; initiating communication; detecting a user input; identifying the user input; identifying an animation command based on the user input; generating avatar parameters; and transmitting at least one of the animation command and the avatar parameters.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor of a first computing device, result in operations comprising:
 enable selection of a first avatar;   identify one or more facial features of a user of the first computing device;   generate information, to be transmitted to a second computing device, to cause the first selected avatar to appear animated on a display of the second computing device; wherein the information is based on the identified one or more facial features of the user of the first computing device; and   transform vocal information, of the user of the first computing device, into target vocal information, to be transmitted to the second computing device; wherein the transformation to use one or more voice effects to distort the vocal information of the user of the first computing device.   
     
     
         2 . The one or more storage devices of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more facial features are to be identified from one or more video images of the user of the first computing device. 
     
     
         3 . The one or more storage devices of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor of the first computing device, result in additional operations comprising:
 process audio information of the user of the first computing device to be transmitted to the second computing device.   
     
     
         4 . The one or more storage devices of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor of the first computing device, result in additional operations comprising:
 enable selection of a second avatar;   generate second information, to be transmitted to the second computing device, to cause the second selected avatar to appear animated on the display of the second computing device; wherein the second information is based on the identified one or more facial features of the user of the first computing device; and   cause display of the second selected avatar on the first computing device to enable the user of the first computing device to observe an appearance of the second selected avatar on the second computing device.   
     
     
         5 . The one or more storage devices of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor of the first computing device, result in additional operations comprising:
 enable animation of the first selected avatar based on a user input command; wherein the user input command is separate from the one or more facial features and the user input command to be generated by a user input device when controlled by the user of the first computing device.   
     
     
         6 . The one or more storage devices of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor of the first computing device, result in additional operations comprising:
 cause display of the first selected avatar on the first computing device to enable the user of the first computing device to observe an appearance of the first selected avatar on the second computing device.   
     
     
         7 . The one or more storage devices of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more voice effects comprises a pitch shifting voice effect. 
     
     
         8 . A first computing device, comprising:
 memory circuitry to store instructions and data;   a display device to display an avatar; and   processor circuitry to process one or more instructions to perform operations comprising:
 enable selection of a first avatar; 
 identify one or more facial features of a user of the first computing device; 
 generate information, to be transmitted to a second computing device, to cause the first selected avatar to appear animated on a display of the first computing device; wherein the information is based on the identified one or more facial features of the user of the first computing device; and 
 transform vocal information, of the user of the first computing device, into target vocal information, to be transmitted to the second computing device; wherein the transformation to use one or more voice effects to distort the vocal information of the user of the first computing device. 
   
     
     
         9 . The first computing device of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a video camera device to capture one or more video images of the user of the first computing device; wherein the one or more facial features are to be identified from the one or more captured video images of the user of the first computing device.   
     
     
         10 . The first computing device of  claim 8 , further comprising an audio capture device to capture audio information of the user of the first computing device to be transmitted to the second computing device. 
     
     
         11 . The first computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the processor to process one or more instructions to perform additional operations comprising:
 enable selection of a second avatar;   generate second information, to be transmitted to the second computing device, to cause the second selected avatar to appear animated on the display of the first computing device; wherein the second information is based on the identified one or more facial features of the user of the first computing device; and   cause display of the second selected avatar on the first computing device to enable the user of the first computing device to observe an appearance of the second selected avatar on the first computing device.   
     
     
         12 . The first computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the processor to process one or more instructions to perform additional operations comprising:
 enable animation of the first selected avatar based on a user input command; wherein the user input command is separate from the one or more facial features and the user input command to be generated by a user input device when controlled by the user of the first computing device.   
     
     
         13 . The first computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the processor to process one or more instructions to perform additional operations comprising:
 cause display of the first selected avatar on the first computing device to enable the user of the first computing device to observe an appearance of the first selected avatar on the first computing device.   
     
     
         14 . The first computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more voice effects comprises a pitch shifting voice effect. 
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 enabling, by a first computing device, selection of a first avatar;   identifying, by the first computing device, one or more facial features of a user of the first computing device;   generating, by the first computing device, information, to be transmitted to a second computing device, to cause the first selected avatar to appear animated on a display of the second computing device; wherein the information is based on the identified one or more facial features of the user of the first computing device; and   transforming, by the first computing device, vocal information, of the user of the first computing device, into target vocal information, to be transmitted to the second computing device; wherein the transformation to use one or more voice effects to distort the vocal information of the user of the first computing device.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more facial features are to be identified from one or more video images of the user of the first computing device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 processing, by the first computing device, audio information of the user of the first computing device to be transmitted to the second computing device.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 enabling, by the first computing device, selection of a second avatar;   generating, by the first computing device, second information, to be transmitted to the second computing device, to cause the second selected avatar to appear animated on the display of the second computing device; wherein the second information is based on the identified one or more facial features of the user of the first computing device; and   displaying, by the first computing device, the second selected avatar on the first computing device to enable the user of the first computing device to observe an appearance of the second selected avatar on the second computing device.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 enabling, by the first computing device, animation of the first selected avatar based on a user input command; wherein the user input command is separate from the one or more facial features and the user input command to be generated by a user input device when controlled by the user of the first computing device.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 displaying, by the first computing device, the first selected avatar on the first computing device to enable the user of the first computing device to observe an appearance of the first selected avatar on the second computing device.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more voice effects comprises a pitch shifting voice effect. 
     
     
         22 . A first computing device, comprising:
 an avatar selection module to enable selection of a first avatar;   a feature extraction module to identify one or more facial features of a user of the first computing device;   an avatar control module to generate information, to be transmitted to a second computing device, to cause the first selected avatar to appear animated on a display of the first computing device; wherein the information is based on the identified one or more facial features of the user of the first computing device; and   an audio transform module to transform vocal information, of the user of the first computing device, into target vocal information, to be transmitted to the second computing device; wherein the transformation to use one or more voice effects to distort the vocal information of the user of the first computing device.   
     
     
         23 . The first computing device of  claim 22 , further comprising a facial detection and tracking module to detect and track a face of the user of the first computing device. 
     
     
         24 . The first computing device of  claim 22 , further comprising an audio capture device to capture audio information of the user of the first computing device to be transmitted to the second computing device. 
     
     
         25 . The first computing device of  claim 22 , wherein the avatar selection module is further to enable selection of a second avatar. 
     
     
         26 . The first computing device of  claim 25 , wherein the avatar control module is further to generate second information, to be transmitted to the second computing device, to cause the second selected avatar to appear animated on the display of the first computing device; wherein the second information is based on the identified one or more facial features of the user of the first computing device. 
     
     
         27 . The first computing device of  claim 26 , further comprising a display module to display the second selected avatar on the first computing device to enable the user of the first computing device to observe an appearance of the second selected avatar on the first computing device. 
     
     
         28 . The first computing device of  claim 22 , wherein the avatar control module is further to enable animation of the first selected avatar based on a user input command; wherein the user input command is separate from the one or more facial features and the user input command to be generated by a user input device when controlled by the user of the first computing device. 
     
     
         29 . The first computing device of  claim 22 , further comprising a display module to display the first selected avatar on the first computing device to enable the user of the first computing device to observe an appearance of the first selected avatar on the first computing device. 
     
     
         30 . The first computing device of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more voice effects comprises a pitch shifting voice effect. 
     
     
         31 . The first computing device of  claim 22 , further comprising a video capture device to capture one or more video images of the user of the first computing device; wherein the one or more facial features are to be identified from the one or more captured video images of the user of the computing device.