Interactive voice communications network entertainment

Abstract

A method for operating a telephone entertainment program, the method including a) receiving a voice communication from at least one caller, b) selecting audio output in accordance with an audio entertainment program, c) presenting the audio output to the caller, d) prompting the caller for input at a plot point of the audio entertainment program, e) receiving the input from the caller, f) selecting audio output at least partly in accordance with the audio entertainment program and the input, and g) presenting to the caller the audio output selected in step f).

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for operating a telephone entertainment program, the method comprising: 
 a) receiving a voice communication from at least one caller;    b) selecting audio output in accordance with an audio entertainment program;    c) presenting said audio output to said caller;    d) prompting said caller for input at a plot point of said audio entertainment program;    e) receiving said input from said caller;    f) selecting audio output at least partly in accordance with said audio entertainment program and said input; and    g) presenting to said caller said audio output selected in step f).    
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  and further comprising performing steps d) through g) a plurality of times for a plurality of plot points of said audio entertainment program.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein said selecting step f) comprises: 
 applying decision logic to said input, thereby determining a state of said audio entertainment program; and  
 selecting said audio output at least in part according to a predetermined association with said state.  
 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein any of said receiving steps comprises receiving audio input.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein any of said receiving steps comprises receiving text-based input.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein any of said selecting and presenting steps comprises selecting and presenting text-based input.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1  and further comprising maintaining a history of said caller inputs, and wherein said selecting step f) comprises selecting at least in part in accordance with said history.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1  and further comprising operating a plurality of virtual performers, and wherein any of said selecting steps comprises any of said virtual performers determining a state of said audio entertainment program and selecting at least part of said audio output according to a predetermined association with said state.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1  and further comprising operating a game simulation engine operative to: 
 apply decision logic to said input, thereby determining a state of said audio entertainment program; and  
 select said audio output at least in part according to a predetermined association with said state.  
 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 9  wherein said operating step comprises applying said decision logic in accordance with a rule structure of a game.  
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 9  wherein said operating step comprises applying said decision logic in accordance with a predetermined outcome probability.  
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 1  and further comprising: 
 conducting said audio entertainment program for each of a plurality of callers;  
 recording a history of the interaction of each of said callers with said audio entertainment program; and  
 providing access to said histories to any of said callers.  
 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12  and further comprising ranking said callers according to a characteristic of said caller's interaction with said audio entertainment program.  
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein any of said steps are performed for a plurality of callers within the context of said audio entertainment program.  
     
     
         15 . A method of constructing phrases from pre-recorded variants of speech elements, the method comprising: 
 a) selecting a pre-recorded variant of a first speech element from a group of pre-recorded variants of said first speech element;    b) selecting a pre-recorded variant of a second speech element from a group of pre-recorded variants of said second speech element; and    c) constructing a phrase from said selected variants.    
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein said selecting step b) comprises selecting where said second speech element associatively follows said first speech element.  
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein any of said selecting steps comprises selecting any of said variants at least in part according to a predetermined association with a relationship between a virtual performer and a caller.  
     
     
         18 . A virtual theater architecture comprising: 
 virtual performer means operative to play the role of a specific character in a telephone show;    stage manager means operative to interpret a flow script of said telephone show and send messages to said virtual performer means, each of said messages being a directive of said flow script; and    stage means operative to maintain state information of said telephone show and receive behavior exhibited by said virtual performer means responsive to receipt of any of said messages.    
     
     
         19 . A virtual theater architecture according to  claim 18  and further comprising: 
 a set of behavior rules; and  
 a behavior history,  
 and wherein said virtual performer means is operative to determines its own behavior by applying said behavior rules to any of said state information, said incoming messages, and said behavior history.  
 
     
     
         20 . A telephone entertainment system comprising: 
 a telephony interface operative to interface with a caller;    speech/voice processing means operative to interface with said telephony interface receive input from said caller;    presentation means operative to interface with said speech/voice processing means and prepare output at least partly based on said input; and    a game engine operative to interface with said presentation means and operate at least one virtual performer in accordance with a flow script, thereby providing an output directive to said presentation means for use in preparing said output.    
     
     
         21 . A telephone entertainment system comprising: 
 a telephony interface operative to interface with a caller;    speech/voice processing means operative to interface with said telephony interface and including: 
 a speech processor operative to perform automatic speech recognition on speech input received from said caller;  
 a template module for facilitating input and output via templates;  
 an audio playout module for producing audio output to said caller;  
   presentation means operative to interface with said speech/voice processing means and including: 
 means for preparing flow script bubbles for output via said audio playout module;  
 means for maintaining call state information;  
 means for populating pre-defined templates with links to audio content in predetermined association with said bubbles and said call state;  
   a game engine operative to interface with said presentation means and including: 
 means for processing a flow script;  
 means for operating software agents representing virtual performers in accordance with said flow script; and  
   data storage means accessible to said game engine for storing and retrieving any of game variables, user profile information, statistics, language models and behavior information in association with the processing of said flow script.    
     
     
         22 . A method of processing user input into an interactive telephony application architecture, the method comprising: 
 submitting a request to a controller, said request representing interpreted input from a user;    said controller: 
 retrieving information from a presentation layer relevant to said input and popping a session context from a presentation layer stack;  
 retrieving a list of post-tasks of a previous action and performing said post-tasks;  
 pushing a new session context onto said presentation layer stack;  
 retrieving a list of pre-tasks;  
 performing said pre-tasks; and  
 rendering output via a scripted template subsequent to performing any of said tasks.  
   
     
     
         23 . A flow script for an audio entertainment program, the flow script comprising: 
 a plurality of plot points;    a plurality of transitions between said plot points;    a plurality of rules for determining movement between said plot points and said transitions; and    a plurality of output directives associated with any of said plot points and said transitions.    
     
     
         24 . A flow script according to  claim 23  and further comprising a plurality of messages for delegating to a plurality of virtual performers responsibility for determining actual output based on any of said output directives.  
     
     
         25 . A flow script according to  claim 23  and further comprising a plurality of rules for determining movement between said plot points and said transitions based on caller input.  
     
     
         26 . A flow script according to  claim 25  and further comprising a grammar for interpreting said caller input.  
     
     
         27 . A telephone entertainment system comprising: 
 a) means for receiving a voice communication from at least one caller;    b) means for selecting audio output in accordance with an audio entertainment program;    c) means for presenting said audio output to said caller;    d) means for prompting said caller for input at a plot point of said audio entertainment program;    e) means for receiving said input from said caller;    f) means for selecting audio output at least partly in accordance with said audio entertainment program and said input; and    g) means for presenting to said caller said audio output selected in step f).    
     
     
         28 . A system according to  claim 27  wherein said means for selecting f) comprises: 
 means for applying decision logic to said input, thereby determining a state of said audio entertainment program; and  
 means for selecting said audio output at least in part according to a predetermined association with said state.  
 
     
     
         29 . A system according to  claim 27  wherein any of said means for receiving are operative to receive audio input.  
     
     
         30 . A system according to  claim 27  wherein any of said means for receiving are operative to receive text-based input.  
     
     
         31 . A system according to  claim 27  wherein any of said means for selecting and presenting are operative to select and present text-based input.  
     
     
         32 . A system according to  claim 27  and further comprising means for maintaining a history of said caller inputs, and wherein said means for selecting f) is operative to select at least in part in accordance with said history.  
     
     
         33 . A system according to  claim 27  and further comprising a plurality of virtual performers operative to determine a state of said audio entertainment program and select at least part of said audio output according to a predetermined association with said state.  
     
     
         34 . A system according to  claim 27  and further comprising a game simulation engine operative to: 
 apply decision logic to said input, thereby determining a state of said audio entertainment program; and  
 select said audio output at least in part according to a predetermined association with said state.  
 
     
     
         35 . A system according to  claim 34  wherein said game engine is operative to apply said decision logic in accordance with a rule structure of a game.  
     
     
         36 . A system according to  claim 34  wherein said game engine is operative to apply said decision logic in accordance with a predetermined outcome probability.  
     
     
         37 . A system according to  claim 27  and further comprising: 
 means for conducting said audio entertainment program for each of a plurality of callers;  
 means for recording a history of the interaction of each of said callers with said audio entertainment program; and  
 means for providing access to said histories to any of said callers.  
 
     
     
         38 . A system according to  claim 37  and further comprising means for ranking said callers according to a characteristic of said caller's interaction with said audio entertainment program.  
     
     
         39 . A system according to  claim 27  wherein any of said means are operative for a plurality of callers within the context of said audio entertainment program.  
     
     
         40 . A phrase construction architecture comprising: 
 a first group of pre-recorded variants of speech elements; and    a second group of pre-recorded variants of speech elements, wherein said second group associatively follows said first group.    
     
     
         41 . A virtual theater method comprising: 
 operating at least one virtual performer operative to play the role of a specific character in a telephone show;    interpreting a flow script of said telephone show and send messages to said virtual performers, each of said messages being a directive of said flow script; and    maintaining state information of said telephone show responsive to behavior exhibited by said virtual performers responsive to receipt of any of said messages.    
     
     
         42 . A method according to  claim 41  wherein said operating step comprises applying behavior rules of said virtual performer to any of said state information, said incoming messages, and a behavior history for said virtual performer.