Replacing Typed Emoticon with User Photo

Abstract

In one embodiment, a computing device receives input from a user participating in a message session. The computing device detects an emoticon in the received input and identifies an image corresponding to the emoticon. The computing device accesses the image corresponding to the emoticon and replaces the emoticon with the image in the message session.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 by a computing device, receiving input from a user in a message session;   by the computing device, detecting an emoticon in the received input;   by the computing device, analyzing a plurality of images associated with the user to detect expressions;   by the computing device, identifying, based on the analyzing and a predefined mapping of emoticons to stored images in a data store, a particular one of the images corresponding to the emoticon; and   by the computing device, replacing the emoticon with the particular one of the images in the message session.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying the particular image corresponding to the emoticon comprises receiving a selection of the particular image from a list suggested to the user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying the particular image corresponding to the emoticon comprises identifying the particular image based on a previous emoticon replacement with an image provided by or associated with the user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying the particular image corresponding to the emoticon comprises identifying the image from an image capture input device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, by the computing device, presenting the particular image to a second user if the second user has permission to view the image. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a server managing the message session. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the detecting an emoticon in the received input comprises:
 generating an analysis of text in the received input; and   identifying an emoticon based on the analysis of the text.   
     
     
         8 . One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media in one or more computing systems, the media embodying logic that is operable when executed to:
 receive input from a user in a message session;   detect an emoticon in the received input;   analyze a plurality of images associated with the user to detect expressions;   identify, based on the analyzing and a predefined mapping of emoticons to stored images in a data store, a particular one of the images corresponding to the emoticon; and   replace the emoticon with the particular one of the images in the message session.   
     
     
         9 . The media of  claim 8 , wherein the identifying the particular image corresponding to the emoticon comprises receiving a selection of the particular image from a list suggested to the user.. 
     
     
         10 . The media of  claim 8 , wherein the identifying the particular image corresponding to the emoticon comprises identifying the particular image based on a previous emoticon replacement with an image provided by or associated with the user. 
     
     
         11 . The media of  claim 8 , wherein the identifying the particular image corresponding to the emoticon comprises identifying the image from an image capture input device. 
     
     
         12 . The media of  claim 8 , further embodying logic operable when executed to present the particular image to a second user if the second user has permission to view the image. 
     
     
         13 . The media of  claim 8 , wherein at least one computing device is a server managing the message session. 
     
     
         14 . The media of  claim 8 , wherein the detecting an emoticon in the received input comprises:
 generating an analysis of text in the received input; and   identifying an emoticon based on the analysis of the text.   
     
     
         15 . A first computing system comprising:
 a memory comprising instructions executable by one or more processors; and   the one or more processors coupled to the memory and operable to execute the instructions, the one or more processors being operable when executing the instructions to:   receive input from a user in a message session;   detect an emoticon in the received input;   analyze a plurality of images associated with the user to detect expressions;   identify, based on the analyzing and a predefined mapping of emoticons to stored images in a data store, a particular one of the images corresponding to the emoticon; and   replace the emoticon with the particular one of the images in the message session.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , the one or more processors being further operable when executing the instructions to present the particular image to a second user if the second user has permission to view the image. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein detecting an emoticon in the received input comprises:
 generating an analysis of text in the received input; and   identifying an emoticon based on the analysis of the text.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein at least one computing device is a server managing the message session. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein identifying the particular image corresponding to the emoticon comprises identifying the image from an image capture input device.