Voice-to-text chat conversion for remote video game play

• US 7,785,197 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Smith, Darren C.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOTALING, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US10/901,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20060025214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,224 Days
• Field of Search: 704/246, 455/426, 463/30
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images

Abstract

A multi-player networked video game playing system including for example video game consoles analyzes speech to vary the font size and/or color of associated text displayed to other users. If the amplitude of the voice is high, the text displayed to other users is displayed in a larger than normal font. If the voice sounds stressed or is aggressive words are used, the text displayed to other users is displayed using a special font such as red color. Other analysis may be performed on the speech in context to vary the font size, color, font type and/or other display attributes.

Claims

1. A multi-player video game playing method for use with a networked multi-player video game playing system that, in use, accepts interactive inputs from a first game player and additional inputs from at least a second game player over a network and thereby provides interactive multiplayer game play for both said first game player and said second game player, said method comprising:

receiving user inputs from said first game player manipulating at least a first handheld video game controller;

communicating multiplayer game playing information over a network with the second game player'"'"'s video game playing system;

displaying, in a coordinated manner on a first display associated with said first game player and on a second display associated with said second game player, multiplayer interactive video game play at least in part in response to said received user input and said communicated multiplayer game playing information;

sensing audible speech uttered by the first game player;

automatically, by computer, converting the sensed uttered speech to written text;

analyzing said speech and/or said text for aggressive content; and

generating formatting for said text for display to the second video game player on the second display, including formatting at least a portion of said displayed text in a way so that as displayed on the second display the formatting of the text display at least in part reflects how aggressive the first game player'"'"'s speech is.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said formatting includes aggression-indicating font size.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the formatting includes aggression-indicating font color.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the formatting includes aggressive punctuation.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the formatting includes aggression-indicating font style.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the characteristic comprises aggression-indicating uttered speech amplitude.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the aggressive content comprises use of predetermined stress words.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the aggressive content comprises audible voice features that reflect aggression.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the aggressive content comprises a threat.

10. Video game playing equipment comprising:

at least one handheld game controller that in use provides local input from a first video game player;

a computing device executing video game play instructions at least in part in response to said local input from said first video game player via said at least one handheld game controller and at least in part in response to additional signals communicated over a network from a second video game player remote to said first video game player, to provide a multiplayer video game display;

a microphone that, in use, receives audible speech from said first video game player;

a speech-to-text converter that automatically converts said received audible speech into written text;

an analyzer that analyzes said audible speech and/or text to determine whether at least one predetermined aggression characteristic is present in utterance by said first video game player; and

a text formatter that selectively formats said text for display on a second display associated with said second video game player to demonstrate, to said second video game player, aggression of said first video game player at least in part in response to said analyzer determination.

11. A video game chat system comprising:

a plurality of video game play sites, each said site including a user input device and a display, said displays providing coordinated interactive video game play in response to user inputs said user input devices provide, wherein at least one of said sites further includes an audio transducer that picks up audible speech uttered by a first game player;

a speech recognizer coupled to said audio transducer, said speech recognizer converting said first game player'"'"'s audible speech into displayable indicia and further analyzing said audible speech to determine whether a predetermined characteristic indicating emotion is present therein; and

a display formatter that displays said displayable indicia on at least one of said displays to at least a second game player different from said first game player, said display formatter formatting said display to show first game player'"'"'s emotion to said second game player at least in part in response to whether said predetermined characteristic is present in said first player'"'"'s audible speech.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said emotion comprises aggression.

13. A multi-player video game playing method for use with a networked multi-player video game playing system that, in use, accepts interactive inputs from a first game player and additional inputs from at least a second game player over a network and thereby provides interactive multiplayer game play for both said first game player and said second game player, said method comprising:

receiving user inputs from said first game player manipulating at least a first handheld video game controller;

communicating multiplayer game playing information over a network with the second game player'"'"'s video game playing system;

displaying, in a coordinated manner on a first display associated with said first game player and on a second display associated with said second game player, multiplayer interactive video game play at least in part in response to said received user input and said communicated multiplayer game playing information;

sensing audible speech uttered by the first game player;

automatically, by computer, converting the first player'"'"'s uttered speech to text;

analyzing said speech and/or said text for emotional content; and

formatting said text for display to said second video game player, including formatting at least a portion of said text n a way so that as displayed on the second display screen the format of said text display at least in part graphically reflects said emotional content.

14. Video game playing equipment comprising:

at least one handheld game controller that in use provides local input from a first video game player;

a computing device executing video game play instructions at least in part in response to said local input from said first video game player via said at least one handheld game controller and at least in part in response to additional signals communicated over a network from a second video game player remote to said first video game player, to provide a multiplayer video game display;

a microphone that, in use, receives speech from at least the second game player;

a speech-to-text converter that converts said received speech into text;

an analyzer that analyzes said speech and/or text to determine whether at least one predetermined emotional characteristic is present; and

a text formatter that selectively formats said text to graphically show, with said formatting, emotion on the display at least in part in response to said analyzer determination.