Patent ID: 8893201

Claim:
An internet protocol television system, comprising: a memory storing computer instructions; and a controller device coupled to the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising: retrieving a user profile associated with a user of the internet protocol television system; causing a set-top box to present an avatar having characteristics that correlate to the user profile; receiving from the set-top box at least one response, wherein the at least one response is determined by the set-top box from a communication exchange between the avatar and the user; identifying from the at least one response subject matter associated with a merchant system; establishing a communication session with the merchant system; receiving a notification from the merchant system indicating availability of a merchant avatar engine operatively coupled to the merchant system; establishing communication with the merchant avatar engine; receiving modeling computer instructions from the merchant avatar engine, wherein the modeling computer instructions define an adaption model having other characteristics that are associated with a good or service of the merchant system; generating an adapted avatar by adapting the characteristics of the avatar according to the adaption model while retaining a portion of the characteristics that includes facial and voice characteristics associated with the user profile, wherein the portion of the characteristics of the avatar to be retained is determined by the controller device based on behavior modeling of the user from monitoring previous communication sessions associated with the user, the avatar and other merchant systems, wherein the behavior modeling is based on likes and dislikes of the user, a temper of the user, and a personality of the user during the previous communication sessions, wherein the generating of the adapted avatar is performed by executing at the controller device the received computer instructions supplied by the merchant avatar engine, wherein the received computer instructions when executed by the controller device enable shared control over a presentation of the adapted avatar by the merchant avatar engine and the controller device; accessing a merchant database to obtain merchant information for promotion by the adapted avatar; and causing the set-top box to present the adapted avatar.