Abstract: A method of disambiguating a target window for a user input in a multi-window computing environment can include receiving a user input event in a multi-window computing environment rendered in a display by a processor of a computer. The method further can include determining whether a focus change had occurred from a previously focused application window to a currently focused application window within a threshold period of time. Finally a prompt can be rendered to disambiguate an intended target application window amongst the currently focused application window and the previously focused application window if a focus change had occurred within a threshold period of time and the user input event can be routed to a selected target application window amongst the currently focused application window and the previously focused application window. Otherwise the received user input event can be routed to the currently focused application window without first rendering the prompt.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for a voice-enabled computing environment. The method includes a step of receiving a series of voice commands related to an abstraction, wherein the voice command specifies an abstraction type. The method further includes responding to the voice command to replay the commands, executing at least one programmatic action related to the abstraction, where the programmatic action is executed demonstrating characteristics specific to the abstraction type associated with the voice command. The present method applies, but is not limited to, the execution of collections of commands that may have diverging timing characteristics.

Abstract: A method for creating and editing an XML-based speech synthesis document for input to a text-to-speech engine is provided. The method includes recording voice utterances of a user reading a pre-selected text and parsing the recorded voice utterances into individual words and periods of silence. The method also includes recording a synthesized speech output generated by a text-to-speech engine, the synthesized speech output being an audible rendering of the pre-selected text, and parsing the synthesized speech output into individual words and periods of silence. The method further includes annotating the XML-based speech synthesis document based upon a comparison of the recorded voice utterances and the recorded synthesized speech output.

Abstract: Interpreted code modules configured to be executed within a virtual machine can be identified. Each of the interpreted code modules can be configured to interact with a native module such that dependency information for the native module can be programmatically utilized by each of the interpreted code modules. An abstraction module for the virtual machine written in the interpreted language can be established. The abstraction module can be configured to load an instance of the native module, wherein upon loading the instance of the native module the abstraction module is exposed to the dependency information associated with the instance of the native module. Each of the interpreted code modules can be configured to interact with the native mode module through the abstraction module. The abstraction module is configured to provide the dependency information associated with the instance of the native module to each of the interpreted code modules.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a network accessible software application that includes an interface permitting a set of profile providers to input personal biographical information, which includes job history information and education information. The application can also include an interface enabling a set of commentators to view biographical information provided by the set of profile providers and to add input regarding this information. Software of the application can establish/calculate at least one verification score against the personal biographical information based at least in part upon the added input from the set of commentators. Further software can convey the personal information along with the verification score to a set of profile consumers. At least a portion of the commentators can have a social networking connection to the profile providers for whom the added input is provided.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a solution for customizing synthetic voice characteristics in a user specific fashion. The solution can establish a communication between a user and a voice response system. A data store can be searched for a speech profile associated with the user. When a speech profile is found, a set of speech output characteristics established for the user from the profile can be determined. Parameters and settings of a text-to-speech engine can be adjusted in accordance with the determined set of speech output characteristics. During the established communication, synthetic speech can be generated using the adjusted text-to-speech engine. Thus, each detected user can hear a synthetic speech generated by a different voice specifically selected for that user. When no user profile is detected, a default voice or a voice based upon a user's speech or communication details can be used.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a text-to-speech system that provides output variability. The system can include a finite state grammar, a variability engine and a text-to-speech engine. The finite state grammar can contain a phrase role consisting of one or more phrase elements. The phrase rule can deterministically generate a variable text phrase based upon at least one random number. The phrase rule can include a definition for each of the phrase elements. Each definition can be associated with at least one defined text string. The variability engine can construct a random text phrase responsive to receiving an action command, wherein said finite state grammar is used to create the text phrase. The variability engine can also rely on user-specified weights to adjust the output probabilities. The speech-to-text engine can convert the text phrase generated by the variability engine into speech output.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a system and a method for creating a reduced script, which is read by a voice talent to create a concatenative text-to-speech (TTS) voice. The method can automatically process pre-recorded audio to derive speech assets for a concatenative TTS voice. The pre-recording audio can include sets of recorded phrases used by a speech user interface (Sill). A set of unfulfilled speech assets needed for foil phonetic coverage of the concatenative TTS voice can be determined. A reduced script can be constructed that includes a set of phrases, which when read by a voice talent result in a reduced corpus. When the reduced corpus is automatically processed, a reduced set of speech assets result. The reduced set includes each of the unfulfilled speech assets. When this reduced corpus is combined with existing speech assets the result will be a voice with a complete set of speech assets.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and system for notifying a user of a password/passcode change event. In the invention, a computing system can automatically detect a password/passcode change event. At least one user affected by the event can be determined. A pre-existing user defined message can be retrieved from a data store. A password/passcode change message can be automatically conveyed to the affected user. The change message can include content of the pre-existing user defined message. Further, in one embodiment, an automatically generated activity report associated with a password/passcode can be presented to either a user making a password/passcode change or as part of the conveyed change message.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for handling contact information in a communication device. The method can include a step of presenting content within a visual interface of the communication device. A contact detection algorithm can execute to detect contact items included in the content. A visual indication can be presented next to each detected contact item. User input can be received, which causes the communication device to perform a contact action relating to one of the contact items. The contact action can add contact information to an address book, can initiate a communication session, and/or can place the contact item in a memory space for later use by an application other than one in which the content was presented.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a concept and a use of audio anchors within voice-enabled interfaces. Audio anchors can be user configurable points from which audio playback occurs. In the invention, a user can identify an interface position at which an audio anchor is to be established. The computing device can determine an anchor direction setting, with values that include forward playback and backward playback. Interface items can then be audibly enumerated from the audio anchor in a direction indicated by the anchor direction setting. For example, if a set of interface items are alphabetically ordered items and if an audio anchor is set at a first item beginning with a letter “G” and an anchor direction is set to indicate backward playback, then the interface items beginning with letters “A-F” can be audibly played in reverse alphabetical order. Additionally, a rate of audio playback can be user adjustable.

Abstract: A method for delivering a message to a recipient in an environment with ambient noise includes the steps of recording the ambient noise in the environment at a certain time interval, analyzing the recorded ambient noise to obtain an average power Pnoise or a RMS amplitude Anoise of the ambient noise, providing a predetermined desired SNRdesired, calculating an average signal power Psignal or a RMS amplitude Asignal of the message to be delivered based on the Pnoise or Anoise and the desired SNRdesired, and adjusting a volume of the message to be delivered according to the Psignal or Asignal. Alternatively, the actual SNRactual will be computed and the message will be repeated if the SNRactual falls below the SNRmin. Systems for delivering a message to a recipient in an environment with ambient noise and computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for carrying out the methods are also provided.

Abstract: A method for searching Web pages that begins with the identification of query criteria entered into a search provider. A set of Web pages that satisfies the query criteria are determined. Then, a page ranking is ascertained for each Web page in the set. The Web pages are presented in order by page ranking. The page ranking is based upon at least one relevancy factor that includes a browsing-time factor. The browsing-time factor can be calculated from browsing behavior exhibited by users, who provided similar query criteria. The set of users from which the browsing-time factor is calculated can include a current user, a set of users sharing characteristics with the current user, and/or a general set of users. Browsing behavior can include time spent at a Web page, where the browsed Web page is a page that was previously presented as a search result for the similar query criteria.

Abstract: A method for state transition in voice systems including: generating one or more stackable state macros, each of the one or more stackable state macros including a plurality of commands; saving the current state before executing another macro; enabling restoring the previous state after a plurality of commands is completed, allowing a user to utter voice commands to restore the individual state of components or the voice systems as a whole to the previous state or to a known home state.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a solution for assuring user-defined voice commands are unambiguous. The solution can include a step of identifying a user attempt to enter a user-defined voice command into a voice-enabled system. A safety analysis can be performed on the user-defined voice command to determine a likelihood that the user-defined voice command will be confused with preexisting voice commands recognized by the voice-enabled system. When a high likelihood of confusion is determined by the safety analysis, a notification can be presented that the user-defined voice command is subject to confusion. A user can then define a different voice command or can choose to continue to use the potentially confusing command, possibly subject to a system imposed confusion mitigating condition or action.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for a voice-enabled computing environment. The method includes a step of receiving a series of voice commands related to an abstraction, wherein the voice command specifies an abstraction type. The method further includes responding to the voice command to replay the commands, executing at least one programmatic action related to the abstraction, where the programmatic action is executed demonstrating characteristics specific to the abstraction type associated with the voice command. The present method applies, but is not limited to, the execution of collections of commands that may have diverging timing characteristics.

Abstract: A speech processing method can automatically and dynamically adjust speech grammar weights at runtime based upon usage data. Each of the speech grammar weights can be associated with an available speech command contained within a speech grammar to which the speech grammar weights apply. The usage data can indicate a relative frequency with which each of the available speech commands is utilized.

Abstract: A method of selectively pasting attributes of files can include, responsive to a user input, storing each selected file and at least one attribute associated with each selected file. Responsive to a subsequent input, a target object can be identified and either the attribute associated with each selected file can be inserted into the target object or a copy of each selected file can be created within the target object according to whether the target object supports file object types.