Fill-in-the-blank audio-story engine

• US 8,961,183 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2012
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Inventors: Penrod, Jason Blake, Bates, Anne Catherine, Gahr, Jason Paul, Scheff, Adam Samuel, Young, Stephanie Farris, Lien, Timothy Jay, Monaco, Michael Anthony Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yip, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUMPHREY, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US13/488,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20130323689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 434/157, 434/167, 434/178, 434/185
• US Class Current: 434/167
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/003 electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to an Audio-Story Engine that includes a repository of prerecorded audio files that, when played in a certain sequence, with user provided recordings placed throughout, tell a story. To obtain the user provided recordings, the Audio-Story Engine asks the user to make audio recordings of various words or phrases. For example, the Audio-Story Engine may ask the user a series of questions in order to record and store the user'"'"'s audible responses. Upon completion, the Audio-Story Engine plays back a completed story that incorporates the user'"'"'s audio recordings by playing an appropriate user recording after playing a prerecorded audio file. This is repeated several times in sequence to form a seamless, customized, audio story. In addition, the Audio-Story Engine may alter the pitch or sound of the user'"'"'s recorded words to match the pitch of the prerecorded story.

Claims

1. A system for building an audio fill-in-the-blank story, comprising:

a game console that includes a main body defining an enclosure sized to receive a game-play controller, a speaker, a microphone, a power supply, and multiple buttons,

wherein the microphone is coupled to the game-play controller,

wherein the speaker is coupled to the game-play controller,

wherein the power supply is coupled to the game-play controller, and

wherein the multiple buttons are coupled to the game-play controller and include a question button, a play-story button, a record answer button, and a start button;

one or more processors; and

one or more nontransitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via the microphone coupled to the game-play controller, multiple audible answers for a single blank within a prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story;

randomly selecting a specific audible answer from the multiple audible answers for the single blank;

inserting the specific audible answer into the single blank within the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story; and

outputting, via the speaker coupled to the game-play controller, the audio fill-in-the-blank story that includes the specific audible answer inserted into the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises outputting an audio prompt soliciting multiple audible answers for the single blank.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the system comprises building the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story from multiple prerecorded story portions that are interchangeable.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the multiple prerecorded story portions comprise an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises altering the specific audible answer to sound like a voice reading the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the altering comprises changing a pitch of the specific audible answer to match a pitch of the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises selecting the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story from a plurality of prerecorded fill-in-the-blank stories.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is implemented on a smart phone.

9. A system for building an audio fill-in-the-blank story, comprising:

a game console;

an enclosure sized to receive a game-play controller, a speaker, a microphone, a power supply, and multiple buttons,

wherein the microphone is coupled to the game-play controller,

wherein the speaker is coupled to the game-play controller,

wherein the power supply is coupled to the game-play controller, and

wherein the multiple buttons are coupled to the game-play controller and include a question button, a play-story button, a record answer button, and a start button;

one or more processors; and

one or more nontransitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via the microphone coupled to the game-play controller, multiple audible answers for a single blank within a prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story;

randomly selecting a specific audible answer from the multiple audible answers for the single blank;

inserting the specific audible answer into the single blank within the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story; and

outputting, via the speaker coupled to the game-play controller, the audio fill-in-the-blank story that includes the specific audible answer inserted into the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the system is implemented on a smart phone.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the game console is a virtual game console.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein one or more of the buttons are soft buttons selected through a computer interface.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the system comprises building the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story from multiple prerecorded story portions that are interchangeable.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the multiple prerecorded story portions comprise an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the system further comprises altering the specific audible answer to sound like a voice reading the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the altering comprises changing a pitch of the specific audible answer to match a pitch of the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story.

17. A fill-in-the-blank audio-story game console, comprising;

a main body defining an enclosure sized to receive a game-play controller, a speaker, a microphone, a power supply, and multiple buttons;

wherein the microphone is coupled to the game-play controller;

wherein the speaker is coupled to the game-play controller;

wherein the power supply is coupled to the game-play controller;

wherein the multiple buttons are coupled to the game-play controller and include a question button, a play-story button, a record answer button, and a start button;

wherein the game-play controller includes a computing processor and computer storage media having instructions embodied thereon for generating a fill-in-the-blank audio story that when executed performs steps comprising;

in response to activation of the question button, audibly outputting a prerecorded question asking for an answer corresponding to a blank within a prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story;

in response to activation of the record answer button, recording an audible answer to the prerecorded question;

audibly outputting the prerecorded question a second time asking for an additional answer corresponding to the blank within the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story;

in response to an additional activation of the record answer button, recording an additional audible answer to the prerecorded question;

randomly selecting a specific user answer from the audible answer and the additional audible answer;

inserting the selected specific user answer into the blank within the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story; and

in response to activation of the play-story button, outputting a completed audio fill-in-the-blank story that includes the selected specific user answer inserted into the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story.

18. The game console of claim 17, wherein the steps further comprise altering the specific user answer to sound like a voice reading the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story, and wherein the main body has an appearance that is consistent with the voice.

19. The game console of claim 17, wherein the multiple buttons further comprise a try-me button, and wherein the steps further comprise, upon activation of the try-me button, audibly outputting a sample question, recording a sample answer from the user, altering the sample answer to sound like a voice reading the prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story, inserting the sample answer into a blank within a sample prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story, audibly outputting the sample prerecorded fill-in-the-blank story including the sample answer, and then erasing the sample answer.

20. The game console of claim 17, wherein the main body further comprises a text label located adjacent to each of the multiple buttons and wherein text on each text label describes a function of each button.