Interactive audio puzzle solving, game playing, and learning tutorial system and method

Abstract

An interactive audio puzzle solving, game playing, and learning tutorial system includes a microphone for receiving speech from a user. An electronic subsystem includes an analog-to-digital converter for converting the speech to digital signals, a speech recognition engine responsive to the analog-to-digital converter for translating the digital signals into user input data, a memory for storing the user input data, rules associated with a type of puzzle, game and/or learning tutorial, and initial data associated with a specific puzzle, game and/or learning tutorial, a logic engine for generating a decision output based on the user input data, and/or the rules and/or the initial data, a speech generation engine responsive to the decision output for providing digital speech representing the decision output, and a digital-to-analog converter for converting the digital speech to analog signals. An audio output device responsive to the analog signals converts the analog signals to output auditory speech, and wherein the speech from the user and the output auditory speech establish an interactive auditory dialogue for solving a puzzle, playing a game and/or learning from a tutorial.

1 . An interactive audio puzzle solving, game playing, and learning tutorial system comprising: 
 a microphone for receiving speech from a user;    a electronic subsystem including: 
 an analog-to-digital converter for converting the speech to digital signals;  
 a speech recognition engine responsive to the analog-to-digital converter for translating the digital signals into user input data;  
 a memory for storing the user input data, rules associated with a type of puzzle, game and/or learning tutorial, and initial data associated with a specific puzzle, game and/or learning tutorial;  
 a logic engine for generating a decision output based on the user input data, and/or the rules and/or the initial data,  
 a speech generation engine responsive to the decision output for providing digital speech representing the decision output, and  
 a digital-to-analog converter for converting the digital speech to analog signals;  
   an audio output device responsive to the analog signals for converting the analog signals to output auditory speech; and    wherein the speech from the user and the output auditory speech establish an interactive auditory dialogue for solving a puzzle, playing a game and/or learning from a tutorial.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  in which the puzzle is a puzzle chosen from the group consisting of: a crossword puzzle, an anagram, a number block, and hangman.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  in which the game is a game chosen from the group consisting of: Blackjack, Ghost, spelling bee, WORD POKER™, trivia quizzes and sports simulations.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  in which the learning tutorial includes a tutorial chosen from the group consisting of: a vocabulary drill, a multiple choice exam preparation tutorial, a foreign language instructional tutorial, audible manuals, and audible instruction manuals.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  in which the logic engine generates decision output that includes one or more clues associated with the puzzle, the game and/or the learning tutorial.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  in which the logic engine generates decision output that includes one or more clues and the number of characters associated with a correct answer of one of the words of the puzzle.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  in which the logic engine generates decision output that includes one or more hints associated with the one or more clues.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5  in which the speech provided by the user indicates an answer to the one or more clues and the logic engine provides decision output indicating the answer is correct  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 5  in which the speech provided by the user indicates an answer to the one or more clues and the logic engine provides decision output indicating the answer is incorrect.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  in which the logic engine generates decision output indicating the user should attempt to answer the clue again.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8  in which the logic engine generates decision output that enters the characters of the correct answer into a corresponding location in a grid of a crossword puzzle.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  in which the logic engine generates the one or more clues by locating the word in the crossword grid with the smallest number of blank spaces and the highest percentage of filled-in letters.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 5  in which the speech provided by the user indicates a request for one or more hints associated with a clue and the logic engine generates decision output including one or more hints associated with the clue.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  in which the logic engine generates decision output including one or more clues and the number of characters associated with the clue and filled-in characters stored from previous answers.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  in which the microphone is coupled to the electronic subsystem by an electrical connection.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1  in which the microphone is coupled to the electronic subsystem by a wireless connection.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1  in which the speech provided by the user includes spoken words.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1  in which the speech provided by the user includes spoken letters.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1  further including a database for storing a plurality of rules and initial data associated with a plurality of puzzles, games, and learning tutorials.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  in which the rules for a desired type of puzzle, game, or learning tutorial and the initial data for a specific puzzle, game, or learning tutorial are loaded into the memory by a connection to a website associated with the database on the World Wide Web.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19  in which the database is stored on a storage medium.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21  in which the storage medium includes a storage device chosen from the group consisting of: a floppy diskette, a compact disc, a CD-ROM, a DVD, and a flash memory device.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22  in which the rules for a desired type of puzzle, game, or learning tutorial and the initial data for a specific puzzle, game, or learning tutorial are loaded into the memory from the storage medium.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23  further including an intermediate device for reading the storage medium.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24  further including a computer system coupled to the intermediate device.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25  in which the computer system is connected to the website associated with the database and the rules for a desired type of puzzle, game, or learning tutorial and the initial data for a specific puzzle, game, or learning tutorial are stored on the storage medium and/or a memory of the computer system loaded from the database.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 27  in which the rules for a desired type of puzzle, game, or learning tutorial and the initial data for a specific puzzle, game, or learning tutorial are loaded into the memory of the electronic subsystem from the storage medium and/or the memory of the computer system.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 19  in which the microphone, the electronic subsystem and the audio output device are integrated with a playback device.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28  in which the playback device includes a device chosen from the group consisting of: a cell phone, a PDA, an MP3 player, a personal computer, and portable game player.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29  in which the rules for a desired type of puzzle, game, or learning tutorial and the initial data for a specific puzzle, game, or learning tutorial are loaded into a memory of the playback device.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 1  in which the electronic subsystem is integrated with an automobile controller and the microphone and the audio output device are integrated with an automobile.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 1  in which the speech generation engine generates the digital speech from pre-recorded spoken and digitized speech.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 1  in which the speech generation includes a text-to-speech engine for converting a text stream to the digital speech.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 1  in which the audio output device includes an earphone.  
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 1  in which the audio output device includes a loudspeaker.  
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 34  in which the microphone and the earphone are integrated with a headset.  
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 5  in which the speech provided by the user indicates a desire to save the puzzle, game or learning tutorial and the logic engine generates decision output to save the puzzle, game or learning tutorial.  
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37  in which the logic engine generates decision output to exit the puzzle, game or learning tutorial.  
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 37  in which the logic engine generates decision output to continue using the puzzle, game or learning tutorial.  
     
     
         40 . An interactive audio puzzle solving, game playing, and learning tutorial system comprising: 
 a microphone for receiving speech from a user;    a electronic subsystem for converting the speech into user input data;    a memory for storing the user input data, rules associated with a type of puzzle, game and/or learning tutorial, and initial data associated with a specific puzzle, game and/or learning tutorial;    a logic engine for generating a decision output based on the user input data, and/or the rules and/or the initial data and the electronic subsystem converts the decision output to digital speech;    an audio output device responsive to analog signals representing the digital speech for generating output auditory speech; and    wherein the speech from the user and the output auditory speech establish an interactive auditory dialogue for solving a puzzle, playing a game and/or learning from a tutorial.    
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 40  in which the electronic subsystem includes an analog-to-digital converter for converting the speech to digital signals, a speech recognition engine responsive to the analog-to-digital converter for translating the digital signals into the user input data, a speech generation engine responsive to the decision output for providing digital speech representing the decision output, and a digital-to-analog converter for converting the analog signals representing the digital speech to the output auditory speech.  
     
     
         42 . A method for interactively and audibly solving a puzzle, playing a game, or using a learning tutorial comprising: 
 receiving speech from a user;    converting the speech into digital signals;    converting the digital signals into user input data;    storing the user input data, rules associated with a type of puzzle, a game, and/or a learning tutorial, and initial data associated with a specific puzzle, game and/or learning tutorial;    generating a decision output based on user input data and/or the rules and/or the initial data;    providing digital speech representing the decision output;    converting the digital speech into analog signals;    playing the digital speech with a loudspeaker as auditory output speech; and    wherein the speech from the user and the output auditory speech establishes an interactive auditory dialogue between the user and the system for solving a puzzle, playing a game, and/or using a learning tutorial.