The Walt Disney Company
Modeling characters that interact with users as part of a character-as-a-service implementation

Abstract:

In one embodiment, a character engine models a character that interacts with users. The character engine receives user input data from a user device, and analyzes the user input data to determine a user intent and an assessment domain. Subsequently, the character engine selects inference algorithm(s) that include machine learning capabilities based on the intent and the assessment domain. The character engine computes a response to the user input data based on the selected inference algorithm(s) and a set of personality characteristics that are associated with the character. Finally, the character engine causes the user device to output the response to the user. In this fashion, the character engine includes sensing functionality, thinking and learning functionality, and expressing functionality. By aggregating advanced sensing techniques, inference algorithms, character-specific personality characteristics, and expressing algorithms, the character engine provides a realistic illusion that users are interacting with the character.