Talking video games

Claim 1

An electronic system for simulating voice conversions between animated video characters, the system comprising: (a) means for digitally storing voice sound data representing a plurality of sentences, phrases, word segments or phonemes for two or more talking animated characters; (b) means for digitally storing a preprogrammed branching dialog between said animated characters, each branch comprising a plurality of alternative verbal expressions; (c) means for generating a video or RF signal representing images of said animated characters for display on a video screen; (d) cable means for sending to a hand-held portable game apparatus variable menus of alternatively selectable verbal expressions, each expression corresponding to a branch in said dialog; (e) cable means for receiving from said hand-held portable game apparatus a manually initiated signal representing a selected verbal expression in a menu of said verbal expressions, thereby selecting a branch in the dialog; (f) means for digitally reading from said catalog of voices voice sound data that corresponds to said selected verbal expression for the voice of one of said characters; (g) means for generating an audio signal from said voice sound data representing the voice of a character speaking said selected verbal expression; and (h) said hand-held portable game apparatus comprising: (1) two or more manually operatable push buttons; (2) a liquid crystal display positioned near said push buttons for displaying said variable menu of verbal expressions; (3) a ROM program cartridge storing a program of instructions for performing the following sequence of steps in said portable game system: a. reading said variable menu of verbal expressions from said cable; b. displaying said menu on said liquid crystal display; c. receiving from one of said push buttons a manually initiated selection signal; and d. transmitting said manually initiated selection signal on said cable; thereby selecting from said digital storing means the next branch of the branching dialog and voice sound data corresponding to the manually selected menu expression.

Claim 3

A method of electronically simulating voice conversations between an on-screen talking animated character and an offscreen talking character, 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 the on-screen character and the off-screen character, each branch comprising a plurality of alternative verbal expressions; (c) generating a video signal representing an image of said on-screen character 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 first selected verbal expression for the voice of said on-screen character; (g) generating an audio signal from said first voice sound data representing the voice of said on-screen 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 off-screen 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 next 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 off-screen character; and (k) generating an audio signal from said second voice sound data representing the voice of said off-screen character speaking said second selected verbal expression.

Claim 4

A method of electronically simulating voice conversations between an on-screen talking animated character and an offscreen talking character, 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 the on-screen character and the off-screen character, each branch comprising a plurality of alternative verbal expressions; (c) generating a video signal representing an image of said on-screen character 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 first selected verbal expression for the voice of said on-screen character; (g) generating an audio signal from said first voice sound data representing the voice of said on-screen 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 off-screen 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 next 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 off-screen character; and (k) generating an audio signal from said second voice sound data representing the voice of said off-screen character speaking said second selected verbal expression.

Claim 5

A method of electronically simulating voice conversations between at least two on-screen talking animated characters and an off-screen talking character, comprising the steps of: (a) digitally storing a catalog of distinctive voices for at least three 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 on-screen character and a second on-screen character and an off-screen character, each branch comprising a plurality of alternative verbal expressions; (c) generating a video signal representing an image of said first and second on-screen 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 first selected verbal expression for the voice of said off-screen character; (g) generating an audio signal from said first voice sound data representing the voice of said off-screen character speaking said first selected verbal expression; (h) digitally reading from said catalog of voices second voice sound data for the voice of said first on-screen character speaking the verbal expression that follows next in the selected branch of the dialog; generating an audio signal from said second voice sound data representing the voice of said first on-screen character; (j) displaying on a second hand-held controller apparatus a second set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions that follows next for said second on-screen character in the selected branch of the dialog; (k) 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 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 second on-screen character; and (m) generating an audio signal from said third voice sound data representing the voice of said second on-screen character speaking said second selected verbal expression.

Claim 6

A method of electronically simulating voice conversations between at least two on-screen talking animated characters and an off-screen talking character, comprising the steps of: (a) digitally storing a catalog of distinctive voices for at least three 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 on-screen character and a second on-screen character and an off-screen character, each branch comprising a plurality of alternative verbal expressions; (c) generating a video signal representing an image of said first and second on-screen 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 first selected verbal expression for the voice of said off-screen character; (g) generating an audio signal from said first voice sound data representing the voice of said off-screen character speaking said first selected verbal expression; (h) digitally reading from said catalog of voices second voice sound data for the voice of said first on-screen character speaking the verbal expression that follows next in the selected branch of the dialog; generating an audio signal from said second voice sound data representing the voice of said first on-screen character; (j) displaying on a second hand-held controller apparatus a second set of alternatively selectable verbal expressions that follows next for said second on-screen character in the selected branch of the dialog; (k) 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 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 second on-screen character; and (m) generating an audio signal from said third voice sound data representing the voice of said second on-screen character speaking said second selected verbal expression.

Claim 7

A method of electronically simulating voice conversations between at least two talking characters, 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 first 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) 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 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; (k) 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 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 second character; and (m) generating an audio signal from said third voice sound data representing the voice of said second character speaking said second selected verbal expression.

Claim 8

A method of electronically simulating voice conversations between at least two talking characters, 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 first 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) 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 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; (k) 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 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 second character; and (m) generating an audio signal from said third voice sound data representing the voice of said second character speaking said second selected verbal expression.