Method and system for enhanced audio communications in an interactive environment

• US 20040138889A1
• Filed: 01/13/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilboy, Christopher P., Shinners, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,371,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Enhanced audio communications is provided in an interactive environment, such as a gaming environment, having multiple participants. An input audio signal, such as a speech signal, that is originated by one of the multiple participants is received. In addition, one or more instructions that correspond to the input audio signal are received. Based on the one or more instructions, an output audio signal is generated from the input audio signal. The output audio signal is designated for transmission to one or more of the participants.

Claims

1. A method of providing enhanced audio communications in an interactive environment having a plurality of participants, the method comprising:

(a) receiving an input audio signal originated by one of the plurality of participants;

(b) receiving one or more instructions corresponding to the input audio signal; and

(c) based on the one or more instructions, generating an output audio signal from the input audio signal, wherein the output audio signal is designated for transmission to one or more of the plurality of participants.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises the step of setting a magnitude of the input audio signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said setting step comprises setting the magnitude based on a location of the participant that originated the input audio signal within a virtual space of the interactive environment.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said setting step comprises setting the magnitude so that the output audio signal will be audible to the corresponding one or more participants when they are within a predetermined virtual space of the interactive environment.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said setting step comprises setting the magnitude according to a distance in a virtual space of the interactive environment between the one or more participants corresponding to the output audio signal and the participant that originated the input audio signal.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said setting step comprises setting the magnitude according to achievements in the interactive environment of one or more of the plurality of participants.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said achievements include credits earned in the interactive environment.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) delivering the output audio signal to a server for transmission to the corresponding one or more participants.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the input audio signal is a speech signal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive environment is an interactive gaming environment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises receiving the input audio signal from a server.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises receiving the one or more instructions from a server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises combining the input audio signal with one or more other audio signals.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said combining step comprises summing the input audio signal and the one or more other audio signals.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises altering characteristics of the input audio signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said altering step comprises adding one or more effects to the input audio signal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said altering step comprises performing character assimilation.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) monitoring the input audio signal for the presence of one or more predetermined words.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

(f) updating the interactive environment upon the recognition of the one or more predetermined words in step (e).

20. A system for providing enhanced audio communications in an interactive environment having a plurality of participants, the system comprising:

(a) a server adapted to

(i) receive an input audio signal from one of the plurality of participants, and

(ii) send an output audio signal to one or more of the plurality of participants; and

(b) an audio bridge adapted to generate the output audio signal from the input audio signal.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the audio bridge is adapted to set a magnitude for the input audio signal.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the audio bridge is further adapted to set the magnitude based on a location of the participant that originated the input audio signal within a virtual space of the interactive environment.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the audio bridge is further adapted to set the magnitude so that the output audio signal will be audible to the corresponding one or more participants when they are within a predetermined virtual space of the interactive environment.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the audio bridge is further adapted to set the magnitude according to a distance in a virtual space of the interactive environment between the one or more participants corresponding to the output audio signal and the participant that originated the input audio signal.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the audio bridge is further adapted to set the magnitude according to achievements in the interactive environment of one or more of the plurality of participants.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said achievements include credits earned in the interactive environment.

27. The system of claim 20, further comprising a signal converter adapted to convert between a compressed audio signal format supported by the gaming server, and an uncompressed audio signal format supported by the audio bridge.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising a local area network coupled to said gaming server, said signal converter, and said audio bridge.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein the input audio signal is a voice signal.

30. The system of claim 20, wherein the interactive environment is an interactive gaming environment.

31. The system of claim 20, wherein the audio bridge is further adapted to combine the input audio signal with one or more other audio signals.

32. The system of claim 20, wherein the audio bridge is further adapted to alter one or more characteristics of the input audio signal.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the audio bridge is further adapted to alter one or more characteristics of the input audio signal to perform character assimilation.

34. The system of claim 20, wherein the audio bridge is adapted to monitor the input audio signal for the presence of one or more predetermined words.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the server is adapted to update the interactive environment upon the recognition of the one or more predetermined words by the audio bridge.