IP Library Granted Patent US 8,393,962
Granted Patent B2
US 8,393,962 · App. 11/581,011 · Granted Mar 12, 2013

Storage medium storing game program and game device

Inventor: Masato Mizuta (Kyoto, JP)
Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,393,962
App. No.
11/581,011
Granted
Mar 12, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A game device issues a notification that the player is prompted to input a voice. After the notification is issued, voice data representing a voice signal, having a predetermined time length, which is inputted to a voice input element, is repeatedly acquired. Furthermore, each time the voice data is acquired, it is determined whether or not the acquired voice data satisfies a predetermined selecting condition. Thereafter, only voice data, which is determined to satisfy the selecting condition, is stored as selected voice data. The game device outputs, when a game image showing a game character speaking is displayed on the display, a sound effect representing a voice of the game character by using at least a portion of the selected voice data.

Claims (45)

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a game program to be executed by a computer of a game device including a voice input element, voice output units, a display, and memory locations, the game program instructing the computer to perform:

notification for notifying that a player is prompted to input a voice;

acquisition for repeatedly acquiring, after the notification, voice data representing a voice signal, having a predetermined time length, which is inputted to the voice input element;

determination for determining, each time the voice data is acquired in the acquisition, whether or not the acquired voice data satisfies a predetermined selecting condition;

first memory control for storing a collection comprising a partial subset of the voice data, which is determined to satisfy the predetermined selecting condition in the determination, in the memory locations as a piece of selected voice data; and

voice output for outputting, when a game image showing a game character speaking is displayed on the display, a sound effect representing a voice of the game character from the voice output units by using a partial portion of a plurality of pieces of the selected voice data,

wherein the sound effect representing a voice of the game character is meaningless.

2. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

in the first memory control, the computer stores the plurality of pieces of the selected voice data in a first area of the memory locations;

the game program instructs the computer to further perform a second memory control for selecting, in accordance with a predetermined reference, at least one piece of the selected voice data from among the plurality of pieces of the selected voice data, and storing the at least one piece of the selected voice data in a second area of the memory locations; and

in the voice output, the computer generates the sound effect by using at least a portion of the at least one piece of the selected voice data stored in the second area.

3. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein

the notification is performed a plurality of times, and

the game program instructs the computer to further perform a deletion for deleting, before the notification is to be performed, the voice data stored in the first area in a time period from when the notification has been most recently performed to when the notification is to be performed.

4. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

the game program instructs the computer to further perform an end determination for determining, after the notification is performed, whether or not an amount corresponding to the plurality of pieces of the selected voice data stored in the memory locations is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, and

the acquisition finishes acquiring the voice data if it is determined in the end determination that the amount corresponding to the plurality of pieces of the selected voice data stored in the memory locations is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount.

5. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

the game program instructs the computer to further perform an end determination for determining, after the notification is performed, whether or not a predetermined number of pieces of voice data, each of which is determined not to satisfy the predetermined selecting condition in the determination, are continuously acquired, and

the acquisition finishes acquiring the voice data if it is determined in the end determination that the predetermined number of pieces of voice data, each of which is determined not to satisfy the predetermined selecting condition in the determination, are continuously acquired.

6. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

the predetermined selecting condition indicates that a variable concerning a size of amplitude of the voice signal represented by the voice data having been acquired is equal to or greater than a predetermine value.

7. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

the predetermined selecting condition indicates that a predetermined lower limit number of pieces of voice data, each having a variable, concerning a size of amplitude of the voice signal, which is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, are continuously acquired.

8. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

in the first memory control, when a predetermined upper limit number of pieces of voice data, each having a variable, concerning a size of amplitude of the voice signal, which is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, are continuously acquired, the computer stores the predetermined upper limit number of pieces of voice data in the memory locations as the piece of selected voice data.

9. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

in the notification, the computer outputs a question for the player to at least either one of the display or the voice output units.

10. A game device including a voice input element, voice output units, a display, and memory locations, the game device comprising:

a processing system, including one or more computer processors configured to:

notify that a player is prompted to input a voice;

repeatedly acquire, after the notification, voice data representing a voice signal, having a predetermined time length, which is inputted to the voice input element;

determine, each time the voice data is acquired, whether or not the acquired voice data satisfies a predetermined selecting condition;

store a collection comprising a partial subset of the voice data, which is determined to satisfy the predetermined selecting condition, in the memory locations as a piece of selected voice data; and

output, when a game image showing a game character speaking is displayed on the display, a sound effect representing a voice of the game character from the voice output units by using a partial portion of a plurality of pieces of the selected voice data, wherein

the sound effect representing a voice of the game character is meaningless.

11. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

a random partial subset of the selected pieces of voice data is used to produce a sound effect for the game character.

12. A method for executing a game in a game device including a voice input element, voice output units, a display, and memory locations, the method comprising:

notifying that a player is prompted to input a voice;

repeatedly acquiring, after the notification, voice data representing a voice signal, having a predetermined time length, which is inputted to the voice input element;

determining, via one or more computer processors, each time the voice data is acquired, whether or not the acquired voice data satisfies a predetermined selecting condition;

storing a collection comprising a partial subset of the voice data, which is determined to satisfy the predetermined selecting condition, in the memory locations as a piece of selected voice data; and

outputting, when a game image showing a game character speaking is displayed on the display, a sound effect representing a voice of the game character from the voice output units by using a partial portion of a plurality of pieces of the selected voice data, wherein

the sound effect representing a voice of the game character is meaningless.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 16, 2006
From: MIZUTA, MASATO
To: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 018530/0829 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2006-165980 · Jun 15, 2006 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20070293315A1 · Dec 20, 2007