Guided personal companion

• US 10,235,620 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Affinity Project, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Affinity Project, Inc.
• Inventors: Suskind, Ronald Steven, Nguyen, John, Patterson, Stuart R., Springer, Stephen R., Fanty, Mark Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Paulinho E
• Application Number:
  US15/468,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20170220922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/04 Speaking with audible presentation of the material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations

Abstract

The operation of an application on a first device may be guided by a user operating a second device. The application on the first device may present a character on a display of the first device and obtain an audio signal of speech of a user of the first device. Audio data may be transmitted to the second device and corresponding audio may be played from speakers of the second device. The second device may present suggestions of phrases to be spoken by the character displayed on the first device. A user of the second device may select a phrase to be spoken by the character. Phrase data may be transmitted to the first device, and the first device may generate audio of the character speaking the phrase using a text-to-speech voice associated with the character.

Claims

1. A system for guiding operation of an application on a first device, the system comprising the first device and a second device, wherein:

the application on the first device is configured to;

engage in a session with the second device, wherein, during the session, a second user of the second device specifies a phrase to be communicated by a character to a first user of the first device and wherein the first user of the first device and the second user of the second device participate simultaneously in the session;

present the character on the first device,

receive a first communication from the first user to the character, and

transmit the first communication to the second device;

the second device is configured to;

receive the first communication from the first device,

present the first communication to the second user,

present suggested phrases for possible communication by the character to the first user,

receive an input from the second user of the second device that specifies a phrase to be communicated by the character to the first user by receiving text entered by the second user that is different from the suggested phrases, and

cause phrase data to be transmitted to the first device corresponding to the specified phrase; and

the application on the first device is configured to;

receive the phrase data corresponding to the specified phrase, and

present a second communication to the first user corresponding to the specified phrase.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the second user is a parent or caretaker of the first user; and

the second user specifies the phrase to assist the first user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified phrase comprises a modified suggested phrase.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the input from the second user corresponds to received keyboard input or an audio signal received from a microphone connected to the second device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the input from the second user comprises a selection of one of the suggested phrases and an editing of the selected phrase.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the application on the first device is configured to transmit audio or video data of the first user to the second device during the session; and

the second device is configured to receive the audio or video data from the first device and present the audio or video data to the second user during the session.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the second device is configured to;

receive an input from the second user corresponding to an instruction to play an audio or video clip on the first device, and

send an instruction to the first device to play the audio or video clip; and

the first device is configured to;

receive the instruction to play the audio or video clip, and

cause the audio or video clip to be presented by the first device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a server computer and wherein the application on the first device is configured to transmit the first communication to the second device during the session by transmitting the first communication via the server computer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the server computer is configured to:

receive preferences for communications with the first user;

determine the suggested phrases using the preferences; and

transmit the suggested phrases to the second device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the server computer is configured to:

receive a request from the first device to initiate the session; and

send a message to the second user;

wherein the second device engages in the session after the second user receives the message.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the server computer is configured to:

receive a request from the second device to initiate the session; and

send a message to the first user;

wherein the first device engages in the session after the first user receives the message.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the second device is configured to present a transcript of the session to the second user, and wherein the transcript comprises the first communication and the second communication.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform actions comprising:

receiving a request from a first user of a first device to communicate with a character;

sending a message to a second user of a second device corresponding to the request;

engaging in a session with the second device, wherein, during the session, the second user of the second device specifies a phrase to be communicated by the character to the first user and wherein the first user of the first device and the second user of the second device participate simultaneously in the session;

presenting the character on the first device;

receiving a first communication from the first user to the character;

transmitting the first communication to the second device;

receiving, from the second device, phrase data corresponding to a second communication to be presented by the character to the first user by receiving text entered by the second user that is different from suggested phrases;

presenting the second communication by the character to the first user corresponding to the phrase data.

14. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, the actions comprising receiving, from the first user, a selection of the character from among a plurality of characters.

15. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, the actions comprising presenting text of the second communication on a display of the first device.

16. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, the actions comprising:

obtaining text of speech of the first user; and

presenting the text of the speech of the first user on a display of the first device.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, the actions comprising:

receiving a request from the second device to play an audio or video clip; and

causing the audio or video clip to be presented by the first device.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein receiving the first communication from the first user comprises obtaining an audio signal corresponding to speech of the first user received at a microphone of the first device.

19. A method for guiding operation of an application on a first device, the method performed by a second device and comprising:

engaging in a session with the first device, wherein, during the session, a second user of the second device specifies a phrase to be communicated by a character to a first user of the first device and wherein the first user of the first device and the second user of the second device participate simultaneously in the session;

receiving a first communication from the first device, wherein the first communication is a communication from the first user to the character;

presenting the first communication to the second user;

receiving suggested phrases for possible communication by the character to the first user;

presenting the suggested phrases on a display of the second device;

receiving an input from the second user that specifies a phrase by receiving text entered by the second user that is different from the suggested phrases; and

causing phrase data to be transmitted to the first device, wherein the phrase data corresponds to the specified phrase.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising:

receiving from the second user an input requesting second suggested phrases for possible communication by the character to the first user;

transmitting to a server computer a request for the second suggested phrases;

receiving the second suggested phrases; and

presenting the second suggested phrases on the display of the second device.

21. The method of claim 19, comprising:

receiving audio or video data of the first user from the first device; and

presenting the audio or video data to the second user.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the specified phrase comprises a modified suggested phrase.