Using gender analysis of names to assign avatars in instant messaging applications

Abstract

A method for displaying gender-based avatar representations of users in instant messaging communications comprises receiving a username for a first user having a first user account registered with an instant messaging system; performing an anthroponomastic analysis of the username to assign a probable gender for the first user selected from male, female, and neutral; displaying a current contact area in a communication session window of a user interface provided by an instant messaging application on a client system operated by a second user having a second user account registered with the instant messaging system; and displaying the username for the first user and an avatar representation indicative of the probable gender for the first user in the current contact area while the instant messaging application is accessing the instant messaging system to allow the second user to participate in instant messaging communication with the first user via the user interface.

1 . A method for displaying gender-based avatar representations of users in instant messaging communications, the method comprising:
 receiving a username for a first user having a first user account registered with an instant messaging system;   performing an anthroponomastic analysis of the username to assign a probable gender for the first user, the probable gender being selected from male, female, and neutral;   displaying a current contact area in a communication session window of a user interface provided by an instant messaging application on a client system operated by a second user having a second user account registered with the instant messaging system, the instant messaging application accessing the instant messaging system to allow the second user to participate in instant messaging communication via the user interface; and   displaying the username for the first user and a gender-based avatar representation indicative of the probable gender for the first user in the current contact area while the instant messaging application is accessing the instant messaging system to allow the second user to participate in instant messaging communication with the first user via the user interface.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the instant messaging system includes an instant messaging server operatively coupled to a network, wherein the instant messaging system receives the username for the first user and performs the anthroponomastic analysis of the username to assign a probable gender for the first user, wherein the instant messaging application establishes a connection with the instant messaging server via the network to access the instant messaging system, and wherein the instant messaging server manages instant messaging communication between the first and second users. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising transmitting the gender-based avatar representation for the first user to the client system operated by the second user via the network upon access of the instant messaging system by the instant messaging application to allow the second user to participate in instant messaging communication via the user interface, and displaying the username for the first user and the gender-based avatar representation indicative of the probable gender for the first user in a buddy list area in the communication session window of the user interface provided by the instant messaging application on the client system operated by the second user, the buddy list area including a list of users having accounts registered with the instant messaging system specified by the second user and permitting the second user to select any user of the list of users to attempt to establish instant messaging communication with the selected user via the user interface. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising accessing a first database maintained by the instant messaging server to perform the anthroponomastic analysis of the username to attempt to assign a probable gender for the first user, assigning the probable gender for the first user as neutral if the anthroponomastic analysis of the username is not able to assign the probable gender as either male or female by accessing the first database, storing the gender-based avatar representation indicative of the probable gender for the first user in a second database maintained by the instant messaging server for storing user account information, and transmitting the gender-based avatar representation for the first user to the client system operated by the second user via the network upon access of the instant messaging system by the instant messaging application to allow the second user to participate in instant messaging communication with the first user via the user interface, and wherein the first database storing a list of names selected from a plurality of cultures, a gender associated with each name of the list of names, a list of anthroponomastic rules for attempting to associate usernames that are not included in the list of names with a particular culture, and a plurality of sets of naming rules, each set of naming rules being derived from naming conventions employed in a corresponding culture of the plurality of cultures. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying the gender-based avatar representation indicative of the probable gender for the first user via the user interface provided by the instant messaging application on a client system operated by the first user, providing the first user with an option to select a different gender for the gender-based avatar representation indicative of the probable gender for the first user account via the user interface provided by the instant messaging application on the client system operated by the first user, and replacing the gender-based avatar representation indicative of the probable gender for the first user in the second database with a gender-based avatar representation indicative of the different gender if selected by the first user.