Voice selection apparatus voice response apparatus, and game apparatus using word tables from which selected words are output as voice selections

• US 6,471,420 B1
• Filed: 05/04/1995
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Tatsumi, Obara, Kazuaki, Kayashima, Kazuhiro, Matsui, Kenji, Matsukawa, Yoshihiko, Maekawa, Hidetsugu
• Primary Examiner(s): ARMSTRONG, ANGELA A
• Application Number:
  US08/434,760
• Time in Patent Office: 2,735 Days
• Field of Search: 395/2.67, 395/2.79, 395/2.84, 395/2.62, 395/2.63, 395/2.41, 395/2.4, 395/2.09, 395/2.59, 395/2.64, 395/2.48, 395/2.49, 395/2.81, 704/258, 704/270, 704/275, 704/253, 704/254, 704/232, 704/231, 704/200, 704/250, 704/255, 704/239, 704/240
• US Class Current: 704/250
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/25 using position of the lips, movement of the lips or face analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/87 Detection of discrete points within a voice signal

Abstract

A game apparatus of the invention includes: a voice input section for inputting at least one voice set including voice uttered by an operator, for converting the voice set into a first electric signal, and for outputting the first electric signal; a voice recognition section for recognizing the voice set on the basis of the first electric signal output from the voice input means; an image input section for optically detecting a movement of the lips of the operator, for converting the detected movement of lips into a second electric signal, and for outputting the second electric signal; a speech period detection section for receiving the second electric signal, and for obtaining a period in which the voice is uttered by the operator on the basis of the received second electric signal; an overall judgment section for extracting the voice uttered by the operator from the input voice set, on the basis of the voice set recognized by the voice recognition means and the period obtained by the speech period detection means; and a control means for controlling an object on the basis of the voice extracted by the overall judgment means.

Claims

1. A voice selection apparatus comprising:

first memory means for storing a plurality of tables, each of the tables including a plurality of words which can be output for one input signal based on a voice which is uttered by a human being, as respective conversation-based voice selections;

second memory means for storing one of the plurality of tables;

selection means for selecting one word from the plurality of words included in the one table stored in the second memory means in accordance with an input which is an externally input signal based on a voice which is uttered by a human being, and for outputting the selected one word as a voice selection; and

change means for changing the one table stored in the second memory to another table of the plurality of tables stored in the first memory means, the table being determined depending on the selected one word.

2. A voice selection apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for generating a random number, wherein the selection means selects the one word from the plurality of words by using the random number.

3. A voice response apparatus comprising:

a voice selection apparatus according to claim 1; and

a voice recognition apparatus for receiving voice, for recognizing the voice, and for outputting the recognition result to the voice selection apparatus.

4. A game apparatus comprising a voice response apparatus according to claim 3, and visual graphics operatively combined with the output of the selection means.

5. A game apparatus comprising a plurality of voice response apparatuses according to claim 3, whereby the plurality of voice response apparatuses are configured to perform a conversation with each other.

6. A voice selection apparatus comprising:

memory means for storing a table, the table including a plurality of words which can be output in response to one input signal based on a voice which is uttered by a human being, as respective conversation-based voice selections;

selection means for receiving an input which is an externally input signal based on a voice which is uttered by a human being, for selecting one word from the plurality of words included in the table which is stored in the memory means by using a random number, and for outputting the selected one word as a voice selection; and

means for generating the random number.

7. A voice response apparatus comprising:

a voice selection apparatus according to claim 6; and

a voice recognition apparatus for receiving voice, for recognizing the voice, and for outputting the recognition result to the voice selection apparatus.

8. A game apparatus comprising a voice response apparatus according to claim 7, and visual graphics operatively combined with the output of the selection means.