Applying access controls to communications with avatars

Abstract

Senders of instant messages may inspire perception by a recipient of avatars capable of being animated in order to customize or personalize communication exchanges from the sender. The avatar, an animation of or associated with the avatar, an object associated with the avatar, or another component of the avatar or communication may be inappropriate, or otherwise objectionable, to the recipient, the recipient class or category, or an identity associated with the recipient. In one example, a parent of a minor who is the intended recipient of an avatar (or a component of the avatar or communication) may object to the minor being exposed to the avatar (or the component of the avatar or communication). In such a case, the communication may be discarded or the perception of the objectionable avatar (or component associated with the avatar or the communication) by the intended recipient may be disabled, replaced or modified.

1 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A computer-implemented method for applying access control information to avatar selection, the method comprising:
 identifying a user identity;   determining access control information associated with the user identity;   determining access control information associated with an avatar available for selection;   determining whether the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar; and   enabling selection of the avatar for use in representing the user identity when it is determined that the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the avatar comprises an avatar capable of being animated. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein determining whether the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar comprises determining whether the access control information associated with the user identity matches the access control information associated with the avatar. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the access control information comprises hierarchical access control levels, and   determining whether the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar comprises determining whether the access control level associated with the user identity matches the access control level associated with the avatar.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the access control information comprises hierarchical access control levels, and   
       determining whether the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar comprises determining whether an access control level associated with the user identity is superordinate to an access control level associated with the avatar. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein enabling selection comprises making the avatar perceivable based on whether the access control information associated with the user identity is determined to correspond to the access control information associated with the avatar. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein enabling selection comprises accepting or rejecting a selection of the avatar by the user identity conditioned on whether the access control information associated with the user identity is determined to correspond to the access control information associated with the avatar. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein enabling selection comprises accepting selection of the avatar by the user identity only when the access control information associated with the user identity is determined to correspond to the access control information associated with the avatar. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein enabling selection comprises making less than all of several versions of the avatar perceivable to the user identity based on whether the access control information associated with the user identity is determined to correspond to the access control information associated with the one of several versions of the avatar. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein identifying a user identity comprises receiving a user identity specified by a second user identity performing the selection, and the second user identity is determined to be different from the user identity to be associated with the avatar. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the access control information comprises more than two hierarchical access control levels, and   determining whether the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar comprises determining whether the access control level associated with the user identity is superordinate to the access control level associated with the avatar.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the determination whether the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar is based on an appearance of the avatar, the appearance comprising a particular visual characteristics of an avatar related to a contextual suitability of displaying of the avatar. 
     
     
         46 . A computer system for applying access control information to avatar selection, the system comprising:
 at least one computer adapted to perform a method, the method comprising:
 identifying a user identity; 
 determining access control information associated with the user identity;
 determining access control information associated with an avatar available for selection; 
 determining whether the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar; and 
 enabling selection of the avatar for use in representing the user identity when it is determined that the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar. 
 
   
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 46 , wherein determining whether the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar comprises determining whether the access control information associated with the user identity matches the access control information associated with the avatar. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 46 , wherein:
 the access control information comprises hierarchical access control levels, and   determining whether the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar comprises determining whether the access control level associated with the user identity matches the access control level associated with the avatar.   
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 46 , wherein:
 the access control information comprises hierarchical access control levels, and   
       determining whether the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar comprises determining whether an access control level associated with the user identity is superordinate to an access control level associated with the avatar. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 46 , wherein the determination whether the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar is based on an appearance of the avatar, the appearance comprising a particular visual characteristics of an avatar related to a contextual suitability of displaying of the avatar. 
     
     
         51 . A computer-implemented method for applying access control information to avatar selection, the method comprising:
 identifying a user identity;   determining, based on an age of a user associated with the user identity, access control information associated with the user identity;   determining access control information associated with an avatar available for selection;   determining whether the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar; and   enabling selection of the avatar for use in representing the user identity when it is determined that the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar.   
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein determining whether the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar comprises determining whether the access control information associated with the user identity matches the access control information associated with the avatar. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein:
 the access control information comprises hierarchical access control levels, and   determining whether the access control information associated with the user identity corresponds to the access control information associated with the avatar comprises determining whether the access control level associated with the user identity matches the access control level associated with the avatar.