Patent ID: 7636755

Claim:
A system for communicating, the system comprising a processor connected to a storage device and one or more input/output devices, wherein the processor is configured to: receive, from an instant messaging sender, an indication of multiple different personas associated with the instant messaging sender, each of the personas comprising a sender avatar capable of being animated and a collection of self-expression items reflecting preferences of the sender; store the multiple personas in one or more data structures; store, for each of the multiple personas, an association between the persona and at least one potential instant messaging recipient; initiate an instant messaging communications session between the instant messaging sender and a particular potential instant messaging recipient; access the stored association between the particular potential instant messaging recipient and a corresponding one of the stored personas associated with the instant messaging recipient; and render, on an instant messaging recipient system, the accessed persona as the persona for the instant message sender during communications involving the instant message sender and the particular potential instant messaging recipient.