Patent ID: 8631432

Claim:
An interactive television system, comprising: a memory to store computer instructions; and a controller coupled to the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising: detecting a search for media content that is initiated from a set-top box, wherein the controller is remote from the set-top box, and wherein the controller is in communication with the set-top box over a network; causing the set-top box to present an avatar at a display device; capturing images of a user during a communication exchange between the avatar and the user; identifying a change in an emotional state of the user based on an analysis of a physiological expression of the user determined from image recognition applied to the images; adapting the search for the media content to generate an adapted search according to the identifying of the change in the emotional state of the user; adapting a portion of characteristics of the avatar relating to emotional feedback to generate an adapted avatar according to the identifying of the change in the emotional state of the user; and causing the set-top box to present the adapted avatar presenting content from a media content source identified from the adapted search for the media content without providing search results from an unmodified search.