Directed personal communication for speech generating devices

• US 10,148,808 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2015
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Campbell, Jon, Paradiso, Ann, Beavers, Jay, Shah, Mira E., Morris, Meredith, Fiannaca, Alexander, Kulkarni, Harish
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas-Homescu, Anne L
• Application Number:
  US14/880,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20170104866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/08 Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72475 specially adapted for disabled users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management

Abstract

Speech generating devices, communication systems, and methods for communicating using the devices and systems are disclosed herein. In certain examples, the speech generating device includes a display device and an input device configured to generate a communication to be displayed on the display device, wherein the speech generating device is configured to allow a user to select between playing the generated communication through a speaker and transmitting the generated communication via a communication network to a computing device separate from the speech generating device. In certain examples, the computing device may be designated with other computing devices of other conversation partners within a conversation group.

Claims

1. A speech generating device comprising:

a display device; and

an input device configured to generate a communication to be displayed on the display device,

wherein the speech generating device is configured to categorize a computing device separate from the speech generating device, and a conversation partner associated with the computing device into a conversation group,

wherein the speech generating device is configured to define a level of sharing for the conversation group for a real-time update of the generated communication,

wherein the level of sharing is a character-by-character update, a word-by-word update, a sentence-by-sentence update, or a block-by-block update, and

wherein the speech generating device is configured to transmit one or more segments of the generated communication via a communication network to the computing device as the communication is being generated and based upon the defined level of sharing for the conversation group.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the input device is an eye gaze tracking device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the speech generating device is configured to play the generated communication through the speaker at one of at least two volume levels, a first volume level and a second volume level less than the first volume level for a discreet communication.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the conversation group is a family conversation group, a friend conversation group, a work conversation group, or a medical conversation group.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the speech generating device is configured to define an additional level of sharing for the conversation group for previously generated communications.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the additional level of sharing is all of the previously generated communications, a last generated communication, or none of the previously generated communications.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the speech generating device is configured to categorize a plurality of computing devices into a plurality of conversation groups, and

wherein the speech generating device is configured to transmit a different communication message to different conversation groups.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the level of sharing is the character-by-character update.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the level of sharing is the word-by-word update.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the level of sharing is the sentence-by-sentence update.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the level of sharing is the block-by-block update.

8. A speech generating device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the speech generating device to;

receive a request to connect with a computing device of a potential conversation partner;

approve the request to connect the speech generating device with the computing device;

designate a conversation group for the computing device subsequent to approval;

define a level of sharing for the conversation group for real-time communications using the speech generating device, wherein the level of sharing is a character-by-character update, a word-by-word update, a sentence-by-sentence update, or a block-by-block update; and

transmit one or more segments of a communication generated using the speech generating device to the conversation group as the communication is being generated and based on the defined level of sharing.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the generated communication is transmitted to each connected computing device within the conversation group via a communication network.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the transmission is a wireless transmission via a communication network.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the speech generating device to:

define an additional level of sharing for the conversation group for previously generated communications.

12. A method of communicating comprising:

establishing a connection between a speech generating device and a computing device of a potential conversation partner;

designating a conversation group for the computing device;

generating a communication using the speech generating device;

defining a level of sharing for the conversation group for real-time updates of communications generated using the speech generating device, wherein the level of sharing is a character-by-character update, a word-by-word update, a sentence-by-sentence update, or a block-by-block update; and

transmitting the generated communication to each connected computing device within the conversation group via a communication network as the communication is being generated and based on the defined level of sharing.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the transmission is a wireless transmission.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein an additional transmission occurs when each unconnected computing device within the conversation group becomes connected with the speech generating device.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

defining an additional level of sharing for the conversation group for previously generated communications.