Talking video games with vocal conflict

Claim 1

A method of electronically simulating voice conversations between at least two talking animated characters, the words of one character being selected by a human player, comprising the steps of: (a) digitally storing a catalog of distinctive voices for at least two talking characters, each in the form of voice sound data representing a plurality of sentences, phrases, word segments or phonemes; (b) digitally storing a preprogrammed branching dialog between a first animated character and a second animated character, each branch comprising a plurality of alternative verbal expressions; (c) generating a video signal representing an image of said first and second characters for display on a video screen; (d) displaying on a hand-held controller apparatus a first set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions, each corresponding to a branch in said dialog; (e) receiving from said hand-held controller a manually initiated signal representing a selected verbal expression in said first set of verbal expressions, thereby selecting a branch in the dialog; (f) digitally reading from said catalog of voices first voice sound data that corresponds to said selected verbal expression for the voice of said first character; (g) generating an audio signal from said first voice sound data representing the voice of said first character speaking said selected verbal expression; (h) digitally reading from said catalog of voices second voice sound data for the voice of said second character speaking the verbal expression that follows next in the selected branch of the dialog; (i) generating an audio signal from said second voice sound data representing the voice of said second character; (j) displaying on said hand-held controller apparatus a second set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions that follows next for said first character in the selected branch of the dialog; (k) receiving from said hand-held controller a manually initiated signal representing a second selected verbal expression in said second set of verbal expressions, thereby selecting a next branch in the dialog; (l) digitally reading from said catalog of voices third voice sound data that corresponds to said second selected verbal expression for the voice of said first character expressing words that conflict with the words of said second voice sound data; and (m) generating an audio signal from said third voice sound data representing the voice of said first character speaking said second selected verbal expression.

Claim 2

A method of electronically simulating voice conversations between at least two talking animated characters, the words of one character being selected by a human player, comprising the steps of: (a) digitally storing a catalog of distinctive voices for at least two talking characters, each in the form of voice sound data representing a plurality of sentences, phrases, word segments or phonemes; (b) digitally storing a preprogrammed branching dialog between a first animated character and a second animated character, each branch comprising a plurality of alternative verbal expressions; (c) generating a video signal representing an image of said first and second characters for display on a video screen; (d) displaying on a hand-held controller apparatus a first set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions, each corresponding to a branch in said dialog; (e) receiving from said hand-held controller a manually initiated signal representing a selected verbal expression in said first set of verbal expressions, thereby selecting a branch in the dialog; (f) digitally reading from said catalog of voices first voice sound data that corresponds to said selected verbal expression for the voice of said first character; (g) generating an audio signal from said first voice sound data representing the voice of said first character speaking said selected verbal expression; (h) digitally reading from said catalog of voices second voice sound data for the voice of said second character speaking the verbal expression that follows next in the selected branch of the dialog; (i) generating an audio signal from said second voice sound data representing the voice of said second character; (j) displaying on said hand-held controller apparatus a second set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions that follows next for said first character in the selected branch of the dialog; (k) receiving from said hand-held controller a manually initiated signal representing a second selected verbal expression in said second set of verbal expressions, thereby selecting a next branch in the dialog; (l) digitally reading from said catalog of voices third voice sound data that corresponds to said second selected verbal expression for the voice of said first character expressing words that conflict with the words of said second voice sound data; and (m) generating an audio signal from said third voice sound data representing the voice of said first character speaking said second selected verbal expression.

Claim 5

A method of electronically simulating voice conversations between at least two talking animated characters, the words of one character being selected by a human player, comprising the steps of: (a) digitally storing a catalog of distinctive voices for at least two talking characters, each in the form of voice sound data representing a plurality of sentences, phrases, word segments or phonemes; (b) digitally storing a preprogrammed branching dialog between a first animated character and a second animated character, each branch comprising a plurality of alternative verbal expressions; (c) generating a video signal representing an image of said first and second characters for display on a video screen; (d) displaying on a hand-held controller apparatus a first set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions, each corresponding to a branch in said dialog; (e) receiving from said hand-held controller a manually initiated signal representing a selected verbal expression in said first set of verbal expressions, thereby selecting a branch in the dialog; (f) digitally reading from said catalog of voices first voice sound data that corresponds to said selected verbal expression for the voice of said first character; (g) generating an audio signal from said first voice sound data representing the voice of said first character speaking said selected verbal expression; (h) changing said video signal to indicate that the first character is speaking to the second character; (i) digitally reading from said catalog of voices second voice sound data for the voice of said second character speaking the verbal expression that follows next in the selected branch of the dialog; (j) generating an audio signal from said second voice sound data representing the voice of said second character; (k) changing said video signal to indicate that the second character is speaking to the first character; (l) displaying on said hand-held controller apparatus a second set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions that follows next for said first character in the selected branch of the dialog; (m) receiving from said hand-held controller a manually initiated signal representing a second selected verbal expression in said second set of verbal expressions, thereby selecting a next branch in the dialog; (n) digitally reading from said catalog of voices third voice sound data that corresponds to said second selected verbal expression for the voice of said first character expressing words that conflict with the words of said second voice sound data; and (o) generating an audio signal from said third voice sound data representing the voice of said first character speaking said second selected verbal expression.

Claim 6

A method of electronically simulating voice conversations between at least two talking animated characters, the words of one character being selected by a human player, comprising the steps of: (a) digitally storing a catalog of distinctive voices for at least two talking characters, each in the form of voice sound data representing a plurality of sentences, phrases, word segments or phonemes; (b) digitally storing a preprogrammed branching dialog between a first animated character and a second animated character, each branch comprising a plurality of alternative verbal expressions; (c) generating a video signal representing an image of said first and second characters for display on a video screen; (d) displaying on a hand-held controller apparatus a first set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions, each corresponding to a branch in said dialog; (e) receiving from said hand-held controller a manually initiated signal representing a selected verbal expression in said first set of verbal expressions, thereby selecting a branch in the dialog; (f) digitally reading from said catalog of voices first voice sound data that corresponds to said selected verbal expression for the voice of said first character; (g) generating an audio signal from said first voice sound data representing the voice of said first character speaking said selected verbal expression; (h) changing said video signal to indicate that the first character is speaking to the second character; (i) digitally reading from said catalog of voices second voice sound data for the voice of said second character speaking the verbal expression that follows next in the selected branch of the dialog; (j) generating an audio signal from said second voice sound data representing the voice of said second character; (k) changing said video signal to indicate that the second character is speaking to the first character; (l) displaying on said hand-held controller apparatus a second set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions that follows next for said first character in the selected branch of the dialog; (m) receiving from said hand-held controller a manually initiated signal representing a second selected verbal expression in said second set of verbal expressions, thereby selecting a next branch in the dialog; (n) digitally reading from said catalog of voices third voice sound data that corresponds to said second selected verbal expression for the voice of said first character expressing words that conflict with the words of said second voice sound data; and (o) generating an audio signal from said third voice sound data representing the voice of said first character speaking said second selected verbal expression.

Claim 9

A method of electronically simulating voice conversations between at least two talking animated characters, the words of the characters being selected by two corresponding human players, comprising the steps of: (a) digitally storing a catalog of distinctive voices for at least two talking characters, each in the form of voice sound data representing a plurality of sentences, phrases, word segments or phonemes; (b) digitally storing a preprogrammed branching dialog between a first animated character and a second animated character, each branch comprising a plurality of alternative verbal expressions; (c) generating a video signal representing an image of said first and second characters for display on a video screen; (d) displaying on a first hand-held controller apparatus a first set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions, each corresponding to a branch in said dialog; (e) receiving from said first hand-held controller a manually initiated signal representing a first selected verbal expression in said first set of verbal expressions, thereby selecting a branch in the dialog; (f) digitally reading from said catalog of voices first voice sound data that corresponds to said selected verbal expression for the voice of said first character; (g) generating an audio signal from said first voice sound data representing the voice of said first character speaking said first selected verbal expression; (h) displaying on a second hand-held controller apparatus a second set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions that follows next for said second character in the selected branch of the dialog; (i) receiving from said second hand-held controller a manually initiated signal representing a second selected verbal expression in said second set of verbal expressions, thereby selecting a second branch in the dialog; (j) digitally reading from said catalog of voices second voice sound data that corresponds to said second selected verbal expression for the voice of said second character; (k) generating an audio signal from said second voice sound data representing the voice of said second character speaking said second selected verbal expression; (l) displaying on said first hand-held controller apparatus a third set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions that follows next for said first character in the second branch of the dialog; (m) receiving from said first hand-held controller a manually initiated signal representing a third selected verbal expression in said third set of verbal expressions, thereby selecting a third branch in the dialog; (n) digitally reading from said catalog of voices third voice sound data that corresponds to said third selected verbal expression for the voice of said first character expressing words that conflict with the words of said second voice sound data; and (o) generating an audio signal from said third voice sound data representing the voice of said third character speaking said third selected verbal expression.

Claim 10

A method of electronically simulating voice conversations between at least two talking animated characters, the words of the characters being selected by two corresponding human players, comprising the steps of: (a) digitally storing a catalog of distinctive voices for at least two talking characters, each in the form of voice sound data representing a plurality of sentences, phrases, word segments or phonemes; (b) digitally storing a preprogrammed branching dialog between a first animated character and a second animated character, each branch comprising a plurality of alternative verbal expressions; (c) generating a video signal representing an image of said first and second characters for display on a video screen; (d) displaying on a first hand-held controller apparatus a first set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions, each corresponding to a branch in said dialog; (e) receiving from said first hand-held controller a manually initiated signal representing a first selected verbal expression in said first set of verbal expressions, thereby selecting a branch in the dialog; (f) digitally reading from said catalog of voices first voice sound data that corresponds to said selected verbal expression for the voice of said first character; (g) generating an audio signal from said first voice sound data representing the voice of said first character speaking said first selected verbal expression; (h) displaying on a second hand-held controller apparatus a second set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions that follows next for said second character in the selected branch of the dialog; (i) receiving from said second hand-held controller a manually initiated signal representing a second selected verbal expression in said second set of verbal expressions, thereby selecting a second branch in the dialog; (j) digitally reading from said catalog of voices second voice sound data that corresponds to said second selected verbal expression for the voice of said second character; (k) generating an audio signal from said second voice sound data representing the voice of said second character speaking said second selected verbal expression; (l) displaying on said first hand-held controller apparatus a third set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions that follows next for said first character in the second branch of the dialog; (m) receiving from said first hand-held controller a manually initiated signal representing a third selected verbal expression in said third set of verbal expressions, thereby selecting a third branch in the dialog; (n) digitally reading from said catalog of voices third voice sound data that corresponds to said third selected verbal expression for the voice of said first character expressing words that conflict with the words of said second voice sound data; and (o) generating an audio signal from said third voice sound data representing the voice of said third character speaking said third selected verbal expression.