System for generating and selecting names

• US 20060229863A1
• Filed: 04/08/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daybreak Game Company, LLC (Enad Global 7 AB)
• Original Assignee: Sony Online Entertainment LLC (Enad Global 7 AB)
• Inventors: McCuller, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,050,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/4
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/033 Voice editing, e.g. manipulating the voice of the synthesiser
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/187 Phonemic context, e.g. pronunciation rules, phonotactical constraints or phoneme n-grams

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for implementing the generation of names. In one implementation, a system for generating a name includes: a user interface that receives user input including values for corresponding characteristics and name lengths; a rule dictionary that indicates one or more rules, each rule indicating a relationship between a phoneme and a characteristic; a phoneme selector that selects a phoneme using a value for a characteristic received through said user interface and a rule corresponding to that characteristic; a phoneme compiler that combines selected phonemes to form a name, wherein said name includes a number of letters based on said name length; storage storing data, including data representing said user input and said rule dictionary; and a processor for executing instructions providing said user interface, said first phoneme selector, said second phoneme selector, and said phoneme compiler.

Claims

1. A system for generating a name, comprising:

a user interface that receives user input including values for corresponding characteristics and name lengths;

a rule dictionary that indicates one or more rules, each rule indicating a relationship between a phoneme and a characteristic;

a phoneme selector that selects a phoneme using a value for a characteristic received through said user interface and a rule corresponding to that characteristic;

a phoneme compiler that combines selected phonemes to form a name, wherein said name includes a number of letters based on said name length;

storage storing data, including data representing said user input and said rule dictionary; and

a processor for executing instructions providing said user interface, said first phoneme selector, said second phoneme selector, and said phoneme compiler.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said phoneme selector also selects a phoneme using a name length received through said user interface.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a letter selector that selects one or more letters for a phoneme selected by said phoneme selector.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

said letter selector selects letters from the English alphabet of letters.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein:

said letter selector selects characters used in the Chinese language as letters.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a restriction dictionary that indicates one or more restrictions on using letters or phonemes; and

a name filter that checks whether a name from said phoneme compiler violates any restrictions from said restriction dictionary;

wherein said storage stores data representing said restriction dictionary.

7. A method of generating a name, comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more characteristics;

selecting a phoneme for each selected characteristic using a dictionary of sound symbolism rules; and

combining the selected phonemes to form a name.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a value for each selected characteristic;

wherein selecting a phoneme for each characteristic includes using the received value for the corresponding characteristic to select a phoneme from one or more phonemes indicated by a rule in said dictionary.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a target language; and

selecting one or more symbols from said target language according to the phonemes in said name.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

said symbols are letters.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

said symbols are characters.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

filtering said name by comparing said name to one or more restrictions.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a phoneme weighting;

wherein said phoneme weighting is used to arrange phonemes in combining said selected phonemes.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating multiple names; and

receiving a selection of one of said generated names.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a name length; and

selecting zero or more additional phonemes according to said name length.

16. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a name length; and

selecting one or more letters according to the phonemes in said name so that said name includes a number of letters equal to said name length.

17. A system for generating a name, comprising:

means for receiving a selection of one or more characteristics;

means for selecting a phoneme for each selected characteristic using a dictionary of sound symbolism rules; and

means for combining the selected phonemes to form a name.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for receiving a value for each selected characteristic; and

means for selecting a phoneme for each characteristic includes using the received value for the corresponding characteristic to select a phoneme from one or more phonemes indicated by a rule in said dictionary.

19. A computer program, stored on a tangible storage medium, for use in generating a name, the program comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:

process a received selection of one or more characteristics;

select a phoneme for each selected characteristic using a dictionary of sound symbolism rules; and

combine the selected phonemes to form a name.

20. The computer program of claim 19, further comprising instructions that cause a computer to:

process a received value for each selected characteristic; and

select a phoneme for each characteristic includes using the received value for the corresponding characteristic to select a phoneme from one or more phonemes indicated by a rule in said dictionary.

21. A method of analyzing a word, comprising:

receiving a word including one or more phonemes;

selecting one or more characteristics for each phoneme is said word using a dictionary of sound symbolism rules; and

building a profile of said word indicating said selected characteristics.