Displaying a menu of commands in a video game environment
View Patent ↗In a gaming system, a user controls actions of characters in the game environment using speech commands. In a learning mode, available speech commands are displayed in a command menu on a display device. In a non-learning mode, the available speech commands are not displayed. A speaker-independent context-sensitive speech recognition module contains a vocabulary of available speech commands. Use of speech commands is combined with input from a controller device to control actions of a character or characters in the game environment.
1. A method for displaying a menu of commands in a video game environment, the method comprising:
displaying a first menu of available commands on a display device following a determination that a user has actuated a control button assigned to activating voice functionality on a controller interface for a game system;
receiving a first vocal utterance from the user at a microphone coupled to the game system, the vocal utterance including a command selected by the user from the first menu of available commands;
displaying a second menu of available commands on the display device following receipt of the first vocal utterance;
receiving a second vocal utterance from the user at the microphone, the second vocal utterance including a command selected by the user from the second menu of available commands; and
executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor:
matches the first vocal utterance with an available command in the first menu of available commands,
matches the second vocal utterance with an available command in the second menu of available commands, and
causes a character in the game environment to perform an action corresponding to the combination of the matched first vocal utterance and the matched second vocal utterance, and wherein the performed action is displayed on the display device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vocal utterance is received in conjunction with a command issued through the controller interface.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the menu of available commands is based on a current state of game play in the video game environment.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising issuing an acknowledgement of the performed action following performance of the action corresponding to the combination of the matched first vocal utterance and the matched second vocal utterance.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the menu of available commands is displayed in conjunction with a current state of the video game environment.
6. A system for displaying a menu of commands in a video game environment, the system comprising:
a microphone for receiving vocal utterances from a user;
a computing device including a processor to execute game software and a speech recognition module;
a speech recognition module stored in memory and executable by the processor to match a first vocal utterance from the user with an available command in a first menu of available commends and a second vocal utterance from the user with an available command in a second menu of available commands, the matched vocal utterances associated with an action to be performed in the video game environment; and
game software stored in memory and executable by the processor to:
cause a character to perform the action in the video game environment, the action corresponding to the combination of the matched first vocal utterance and the matched second vocal utterance, and
cause the display of a menu of available commands for selection by the user and in the video game environment.
7. The system in claim 6 , wherein the speech recognition module includes a vocabulary of commands.
8. The system in claim 6 , wherein the speech recognition module is context-sensitive.
9. The system in claim 6 , further comprising a controller interface for receiving user instructions.
10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for displaying a menu of commands in a video game environment, the method comprising:
displaying a first menu of available commands following a determination that a user has actuated a control button assigned to activating voice functionality on a controller interface for a game system;
receiving a first vocal utterance from the user, the vocal utterance including a command selected by the user from the first menu of available commands;
displaying a second menu of available commands following receipt of the first vocal utterance;
receiving a second vocal utterance from the user, the second vocal utterance including a command selected by the user from the second menu of available commands;
matching the first vocal utterance with an available command in the first menu of available commands,
matching the second vocal utterance with an available command in the second menu of available commands; and
causing a character in the game environment to perform an action corresponding to the combination of the matched first vocal utterance and the matched second vocal utterance.