Abstract:
In a hands-free and eyes-free method and apparatus for testing, questions are presented to a test taker by a recorded or computer-generated simulated voice, and the test taker provides spoken responses which are recognized by a computer using voice recognition techniques. The invention includes trivia game embodiments played for fun as well as examination embodiments for use in practice or actual exams. Preferably, the apparatus is a hand held device. In highly preferred embodiments, questions and answers are stored on user-exchangeable cartridges. Scores may be reported using a computer-generated simulated voice.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/468,913, entitled “Interactive Hands-Free Device,” filed May 8, 2003. The entirety of that provisional application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The invention relates generally to interactive devices, and more particularly to interactive game, learning and testing devices employing voice recognition.  
           [0004]    2. Discussion of the Background  
           [0005]    The testing of one&#39;s knowledge is a common occurrence in modern life. The testing is sometimes done for fun. For example, playing trivia games such as TRIVIAL PURSUIT™ and others has become a popular pastime, both in the U.S. and abroad. The testing is sometimes done for general education purposes in the classroom as a learning tool or as homework. The testing is sometimes done under more serious circumstances, such as testing in the classroom or testing for, e.g., a driver&#39;s license. In addition, it is common for one who is to take a test in the future to take one or more “practice” tests to prepare for the future test.  
           [0006]    The testing of a person&#39;s knowledge typically involves five separate tasks: 1) the communication of a question to a test taker; (2) the collection of a response to the question from the test taker; (3) the comparison of the response to a correct answer; (4) a calculation of a “score” for the test taker (which may be done for individual questions or may be an aggregate); and (5) the reporting of the score to the test taker(s).  
           [0007]    In the distant past, each of these processes were performed manually. More recently, computers have been used to automate one or more of these processes. At first, computers were used to automate steps 3 and 4 of the process. An example of this can be found in the standardized test setting (e.g., the SAT test administered to many high school students in the U.S.), where a test taker is often required to manually fill in a bubble (using, of course, a number 2 pencil) corresponding to a desired answer for each question on a test. The filled-in answer sheet is then scanned by a computer, which automatically compares each filled-in bubble to a correct answer, automatically calculates a score, and automatically prints the score for mailing to the test taker.  
           [0008]    It is becoming increasingly popular to use computers to automate the first and second steps. For example, many tests are now administered over the Internet or on local computer networks. In such tests, questions are presented on a computer screen, and a test taker presses a key or uses a mouse to indicate a correct answer. As before, the computer collects these responses, compares them to the correct answers, calculates a score, and displays the score to the user.  
           [0009]    However, methods such as those discussed above require the user to pay close attention to a computer screen and to manipulate a computer input/output device such as a mouse or keyboard. Using both hands and eyes to perform these tasks can be tedious. Moreover, there are situations (e.g., riding in a car, plane or train) in which interacting with a computer in this manner is impossible, impractical or inconvenient.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The aforementioned issues are addressed to a great extent by the present invention, which provides a hands-free and eyes-free method and apparatus for testing in which questions are presented to a test taker by a recorded or computer-generated simulated voice and in which the test taker provides spoken responses which are recognized by a computer using voice recognition techniques. The invention includes trivia game embodiments played for fun as well as general learning/education purposes and examination embodiments for use in practice or actual exams. Preferably, the apparatus is a hand held device. In highly preferred embodiments, questions and answers are stored on user-exchangeable cartridges. In some embodiments, scores are reported using a computer-generated simulated voice. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    The aforementioned advantages and features of the present invention will be more readily understood with reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a trivia game system according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIGS. 2 a  and  2   b  are front and perspective views, respectively, of a housing for the system of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIGS. 3 a - 3   c  are flowcharts of the processing performed by the system of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]    In the following detailed description, a plurality of specific details, such as types of prompts, housings, and switches, are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. The details discussed in connection with the preferred embodiments should not be understood to limit the present invention. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, certain method steps are delineated as separate steps; however, these steps should not be construed as necessarily distinct nor order dependent in their performance.  
         [0016]    The invention is believed to have particular utility for the playing of trivia games, general learning, and the taking of practice examinations, and hence will be discussed primarily in that context herein. The invention should not be understood to be so limited.  
         [0017]    As used herein, the terms “computer” and “processor” should be understood to include special purpose and general purpose processors, microprocessors, and digital signal processors, and can include a single physical device or multiple devices.  
         [0018]    As used herein, the term “spoken” should be understood to mean sounds that correspond to words, whether uttered by a human being, reproduced from a recording, or synthesized by a computer.  
         [0019]    As used herein, the terms “question” and “prompt” are used interchangeably to refer to a spoken statement that is intended to elicit a response from a user. Preferably, the question/prompt is in the form of an inquiry such as “Who was the first president of the United States?” In some embodiments, the inquiry is in a multiple choice or true/false format. In highly preferred embodiments, the question/prompt is in a multiple choice format that includes abbreviations (e.g., 1, 2, 3 . . . or a, b, c . . . ) associated with each of the choices. An example of the foregoing question in this format is as follows: “Who was the first president of the United States? a—Thomas Jefferson, b—John Adams c—George Washington, d—Benjamin Franklin.” Both “question” and “prompt” should also be understood to encompass a spoken statement to which a user is required to supply a corresponding “question.” Thus, for example, as used herein, the terms “question” and “prompt” both encompass the statement “Mets and Yankees,” to which a correct response would be “What are the names of major league baseball teams based in New York City?” 
         [0020]    A block diagram of a trivia game system  100  according to an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. The system  100  includes a processor  110 . Attached to the processor  110  is a program memory  120 . The program memory  120  stores software instructions that control the processor  110  to perform the functions discussed in further detail below. Also attached to the processor  110  is a question and answer memory  130 , which stores the questions and corresponding answers for use during a trivia game. The memory  130  may be permanently attached to the processor  110 , or, in preferred embodiments, may be disposed in a removable, user exchangeable cartridge as is common in hand-held video games such as GAMEBOY™. In preferred embodiments, the memory  130  holds digitized recordings of spoken questions to the user.  
         [0021]    The system  100  also includes a microphone  140  connected to the processor  110  via A/D converter  111 , which is shown as part of processor  110  in FIG. 1 but which may also be a separate device in other embodiments. The microphone  140  is used to sense spoken responses by a user. The digitized spoken responses from the user are converted to a logical form such as text by a voice recognition process performed by the processor  110 . The sensitivity of the microphone is controlled by a microphone sensitivity control  142 , which preferably includes a pair of momentary contact switches that increment or decrement the amplification applied to the signal output by the microphone  140 .  
         [0022]    Also connected to processor  110  via D/A converter  112  is a speaker  150 . A speaker volume control  152  connected to the processor allows the user to control the volume. In preferred embodiments, the speaker volume control  152  includes two momentary contact switches, one to increase the volume and another to decrease the volume. The processor  110  senses when the either of the switches is depressed and adjusts the output to the speaker  150  accordingly. In some embodiments, the processor  110  will interpret depression of the volume decrease button for a sufficiently long period of time as a command to power down and will transition the system  100  from an “on” state to a low power “ready” state, and will interpret depression of the volume increase switch as an “on” command and will transition the system  100  from the “ready” state to the “on” state. Prompts, which are typically in the form of spoken questions to the user, are output in digital form by the processor  110  to the D/A converter  112 , which converts them to analog form for reproduction by the speaker  150 .  
         [0023]    A “say again” button  160  connected to the processor  110  allows the user to command the processor  110  to repeat a previously asked question. The “say again” button  160  also functions as a “score” button when it is depressed during game play after an answer from any user has been accepted.  
         [0024]    The microphone  140  and speaker  150  provide the capability of completely hands-free game play. Questions are output by the speaker  150  in spoken form, and answers in spoken form are sensed by the microphone  140 . However, in some situations play in this mode may not be desirable. Thus, preferred embodiments of the invention support play in both a headset mode, which is useful in a high-noise environment such as in a car, and earphone/switch mode, which is useful in a situation such as on an airplane where speaking answers could disturb others. In headset mode, both the speaker output and microphone input are redirected to a jack  151  for connection to a headset with a corresponding earphone speaker  291  and microphone  290 . In earphone/switch mode, the speaker output is redirected toward the jacks  151  for connection to the headset earphone speaker  291 , the microphones  140  and  290  are deactivated, and the user can indicate a response to multiple choice or true/false questions using the switch array  170 . The switch array  170  is preferably a four position switch array with the switches labeled “1” through “4”. The switch array  170  may also be used during game setup to indicate certain game options as will be discussed in further detail below. The switch array  170  may comprise four separate switches or may comprise a 2×2 matrix as is well known in the art.  
         [0025]    A power source  190  is connected to processor  110 . Preferably, the power source  190  includes batteries as well as a jack (not shown in FIG. 1) that accepts a d/c power input from an a/c adaptor and/or an external battery source (e.g., an accessory plug from a car).  
         [0026]    [0026]FIGS. 2 a  and  2   b  illustrate front and perspective views, respectively of a housing  200  for the system  100  of FIG. 1. Visible on the housing  200  are the microphone  140  and its sensitivity control  142 . The speaker  150  and the speaker volume control  152  are also visible in FIG. 2. The housing  200  also includes the combination “say again”/score button  160  and the switch array  170 . The bottom of the housing  200  includes an AC adapter jack  280 . Headset/earphone jacks  151  are located on both sides of the housing  200 . Finally, the question and answer memory  130  of FIG. 1 is included in a cartridge  230 . The cartridge  230  includes a connector  232  which mates with a corresponding connector (not shown in FIG. 2) inside the housing  200 . The connector may be a proprietary design or may be a standard connector. Such connectors are well known in the art and will not be discussed in further detail herein. Moreover, in some embodiments of the invention, the cartridge  230  case and the corresponding opening on the housing  200  have a non-uniform shape with complimentary projections and recesses.  
         [0027]    A flowchart  300  illustrating the processing performed by the processor  110  according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 3 a ,  3   b  and  3   c . As discussed above, the processor remains in a low power ready state until it detects a depression of the volume increase button for a threshold period of time (or a minimum number of depressions in a time period). At that point, the processor  110  determines whether a cartridge  230  is present at step  302 . If no cartridge  230  is present, the processor prompts the user to insert a cartridge  230  (preferably by playing a recorded spoken instruction on the speaker  150 ) at step  304  and step  302  is repeated after a short delay (not shown in FIG. 3).  
         [0028]    If the processor  110  detects a cartridge at step  302 , an opening greeting is spoken to the user at step  306 . The greeting may be a generic greeting (e.g., “Welcome to TALKING TRIVIA™”) stored in the program memory  120 , or may be a recorded spoken statement and may be specific to the cartridge  230  (e.g., “Welcome to Sports Trivia”) and stored thereon. After the greeting at step  306 , the processor asks the user if he wishes to continue a previous game at step  308 . In some embodiments, the user is directed to press a “1” or “2” using the switch array  170  to indicate the desired choice. In other embodiments, the user is given the option of using the switch array  170  or speaking a response to indicate his choice. Preferably, the processor  110  acknowledges the push of a button (in this step and in other, following steps) with a tone or a voice message. If the user indicates a desire to continue a previous game at step  308 , the state of the previous game is retrieved at step  309 . The state of the previous game includes the number of players, the player whose turn it is, the playing mode (speaker/microphone, headset, or earphone/switch), the score, the time allotted to answer a question, and the number of questions that have been asked. In some embodiments, the score information is repeated to the user(s) during this step. Play then resumes at step  330  as discussed further below.  
         [0029]    If the user indicates that a new game is desired at step  308 , the user is asked whether default setting should be used at step  310 . If the user indicates that default settings are to be used at step  310 , the default settings (which are the settings used for the last game in preferred embodiments) for time allotted to answer a question, game mode, and number of players are retrieved at step  312  and the processor  110  jumps to step  320  discussed further below.  
         [0030]    If the user does not want the default settings at step  310 , the processor prompts the user to input a time in which questions must be answered and inputs the user&#39;s response at step  314 . The processor  110  next prompts the user for, and inputs, the desired game mode at step  318 . As discussed above, there are three game modes: (1) speaker/microphone, (2) headset, and (3) earphone/switch. The number of players in the game is obtained from the user at step  318 . Next, the processor plays a recorded or simulated “let&#39;s get started” message to the user via the appropriate output device (speaker  150  or jack  151 ) at step  320 .  
         [0031]    Referring now to FIG. 3 b , the processor determines whether the game is a multi-player game at step  330 . If not, the processor  110  jumps to step  334  described further below. If the game is a multi-player game, the processor  110  states the number of the player to whom the next prompt is directed at step  322 . The processor  110  then outputs the prompt to the player at step  334 .  
         [0032]    In preferred embodiments the questions are multiple choice or true/false, and the prompt includes instructions to the player to indicate his or her answer with a numeric abbreviation. This is done for two reasons. First, in speaker/microphone and headset modes, in which the user speaks a response, it minimizes the size of the vocabulary which the voice recognition software is required to recognize. Second, it allows for game play in switch mode without requiring the provision and use of an alphanumeric keypad. However, the invention should not be understood to be limited to use with numerically indicated answers.  
         [0033]    After the prompt is output at step  334 , the processor  110  pauses for a time corresponding to the time allotted for an answer as established during the set-up phase (i.e., steps  308 - 318 ) and sounds a chime (or a tone or voice message) at the end of this time period at step  336 . If a repeat has been requested at step  338 , either by pressing the combination “say again”/score button  160  or by speaking “say again,” step  334  is repeated. Next, the processor determines whether a response was received in the allotted time at step  340 . If no response was received (meaning that no depression of a numeric switch in array  170  was sensed or that the voice recognition software detected no numeric spoken response) during the allotted time at step  340 , a timeout message (which may be a spoken message or a beep) is sounded at step  342  and the processor continues at step  350  as described further below.  
         [0034]    If a response was received at step  340 , the processor  110  repeats the response that it detected at step  344  and then determines whether the response is correct at step  346  by comparing the response with the corresponding correct answer stored in the memory  130  disposed in the cartridge  230 . Depending on whether the response is correct, either a congratulatory message (e.g., a chime or a spoken congratulatory message) at step  348  or a derogatory message (e.g., a buzzer or a spoken derogatory message) at step  349  is played to the user. The processor  110  then states the correct answer at step  350 .  
         [0035]    Referring now to FIG. 3( c ), the processor  110  then pauses to give the user an opportunity to request a do-over and determines whether a do-over has been requested at step  352 . A do-over allows the user to correct a situation in which the voice recognition software has misunderstood the user&#39;s response. In preferred embodiments, a do-over can only be requested by speaking the words “do-over.” The rationale for including no provisions for requesting a do-over with a switch is that an error in entering an answer in an earphone/switch mode game is the fault of the user rather than the voice recognition software and therefore should not be excused. If a do-over has been requested, the processor  110  jumps to step  334 .  
         [0036]    If no do-over request is detected at step  352 , the user&#39;s score is updated at step  354 . Next, the processor  110  determines whether the combination “say again”/score button  160  (which acts as both a repeat button and a score button depending on when pressed as discussed above) is depressed at step  356 . If so, the processor  110  states the user&#39;s score at step  358 , preferably using a speech synthesis routine.  
         [0037]    Next, or if the “say again” button  160  was not depressed at step  356 , the processor increments the player index at step  360 . The player index is used by the processor  110  to indicate which player is to answer the next question and as an index into a memory array of scores corresponding to each player. The incremented player index is then compared to the number of players at step  362 . In preferred embodiments, the player index ranges from 0-3, which corresponds to 1-4 players. Thus, when the player equals the number of players (e.g., the player index has been incremented to four in a four player game), it has been incremented too far. If the player index is less than the number of players at step  362 , the processor  110  jumps to step  330 . Otherwise, the player index is reset at step  363 .  
         [0038]    The processor  110  then jumps to step  330  to repeat the process. This loop will continue for as long as the players desire to continue play.  
         [0039]    Certain operational details have been omitted from the flowchart  300 . For example, if no user input is detected during any two minute period, the processor  110  will interpret this as an indication that the game play has ended and will notify the user that it is shutting down with a voice message or tone, store the state of the current game, and enter the low power ready state. Similarly, if the volume decrease button is depressed for a threshold period of time, the processor  110  will similarly save the game state and enter the low power ready state.  
         [0040]    The questions may be selected from the memory  130  and presented to the user randomly (as used herein, “random” and “randomly” should be understood to include “pseudo-random” and “pseudo-randomly”) or in order. Selecting the questions randomly is appropriate for a trivia game and an examination. However, in embodiments of the invention used for general educational purposes, the questions may be presented in order. One reasons for presenting the questions in order is that the subject matter of subsequent questions and answers may build on the subject matter of previous questions and answers.  
         [0041]    In some embodiments, the question and answer memory  130  may comprise a changeable, non-volatile form of memory such as flash or EEPROM. In some of these embodiments, provisions are made to allow the downloading of new questions and answers to the memory  130 . For example, the new questions and answers may be delivered via the internet and communicated to the system using a wireless communications technology such as 802.11b or Bluetooth.  
         [0042]    In some embodiments of the invention, the user may hot-swap cartridges  230  with different subject matter. Thus, a user may start a game with a sports trivia cartridge and then change to a movie trivia cartridge and continue the game with the same score without powering the device down.  
         [0043]    Although the invention has been discussed above in the context of a hand-held trivia game, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that the game could be played on devices other than hand-held devices. Such devices include general purpose devices such as a computer as well as special purpose devices. Additionally, although the embodiment described above is a trivia game, it will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art that the device can be readily modified for other purposes, such as for practice and actual examinations and surveys. All of the foregoing should be understood to be within the scope of the invention. Obviously, numerous other modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.