Training a user to execute a sequence of commands in a game environment by using voice control

• US 7,613,616 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2007
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Luisi, Seth C. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Huyen X.
• Application Number:
  US11/764,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20070244704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 704/231, 704/251, 704/270, 704/275, 704/270.1, 463/39, 345/156
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

In a gaming system, a user controls actions of characters in the game environment using speech commands. In a learning mode, available speech commands are displayed in a command menu on a display device. In a non-learning mode, the available speech commands are not displayed. A speaker-independent context-sensitive speech recognition module contains a vocabulary of available speech commands. Use of speech commands is combined with input from a controller device to control actions of a character or characters in the game environment.

Claims

1. A method for training a user to utter a sequence of commands in a game environment by using voice control, the method comprising:

executing first instructions stored in memory to determine a context based on a state of the game environment, the first instructions executed using a processor;

displaying a menu of available commands based on the context;

prompting the user to issue a vocal utterance associated with an available command from the menu of available commands;

receiving a vocal utterance from the user;

executing second instructions stored in memory to match the received vocal utterance with an available command from the menu of available commands, whereby the matching of the vocal utterance with an available command selects the command, the second instructions executed using a processor;

adding the selected command to a sequence of commands including commands selected since a previously executed complete command; and

executing the sequence of commands when the sequence of commands forms a complete command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising informing the user of the selected command.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user is visually informed of the selected command.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user is audibly informed of the selected command.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing third instructions stored in memory to determine whether the sequence of commands forms a complete command, and if the sequence of commands does not form a complete command:

displaying a next menu of available commands, and

prompting the user for a next command associated with an available command from the next menu of available commands, the third instructions executed using a processor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the menu of available commands includes overlaying the menu of available commands on a visual representation of the game environment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the menu of available commands does not obscure a display of the game environment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the menu of available commands includes displaying the sequence of commands.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein prompting the user to issue the vocal utterance includes displaying a visual prompt or emitting an audible prompt.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein matching includes disregarding all vocal utterances other than a vocal utterance corresponding to an available command from the menu of available commands.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the user that voice control has been activated.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the user that the sequence of commands is a complete command.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the notification is visual or audible.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the available command is comprised of multiple commands.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for training a user to execute a sequence of commands in a game environment by using voice control, the method comprising:

determining a context based on a state of the game environment;

displaying a menu of available commands based on the context;

prompting the user to issue a vocal utterance associated with an available command from the menu of available commands;

receiving a vocal utterance from the user;

matching the received vocal utterance with an available command from the menu of available commands, whereby the matching of the vocal utterance with an available command selects the command;

adding the selected command to a sequence of commands including commands selected since a previously executed complete command; and

executing the sequence of commands when the sequence of commands forms a complete command.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises informing the user of the selected command.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the user is visually informed or audibly informed of the selected command.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises determining whether the sequence of commands forms a complete command, and if the sequence of commands does not form a complete command:

displaying a next menu of available commands, and

prompting the user for a next command associated with an available command from the next menu of available commands.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein prompting the user to issue the vocal utterance includes displaying a visual prompt or emitting an audible prompt.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises notifying the user that voice control has been activated.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the user is visually notified.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the user is audibly notified.

23. A system for training a user to execute a sequence of commands in a game environment by using voice control, the system comprising:

a computing device including a processor configured to execute game software and a speech recognition module stored in memory at the computing device;

a display device configured to display a menu of available commands to the user, the menu of available commands based on a context of a state of the game environment determined by the processor executing the game software; and

a microphone configured to receive a vocal utterance from the user, wherein the speech recognition module is configured to match the received vocal utterance with an available command from the menu of available commands, and whereby the matching of the vocal utterance with an available command selects the command, and the game software is further configured to add the selected command to a sequence of commands including commands selected since a previously executed complete command, and the processor is further configured to execute the sequence of commands when the sequence of commands forms a complete command.