Techniques for providing non-verbal speech recognition in an immersive playtime environment

Number: 9855497
Published: 2018-01-02
Filed: 2015-01-20
Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Inventors: Goslin; Michael P.; Haseltine; Eric C.; Olson; Joseph L.
CPC: G06F3/017; A63F13/424; G06F3/167; A63F13/215; G10L25/18; G06F3/0346; G10L17/26
Verdict: High Notable software
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Non-verbal speech recognition for immersive playtime.

Abstract

An immersive play environment platform including techniques describing recognizing non-verbal vocalization gestures from a user is disclosed. A headset device receives audio input from a user. The headset device transmits the audio input to a controller device. The controller device evaluates characteristics of the audio input (e.g., spectral features over a period of time) to determine whether the audio input corresponds to a predefined non-verbal vocalization, such as a humming noise, shouting noise, etc. The controller device may perform an action in response to detecting such non-verbal vocalizations, such as engaging a play object (e.g., an action figure, an action disc) in the play environment.

Background

BACKGROUND(1) Field(2) Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to inter-device communications, and more specifically to techniques for using interactive devices to perform actions in response to non-verbal vocalizations in an immersive playtime environment.(3) Description of the Related Art(4) Many approaches exist for delivering a play experience to a user. For instance, video games engage participants using interactive game play using a video game console, a hand-held controller, and a display (e.g., a television, a monitor on the video game system, etc.). A participant interacts with the controller to send commands to the video game system to control a video game or other simulation. However, while video games allow participants to interact directly with the video game system, such interactions are often limited to the graphical depiction shown on the display and rarely influence any other objects outside of the world provided by the video game.SUMMARY(5) One embodiment presented herein describes an immersive play experience platform. The platform generally includes an audio device configured to receive audio input. The platform also includes a controller device configured to perform an operation for recognizing non-verbal vocalizations. The operation itself generally includes receiving audio input transmitted by the audio device. Upon determining that the audio input matches spectral features of one or more predefined non-verbal vocalizations, an action is

Claims

1. An immersive play experience platform providing an interactive environment, comprising: an audio device configured to receive audio input; and a controller device configured to perform an operation for recognizing non-verbal vocalizations, the operation comprising: receiving audio input transmitted by the audio device, determining that the audio input matches spectral features of one or more predefined non-verbal vocalizations characterizing gameplay within the interactive environment, and causing an action corresponding to the one or more predefined non-verbal vocalizations to be performed on an interactive gameplay object within the interactive environment. 8. A method for recognizing non-verbal vocalizations, comprising: receiving, by a controller device executing on an immersive play experience platform providing an interactive environment, audio input; determining, by the controller device, that the audio input matches spectral features of one or more predefined non-verbal vocalizations characterizing gameplay within the interactive environment; and causing an action corresponding to the one or more predefined non-verbal vocalizations to be performed on an interactive gameplay object within the interactive environment. 15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed on a processor, perform an operation for recognizing non-verbal vocalizations, the operation comprising: receiving, by a controller device executing on an immersive play experience platform providing an interactive environment, audio input; determining, by the controller device, that the audio input matches spectral features of at least a first predefined non-verbal vocalization characterizing gameplay within the interactive environment; determining that the matched audio input is received as a part of a predefined sequence of gestures including at least a first physical gesture and the first predefined non-verbal vocalization, and causing an action corresponding to the predefined sequence of gestures to be performed on an interactive gameplay object.