Voice avatars for wireless multiuser entertainment services

• US 6,987,514 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2000
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 3, LLC
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Pugh, Jonathan, Beresin, Evgenij
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US09/710,618
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 455/563, 455/412.1, 455/413, 455/414.1, 455/564, 455/3.06, 455418-420, 455/507, 455/517, 455/518, 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/272, 381/61, 345473-474
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/033 Voice editing, e.g. manipulating the voice of the synthesiser
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/0135 Voice conversion or morphing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions

Abstract

A voice avatar module is connected in a wireless terminal or a server for implementing a voice avatar for multiuser entertainment services allowing voice-based communication over a wireless network. The voice avatar module has a memory including a plurality of voice avatars. A user of the wireless device selects one of the voice avatars for modifying the user'"'"'s voice. The user then enables the selected voice avatar so that all participants hear the modified voice of the user.

Claims

1. A voice avatar system comprising a server connected to a mobile network and a voice avatar module arranged in said server, said voice avatar module operatively arranged for receiving an input voice channel from a user terminal, modifying the input voice via a first voice avatar to create a modified voice and outputting said modified voice to an output voice channel, wherein said output voice channel is selectively connectable to each of a plurality of services providing voice-based user communication, thereby allowing voice communication using said modified voice between the user and any one of said plural services such that all parties listening to said user via said any one of said plural services hear said modified voice, wherein at least one of said input voice channel and said output voice channel comprises a wireless link.

2. The voice avatar system of claim 1, wherein said server comprises a memory including a plurality of voice avatars and wherein a second voice avatar is selectable from said plural voice avatars via the user terminal for modifying said input voice channel.

3. The voice avatar system of claim 2, wherein said server is connectable to an avatar site via a wireless network for retrieving further voice avatars and saving said further avatars in said memory.

4. The voice avatar system of claim 1, wherein said server is connectable to an avatar site via the wireless network for retrieving further voice avatars.

5. The voice avatar system of claim 1, wherein said output voice channel is selectively connectable via the wireless network to each of a plurality of services having voice-based user communication, thereby allowing voice communication using said modified voice between the wireless mobile terminal and any one of the plural services.

6. The voice avatar system of claim 1, wherein said server comprises one of said plural services providing voice-based user communication, wherein said output voice channel is connectable with said one of said plural services.

7. The voice avatar system of claim 1, wherein said output voice channel is selectively connectable to each of a plurality of services on the Internet providing voice-based user communication.

8. The voice avatar system of claim 7, wherein said voice-based communication uses Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP).

9. The voice avatar system of claim 1, wherein said voice avatar module is further arranged for sampling the input voice via the first voice avatar to create the modified voice.

10. The voice avatar system of claim 1, wherein a user created voice avatar is storable in said memory.

11. The voice avatar system of claim 1, wherein said one of said plurality of services comprises at least one of a voice chat service and a game service.

12. The voice avatar system of claim 1, wherein said server includes at least one user record including an association of at least one of said plural voice avatars with at least one of said plural services.

13. A method for implementing a voice avatar for wireless communication comprising the steps of:

selecting, via a wireless terminal, a selected voice avatar from a list including a plurality of voice avatars;

selecting a selected service from a plurality of available services which allow voice-based communication via wireless terminals;

connecting the wireless terminal to a voice avatar server having a voice avatar module via a wireless network and connecting the wireless terminal to the selected service through the voice avatar server;

inputting an input voice from the wireless terminal to the voice avatar module;

modifying the input voice at the voice avatar module in the voice avatar server by transformation using the selected voice avatar to generate a modified voice; and

outputting the modified voice from the voice avatar server to the selected service having voice-based communication.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of selecting a selected voice avatar comprises selecting from a memory of the voice avatar module.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of selecting a selected voice avatar comprises selecting from a voice avatar site connected to the wireless network.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of saving the selected voice avatar to a memory of the voice avatar module.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of saving the selected voice avatar in a user record for associating a user with the selected voice avatar.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of modifying comprises sampling the input voice via the first voice avatar to create the modified voice.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of creating, by the user, a voice avatar and storing it in a memory.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the available services comprise at least one of a voice chat service and a game service.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of displaying a list indicating a list of current participants in at least one of the available services.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said step of displaying includes indicating a current speaker with a symbol.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of associating at least one of the voice avatars with at least one of the available services.

24. A voice avatar server for voice-based communication with a multiuser entertainment services on the Internet, comprising:

input communication means for receiving an input voice;

a voice avatar memory for storing a plurality of voice avatars;

means for allowing user selection of a first avatar of said plural avatars;

a voice avatar module operatively arranged for receiving the input voice from said communication means, modifying the input voice via the selected first voice avatar to create a modified voice, and outputting said modified voice to an output voice channel; and

output communication means for transmitting the modified voice on said output voice channel to a selected service providing voice-based user communication, thereby allowing voice communication using said modified voice between the user and the selected service such that all parties listening to the user via the selected service hear said modified voice.

25. The server of claim 24, wherein said voice avatar memory further comprises a record associating at least one of said voice avatars with at least one of the services.

26. The server of claim 24, wherein a second voice avatar is selectable from said plural voice avatars in said memory by a user terminal connected to the server by a mobile network.

27. The server of claim 24, wherein said server is connectable to an avatar site via a wireless network for retrieving further voice avatars and saving said further avatars in said memory.

28. The server of claim 24, wherein said server is connectable to an avatar site via the wireless network for retrieving further voice avatars.

29. The server of claim 24, wherein said output voice channel is selectively connectable via a wireless network to each of a plurality of services having voice-based user communication, thereby allowing voice communication using said modified voice between a wireless mobile terminal and any one of the plural services.

30. The server of claim 24, wherein said server comprises one of said plural services providing voice-based user communication, wherein said output voice channel is connectable with said one of said plural services.

31. The server of claim 24, wherein said output voice channel is selectively connectable to each of a plurality of services on the Internet providing voice-based user communication.

32. The server of claim 24, wherein said voice-based communication uses Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP).

33. The server of claim 24, wherein said memory includes a record associating a user with a selected voice avatar.

34. A voice avatar module for voice-based communication with a multiuser entertainment services on the Internet, said voice avatar module arranged for receiving the input voice from a communication device over a mobile network, modifying the input voice via the selected first voice avatar to create a modified voice, and outputting said modified voice to an output voice channel, thereby allowing voice communication using said modified voice between the user of the communication device and a selected service such that all parties listening to the user via the selected service hear the modified voice.

35. A voice avatar server for voice-based communication with a multiuser entertainment services on the Internet, including voice avatar module having a memory storing computer executable instructions for receiving the input voice from a communication device via the Internet, modifying the input voice via a first voice avatar to create a modified voice, and outputting the modified voice to an output voice channel, thereby allowing voice communication using the modified voice between the user and the selected service such that all parties listening to the user via the selected service hear the modified voice.