Systems for automated real-time vocal sports commentary with dynamically generated narrative content

• US 9,535,879 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STATS LLC (Stats Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Automated Insights, Inc. (Stats Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Allen, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Godbold, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US14/868,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20160019200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/10 Text processing natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30; processing or translation of natural language G06F40/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/289 Phrasal analysis, e.g. finite state techniques or chunking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/56 Natural language generation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/033 Voice editing, e.g. manipulating the voice of the synthesiser
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/04 Details of speech synthesis systems, e.g. synthesiser structure or memory management

Abstract

In some embodiments, a non-transitory processor-readable medium stores code representing instructions that when executed cause a processor to select a narrative content template based at least in part on a predetermined content type associated with a real-world and/or virtual event. The code further represents instructions that when executed cause the processor to select a narrative tone type. The code further represents instructions that when executed cause the processor to, for each phrase included in an ordered set of phrases associated with the narrative content template, select, based at least in part on the narrative tone type, a phrase variation from a set of phrase variations associated with that phrase, and define, based on the selected phrase variation and at least one datum from a set of data, a narrative content portion associated with the real-world event. The code further represents instructions that when executed cause the processor to output, at a display, the narrative content portion.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing automated vocal commentary during a sporting contest, comprising:

a processor to be operatively coupled to a memory, for executing content generation steps comprising;

receiving an instruction to define a content portion based on an event occurring during the sporting contest;

selecting, based on a statistic indicative of a tone, a narrative tone type based on a tone associated with the sporting contest;

selecting a narrative template that includes a set of phrases;

selecting, based on the narrative tone type, a phrase variation from a set of phrase variations associated with a first phrase from the set of phrases to define a first selected phrase;

selecting, based on the narrative tone type, a phrase variation from a set of phrase variations associated with a second phrase from the set of phrases to define a second selected phrase; and

sending a signal indicative of the narrative content portion that includes the first selected phrase and the second selected phrase; and

a voice synthesizer for;

receiving the signal indicative of the narrative content portion;

converting the narrative content portion to voice data; and

outputting the voice data audibly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the voice synthesizer further for selecting a voice from a plurality of different voices, and for converting the narrative content portion to voice data based on the selected voice.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of different voices comprises voices of different sports commentators.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the processor and the voice synthesizer for acting in substantially real-time to provide the automated vocal commentary during the sporting contest.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a broadcasting device for broadcasting the automated vocal commentary during a sports broadcast.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the broadcasting device is a television or radio broadcasting device.

7. A method for providing automated vocal narration of a sporting contest, comprising:

receiving a digital input representing an event occurring during the sporting contest;

receiving an instruction to define a narrative content portion based at least in part on the event;

receiving, from a database, a plurality of data associated with the event;

selecting, based on a narrative tone type that is based on the sporting contest, a narrative content template including a plurality of variable identifiers;

defining the narrative content portion based at least in part on a combination of;

a text portion of the narrative content template, the text portion being based on the narrative tone type; and

for each variable identifier from the plurality of variable identifiers, a datum from the plurality of data associated with that variable identifier; and

sending a signal such that the narrative content portion is synthesized as vocal output.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein vocal output is synthesized in substantially real-time with the event of the sporting contest.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

identifying a trend with respect to an aspect of the sporting contest, wherein the synthesized vocal output comprising the narrative content portion includes vocalization of the identified trend.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

broadcasting the vocal output as a component of a media broadcast for the sporting contest.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the media broadcast is a television broadcast or a radio broadcast.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

selecting a voice from a plurality of different voices; and

converting the narrative content portion to synthesized voice data based on the selected voice.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of different voices comprises voices of different sports commentators.

14. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions that when executed cause a processor to:

receive a sports event identifier (ID) associated with a sports event;

receive a first participant ID associated with the sports event ID;

receive a second participant ID associated with the sports event ID;

receive a statistic value associated with the first participant ID;

define, based on a content template, a content portion including;

a name of a first participant associated with the first participant ID;

a name of a second participant associated with the second participant ID;

the statistic value; and

text associated with the sports event, the text based at least in part on a plurality of text elements associated with the content template, each text element from the plurality of text elements being associated with a preselected narrative tone, the preselected narrative tone being based at least in part on a tone associated with the sports event; and

send the content portion to a voice synthesizer for conversion to voice data for audible presentation.

15. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the preselected narrative tone is determined based on at least one of:

a recent performance of the first participant;

a recent performance of the second participant;

a ranking of the first participant;

a ranking of the second participant; and

a physical location of the sports event.

16. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the preselected narrative tone is at least one of:

confident;

pessimistic;

optimistic;

or

apathetic.

17. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 14, wherein each text element from the plurality of text elements is one of:

a phrase;

a sentence;

or

a paragraph.

18. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 14, further storing code representing instructions that when executed cause a processor to identify a trend with respect to an aspect of the sporting contest, wherein the content portion sent to the voice synthesizer includes the identified trend.

19. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 14, further storing code representing instructions that when executed cause a processor to:

select a voice from a plurality of different voices; and

instruct the voice synthesizer to convert the narrative content portion to synthesized voice data based on the selected voice.

20. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the plurality of different voices comprises voices of different sports commentators.