Method for establishing virtual interactivity between an individual and an electronic guessing game device

Abstract

A method for providing to a user a solution element from a predetermined list of solution elements involves storing a first table with solution elements, question elements, and for each pair of solution element and question element, a determining parameter indexing a level of concordance between said question element and said solution element, generating a second table, successively providing to the user a plurality of question elements from the second table, acquiring from the user an information element in response to a question element provided to the user, identifying one or a plurality of improbable solution element(s) from the second table, modifying the second table by removing the improbable solution element(s), and providing to the user a remaining solution element from the second table when no question element that enables to identify an improbable solution element from the second table remains in the second table.

1 . A method for providing to a user a solution element from a predetermined list of solution elements comprising:
 storing, in a non-volatile memory, a first table with solution elements, question elements, and for each pair of solution element and question element, a determining parameter indexing a level of concordance between said question element and said solution element;   generating, by a processing unit, a second table by extracting from the first table solution elements, question elements and the determining parameters of each pair of solution element and question element;   successively providing to the user a plurality of question elements from the second table;   acquiring, from the user, an information element in response to a question element provided to the user;   identifying one or a plurality of improbable solution element(s) from the second table by comparing the information element and the determining parameter of each pair made of the question element and any remaining solution elements of the second table,   modifying the second table by removing the improbable solution element(s), and   providing, to the user, any remaining solution elements from the second table when no question element that enables to identify an improbable solution element from the second table remains in the second table.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein acquiring the information element from the user comprises capturing one or a plurality of words pronounced by the user in response to the question element and interpreting the captured word(s) using the speech recognition module. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein interpreting the captured word(s) comprises comparing the capture word(s) to sample recordings preliminary stored in the non-volatile memory. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein providing a question element to the user comprises transcribing to the user acoustically and intelligibly said question element using vocal filed preliminary stored in the non-volatile memory. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 estimating a most discriminating question element and providing to the user the most discriminating question element, wherein the most discriminating question element enables to identify a maximal number of improbable solution elements.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein estimating the most discriminating question element comprises calculating a discrimination coefficient for each question element not provided yet to the user, based on the determining parameters of the question element associated with each of any remaining solution elements. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the determining parameters being selected from a group comprising positive values and negative values, the discrimination coefficient is calculated based on the difference of the number of determining parameters having a positive values and the number of determining parameters having a negative values, the closest to zero the discrimination coefficient is, the most discriminating the question element is. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the determining parameters being selected from a group further comprising an indefinite value, a question element not provided yet to the user can be a most discriminating question element only if at least 90% of the determining parameters of said question element associated with each of any remaining solution elements are positive values or negative values. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the information element being selected from the group comprising an approving information value, a disapproving information value, a depending information value and an unknown information value,   the determining parameters being selected from the group comprising a positive information having a low risk of error value, a positive information having an average risk of error value, an information having a high risk of error value, a negative information having an average risk of error value and a negative information having a low risk of error value, and   the solution element is identified as being improbable:
 when the determining parameter indexing the solution element to a question element provided to the user has a positive information having a low risk of error value or a negative information having a low risk of error value and if the information element acquired from the user in response to said question element has a depending information value, or 
 when the determining parameter indexing the solution element to a question element provided to the user has a negative information value and if the information element acquired from the user in response to said question element has an approving information value, or 
 when the determining parameter indexing the solution element to a question element provided to the user has a positive information value and if the information element acquired from the user in response to said question element has a disapproving information value. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each solution element has a popularity index attached to it and wherein the user is provided each remaining solution element having a highest popularity index. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 acquiring from the user a response element using the data acquisition system in response to any remaining solution element provided to the user, wherein the response element has one of an approving information value or a disapproving information value, and   ending the guessing game if the response element has an approving information value or removing said remaining solution element from the second table and providing to the user another remaining solution element if the response element has a disapproving information value.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 ending the guessing game if no remaining solution element remains in the second table.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein if no remaining solution element remains in the second table, the method further comprises:
 creating a first additional table comprising the plurality of question elements not already provided to the user, at least one solution element identified as improbable and the determining parameters indexing the level of concordance between said solution element and said question elements.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 acquiring from the user a response element using the data acquisition system in response to any remaining solution element provided to the user, wherein the response element has one of an approving information value or a disapproving information value, and   ending the guessing game if the response element has an approving information value or removing said remaining solution element from the first additional table and providing to the user another remaining solution element if the response element has a disapproving information value.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 ending the guessing game if no remaining solution element remains in the first additional table.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the information element being selected from the group comprising an approving information value, a disapproving information value, a depending information value and an unknown information value,   the determining parameters being selected from the group comprising a positive information having a low risk of error value, a positive information having an average risk of error value, an information having a high risk of error value, a negative information having an average risk of error value and a negative information having a low risk of error value, and   the first additional table comprises one or a plurality of solution element(s), a determining parameter of which has a positive or negative information having an average risk of error value in response to a question element already provided to the user and the information element acquired from the user in response to said question element has a disapproving or an approving information value, respectively.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising creating one or a plurality of subsequent additional tables. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the information element being selected from the group comprising an approving information value, a disapproving information value, a depending information value and an unknown information value,   the determining parameters being selected from the group comprising a positive information having a low risk of error value, a positive information having an average risk of error value, an information having a high risk of error value, a negative information having an average risk of error value and a negative information having a low risk of error value, and   a subsequent additional table comprises one or a plurality of solution element(s), a unique determining parameter of which has a positive or negative information having a high risk of error value in response to a question element provided to the user and the information element acquired from the user in response to said question element has a disapproving or an approving information value, respectively.   
     
     
         19 . An electronic guessing game device for providing to a user a solution element from a predetermined list of solution elements, comprising:
 a data restitution system configured for providing to the user a plurality of question elements;   a data acquisition system configured for acquiring from the user an information element in response to a provided question element;   a non-volatile memory configured for storing a first table with solution elements, question elements, and for each pair of solution element and question element, a determining parameter indexing a level of concordance between said question element and said solution element; and   a processing unit configured for:
 generating a second table in a volatile memory comprising solution elements and question elements extracted from the first table and the determining parameters of each pair of solution element and question element, and 
 modifying the second table by removing improbable solution elements from the second table, an improbable solution element being identified by comparing an information element acquired from the user in response of a question element and the determining parameter of each pair made of the question element and the remaining solution elements of the second table. 
   
     
     
         20 . The electronic guessing game device according to  claim 19 , wherein the data acquisition system comprises a microphone and a speech recognition module. 
     
     
         21 . The electronic guessing game device according to  claim 19 , wherein the data restitution system comprises a speaker and a speech generation module. 
     
     
         22 . The electronic guessing game device according to  claim 19 , wherein the second table is stored in a volatile memory of the processing unit. 
     
     
         23 . The electronic guessing game device according to  claim 19 , wherein the device is wireless and further comprises an energy source. 
     
     
         24 . A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code embodied therein for causing a processing unit to perform a method for providing to a user a solution element from a predetermined list of solution elements, by:
 storing, in a non-volatile memory, a first table with solution elements, question elements, and for each pair of solution element and question element, a determining parameter indexing a level of concordance between said question element and said solution element;   generating, by a processing unit, a second table by extracting from the first table solution elements, question elements and the determining parameters of each pair of solution element and question element;   successively providing to the user a plurality of question elements from the second table;   acquiring, from the user, an information element in response to a question element provided to the user;   identifying one or a plurality of improbable solution element(s) from the second table by comparing the information element and the determining parameter of each pair made of the question element and any remaining solution elements of the second table,   modifying the second table by removing the improbable solution element(s), and   providing, to the user, any remaining solution elements from the second table when no question element that enables to identify an improbable solution element from the second table remains in the second table.