Video games with voice dialog

• US 4,445,187 A
• Filed: 05/13/1982
• Issued: 04/24/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Best, Robert M.
• Inventors: Best, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gruber, Felix D.
• Application Number:
  US06/377,861
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 364/415, 364/521, 364/900, 364/410, 340/148, 340/725, 358/93, 358/102, 358/103, 352/5, 360/72.2, 381/42, 381/43, 381/51
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/424 involving acoustic input signals, e.g. by using the results of pitch or rhythm extraction or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/47 involving branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible scenarios at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/632 by branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible story developments at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/105 Synthesis of the lips movements from speech, e.g. for talking heads
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/005 Programmed access to indexed parts of tracks of operating discs, by guiding the disc
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2587 Laser Discs; Optical disc using analog recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/00 Details of television systems scanning details or combination thereof with generation of supply voltages H04N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/978 Audio interaction as part of an operator interface

Abstract

A video game system by which human viewers conduct simulated voice conversations with game characters or cartoon characters in a branching story game shown on a television screen. The characters and cartoons reply responsively with lip-sync sound to words input by viewers. Different audio and video frames are generated from data memory and video disc to provide one of several alternative replies or alternative actions at each branch point in the game, depending on which words are selected by the viewer. A menu of prompting words is displayed to inform viewers of what words they can use at each branch point. Viewers can input questions or make other remarks by pressing a button next to one of the displayed sentences which causes a recording of the displayed sentence to be played or speech synthesized in lieu of a viewer speaking it. Viewers can chat with simulated images of famous people, call the plays in a ball game, make executive decisions as a king or general, and participate in simulated adventures with interesting game characters who respond to each viewer'"'"'s words and answer back responsively.

Claims

1. A video apparatus for simulating a voice conversation between a human viewer of the apparatus and a talking video character, the apparatus comprising:

first means for reading video frames from a record carrier means to provide a first video frame sequence associated with a plurality of alternative second video frame sequences;

second means for reading video frames from a record carrier means to provide access to at least one of said alternative second video frame sequences before the end of said first video frame sequence;

means for displaying said first and second video frame sequences including a simulated image of said talking character accompanied by corresponding voice sounds, thereby providing one side of a simulated voice conversation;

means for communicating to said human viewer during said first video frame sequence a plurality of alternative verbal responses corresponding to said alternative second video frame sequences;

means for receiving from said human viewer a response signal corresponding to a selected verbal response in said plurality of alternative verbal responses, thereby selecting a corresponding secod video frame sequence;

means for generating voice sounds electronically including words in said selected verbal response, thereby simulating the viewer'"'"'s side of the voice conversation; and

means for switching at the end of said first video frame sequence between the video frames from said first reading means to the video frames from said second reading means to provide said selected second video frame sequence accompanied by voice sounds corresponding to said selected second video frame sequence, thereby simulating a voice conversation between the talking character and the human viewer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is part of a video game unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising record carrier means in the form of a disc-shaped body having an information bearing structure arranged in concentric tracks.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said disc-shaped body is a video disc.

5. A video apparatus for simulating a voice conversation between a human viewer of the apparatus and a talking video character, the apparatus comprising:

first means for reading video frames from a record carrier means to provide a first video frame sequence;

second means for reading video frames from a record carrier means to provide access to a second video frame sequence before the end of said first video frame sequence;

means for switching at the end of said first video frame sequence between the video frames from said first reading means to the video frames from said second reading means;

means for displaying said first and second video frame sequences including a simulated image of said video character, said first video frame sequence being accompanied by corresponding first voice sounds, thereby providing one side of a simulated voice conversation;

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the apparatus is part of a video game unit.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said simulated voice conversation is part of a video game.

6. means for communicating to said human viewer during said first video frame sequence a plurality of alternative verbal responses corresponding to a plurality of alternative second voice sounds;

means for receiving from said human viewer a response signal corresponding to a selected verbal response in said plurality of alternative verbal responses, thereby selecting corresponding second voice sounds;

means for generating voice sounds electronically including words in said selected verbal response, thereby simulating the viewer'"'"'s side of the voice conversation; and

means for generating said selected second voice sounds during said second video frame sequence, thereby simulating a voice conversation between the video character and the human viewer.

8. A method of simulating a personalized voice conversation between a talking video character and a human viewer of the video character, comprising the steps of:

storing voice sounds of the name of said human viewer in digitized form;

displaying a first video frame sequence associated with a plurality of second video frame sequences and accompanied by first voice sounds, the video frame sequences including picture representations of a talking video character;

communicating to the human viewer during said first video frame sequence a first plurality of verbal responses, each verbal response corresponding to a second video frame sequence in said plurality thereof;

receiving from said viewer a response signal corresponding to a selected verbal response in said plurality thereof;

generating voice sounds electronically including words in said selected verbal response, thereby simulating the viewer'"'"'s side of the voice conversation;

displaying the second video frame sequence corresponding to said selected verbal response; and

generating during said second video frame sequence second voice sounds including said stored voice sounds of the name of said human viewer, thereby personalizing a simulated voice conversation between the human and the talking video character.