Interactive voice communications network entertainment
First Claim
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1. A method for operating a telephone entertainment program, the method comprising:
- a) receiving a voice communication from at least one caller;
b) selecting audio output in accordance with an audio entertainment program;
c) presenting said audio output to said caller;
d) prompting said caller for input at a plot point of said audio entertainment program;
e) receiving said input from said caller;
f) selecting audio output at least partly in accordance with said audio entertainment program and said input; and
g) presenting to said caller said audio output selected in step f).
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Abstract
A method for operating a telephone entertainment program, the method including a) receiving a voice communication from at least one caller, b) selecting audio output in accordance with an audio entertainment program, c) presenting the audio output to the caller, d) prompting the caller for input at a plot point of the audio entertainment program, e) receiving the input from the caller, f) selecting audio output at least partly in accordance with the audio entertainment program and the input, and g) presenting to the caller the audio output selected in step f).
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method for operating a telephone entertainment program, the method comprising:
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a) receiving a voice communication from at least one caller;
b) selecting audio output in accordance with an audio entertainment program;
c) presenting said audio output to said caller;
d) prompting said caller for input at a plot point of said audio entertainment program;
e) receiving said input from said caller;
f) selecting audio output at least partly in accordance with said audio entertainment program and said input; and
g) presenting to said caller said audio output selected in step f). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of constructing phrases from pre-recorded variants of speech elements, the method comprising:
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a) selecting a pre-recorded variant of a first speech element from a group of pre-recorded variants of said first speech element;
b) selecting a pre-recorded variant of a second speech element from a group of pre-recorded variants of said second speech element; and
c) constructing a phrase from said selected variants. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A virtual theater architecture comprising:
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virtual performer means operative to play the role of a specific character in a telephone show;
stage manager means operative to interpret a flow script of said telephone show and send messages to said virtual performer means, each of said messages being a directive of said flow script; and
stage means operative to maintain state information of said telephone show and receive behavior exhibited by said virtual performer means responsive to receipt of any of said messages. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A telephone entertainment system comprising:
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a telephony interface operative to interface with a caller;
speech/voice processing means operative to interface with said telephony interface receive input from said caller;
presentation means operative to interface with said speech/voice processing means and prepare output at least partly based on said input; and
a game engine operative to interface with said presentation means and operate at least one virtual performer in accordance with a flow script, thereby providing an output directive to said presentation means for use in preparing said output.
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21. A telephone entertainment system comprising:
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a telephony interface operative to interface with a caller;
speech/voice processing means operative to interface with said telephony interface and including;
a speech processor operative to perform automatic speech recognition on speech input received from said caller;
a template module for facilitating input and output via templates;
an audio playout module for producing audio output to said caller;
presentation means operative to interface with said speech/voice processing means and including;
means for preparing flow script bubbles for output via said audio playout module;
means for maintaining call state information;
means for populating pre-defined templates with links to audio content in predetermined association with said bubbles and said call state;
a game engine operative to interface with said presentation means and including;
means for processing a flow script;
means for operating software agents representing virtual performers in accordance with said flow script; and
data storage means accessible to said game engine for storing and retrieving any of game variables, user profile information, statistics, language models and behavior information in association with the processing of said flow script.
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22. A method of processing user input into an interactive telephony application architecture, the method comprising:
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submitting a request to a controller, said request representing interpreted input from a user;
said controller;
retrieving information from a presentation layer relevant to said input and popping a session context from a presentation layer stack;
retrieving a list of post-tasks of a previous action and performing said post-tasks;
pushing a new session context onto said presentation layer stack;
retrieving a list of pre-tasks;
performing said pre-tasks; and
rendering output via a scripted template subsequent to performing any of said tasks.
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23. A flow script for an audio entertainment program, the flow script comprising:
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a plurality of plot points;
a plurality of transitions between said plot points;
a plurality of rules for determining movement between said plot points and said transitions; and
a plurality of output directives associated with any of said plot points and said transitions. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A telephone entertainment system comprising:
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a) means for receiving a voice communication from at least one caller;
b) means for selecting audio output in accordance with an audio entertainment program;
c) means for presenting said audio output to said caller;
d) means for prompting said caller for input at a plot point of said audio entertainment program;
e) means for receiving said input from said caller;
f) means for selecting audio output at least partly in accordance with said audio entertainment program and said input; and
g) means for presenting to said caller said audio output selected in step f). - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A phrase construction architecture comprising:
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a first group of pre-recorded variants of speech elements; and
a second group of pre-recorded variants of speech elements, wherein said second group associatively follows said first group.
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41. A virtual theater method comprising:
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operating at least one virtual performer operative to play the role of a specific character in a telephone show;
interpreting a flow script of said telephone show and send messages to said virtual performers, each of said messages being a directive of said flow script; and
maintaining state information of said telephone show responsive to behavior exhibited by said virtual performers responsive to receipt of any of said messages. - View Dependent Claims (42)
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Specification