Apparatus and method for managing user inputs in video games

• US 9,744,451 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2015
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelseries Aps
• Original Assignee: Steelseries Aps
• Inventors: Aronzon, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US14/924,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20160048507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 463 35- 42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• 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 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• 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 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/263 Language identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/04 Details of speech synthesis systems, e.g. synthesiser structure or memory management

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a computing device having a controller to obtain a user input that was inputted into a first accessory operably coupled with the computing device where the first accessory provides a user interface for user interaction with a video game, determine a language of an intended recipient of the user input based on an identity of the intended recipient, access a multi-lingual library comprising a plurality of words associated with the video game, match the user input to one or more words of the plurality of words of the multi-lingual library to generate a translated message in the determined language of the intended recipient, and provide the translated message to a second accessory for presentation to the intended recipient in real-time. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory that stores instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processor performs operations comprising;

receiving a signal generated in response to a user input at a first accessory operably coupled with a first computing device;

transmitting the user input to a remote server;

receiving, at a second accessory, an audio signal from the remote server for presentation to an intended recipient, wherein the audio signal is associated with a program operating on the first computing device, wherein the audio signal is generated based on a context of the program when the user input was received on the first computing device, wherein the second accessory is operably coupled with a second computing device, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are remote from each other, and wherein the audio signal is generated by one of the first computing device and the second computing device using a multi-lingual library that is remote from the one of the first computing device and the second computing device; and

determining a context of the user input based on the program, the context being determined based on graphics presented in the program, wherein the multi-lingual library at the remote server is searched for matching words using the context.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second accessory is operably coupled with a second computing device, wherein the first computing device and second computing device are remote from each other, and wherein the audio signal is received by the second computing device via the Internet.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the remote server is in communication with the first computing device and the second computing device via the Internet.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the user input is non-speech, and wherein the audio signal is generated by the first computing device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining an identity of the intended recipient of the user input; and

determining a language for the intended recipient based on the identity.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second accessories are operably coupled with and in proximity to the first computing device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user input is speech, and wherein the signal is generated based on the speech using speech recognition performed at the remote server.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second accessory is operably coupled with the first computing device via the remote server, and wherein the audio signal is presented as synthesized voice content.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the program comprises a video game.

10. A method, comprising:

determining, by a system including a processor, a first language of a first intended recipient of user input based on a first identity of the intended recipient;

determining, by the system, a second language of a second intended recipient of the user input based on a second identity of the second intended recipient;

transmitting, by the system, the user input to a remote server comprising a processor, wherein the user input was inputted into a first accessory operably coupled with a first computing device, and wherein the first computing device is programmed to present a program;

translating, by the remote server, the user input into a first translated message of the first language using a multi-lingual library;

providing, by the remote server, the first translated message to a second accessory for presentation to the first intended recipient;

determining a context of the user input based on the program, the context being determined based on graphics presented in the program;

providing, by the system, a second translated message based on the user input to a third accessory for presentation to the second intended recipient; and

receiving, by the system, the user input from the first computing device over the Internet, wherein the providing of the first and second translated messages to the second and third accessories is performed in real-time, and wherein the first and second translated messages are associated with the program.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first translated message is presented at the second accessory as synthesized voice content.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first translated message is presented at the second accessory as text content.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the program comprises a video game.

14. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, comprising instructions, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, a processor performs operations comprising:

presenting a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface receives user actuations of a first accessory operably coupled with a computing device;

obtaining a user input that was inputted into the first accessory, wherein the first accessory provides a user interface for user interaction with a program;

transmitting the user input to a remote server, wherein the remote server comprises a multi-lingual library comprising a plurality of words associated with the program;

updating the multi-lingual library based on updates to the program;

matching, at the remote server, the user input to words of the plurality of words of the multi-lingual library to generate a translated message;

providing the translated message to a second accessory from the remote server for presentation to an intended recipient;

updating the multi-lingual library based on words or phrases suggested by the user input; and

determining a language of the intended recipient of the user input based on an identity of the intended recipient, wherein the providing of the translated message to the second accessory is performed in real time, and

wherein the first and second accessories comprise one of a keyboard, a gaming pad, a mouse, a gaming console controller, a joystick, a microphone, a headset with a microphone, or any combination thereof.

15. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise determining a context of the user input based on the program, the context being determined based on graphics presented in the graphical user interface.