Programming APIS for an extensible avatar system

US8446414B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Microsoft Corporation · US

Inventors

• Brendan Reville · Seattle, US
• Thomas A. Langan · Seattle, US
• Dan Kroymann · Seattle, US
• Derek Smith · Snohomish, US
• Stacey Law · Redmond, US
• Bjorn Toft Madsen · Ashby de la Zouch, GB
• Rodney Alan Boyd · London, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 14, 2008
• Grant date: May 21, 2013
• Expiry date: Jul 14, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A63F2300/6607
• WIPO field: Furniture, games
• WIPO sector: Other fields

Abstract

Disclosed is an application programming interface (API) that provides for an extensible avatar system. In one embodiment an API may allow video game applications to retrieve structures of data which represent an avatar. The game can then take those structures and incorporate the data into its own rendering system. In another embodiment an API may allow a video game application to render an avatar to a render target or texture wherein the video game system performs rendering and animation functions.