Displaying a menu of commands in a video game environment

• US 7,877,262 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2009
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• 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 LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Luisi, Seth C. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Huyen X.
• Application Number:
  US12/577,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20100029387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 704/231, 704/235, 704/249, 704/270, 704/275, 704/270.1, 704/271, 704/272, 463/39, 379/88.17
• 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 displaying a menu of commands in a video game environment, the method comprising:

displaying a first menu of available commands on a display device following a determination that a user has actuated a control button assigned to activating voice functionality on a controller interface for a game system;

receiving a first vocal utterance from the user at a microphone coupled to the game system, the vocal utterance including a command selected by the user from the first menu of available commands;

displaying a second menu of available commands on the display device following receipt of the first vocal utterance;

receiving a second vocal utterance from the user at the microphone, the second vocal utterance including a command selected by the user from the second menu of available commands; and

executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor;

matches the first vocal utterance with an available command in the first menu of available commands,

matches the second vocal utterance with an available command in the second menu of available commands, and

causes a character in the game environment to perform an action corresponding to the combination of the matched first vocal utterance and the matched second vocal utterance, and wherein the performed action is displayed on the display device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vocal utterance is received in conjunction with a command issued through the controller interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu of available commands is based on a current state of game play in the video game environment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing an acknowledgement of the performed action following performance of the action corresponding to the combination of the matched first vocal utterance and the matched second vocal utterance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu of available commands is displayed in conjunction with a current state of the video game environment.

6. A system for displaying a menu of commands in a video game environment, the system comprising:

a microphone for receiving vocal utterances from a user;

a computing device including a processor to execute game software and a speech recognition module;

a speech recognition module stored in memory and executable by the processor to match a first vocal utterance from the user with an available command in a first menu of available commends and a second vocal utterance from the user with an available command in a second menu of available commands, the matched vocal utterances associated with an action to be performed in the video game environment; and

game software stored in memory and executable by the processor to;

cause a character to perform the action in the video game environment, the action corresponding to the combination of the matched first vocal utterance and the matched second vocal utterance, and

cause the display of a menu of available commands for selection by the user and in the video game environment.

7. The system in claim 6, wherein the speech recognition module includes a vocabulary of commands.

8. The system in claim 6, wherein the speech recognition module is context-sensitive.

9. The system in claim 6, further comprising a controller interface for receiving user instructions.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for displaying a menu of commands in a video game environment, the method comprising:

displaying a first menu of available commands following a determination that a user has actuated a control button assigned to activating voice functionality on a controller interface for a game system;

receiving a first vocal utterance from the user, the vocal utterance including a command selected by the user from the first menu of available commands;

displaying a second menu of available commands following receipt of the first vocal utterance;

receiving a second vocal utterance from the user, the second vocal utterance including a command selected by the user from the second menu of available commands;

matching the first vocal utterance with an available command in the first menu of available commands,

matching the second vocal utterance with an available command in the second menu of available commands; and

causing a character in the game environment to perform an action corresponding to the combination of the matched first vocal utterance and the matched second vocal utterance.