Patent ID: 8159504

Claim:
An avatar engine, comprising a memory coupled to a controller that is programmed to: retrieve a user profile; present to an interface of a communication device of a user, an avatar having characteristics that correlate to the user profile; monitor communication exchanges between the user and the avatar over a time period; detect a change in a developmental growth of the user based on changes in grammar and vocabulary utilized by the user in the monitored communication exchanges between the user and the avatar, wherein the developmental growth comprises a maturation of intelligence of the user and an emotional maturation of the user; obtain statistical modeling of growth patterns for a general population of other users of avatars; determine retained characteristics from the statistical modeling, wherein the retained characteristics comprise a portion of characteristics of a previous personification of the avatar that are not to be altered; adapt a portion of the characteristics of the avatar to produce an adapted avatar responsive to the detected change and based on the determined retained characteristics; and present to the interface of the communication device of the user the adapted avatar.