Animated messaging

Abstract

A method and apparatus that allows an animated interactive talking character to appear on a user's screen when conducting an Instant Messaging (IM) session. The character which is displayed on the user's screen is determined by a profile for the sender of the message. This allows a user to pre-select which character will be displayed on the screen of recipients of the instant message.

1 . A method for instant messaging on a computer system, including receiving an instant message (IM) containing content from a sender; displaying an animated character associated with said sender; and delivering said content to a user through said animated character.  
     
     
         2 - 8 . (canceled)  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further including: 
 periodically retrieving advertisement details from a server;    downloading an animated character specified to represent said advertisement;    displaying said animated character specified to represent said advertisement; and    delivering content specified for said advertisement.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further including: 
 sending an alert to a server;    receiving a response containing content from said server generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) application;    displaying an animated character associated with said AI application; and    delivering said content to a user through said animated character associated with said AI application.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said sending an alert includes: 
 sending a message indicating that a web search is to be performed; and    sending keywords to search in said web search.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said delivering said content comprises delivering results of said web search.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further including: 
 allowing the user to select from one or more predefined animated characters to be displayed on a recipient's computer system when said user sends an IM message to said recipient.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further including: 
 allowing the user to upload an image to be used in creating an animated character to be displayed on a recipient's computer system when said user sends an IM message to said recipient.    
     
     
         15 . A method for instant messaging on a digital communication system such as a computer system or digital telephone system or combination thereof, including: 
 receiving one or more instant messages (IM) containing content from one or more senders;    forming a queue by creating a dynamic array and inserting incoming message into said queue;    controlling the timing of operations of actions in the queue and when required displaying an animated character associated with said sender; and    delivering said content to a user through said animated character.    
     
     
         16 - 18 . (canceled)  
     
     
         19 . A method for managing an Instant Messaging (IM) system, including: 
 receiving a request from a user for an animated character, said request including an identification of a sender of an IM message to said user;    querying a database with said identification;    receiving information regarding said animated character from said database; and    forwarding said information regarding said animated character to said user.    
     
     
         20 - 30 . (canceled)  
     
     
         31 . An apparatus for instant messaging on a computer system, including: 
 an IM receiver;    an animated character displayer coupled to said IM receiver; and    an animated character content deliverer coupled to said animated character displayer.    
     
     
         32 - 38 . (canceled)  
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , further including: 
 an advertisement details periodic retriever; and    an animated character downloader coupled to said advertisement details periodic retriever and to said animated character content deliverer,.    
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , further including: 
 a server alert sender;    an artificial intelligence response receiver coupled to said animated character displayer and to said animated character content deliverer.    
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein said server alert sender includes: 
 a web search message sender; and    a keyword sender coupled to said web search message sender.    
     
     
         42 . (canceled)  
     
     
         43 . An apparatus for managing an instant Messaging (IM) system, including: 
 an animated character request receiver;    a database query generator coupled to said animated character request receiver;    an animated character database information receiver; and    an animated character database information forwarder coupled to said animated character database information receiver.    
     
     
         44 - 49 . (canceled)  
     
     
         50 . An apparatus for instant messaging on a computer system, including: 
 means for receiving an instant message (IM) containing content from a sender;    means for displaying an animated character associated with said sender; and    means for delivering said content to a user through said animated character.    
     
     
         51 - 61 . (canceled)  
     
     
         62 . The apparatus of  claim 50 , further including: 
 means for allowing the user to select from one or more predefined animated characters to be displayed on a recipient's computer system when said user sends an IM message to said recipient.    
     
     
         63 . The apparatus of  claim 50 , further including: 
 means for allowing the user to upload an image to be used in creating an animated character to be displayed on a recipient's computer system when said user sends an IM message to said recipient.    
     
     
         64 . An apparatus for managing an Instant Messaging (IM) system, including: 
 means for receiving a request from a user for an animated character, said request including an identification of a sender of an IM message to said user;    means for querying a database with said identification;    means for receiving information regarding said animated character from said database; and    means for forwarding said information regarding said animated character to said user.    
     
     
         65 - 78 . (canceled)  
     
     
         79 . A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for instant messaging on a computer system, the method including: 
 receiving an instant message (IM) containing content from a sender;    displaying an animated character associated with said sender; and    delivering said content to a user through said animated character.    
     
     
         80 . A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for managing an Instant Messaging (IM) system, the method including: 
 receiving a request from a user for an animated character, said request including an identification of a sender of an IM message to said user;    querying a database with said identification;    receiving information regarding said animated character from said database; and    forwarding said information regarding said animated character to said user.