FILL-IN-THE-BLANK AUDIO-STORY ENGINE

• US 20150161898A1
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Inventors: BATES, ANNE CATHERINE, GAHR, JASON PAUL, SCHEFF, ADAM SAMUEL, PENROD, JASON BLAKE, YOUNG, STEPHANIE FARRIS, LIEN, TIMOTHY JAY, MONACO, MICHAEL ANTHONY Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 10,643,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/003 electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to an Audio-Story Engine that includes a repository of prerecorded audio files that, when played in a certain sequence, with user provided recordings placed throughout, tell a story. To obtain the user provided recordings, the Audio-Story Engine asks the user to make audio recordings of various words or phrases. For example, the Audio-Story Engine may ask the user a series of questions in order to record and store the user'"'"'s audible responses. Upon completion, the Audio-Story Engine plays back a completed story that incorporates the user'"'"'s audio recordings by playing an appropriate user recording after playing a prerecorded audio file. This is repeated several times in sequence to form a seamless, customized, audio story. In addition, the Audio-Story Engine may alter the pitch or sound of the user'"'"'s recorded words to match the pitch of the prerecorded story.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having embodied thereon computer-usable instructions for generating a fill-in-the-blank audio story which, when executed by one or more computing devices, performs steps comprising:

receiving multiple audible answers, via an audio input interface coupled to a microphone, for a single blank within a prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story;

randomly selecting a specific audible answer from the multiple audible answers for the single blank;

inserting the specific audible answer into the single blank within the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story; and

outputting, via an audio output interface coupled to a speaker, the audio fill-in-the-blank story that includes the specific audible answer inserted into the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story.

2. The media of claim 1, the steps further comprising outputting an audio prompt soliciting the multiple audible answers for the single blank.

3. The media of claim 1, the steps further comprising building the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story from multiple prerecorded story portions that are interchangeable.

4. The media of claim 3, wherein the multiple prerecorded story portions comprise an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion.

5. The media of claim 1, the steps further comprising altering the specific audible answer to sound like a voice reading the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story.

6. The media of claim 5, wherein the altering comprises changing a pitch of the specific audible answer to match a pitch of the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story.

7. One or more computer-readable media having embodied thereon computer-usable instructions for generating a fill-in-the-blank audio story which, when executed on a computing device that includes a microphone, a speaker, a user interface, and one or more processing devices, perform steps comprising:

in response to receiving one or more record answer instructions, recording multiple audible answers, via an audio input interface coupled to the microphone, for a single blank within a prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story;

randomly selecting a specific audible answer from the multiple audible answers for the single blank;

inserting the specific audible answer into the single blank within the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story; and

outputting, via an audio output interface coupled to the speaker, the audio fill-in-the-blank story that includes the specific audible answer inserted into the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story.

8. The media of claim 7, the steps further comprising outputting an audio prompt soliciting the multiple audible answers for the single blank.

9. The media of claim 7, the steps further comprising building the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story from multiple prerecorded story portions that are interchangeable.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein the multiple prerecorded story portions comprise an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion.

11. The media of claim 7, the steps further comprising altering the specific audible answer to sound like a voice reading the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story.

12. The media of claim 11, wherein the altering comprises changing a pitch of the specific audible answer to match a pitch of the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story.

13. One or more computer-readable media having embodied thereon computer-usable instructions for generating a fill-in-the-blank audio story which, when executed by one or more computing devices, perform steps comprising:

receiving, via a user interface, a request to start a story;

selecting, from a story repository, a prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story having multiple blanks for user answers;

outputting, via a speaker, a question multiple times, the question asking for a specific type of information that is appropriate for one or more blanks in the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story;

receiving, via a microphone, multiple audible answers to the question;

selecting a first audible answer from the multiple audible answers for inclusion in a first blank that calls for the specific type of information; and

outputting, via the speaker, a customized fill-in-the-blank story that includes the first audible answer inserted into the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story.

14. The media of claim 13, wherein the request to start the story is received via a button in the user interface.

15. The media of claim 14, wherein the button is a soft button.

16. The media of claim 13, wherein the question is specific to a specific blank in the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story, and wherein each blank in the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story has a specific question.

17. The media of claim 13, wherein the steps further comprise, prior to receiving each of the multiple audible answers, receiving a record answer instruction via the user interface.

18. The media of claim 13, wherein the steps further comprise building the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story from multiple prerecorded story portions that are interchangeable.

19. The media of claim 13, wherein the steps further comprise receiving a selection of a story-telling voice from multiple voices, and wherein the customized fill-in-the-blank story is output in the story-telling voice.

20. The media of claim 13, wherein the customized fill-in-the-blank story is output in a voice that is consistent with an appearance of an image displayed on the user interface.