Artificial intelligence system and method

Abstract

The system for controlling an action of a character in a gaming environment, comprising, a receiver module arranged to receive input information, an update module arranged to apply the input information to modify at least one value pertaining to at least one state associated with the character, and an action determining module arranged to receive the at least one value pertaining to the at least one state, wherein the value is utilised to at least in part determine the action of the character within the gaming environment.

1 . A system for controlling an action of a character in a gaming environment, comprising, a receiver module arranged to receive input information, an update module arranged to apply the input information to modify at least one value pertaining to at least one state associated with the character, and an action determining module arranged to receive the at least one value pertaining to the at least one state, wherein the value is utilised to at least in part determine the action of the character within the gaming environment. 
   
   
       2 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a goal-setting module arranged to apply the at least one value of the at least one state to set a goal to be performed by the character, wherein the goal in part determines the action of a character. 
   
   
       3 . A system in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the goal-setting module assesses a plurality of goals, and ranks each one of the plurality of goals in a hierarchy of importance. 
   
   
       4 . A system in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein the goal-setting module provides the goal with the highest importance to the action determining module, wherein only the supplied highest importance goal determines the actions of the character. 
   
   
       5 . A system in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein, on receiving confirmation that the goal of highest importance has been achieved, the goal-setting module provides the next goal in the hierarchy to the action determining module. 
   
   
       6 . A system in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the action determining module utilises the received goal and the at least one value of the at least one state to determine the action to be performed by the character. 
   
   
       7 . A system in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein the action determining module utilises a rule set to determine the action to be performed by the character. 
   
   
       8 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the input information includes information derived from an interaction with another character in the gaming environment. 
   
   
       9 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the input information includes information derived from an interaction with a human player in the gaming environment. 
   
   
       10 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the input information includes information relating to an interaction with an object in the gaming environment. 
   
   
       11 . A system in accordance with  claims 1 , wherein there are three states. 
   
   
       12 . A system in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the three states are an Emotional state, a Persona state, and an Enmity state. 
   
   
       13 . A system in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein each state includes a plurality of sub-states. 
   
   
       14 . A system in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein each sub-state is quantified as a numerical value. 
   
   
       15 . A system in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein each sub-state is expressed as a percentage value. 
   
   
       16 . A system in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein each sub-state is representative of a characteristic of human emotion. 
   
   
       17 . A system in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the update module further includes a matrix update routine arranged to, according to a predetermined rule set, determine whether a change in one sub-state value effects a variation—in at least one other sub-state value, and if so, updating the at least one other sub-state value. 
   
   
       18 . A system in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein, for each character, the numeric value of each sub-state is limited to a defined range of numeric values. 
   
   
       19 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising an area module, arranged to receive at least one value pertaining to the at least one state of at least one character within a defined area in the virtual environment, and produce an average value of the at least one value pertaining to the at least one state, wherein the average value is ascribed to the defined area in the virtual environment. 
   
   
       20 . A system in accordance with  claim 19 , wherein the average value of the defined area in the virtual environment is provided as input information to the update module when a character enters the defined area in the virtual environment. 
   
   
       21 . A method for controlling an action of a character in a gaming environment, comprising the steps of receiving input information, applying the input information to modify at least one value pertaining to at least one state associated with the character, and utilising the at least one value pertaining to the at least one state to at least in part determine the action of the character within the gaming environment. 
   
   
       22 . A method in accordance with  claim 21 , further comprising the step of applying the at least one value of the at least one state to set a goal to be performed by the character, whereby the goal in part determines the action of a character. 
   
   
       23 . A method in accordance with  claim 22 , comprising the further step of assessing a plurality of goals, and ranking each one of the plurality of goals in a hierarchy of importance. 
   
   
       24 . A method in accordance with  claim 23 , comprising the further step of utilising only the supplied highest importance goal determines the actions of the character. 
   
   
       25 . A method in accordance with  claim 24 , comprising the further step of, on receiving confirmation that the goal of highest importance has been achieved, providing the next goal in the hierarchy to the action determining module. 
   
   
       26 . A method in accordance with  claim 22 , comprising the further step of utilising the received goal and the at least one value of the at least one state to determine the action to be performed by the character. 
   
   
       27 . A method in accordance with  claim 26 , comprising the further step of utilising a rule set to determine the action to be performed by the character. 
   
   
       28 . A method in accordance with  claim 20 , whereby the input information includes information derived from an interaction with another character in the gaming environment. 
   
   
       29 . A method in accordance with  claim 21 , whereby the input information includes information derived from an interaction with a human player in the gaming environment. 
   
   
       30 . A method in accordance with  claim 21 , wherein the input information includes information relating to an interaction with an object in the gaming environment. 
   
   
       31 . A method in accordance with  claim 21 , whereby there are three states. 
   
   
       32 . A method in accordance with  claim 31 , whereby the three states are an Emotional state, a Persona state, and an Enmity state. 
   
   
       33 . A method in accordance with  claim 31 , whereby each state includes a plurality of sub-states. 
   
   
       34 . A method in accordance with  claim 33 , whereby each sub-state is quantified as a numerical value. 
   
   
       35 . A method in accordance with  claim 34 , whereby each sub-state is expressed as a percentage value. 
   
   
       36 . A method in accordance with  claim 33 , whereby each sub-state is representative of a characteristic of human emotion. 
   
   
       37 . A method in accordance with  claim 33 , comprising the further step of determining whether a change in one sub-state value effects a variation in at least one other sub-state value, and if so, updating the at least one other sub-state value. 
   
   
       38 . A method in accordance with  claim 37 , whereby, for each character, the numeric value of each sub-state is limited to a defined range of numeric values. 
   
   
       39 . A method in accordance with  claim 38 , comprising the further step of receiving at least one value pertaining to the at least one state of at least one character within a defined area in the virtual environment, and producing an average value of the at least one value pertaining to the at least one state, whereby the average value is ascribed to the defined area in the virtual environment. 
   
   
       40 . A method in accordance with  claim 39 , comprising the further step of providing average value of the defined area in the virtual environment as input information to the update module when a character enters the defined area in the virtual environment. 
   
   
       41 . A computer program including instructions arranged to, when executed on a computing system, perform the method steps of  claim 21 . 
   
   
       42 . A computer readable medium incorporating a computer program in accordance with  claim 41 .