Systems and methods for virtual interaction

Abstract

In one aspect, at least one processor may receive a first user input and identify one or more first keywords from the first user input to determine one or more previously recorded outputs corresponding to the first keywords. The previously recorded outputs may correspond to a virtual character, such as a celebrity. Further, the at least one processor may select one of the determined previously recorded outputs and output the selected previously recorded output corresponding to the virtual character. The at least one processor may also identify one or more second keywords from at least the first user input, temporarily store the second keywords in memory in association with at least one portion of the user input, receive a second user input, and determine another previously recorded output based at least in part on the temporarily stored keywords associated with the first user input.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for simulating an interaction between a user and a character of interest, the method comprising, using one or more processors:
 receiving from a user device, via a network connection, a first user input comprising a question or statement directed to the character of interest;   based on the first user input, identifying the character of interest, from among a plurality of characters, as a character to which the first user input is intended to be directed;   identifying one or more first keywords from the first user input;   accessing a database of entries remote from the user device, each of the entries corresponding to a respective pre-recorded response of the character of interest, at least some of the entries further corresponding to supplement content associated with the respective pre-recorded response, each of the pre-recorded responses and the supplemental content being stored in a network-coupled storage device remote from the user device;   selecting, from the database, a first entry corresponding to a pre-recorded response that is responsive to the first user input, wherein the selection of the first entry is based at least in part on the one or more first keywords, and wherein selection of the first entry results in both (i) playback of the first pre-recorded response by the user device and (ii) providing the user device with access to the supplemental content associated with the first pre-recorded response;   automatically temporarily storing in a network-coupled memory remote from the user device one or more second keywords derived from at least one of the first user input and the first pre-recorded response;   receiving from the user device, via the network connection, a second user input comprising a question or statement directed to the character of interest, wherein the second user input is received during the simulated interaction between the user and the character of interest and after playback of the first recording;   identifying one or more third keywords from the second user input; and   selecting, from the database of entries, a second entry corresponding to a second pre-recorded response that is responsive to the second user input, wherein the selection of the second entry results in playback of the second pre-recorded response by the user device, and wherein the selection of the second entry is made based at least in part on a combination of at least one of the second keywords and at least one of the third keywords.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein selection of the second entry is made based at least in part on at least one of the second keywords derived from the first user input. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more second keywords comprises at least one of the first keywords such that at least one second keyword is also a first keyword, and wherein selection of the second entry is made based at least in part on at least one of the second keywords that is also a first keyword. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein selection of the second entry is made based at least on one of the second keywords derived from the first pre-recorded response. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising automatically storing, at least a portion of the first user input, such that the stored portion of the first user input can be flagged with an entry that is stored in the database after the virtual interaction session and that corresponds to a recording of the character of interest. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein each pre-recorded response is one of a video recording, an audio recording, and text. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising, in response to the first user input, assigning a score value to each of a plurality of entries stored in the database, based on the relevance of each entry to the first user input, wherein selection of the first entry is based on the score value of the first entry. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the score value of a given entry is based at least in part on a specificity of the recording corresponding to the given entry. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the supplemental content is not a pre-recorded response of the character of interest. 
     
     
         30 . A system for simulating an interaction between a user and a character of interest, comprising:
 a network-coupled memory remote from a user device; and   one or more processors operatively coupled to the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
 receive from the user device, via a network connection, a first user input comprising a question or statement directed to a character of interest; 
 based on the first user input, identify the character of interest, from among a plurality of characters, as a character to which the first user input is intended to be directed; 
 identify one or more first keywords from the first user input; 
 access a database of entries, each entry corresponding to a respective pre-recorded response of the character of interest, at least some of the entries further corresponding to supplement content associated with the respective pre-recorded response, each of the pre-recorded responses and the supplemental content being stored in a network-coupled storage device remote from the user device; 
 select, from the database, a first entry corresponding to a pre-recorded response that is responsive to the first user input, wherein the selection of the first entry is based at least in part on the one or more first keywords, and wherein selection of the first entry results in both (i) playback of the first pre-recorded response by the user device and (ii) provide the user device with access to the supplemental content associated with the first pre-recorded response; 
 automatically temporarily store in a network-coupled memory remote from the user device one or more second keywords derived from at least one of the first user input and the first pre-recorded response; 
 receive from the user device, via the network connection, a second user input comprising a question or statement directed to the character of interest, wherein the second user input is received during the simulated interaction between the user and the character of interest and after playback of the first recording; 
 identify one or more third keywords from the second user input; and 
 select, from the database of entries, a second entry corresponding to a second pre-recorded response that is responsive to the second user input, wherein the selection of the second entry results in playback of the second pre-recorded response by the user device, and wherein the selection of the second entry is made based at least in part on a combination of at least one of the second keywords and at least one of the third keywords. 
   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein selection of the second entry is made based at least in part on at least one of the second keywords derived from the first user input. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more second keywords comprises at least one of the first keywords such that at least one second keyword is also a first keyword, and wherein selection of the second entry is made based at least in part on at least one of the second keywords that is also a first keyword. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein selection of the second entry is made based at least on one of the second keywords derived from the first pre-recorded response. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to automatically store at least a portion of the first user input, such that the stored portion of the first user input can be flagged with an entry that is stored in the database after the virtual interaction session and that corresponds to a recording of the character of interest. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein each pre-recorded response is one of a video recording, an audio recording, and text. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, in response to the first user input, assign a score value to each of a plurality of entries stored in the database, based on the relevance of each entry to the first user input, wherein selection of the first entry is based on the score value of the first entry. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the score value of a given entry is based at least in part on a specificity of the recording corresponding to the given entry. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the supplemental content is not a pre-recorded response of the character of interest. 
     
     
         39 . A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium on which instructions are stored, the instructions when executed by one or more processors performs a method for conducting a virtual interaction session, comprising:
 receiving from a user device, via a network connection, a first user input comprising a question or statement directed to the character of interest;   based on the first user input, identifying the character of interest, from among a plurality of characters, as a character to which the first user input is intended to be directed;   identifying one or more first keywords from the first user input;   accessing a database of entries remote from the user device, each of the entries corresponding to a respective pre-recorded response of the character of interest, at least some of the entries further corresponding to supplement content associated with the respective pre-recorded response, each of the pre-recorded responses and the supplemental content being stored in a network-coupled storage device remote from the user device;   selecting, from the database, a first entry corresponding to a pre-recorded response that is responsive to the first user input, wherein the selection of the first entry is based at least in part on the one or more first keywords, and wherein selection of the first entry results in both (i) playback of the first pre-recorded response by the user device and (ii) providing the user device with access to the supplemental content associated with the first pre-recorded response;   automatically temporarily storing in a network-coupled memory remote from the user device one or more second keywords derived from at least one of the first user input and the first pre-recorded response;   receiving from the user device, via the network connection, a second user input comprising a question or statement directed to the character of interest, wherein the second user input is received during the simulated interaction between the user and the character of interest and after playback of the first recording;   identifying one or more third keywords from the second user input; and   selecting, from the database of entries, a second entry corresponding to a second pre-recorded response that is responsive to the second user input, wherein the selection of the second entry results in playback of the second pre-recorded response by the user device, and wherein the selection of the second entry is made based at least in part on a combination of at least one of the second keywords and at least one of the third keywords.   
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 39 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further instruct the one or more processors to automatically store at least a portion of the first user input, such that the stored portion of the first user input can be flagged with an entry that is stored in the database after the virtual interaction session and that corresponds to a recording of the character of interest.