# US 2014/0194201 A1 · Communication methods and apparatus for online games > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194201 A1 - Document ID: US20140194201A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/204,242 - Filed: 2014-03-11 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2006-09-29 - Assignees: Rockstar Bidco, LP - Applicants: Rockstar Bidco, LP - Inventors: Ian Domville; Henry Rawlinson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194201A1 ## CPC - G10L 19/0018: {Speech coding using phonetic or linguistical decoding of the source; Reconstruction using text-to-speech synthesis} - G10L 15/26: Speech to text systems (G10L15/08 takes precedence) - G10L 2021/0135: {Voice conversion or morphing} - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING ## Abstract By providing voice recognition in a gaming environment, an IVR server may operate to revoice a player with a voice tone pitch and accent more appropriate to the player's character. This improves the quality of the illusion of the game play. Furthermore, accurate volume may be applied to particular voices dependent on their location relative to the player and the game may be controlled using voice commands. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of communicating in an online game, comprising: receiving speech from a player of the online game; performing speech recognition on the received speech; generating a representation of the recognized speech as speech data in non-speech format; and regenerating speech from the speech data in the non-speech format for presentation to at least one other player of the online game, the regenerated speech having a predetermined speech characteristics. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the speech from the player of the online game is performed at a user device operated by the player of the online game. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein performing speech recognition on the received speech is performed at a server coupled to the user device by a communication network. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein generating a representation of the recognized speech as speech data in an non-speech format is performed at a server coupled to the user device by a communication network. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein regenerating speech from the speech data in the non-speech format for presentation to at least one other player of the online game is performed at a server coupled to the user device by a communication network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising presenting the regenerated speech to multiple other players of the online game. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising not presenting the regenerated speech to at least one other player of the online game. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein regenerating speech from the speech data in the non-speech format comprises processing the speech for presentation to a particular player of the online game based on data indicating a respective location of the particular player in the game. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein processing the speech for presentation to a particular player of the online game based on data indicating a respective location of the particular player in the game comprises adjusting at least one of: volume of the speech for presentation to the particular player; reverberation of the speech for presentation to the particular player; and echo of the speech for presentation to the particular player. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein performing speech recognition on the received speech comprises performing speech recognition on the received speech using a speech recognition process which is specific to the player of the online game from whom the speech is received. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, comprising training the speech recognition process which is specific to the player of the online game from whom the speech is received based on speech received from the player of the online game during a training process. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising: performing speech recognition on speech received from each of a plurality of players of the online game to provide a respective recognized speech stream from each respective player; generating a respective representation of each respective recognized speech stream as a respective stream of speech data in non-speech format; and regenerating a respective speech stream from each respective stream of speech data in the non-speech format; mixing a respective selection of the regenerated speech streams for presentation to each respective player of the game. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein performing speech recognition on speech received from each of the plurality of players of the online game comprises performing speech recognition on the speech received from each respective player using a respective speech recognition process which is specific to the respective player of the online game from whom the speech is received. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, comprising training each respective speech recognition process based on respective speech received from each respective player during a respective training process. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising selecting at least some of the predetermined speech characteristics based on at least one input received from the player of the online game. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein selecting at least some of the predetermined speech characteristics based on input received from the player of the online game comprises selecting at least some of the predetermined speech characteristics based on at least one input received from the player of the online game during setup of the online game. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein selecting at least some of the predetermined speech characteristics based on input received from the player of the online game comprises selecting at least some of the predetermined speech characteristics based on at least one input received from the player of the online game during play of the online game. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising processing the recognized speech to block at least one predetermined word. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising processing the recognized speech to replace at least one predetermined word with another predetermined word. ### Claim 20 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, comprising controlling at least one aspect of the online game based on at least some of the speech data in the non-speech format. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the non-speech format is a text format. ### Claim 22 A method of controlling an online game, comprising: receiving speech from a player of the online game; performing speech recognition on the received speech; generating a representation of the recognized speech as speech data in an internal format; and controlling at least one aspect of the online game based on at least some of the speech data in the internal format. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein receiving the speech from the player of the online game is performed at a user device operated by the player of the online game. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein performing speech recognition on the received speech is performed at a server coupled to the user device by a communication network. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein generating a representation of the recognized speech as speech data in an non-speech format is performed at a server coupled to the user device by a communication network. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein regenerating speech from the speech data in the non-speech format for presentation to at least one other player of the online game is performed at a server coupled to the user device by a communication network. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein performing speech recognition on the received speech comprises performing speech recognition on the received speech using a speech recognition process which is specific to the player of the online game from whom the speech is received. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, comprising training the speech recognition process which is specific to the player of the online game from whom the speech is received based on speech received from the player of the online game during a training process.