1. A method for creating a computer-implemented avatar, comprising:
capturing a plurality of detectable attributes of a user;
comparing said plurality of detectable attributes with a normalized model of attributes, wherein the normalized model of attributes characterize normal representative attribute values for a particular sample across a plurality of users; and
customizing at least one avatar by applying at least one differential attribute representing the difference between the plurality of detectable attributes and the normalized model of attributes, wherein the customized avatar reflects a selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein capturing a plurality of detectable attributes of a user further comprises:
capturing, at a first depth, a surface mapping of the detectable external surface of a user;
capturing, at a second depth, a surface mapping of the user through clothing worn by the user;
capturing, at a third depth, a mapping of points representing at least one of muscle movement and bone movement; and
combining the surface mapping at the first depth, the surface mapping at the second depth and the mapping at the third depth into a three dimensional representation of the user with multiple depths.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein capturing a plurality of detectable attributes of a user further comprises:
capturing a plurality of video images of a user each at a different angle;
identifying a plurality of objects within the plurality of video images which each track one of a selection of parts of a user;
combining each selection of plurality of objects tracking a same part into a three-dimensional representation of the same part; and
specifying the plurality of detectable attributes of the user by each combined three-dimensional representation of the same part.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein capturing a plurality of detectable attributes of a user further comprises:
prompting a user to respond to a particular instruction for a particular script from among a plurality of scripts, wherein a particular behavioral attribute is associated with the particular instruction;
capturing at least one of speech of the user and body movement of the user associated with the particular instruction; and
specifying the plurality of detectable attributes of the user by marking the at least one of speech and body movement as the particular behavioral attribute.
5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
capturing a plurality of sets of user attributes for a group of users over a period of time;
detecting at least one common attribute among the group of users different from the normalized model;
specifying the at least one common attribute as the at least one differential attribute for the group of users; and
applying the at least one differential attribute to customize the at least one avatar to reflect the selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the group of users which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.
6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
graphically distinguishing the differential attributes applied to the customized avatar to visibly indicate the selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.
7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:
graphically distinguishing a selection of differential attributes applied to the customized avatar that indicate an injury.
8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
storing the differential attributes for the user on a personal storage system;
authorizing an avatar creator system to access the stored differential attributes from the personal storage system; and
creating, by the avatar creator system, the custom avatar by applying the differential attributes to a particular base avatar of the avatar creator system.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein customizing at least one avatar by applying at least one differential attribute representing the difference between the plurality of detectable attributes and the normalized model of attributes, further comprises customizing the avatar representing a non-human character in a game to reflect one or more of the selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein customizing at least one avatar by applying at least one differential attribute representing the difference between the plurality of detectable attributes and the normalized model of attributes, further comprises customizing the at least one avatar for interacting within an environment responsive to a plurality of scripts customized by a plurality of behavioral attributes from at least one selection of differential attributes for a user applied at least one point in time.
11. A system for creating a computer-implemented avatar, comprising:
a capture system for capturing a plurality of detectable attributes of a user;
a differential system for comparing said plurality of detectable attributes with a normalized model of attributes, wherein the normalized model of attributes characterize normal representative attribute values for a particular sample across a plurality of users; and
an avatar creator system for customizing at least one avatar by applying at least one differential attribute representing the difference between the plurality of detectable attributes and the normalized model of attributes, wherein the customized avatar reflects a selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.
12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the capture system further comprises:
means for capturing, at a first depth, a surface mapping of the detectable external surface of a user;
means for capturing, at a second depth, a surface mapping of the user through clothing worn by the user;
means for capturing, at a third depth, a mapping of points representing at least one of muscle movement and bone movement; and
means for combining the surface mapping at the first depth, the surface mapping at the second depth and the mapping at the third depth into a three dimensional representation of the user with multiple depths.
13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the capture system further comprises:
means for capturing a plurality of video images of a user each at a different angle;
means for identifying a plurality of objects within the plurality of video images which each track one of a selection of parts of a user;
means for combining each selection of plurality of objects tracking a same part into a three-dimensional representation of the same part; and
means for specifying the plurality of detectable attributes of the user by each combined three-dimensional representation of the same part.
14. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:
the capture system for capturing a plurality of sets of user attributes for a group of users over a period of time;
the differential system for detecting at least one common attribute among the group of users different from the normalized model;
the differential system for specifying the at least one common attribute as the at least one differential attribute for the group of users; and
the avatar creator system for applying the at least one differential attribute to customize the at least one avatar to reflect the selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the group of users which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.
15. The system according to claim 11, the avatar creator system further comprising means for graphically distinguishing the differential attributes applied to the customized avatar to visibly indicate the selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.
16. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:
a storage system for storing the differential attributes for the user; and
the storage system for controlling authorization of the avatar creator system to access the stored differential attributes from the personal storage system.
17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the avatar creator system further comprises means for customizing the avatar representing a non-human character in a game to reflect one or more of the selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.
18. A program product comprising a storage-type computer-usable medium including a computer-readable program for creating a computer-implemented avatar, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:
capture a plurality of detectable attributes of a user;
compare said plurality of detectable attributes with a normalized model of attributes, wherein the normalized model of attributes characterize normal representative attribute values for a particular sample across a plurality of users; and
customize at least one avatar by applying at least one differential attribute representing the difference between the plurality of detectable attributes and the normalized model of attributes, wherein the customized avatar reflects a selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.
19. The program product of claim 18, wherein said computer-readable program is transmitted over a network.
20. The program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to graphically distinguish the differential attributes applied to the customized avatar to visibly indicate the selection of the plurality of detectable attributes of the user which are distinguishable from the normalized model of attributes.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A fire alarm pull station comprising:
a pull station body;
a fire alarm switch switching an electrical signal to actuate a fire alarm and residing in the pull station body;
a handle accessible and user actuatable from the exterior of the pull station body to actuate the fire alarm switch;
a pull station cover attached to the pull station body and residing over the handle, wherein the pull station cover has a cover closed position preventing access to the handle, and the pull station cover has a cover open position allowing access to the handle;
a cover latch biased to engage the pull station cover when the pull station cover is opened to prevent closing the pull station cover, the cover latch disengagable from the pull station cover to allow the pull station cover to be closed, the disengaging of the latch cover from the pull station cover requiring using one selected from a tool and a key; and
a pull station alarm configured to actuate when the pull station cover moves from the cover closed position to the cover open position and configured to require at least one of a set consisting of a tool and a key to de-actuate.
2. The fire alarm pull station of claim 1, wherein the pull station cover is pivotally attached to the pull station body.
3. The fire alarm pull station of claim 2, wherein:
the cover latch comprises a plunger residing in the pull station body and is biased in a first direction towards an extended position;
the plunger is held in a retracted position by the pull station cover when the pull station cover is in the cover closed position;
the plunger is released to move in the first direction to the extended position when the pull station cover is moved in a second direction not aligned with the first direction, to place the cover in the cover open position; and
the plunger blocks moving the pull station cover from the cover open position to the cover closed position when the plunger is in the extended position and the plunger must be returned to the retracted position before the cover may be closed.
4. The fire alarm pull station of claim 3, further including:
a pull station alarm switch; and
a switch actuator attached to the plunger, wherein:
the pull station alarm is actuated by the pull station alarm switch;
when the plunger is in the retracted position, the switch actuator holds the pull station alarm switch in an OFF position; and
when the plunger is in the extended position, the switch actuator releases the pull station alarm switch to an ON position.
5. The fire alarm pull station of claim 4, wherein when in the ON position, the pull station alarm switch blocks the return of the plunger to the retracted position.
6. The fire alarm pull station of claim 5, wherein the pull station alarm switch is a push switch.
7. The fire alarm pull station of claim 4, wherein:
the pull station body is held in a body closed position by a latch;
the pull station body may be opened to a body open position by releasing the latch using at least one of the set consisting of the tool and the key; and
the plunger may be returned to the retracted position when the pull station body is in the body open position.
8. The fire alarm pull station of claim 7, further including a back plate pivotally attached to the pull station body, wherein:
the back plate and pull station body are held in the body closed position by the latch; and
the back plate and pull station body may be opened to the body open position by releasing the latch using at least one of the set consisting of the tool and the key.
9. The fire alarm pull station of claim 1, wherein the pull station alarm comprises a buzzer residing in the pull station body.
10. The fire alarm pull station of claim 1, wherein the pull station alarm comprises a piercing warning horn residing in the pull station body.
11. The fire alarm pull station of claim 1, wherein the pull station includes a key switch configured to turn off power to electronic components in the pull station.
12. The fire alarm pull station of claim 1, wherein the pull station includes a battery providing power to pull station electronic components.
13. The fire alarm pull station of claim 1, wherein the pull station actuator is a handle.
14. The fire alarm pull station of claim 1, wherein the pull station actuator cooperates with a snap action switch to actuate the fire alarm.
15. A fire alarm pull station comprising:
a pull station body;
a latch for holding the pull station body in a body closed position, the latch openable by at least one of a set consisting of a tool and a key;
a fire alarm switch switching an electrical signal to actuate a fire alarm and residing in the pull station body;
a handle attached to the pull station body to actuate the fire alarm switch;
a pull station cover attached to the pull station body and residing over the handle, wherein the pull station cover has a cover closed position preventing access to the handle and the pull station cover has a cover open position allowing access to the handle;
a cover latch having an engaged position in which the cover latch engages the pull station cover when the pull station cover is opened to prevent closing the pull station cover, the cover latch disengagable to allow the cover to be closed;
a pull station alarm switch actuated by the cover latch when the cover latch moves to the engaged position; and
a pull station alarm actuated by the pull station alarm switch.
16. A fire alarm pull station comprising:
a pull station body;
a fire alarm switch switching an electrical signal to actuate a fire alarm and residing in the pull station body;
a handle attached to the pull station body to actuate the fire alarm switch;
a pull station cover pivotally attached to the pull station body and residing over the handle, wherein the pull station cover has a cover closed position preventing access to the handle and the pull station cover has a cover open position allowing access to the handle;
a plunger residing in the pull station body and biased towards an extended position, wherein:
the plunger is blocked in a retracted position by an edge of the pull station cover when the pull station cover is in the cover closed position with the edge residing over the plunger;
the plunger is released to the extended position when the edge of the pull station cover is moved past the plunger and the pull station cover is moved to the cover open position; and
the plunger blocks moving the pull station cover from the cover open position to the cover closed position when the plunger is in the extended position and the cover can not be closed without first depressing the plunger 24 orthogonally to the motion of the cover sufficiently to allow the edge of the pull station cover to pass over the plunger 24; and
a pull station alarm configured to actuate when the pull station cover moves from the cover closed position to the cover open position and configured to require at least one of a set consisting of a tool and a key to de-actuate.