Interactive character system

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a synthetic character using a control system displays the character engaged in an activity, receiving a first input from a user, determines whether the input is relevant to the activity, if the input is relevant to the activity, and shows the character react to the input, the character being highly expressive and highly reactive. A system and method for displaying a synthetic character provides speech data, creates modified speech data by modifying at least one of the pitch or duration of at least a portion of the speech data and generates modified speech sounds associated with the character using the modified speech data.

1 - 157 . (canceled) 
     
     
         158 . A method for controlling the voice of a synthetic character, which is autonomous and interacts with others in a shared environment, comprising:
 providing speech data corresponding to an intended communication generated by the character;   creating modified speech data by modifying, by an automatically determined amount, at least one of the pitch or duration of at least a portion of the speech data;   generating speech sounds associated with the character using the modified speech data;   providing distortion limits for limiting the modification of the speech data;   computing modification parameters for modifying the speech data;   comparing the modification parameters to the distortion limits; and   modifying the modification parameters if they exceed any of the distortion limits.   
     
     
         159 . A method for controlling the voice of a synthetic character, which is autonomous and interacts with others in a shared environment, comprising:
 providing speech data corresponding to an intended communication generated by the character;   creating modified speech data by modifying, by an automatically determined amount, at least one of the pitch or duration of at least a portion of the speech data; and   generating speech sounds associated with the character using the modified speech data, wherein the modified speech data is always within pre-determined distortion limits.   
     
     
         160 . A method for controlling the voice of a synthetic character, which is autonomous and interacts with others in a shared environment, comprising:
 providing speech data corresponding to an intended communication generated by the character;   creating modified speech data by modifying, by an automatically determined amount, at least one of the pitch or duration of at least a portion of the speech data; and   generating speech sounds associated with the character using the modified speech data, wherein the character is highly expressive.   
     
     
         161 . An article of manufacture comprising one or more media or electronic memories encoded with one or more programs for controlling the voice of a synthetic character, which is autonomous and interacts with others in a shared environment, comprising:
 instructions for providing speech data corresponding to an intended communication generated by the character;   instructions for creating modified speech data by modifying, by an automatically determined amount, at least one of the pitch or duration of at least a portion of the speech data;   instructions for generating speech sounds associated with the character using the modified speech data;   instructions for providing distortion limits for limiting the modification of the speech data;   instructions for computing modification parameters for modifying the speech data;   instructions for comparing the modification parameters to the distortion limits; and   instructions for modifying the modification parameters if they exceed any of the distortion limits.   
     
     
         162 . An article of manufacture comprising one or more media or electronic memories encoded with one or more programs for controlling the voice of a synthetic character, which is autonomous and interacts with others in a shared environment, comprising:
 instructions for providing speech data corresponding to an intended communication generated by the character;   instructions for creating modified speech data by modifying, by an automatically determined amount, at least one of the pitch or duration of at least a portion of the speech data; and   instructions for generating speech sounds associated with the character using the modified speech data, wherein the modified speech data is always within pre-determined distortion limits.