Audio Input For On-screen Manipulation (e.g., Voice Controlled Gui) Patents (Class 715/728)
  • Patent number: 7742609
    Abstract: A digital audio mixing system for live performance venues includes a software user interface and system host PC with an internal digital signal processor to perform digital mixing functions. The system includes a console having an array of multiple touch screen displays with corresponding fader board (tactile) control surfaces operatively connected to the host PC, and an audio patch bay unit. One or more stage boxes are linked to each other and to the system host PC by wired or wireless connections. The user interface includes multiple functional views and configuration presets, displayed in setup and real time modes, to allow the user to operate the system in a user friendly and simplified environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Gibson Guitar Corp.
    Inventors: Nathan Yeakel, Jeffrey Vallier
  • Patent number: 7739600
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for creating a voice response grammar in a voice response server including identifying presentation documents for a presentation, each presentation document having a presentation grammar. Typical embodiments include storing each presentation grammar in a voice response grammar on a voice response server. In typical embodiments, identifying presentation documents for a presentation includes creating a data structure representing a presentation and listing at least one presentation document in the data structure representing a presentation. In typical embodiments listing the at least one presentation document includes storing a location of the presentation document in the data structure representing a presentation and storing each presentation grammar includes retrieving a presentation grammar of the presentation document in dependence upon the location of the presentation document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: William K. Bodin, Michael J. Burkhart, Daniel G. Eisenhauer, Daniel M. Schumacher, Thomas J. Watson
  • Patent number: 7712031
    Abstract: A system for use in developing a voice application, including a dialog element selector for defining execution paths of the application by selecting dialog elements and adding the dialog elements to a tree structure, each path through the tree structure representing one of the execution paths, a dialog element generator for generating the dialog elements on the basis of predetermined templates and properties of the dialog elements, the properties received from a user of the system, each of said dialog elements corresponding to at least one voice language template, and a code generator for generating at least one voice language module for the application on the basis of said at least one voice language template and said properties. The voice language templates include VoiceXML elements, and the dialog elements can be regenerated from the voice language module. The voice language module can be used to provide the voice application for an IVR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Telstra Corporation Limited
    Inventors: Eng Boon Law, Khanh Thi Phuong Ho, Alvaro Kau Kam Hui, Bradford Craig Starkie
  • Publication number: 20100107069
    Abstract: In a mobile phone, even when an audio-related function is running in background processing in parallel with a function running in the main processing (foreground processing) where operations by the main operating section have been assigned to the function running in the main processing, the control section operates the audio-related function based on a user operation detected by the touch screen, the imaging section, the sound collecting section, or the housing movement detecting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: Casio Hitachi Mobile Communications Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akio Shiga
  • Patent number: 7707033
    Abstract: Training a consumer-oriented application device is based on a plurality of user-presented speech items. A progress measure is reported regarding a training status reached for a particular user person. In particular, the training status is visually represented by an animated character creature which has a plurality of training status representative maturity statuses that are each associated to a corresponding training level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Lucas Jacobus Franciscus Geurts
  • Patent number: 7707501
    Abstract: A method for notifying a user that a link is enabled for activation through voice input. The method can display a visual marker for a hyperlink to indicate that the hyperlink is activatable thorough voice input. The visual marker is not displayed for the hyperlink when the hyperlink is not activatable through voice input even if the hyperlink is activatable through other forms of user input. Visual markers can include such indicators as double underlining the hyperlink, surrounding the hyperlink with a box, and altering the background color of the hyperlink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Paritosh D. Patel
  • Publication number: 20100100821
    Abstract: A window detection system is disclosed. The window detection system includes a CPU, a window detection module and a voice identification module. The window detection module has a virtual assistant for receiving signals from an external voice inputting unit and to process thereby. The window detection module is connected to a preset display for synchronized detection of the present work window among a plurality of windows in the display. When the voice inputting unit receives the user's voice command, the virtual assistant of the window detection system starts to process and judges the execution command, and then matches the voice command with the signal of the present work window in the display detected by the window detection module. The voice identification module searches through the CPU to retrieve the information from an internal database of the host. Thus matching with the present work window for displaying can be easily achieved via quick operation and accordingly upgrade the identification efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: AIBELIVE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: TSUNG-HAN TSAI, CHEN-WEI SU, CHUN-PING FANG, MIN-CHING WU
  • Publication number: 20100094635
    Abstract: SYSTEM FOR VOICE-BASE INTERACTION ON WEB PAGES, of type that permits the incorporation of voice-handling functions on a Web page, in which from a Terminal (1) a Web page (3) of a Web site that is structured under the DOM (Domain Object Model), or any of its extensions, and a networked Voice Service Server (5), by means of a downloadable module (6) for further incorporation in a Web browser, the system including the operating procedures for enabling said module to act as a transparent gateway in a dialogue between said Voice Service Server (5) and said Web page (3), said Web browser permitting to handle said Voice Services of said Server (5) through script functions incorporated in said Web page (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventor: Juan Jose Bermudez Perez
  • Patent number: 7698642
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for generating a prompt in a particular language. Multiple prompt components are selected and arranged based on the language in which the prompt is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventor: Philip D. Sarin
  • Patent number: 7689924
    Abstract: A computer navigation system and method has one or more interactive links displayed on a display connected to a computer appliance, and one or more visual linktags associated with individual ones of the one or more interactive links, the linktags displaying one or more numbers, characters or symbols, the system enabled to initiate an interactive link in the display upon user input of one of the numbers, characters or symbols in a linktag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Fritz Schneider
  • Publication number: 20100076642
    Abstract: A mobile system and method of operation thereof, comprising a radio frequency system, adapted to derive information relating to a position within an environment, based on communications with at least one terrestrial or extraterrestrial transmitter, and remotely transmit to and receive radio frequency information-bearing communications; a memory adapted to store at least a vehicle itinerary or position-related information; a controller, receiving the derived information and controlling a communication of the information-bearing communications relating to at least the stored itinerary or position related information; and a user interface, having a functionality defined by the controller, adapted to interface a user for receipt or presentation of information relating at least one of the itinerary or position-related information and the communicated information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Inventors: Steven M. Hoffberg, Linda I. Hoffberg-Borghesani
  • Patent number: 7685523
    Abstract: A method and system of speech recognition presented by a back channel from multiple user sites within a network supporting cable television and/or video delivery is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: AgileTV Corporation
    Inventors: Theodore Calderone, Paul M. Cook, Mark J. Foster
  • Patent number: 7685522
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for generating a form and extracting user data from a form, the form including one or more data fields. Zoning information and structural information about the data fields are defined and encoded according to a symbology defined by rules for encoding information in a medium in which the form will be presented. The encoded zoning and structural information is incorporated in a representation of the form to be presented in the medium. Data entered on the form by a user can be extracted based on the encoded zoning and structural information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: Kenneth E. Feuerman
  • Patent number: 7681129
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reading a web page according to a set of user-configurable settings. In one embodiment, a set of user-configurable settings configured for reading the web page is determined. An initial reading position on the web page is determined as specified by the user-configurable settings. The web page is then read from the initial reading position according to the set of user-configurable settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Brian John Cragun
  • Patent number: 7676291
    Abstract: A hand microphone and an adaptor module form an assembly which is a peripheral device for a personal computer. The hand microphone is used to control dictation functions to be carried out by the PC. Two separate analog control signal channels are output from the hand microphone and applied, respectively, as X- and Y-axis inputs for the game port on the PC. Control signals carried in the two signal channels are generated by actuating control switches mounted on the hand microphone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Dictaphone Corporation
    Inventors: John Sheffield, Frederic Schneider, Betsy L. Hipp
  • Patent number: 7672851
    Abstract: Enhanced application of spoken input, in which a single, natural language voice command is accessed. Using a repository that associates multiple operations with natural language voice commands, multiple selected operations that correspond to the received single, natural language voice command are determined and applied to a user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventors: Rama Gurram, Frances James
  • Publication number: 20100031150
    Abstract: A system is configured to enable a user to assert voice-activated commands. When the user issues a non-ambiguous command, the system activates a corresponding control. The area of activity on the user interface is visually highlighted to emphasize to the user that what they spoke caused an action. In one specific embodiment, the highlighting involves floating text the user uttered to a visible user interface component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Felix Gerard T.I. Andrew
  • Publication number: 20100031151
    Abstract: A method for speech enabling an application can include the step of specifying a speech input within a speech-enabled markup. The speech-enabled markup can also specify an application operation that is to be executed responsive to the detection of the speech input. After the speech input has been defined within the speech-enabled markup, the application can be instantiated. The specified speech input can then be detected and the application operation can be responsively executed in accordance with the specified speech-enabled markup.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles W. Cross, Leslie R. Wilson, Steven G. Woodward
  • Patent number: 7653550
    Abstract: A timeline-based approach for selecting and manipulating audio tracks is presented. This is accomplished via a graphical user interface that provides users with a series of visual cues and enhancements when selecting a particular area of an audio track depicted within the interface. These visual cues are rendered as a display region having multiple other display areas, components or interface components that provide the user with a location for initiating actions upon the file. User input provided to the timeline component generates a selection overlay that indicates a selected area of the audio file. The user can perform numerous actions with that audio file, such as copying and pasting. The user can do this more quickly and efficiently because the user is not required to switch tools. Everything is accomplished “modelessly.” Multiple instances of the selection overlay applied, for example, across multiple audio tracks may achieve even more powerful results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Egan Schulz
  • Patent number: 7650570
    Abstract: Visualizing and exploring a music library using metadata, such as genre, sub-genre, artist, and year, is provided. Geometric shapes, such as disks or rectangles, may be divided into sectors representing genre and each sector may be further divided into sub-sectors representing artists associated with each genre. The sector's relative size generally reflects the importance of the corresponding genre within the library. Likewise, the sub-sector's relative size generally reflects the importance of the corresponding artist within the genre which may be determined by the number of media items of the artist. Marks representing each media item may be arranged and displayed within the geometric shape to reflect the mark's corresponding genre, artist, and year. In addition, each mark may reflect an attribute, such as playcount, of the media item and each sector may reflect the mean value of an attribute of all media items within the sector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Strands, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Torrens, Patrick Hertzog, Josep-Lluis Arcos
  • Patent number: 7650284
    Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for enabling voice clicks in a multimodal page. In accordance with the present invention, a method for enabling voice clicks in a multimodal page can include toggling a display of indicia binding selected user interface elements in the multimodal page to corresponding voice logic; and, processing a selection of the selected user interface elements in the multimodal page through different selection modalities. In particular, the toggling step can include toggling a display of both indexing indicia for the selected user interface elements, and also a text display indicating that a voice selection of the selected user interface elements is supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles W. Cross, Marc White
  • Publication number: 20090326957
    Abstract: An operation method of an interactive refrigerator system, includes displaying information about stored items corresponding to a speech input by a user, generating and outputting a response message for the information about the stored items, checking whether or not storage periods of the stored items are expired; and outputting expiration information about storage periods of the stored items or expected expiration information about storage periods of the stored items.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventors: Jeong-Hwa Yang, Ik-kyu Lee
  • Publication number: 20090327775
    Abstract: Web application users are able to specify power constraints for remote web servers. These may be based on individual performance needs and energy-conservation desires. They enable the user to exercise control over the amount of energy that the web server expends in serving the needs of the user. The invention may employ such features as vertical scaling using power capacity on demand (CUoD) type functionality. The method includes providing a user-interactive interface to enable the user to indicate a preference for power restrictions with respect to its web requests. The user then instructs the web site provider to reduce power consumption in response to the user's request. The user specifies a reduction in overall power consumption for the user's needs, such as instructing the web service provider to use an energy-conserving server to handle the user's web requests, or specifying a acceptable delay or fulfilling the user's web requests.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rick A. Hamilton, II, Brian M. O'Connell, Clifford A. Pickover, Keith R. Walker
  • Publication number: 20090307595
    Abstract: A metaverse system and method for dynamically enacting syntax-based gestures in association with a metaverse application. The metaverse system includes a metaverse server and a semantic gesturing engine. The metaverse server executes a metaverse application. The metaverse application allows metaverse application allows a user on the client computer to enter a metaverse virtual world as an avatar via a metaverse client viewer. The semantic gesturing engine is coupled to the metaverse server and identifies a verbal communication from the avatar within the metaverse application, dynamically selects a gesture associated with the verbal communication in response to a determination that an association exists between the verbal communication and the gesture, and dynamically executes the selected gesture to cause the avatar to enact the selected gesture in conjunction with conveying the verbal communication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Jason T. Clark, Ami H. Dewar, Robert C. Leah, Nicholas E. Poore, Peter C. Yim
  • Patent number: 7620916
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implement techniques for rendering application user interfaces. Application data is displayed in user interface elements including two or more independent elements and one or more dependent elements. One of the independent elements can have the property of being the selected element and the application data displayed in the dependent elements is made to correspond to the application data displayed in the selected element. User input is received from a user to establish a normal mode or a decoupled mode of user interface operation. Navigation input is received to navigate from one user interface element to another user interface element. In the normal mode, navigation to an independent element causes the independent element to become the selected element. In the decoupled mode, navigation to an independent element does not change which, if any, of the independent elements is the selected element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventors: Bernard Rummel, Heinz Willumeit
  • Publication number: 20090276691
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a method of accessing a data set. The data set includes a set of data elements. The method collects the data elements of the data set. The method receives a lens item. The lens item provides a set of parameters for searching the data set. The method searches the data set by using the lens item to identify a data subset. The method sorts a list of data elements based on the data subset. The sorting generates an ordered list. The method filters the data subset. Filtering the data subset comprises excluding the data elements that are not relevant to the lens item. The method presents the ordered list in a first column of a matrix. The matrix has several cells. The cells of the matrix are based on the data subset. The method selects column headings for the matrix and populates the cells of the matrix. Some embodiments provide a system for providing access to a data set. The system has a set of data elements that comprises a first data source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Albhy GALUTEN
  • Patent number: 7610553
    Abstract: A method for reducing data events representing a parameter of a signal as adjusted by a user through a control interface during a time period. The method includes receiving a series of data events where each data event has a parameter value of the signal and a time-based value associated with the parameter value that corresponds to an instance in time during the time period. The method further includes processing three data events in the series of data events and eliminating one of the three data events based in part on the parameter values of the three data events relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kelly B. Jacklin, Alan C. Cannistraro, Roger A. Powell
  • Patent number: 7603623
    Abstract: Methods to automatically correct timing of recorded audio in GUI are summarized here. One or more controls to adjust resolution of timing and degree of correction for the audio are displayed. The resolution of timing relates to beats on a grid and is affected by the degree of correction. The degree of correction is mapped to a time interval at each beat along the grid. Next, a user manipulation of one or more controls selecting a resolution and a degree of correction is received. Correction of timing is performed according to the selected resolution and degree of correction. Correcting of timing may include aligning a transient of the audio to the beat by compressing or stretching a portion of the audio. Compressing or stretching the portion of the audio depends on a length of the portion relative to a distance between adjacent beats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gerhard Lengeling, Sol Friedman
  • Patent number: 7602892
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a telephonic annotation services is disclosed. In one embodiment, a mobile telephone may be configured to include an annotation component used to record audio-based annotations for a telephone conversation. In another embodiment, a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) enabled telephone is used. Annotation recordings may be created both during and after a telephone conversation. The annotation recordings may be stored in a database and indexed to a telephone number associated with the other participant in the conversation. Subsequently, prior to calling the same telephone number, or prior to placing a call to the same telephone number, annotations may be selectively played back, according to criteria specified in an annotation profile. Additionally, annotations templates may be used to structure an annotation recording according to a predefined format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Brian J. Cragun
  • Publication number: 20090228126
    Abstract: To facilitate the use of audio files for annotation purposes, an audio file format, which includes audio data for playback purposes, is augmented with a parallel data channel of line identifiers, or with a map associating time codes for the audio data with line numbers on the original document. The line number-time code information in the audio file is used to navigate within the audio file, and also to associate bookmark links and captured audio annotation files with line numbers of the original text document. An annotation device may provide an output document wherein links to audio and/or text annotation files are embedded at corresponding line numbers. Also, a navigation index may be generated, having links to annotation files and associated document line numbers, as well as bookmark links to selected document line numbers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Inventors: Steven Spielberg, Samuel Gustman
  • Publication number: 20090210795
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for displaying a second window of a second application while a first window of a first application has input focus in a windowed computing environment having a voice recognition engine. The system comprises a retriever for launching the second application, a user command receiver for receiving commands from the voice recognition engine, and an application manager. The application manager responds to a command from the user command receiver by invoking the retriever to launch the second application and display the second window while the first window maintains substantially uninterrupted input focus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Inventor: Ronald M. Katsuranis
  • Publication number: 20090199101
    Abstract: A system (20) for inputting graphical data into a graphical input field includes a graphical input device (22) for inputting the graphical data into the graphical input field, and a processor-executable voice-form module (28) responsive to an initial presentation of graphical data to the graphical input device. The voice-form module (28) causes a determination of whether the inputting of the graphical data into the graphical input field is complete. A method for inputting graphical data into a graphical input field includes initiating an input of graphical data via a graphical input device into the graphical input field, and actuating a voice-form module in response to initiating the input of graphical data into the graphical input field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Charles W. Cross, JR., David Jaramillo, Marc White
  • Patent number: 7571380
    Abstract: Differential dynamic content delivery with a presenter alterable session copy of a user profile. Typical embodiments include providing a session document for a presentation, wherein the session document includes a session grammar and a session structured document; providing a session copy of a user profile including a user classification; receiving, from a presenter, a user classification instruction to change a user classification in the session copy of a user profile; changing the user classification in the session copy of a user profile in dependence upon the presenter's instruction; selecting from the session structured document a classified structural element in dependence upon a user classification in the session copy of a user profile of a user in the presentation; and presenting the selected structural element to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William Kress Bodin, Michael John Burkhart, Daniel G. Eisenhauer, Daniel Mark Schumacher, Thomas J. Watson
  • Patent number: 7568158
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing an enhanced auditory behavior to a graphical user interface are described. Control elements portrayed by the graphical user interface on a display are associated with at least two states. When transitioning between states, a sound effect specified for that transition can be provided to provide further user or designer customization of the interface appearance. Movement of objects can be accompanied by a repeated sound effect. Characteristics of both sound effects can be easily adjusted in volume, pitch and frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Ulrich, Arlo Rose
  • Publication number: 20090171659
    Abstract: Embodiments include methods and apparatus for synchronizing data and focus between visual and voice views associated with distributed multi-modal applications. An embodiment includes a client device adapted to render a visual display that includes at least one multi-modal display element for which input data is receivable though a visual modality and a voice modality. When the client detects a user utterance via the voice modality, the client sends uplink audio data representing the utterance to a speech recognizer. An application server receives a speech recognition result generated by the speech recognizer, and sends a voice event response to the client. The voice event response is sent as a response to an asynchronous HTTP voice event request previously sent to the application server by the client. The client may then send another voice event request to the application server in response to receiving the voice event response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: MOTOROLA, INC.
    Inventors: Michael D. Pearce, Jonathan R. Engelsma, James C. Ferrans
  • Publication number: 20090172546
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and electronic device for voice navigation are disclosed. A voice input mechanism 310 may receive a verbal input from a user to a voice user interface program invisible to the user. A processor 104 may identify in a graphical user interface (GUI) a set of GUI items. The processor 104 may convert the set of GUI items to a set of voice searchable indices 400. The processor 104 may correlate a matching GUI item of the set of GUI items to a phonemic representation of the verbal input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Yan Ming CHANG, Changxue Ma, Ted Mazurkiewicz
  • Publication number: 20090125813
    Abstract: A dialog system and method may generate and maintain in parallel multiple dialog sessions, determine to which dialog session a user speech input applies, selectively provide control to one of the dialog sessions, at any one time, to output data to the user, synchronize multiple dialog sessions, and support user interruptions at any time during the dialog sessions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventors: Zhongnan Shen, Fuliang Weng, Yao Meng
  • Patent number: 7529772
    Abstract: A method for providing user comments relating to a scene captured by an image capture device and a digital imaging device configured to implement the method are described. In one aspect, a scene to be captured is displayed to a user through a display device of the image capture device. The image capture device uses an eye-tracking system to track where the user is gazing as the user views the scene, and detects and collects a user input that comprises user comments. While the user views the scene, a processor in the image capture device associates the user input with a location in the scene corresponding to an area where the user is gazing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Scenera Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Mona Singh
  • Publication number: 20090100340
    Abstract: The claimed subject matter according to one aspect provides systems and/or methods that effectuate user development, customization, or utilization of dynamically configurable dialogue flow systems. The system can include devices and components that employ data associated with a user to retrieve navigation panes unique with respect to the user, scans the navigation panes and identifies adjustable attributes, utilizes the adjustable attributes to generate voice prompts communicated to the user via handheld devices, the user in reply to the voice prompts utters personalized responses associated with the voice prompts, and based at least on the personalized responses initiates actions associated with the adjustable attributes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy S. Paek, Alice Jane Bernheim Brush, Yun-Cheng Ju
  • Patent number: 7519907
    Abstract: A system and method for editing images. A simple but powerful image stack is employed in creating an enhanced image from a stack of registered images. This paradigm combines pixels using multi-image operations on the image stack. Image Stacks can help create group photographs, create high dynamic range images, combine images captured under different lighting conditions, remove unwanted objects from images, and combine images captured at different times and with different focal lengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corp.
    Inventors: Michael Cohen, R. Alex Colburn, Steven M. Drucker
  • Patent number: 7512882
    Abstract: Systems and methods for transitioning between alternate views when rendering A/V content in a computing system are provided. In various embodiments, a “Now Playing” state is exposed to a user experiencing media on a media device via a user interface, wherein the “Now Playing” state has a plurality of associated “Now Playing” views. The user interface allows the user to change “Now Playing” views based on media type and, if desirable, offer quick access settings. Advantageously, when transitioning between or cycling through the “Now Playing” views, the state of the user interface remains the “Now Playing” state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Fong, Mark Gibson
  • Patent number: 7500192
    Abstract: A process of selecting a recording on an audiovisual reproduction system consists of displaying a number of windows on a touch screen as an interface with a user. Items of information are stored in a bulk memory and are representative of an image of the album cover that is associated with each window and whose corresponding musical recording is stored in the bulk memory of the reproduction system. Each zone of a window is associated, via the touch-screen interface software, with at least one address for accessing the items of information in the database that is stored in the bulk memory belonging to the album cover whose image is displayed in the window that is touched by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Inventor: Tony Mastronardi
  • Patent number: 7499859
    Abstract: A video device with a voice-assisted system is provided by using a voice command to adjust the images. The voice-assisted system includes a voice recognition engine and a control unit. The voice recognition engine receives a voice command and outputting a voice signal based on the voice command to the control unit. The control unit based on the voice signal performs the adjustment actions to adjust image. The user only requires inputting a single voice command. The voice recognition engine then can perform a series of actions to adjust image. Therefore, the voice-assisted system can enhance the convenience of adjusting the image of the video device and reduce the operation complexity for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: DELTA Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuan-Chia Lu, Liang-Sheng Huang, Jia-Lin Shen
  • Publication number: 20090044122
    Abstract: A method to process digital audio data displays the digital audio data in one or more tracks along a time line in a graphical interface of a computer system and defines arrange regions within the time line of the digital audio data as objects for manipulation. Tracks within a selected arrange region are processed as an entity in accordance with commands received through the graphical user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2007
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventors: Matt Evans, Ole Lagemann, John Danty, Jan-Hinnerk Helms, Gerhard Lengeling, Alexander Soren, Timothy Benjamin Martin, Stefan Pillhofer
  • Publication number: 20090044245
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to automatically construct a database of contents data which are distributed over plural reproducing apparatuses and search this database on the basis of user's fragmentary memory. A contents sharing management system practiced as one embodiment of the invention comprises an episode server installed at user's home and plural reproducing apparatuses including a component stereo set, portable player, portable wireless terminal, and MD player, which are interconnected in a wireless manner based on wireless communication technologies such as Bluetooth. The episode server wirelessly connects to the portable player for example to get the episode information stored therein and organizes the retrieved episode information into a database. The episode server also searches the database upon request from the portable player to identify a source apparatus in which desired contents data are stored and supplies the retrieved contents data to the requesting portable player.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noriyuki Yamamoto, Kazunori Ohmura
  • Patent number: 7487451
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for creating a voice response grammar in a voice response server including identifying presentation documents for a presentation, each presentation document having a presentation grammar. Typical embodiments include storing each presentation grammar in a voice response grammar on a voice response server. In typical embodiments, identifying presentation documents for a presentation includes creating a data structure representing a presentation and listing at least one presentation document in the data structure representing a presentation. In typical embodiments listing the at least one presentation document includes storing a location of the presentation document in the data structure representing a presentation and storing each presentation grammar includes retrieving a presentation grammar of the presentation document in dependence upon the location of the presentation document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William Kress Bodin, Michael John Burkhart, Daniel G. Eisenhauer, Daniel Mark Schumacher, Thomas J. Watson
  • Patent number: 7480865
    Abstract: An auxiliary operation interface of a digital recording/reproducing apparatus includes a targeting item, a switching button set and an audio prompt generator. The targeting item is optionally triggered to have the digital recording/reproducing apparatus execute a selected function. The audio prompt generator is enabled to generate an audio prompt when the targeting item is triggered. The audio prompt generator is optionally enabled or disabled by an operation of the switching button set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Lite-On It Corp.
    Inventor: Chia-Hsiang Lin
  • Publication number: 20090013255
    Abstract: A user interface for a customer service application can be created and supported such that the user of the customer service application can utilize that application through a variety of modalities. Further, an interface can be supported in such a manner that certain tasks to be performed using that interface are streamlined, which may take place in combination with the enabling of multi-modality interaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Inventors: Matthew John Yuschik, Cordell Amos Coy, Jayant M. Naik, Karthik Narayanaswami, Ajay Warrier, Michael Louis Nutter
  • Patent number: 7461344
    Abstract: A control system for a modular, mixed initiative, human-machine interface. The control system comprises moves, the moves defining units of interaction about a topic of information. The moves comprise at least one system move and at least one user move. Each system move is structured such that it contains information regarding pre-processing to be performed, information to develop a prompt to be issued to the user and information that enables possible user moves which can follow the system move to be listed. Each user move is structured such that it contains information relating to interpretation grammars that trigger the user move, information relating to processing to be performed based upon received and recognized data and information regarding the next move to be invoked. A corresponding method is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Young, Stephen Potter, Renaud J. Lecoeuche
  • Patent number: 7440896
    Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating the selection of alternates for hand written word. Rules select words user based on operating modes and cursor positions and sequential orderings. User interfaces can also be used to select words and to provide alternates for the selected words having alternates. Words that the recognizer believes correct to a high actual or relative probability may be skipped over in automatic processes, and the display of words that the recognizer is less confident are correct can be modified. The user can adjust such sensitivity settings for determining the probability of correctness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Peter H. Williamson, Charlton E. Lui, Dan W. Altman