Microsoft patents La-li-lu-le-lo tech

by James Ransom-Wiley { Oct 20th 2008 at 6:28PM }

Microsoft has patented an audio censoring technology with obvious application to Xbox Live. The patent covers real-time and batch analysis of audio data streams with the ability to render "undesired" words or phrases unintelligible or inaudible. Can you imagine if this power falls into the wrong hands?

The process allegedly uses sophisticated comparisons of phonemes, the little building blocks of language. Our guess: What you thought was last year's harmless flu shot was actually a nanomachine injection, obviously. Just don't be surprised when you fire up Xbox Live a few months from now to the sound of tweens screaming: La-li-lu-le-lo!

[Via ars technica; image credit: Jeff the Trojan]

Tags: la-li-lu-le-lo, microsoft, patent, voice-chat

Related From Joystiq

Microsoft reveals usage stats for Facebook, Last.fm
2 days ago
Microsoft says it's 'well within legal rights' to ban consoles
8 days ago
Whitten: Xbox Live banning 'a cat and mouse game'
10 days ago

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

SkreeHunter @ Oct 20th 2008 6:32PM

"I've gotta get off. I've got chemistry cl-BEEP today."

Esat Dedezade @ Oct 20th 2008 6:36PM

Chemistry clitoris?

Sounds... dangerous!

SkreeHunter @ Oct 20th 2008 6:39PM

Either way, they have to censor it! ZING!

MarsGurl @ Oct 20th 2008 7:39PM

Xbox live continues to get better and its leading the way to a better online gaming experience.

eldee @ Oct 20th 2008 8:04PM

censoring never works. people will start inventing words or mispronouncing them on purpose...

this is one of the dumbest investments i've ever seen.

kellydude025 @ Oct 20th 2008 8:24PM

In the great words of T.J. from Disney's Recess:

"Man this womps."

CENSOR THAT MICROSOFT!!!!

BigD145 @ Oct 20th 2008 8:33PM

Can you say *bleep* words with a Texas accent to get around the censor? How about a German accent?

Rocketboy @ Oct 20th 2008 9:35PM

Clbuttic...

Saria the Cat @ Oct 20th 2008 10:52PM

@Kelly: Memories! :)

Zertoss @ Oct 20th 2008 11:04PM

So was it chemistry clemen?

dark_inchworm @ Oct 21st 2008 12:00AM

Fook you you piece of sheet poosays.

BananaBoat @ Oct 21st 2008 12:23AM

Good money says that this will never be implemented. Imagine the lag that would happen if EVERY word had to be screened for content. There is no way.

That said ....

Nucking Futs
Fuster Cluck
Sock Cucker
Fother Mucker
Barbara Streisand

SEE WHAT YOU MADE ME DO XBOX LIVE???!?!?!

time @ Oct 21st 2008 7:18AM

I'm thinking it may be optional. The game creator will probably be able to turn it on or off.

No idea how it will work in something like matchmaking in Halo 3 though.

Vegnagun bwf @ Oct 20th 2008 6:34PM

The La-li-lu-le-lo!

War Machine @ Oct 20th 2008 6:48PM

The patriots!!!

Just Mr ESC. @ Oct 20th 2008 7:10PM

"WHO ARE THE PATRIOTS?"

That's it MGS4 confirmed for Xbaucks.

Esat Dedezade @ Oct 20th 2008 6:35PM

**** that is pretty ******* sweet.

Joe @ Oct 20th 2008 6:37PM

I can't imagine this technology actually working as intended, but probably will result in hilarity

Envoy @ Oct 20th 2008 6:36PM

OMG This is seriously awesome! lulz

kellydude025 @ Oct 20th 2008 8:24PM

I personally find "bleeped" swear word to be funnier :]

Donald @ Oct 21st 2008 8:24AM

"Lois you are so full of HONK. What!?! I can't say HONK in my own HONKing house? HONKing great, Lois, just HONKing great. You're lucky you're good at HONKing my HONK or I'd never put up with you. You know what I'm talking about. When you HONK lubed up HONK toothpaste in my HONK and you HONK cherry HONK Episcopalian HONK extension cord HONK wetness HONK with a parking ticket? That is the best!"

Sizer @ Oct 20th 2008 6:36PM

Far more necessary: mandatory voice filter that makes screaming young teens not sound like Silent Hill air raid sirens as they whine about campers or hax or any other reason they're losing that doesn't involve their poor skills.

Second, if it detects some sort of racial or sexual smear it should substitute with 'I dig huge (racial group) boners!' Yes, I realize the hypocrisy inherent in making this comment.

Conda @ Oct 20th 2008 6:37PM

haha, war has changed

FOXHOUND @ Oct 20th 2008 11:02PM

"I'm no ****... just an old ****er hired to do some ****work."

GAME OF THE YEAR. LuLz.

cyntalan @ Oct 20th 2008 6:38PM

Wow, that's like, the first thing I thought of when I heard this. I'm reminded all too well of PSO's censorship nonsense. It was atrocious. I've yet to see a solid text censor system in a game, and they want to make the leap to censoring vocally? Talk about learning to run before you learn to crawl...

Titanium_Orchid @ Oct 20th 2008 6:38PM

I don't know how much this improvement would do, if it were to go into effect.

I imagine that a lot of people will continue to swear just to create a lot of annoying beeping sounds. Thats what I would do at least.

Nick8708 @ Oct 20th 2008 10:28PM

Well, if it worked well enough to determine what words someone was say with a high enough accuracy, they might be able to auto mute people for you based on certain criteria, set by Microsoft's TOS or perhaps user-set criteria. I think it'd be great to be able to set the console up to automute anybody who uses a racial slur, for instance, so I don't have to manually do it during a game of Halo 3 or COD4. I imagine they're also interested in utilizing it as a parental control feature. It'd probably make it a more attractive console for parents ("Xbox is the console with the most powerful parental controls around!") and I bet it'd make more of them willing to shell out for Live if they knew they wouldn't have to worry about their kids' precious ears being exposed to the "naughty words".

Tango Charlie @ Oct 20th 2008 6:39PM

I'm playing through MGS4 right now - my first MGS experience. They keep saying that. What's up with that? Seriously.

Hyams @ Oct 20th 2008 6:44PM

'La-li-lu-le-lo' is a voice censor that stops people from saying 'The Patriots' in regards to the Patriots.

But seriously, if you haven't played any of the previous MGS games, you may as well give up on the story right now. ;)

Tango Charlie @ Oct 20th 2008 6:50PM

On the one hand, it's a really good-looking game, it's pretty clever, and it's kind of fun.

On the other, I keep thinking that if I wanted to look at infographics while someone talks about things I don't understand or care about, I'd watch the weather channel while listening to C-SPAN.

Hyams @ Oct 20th 2008 6:55PM

Seriously, if you're not enjoying the story, just skip the cut-scenes. Just make sure you at least watch the ones in Act 2 (especially the one where Raiden comes in and kicks arse), and the one at the End of Act 3 (just cos it's awesome).

Personally, I enjoy (almost) all of the cut scenes, but then, I've played the previous three games, and can actually understand what's going on.

mezzanine @ Oct 20th 2008 6:57PM

I've played the whole friggin series and I never knew that. I just accepted it.

Markez @ Oct 20th 2008 6:41PM

What'd impress me more is if they could censure 'intonations'. And by that I mean girly sounding 12 year olds. I'm ashamed to admit it, but about a year ago I really lost it on some little kid who was absent mindedly signing all throughout his Halo 3 bout, 'stfu' and all that jazz.

Alright he deserved it, and those little girly boys are annoying as hell.

Premature ejaculation man @ Oct 20th 2008 6:59PM

While my name is premature ejaculation man, I'm even faster at muting little kids on xbox LIVE.

J.Goodwin @ Oct 20th 2008 7:17PM

The mighty mute. It's necessary, and I use it all the time.

Just Mr ESC. @ Oct 20th 2008 7:26PM

You know until now I realized that Halo 3 online is not a bad game, is just a extremely fragile game that breaks more easily than china plates of bad quality or a PSP lite.

Last weekend it was a blast because I didn’t have any lag, no one was cheating and people (Until round 5) weren’t aholes. It was as fun as playing Battlefield especially because I get to finally played avalanche which is a really good map.

Then I played today and I had an awful lag, people were aholes etc etc.

If you ask me kids are annoying but those 24+ old guys and the guys who tell everyone to STFU are even more annoying, seriously mute button Motherlalilulelo, Do you know it?

Markez @ Oct 20th 2008 7:33PM

I do indeed know it. I only slipped that once, I promise Mr. ESC. So yeah that once, I fell into your annoying 24+ category, but I didn't keep blabbing on and on about it.

I played Halo 3 a bit online after I'd first bought it and generally found that people weren't too bad, provided you're just talking, being a good sport, and having fun with it. But thanks for the Samuel L, reference, in that instance I was a motherlalalilieolou guy.