Application program interfaces and structures in a resource limited operating system

• US 20050097577A1
• Filed: 11/11/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Mark, Mathur, Sharad, Johnson, Bruce, Hullender, Gregory, Ginsberg, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,472,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A set of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) for a resource-limited environment are disclosed. The APIs provide a mechanism for a computer application to interface with various components and modules of an operating system for a resource-limited environment. The APIs further provide a mechanism to interface with input/output devices commonly found in embedded systems running in a resource-limited environment.

Claims

1. A set of application program interfaces embodied on a computer readable medium for execution on a computer in conjunction with an application that provides text output, comprising:

a first interface that receives an application identifier, a notification interface, an identifier for the notification interface, a flag identifying a set of notifications to be sent to the notification interface, and a reference to a site information structure and that registers the application with a text-to-speech component; and

a second interface that receives a buffer containing text, a priority flag indicating the type of text, and a buffer that contains text-to-speech control tags and that causes the text-to-speech component to convert the buffer containing text to audio output.

2. The set of application program interfaces of claim 1, further comprising:

a third interface that causes the text-to-speech component to stop playing the buffer containing text and to flush a set of pending text from a playback queue;

a fourth interface that causes the text-to-speech component to pause playing the buffer containing text; and

a fifth interface that causes the text-to-speech component to resume playing the buffer containing text.

3. The set of application program interfaces of claim 2, further comprising:

a sixth interface that returns a flag indicating the current speech status;

a seventh interface that receives a first talking speed that causes the text-to-speech component to output text at the first talking speed;

an eighth interface that returns a current talking speed;

a ninth interface that receives a first voice identifier that indicates a voice to be used by the text-to-speech component; and

a tenth interface that returns a second voice identifier that indicates the current voice used by the text-to-speech component.

4. A computer system comprising:

a computer comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled together;

an operating system executing in the processor, said operating system having a speech-to-text component;

an application program running under the control of the operating system;

application program interfaces associated with the speech-to-text component, said application program interfaces operative to receive data from the application and send data to the application, the application program interfaces comprising;

a first interface that receives an application identifier, a notification interface, an identifier for the notification interface, a flag identifying a set of notifications to be sent to the notification interface, and a reference to a site information structure and that registers the application with a text-to-speech component; and

a second interface that receives a buffer containing text, a priority flag indicating the type of text, and a buffer that contains text-to-speech control tags and that causes the text-to-speech component to convert the buffer containing text to audio output.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the application program interfaces further comprise:

a third interface that causes the text-to-speech component to stop playing the buffer containing text and to flush a set of pending-text from a playback queue;

a fourth interface that causes the text-to-speech component to pause playing the buffer containing text; and

a fifth interface that causes the text-to-speech component to resume playing the buffer containing text.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the application program interfaces further comprise:

a sixth interface that returns a flag indicating the current speech status;

a seventh interface that receives a first talking speed that causes the text-to-speech component to output text at the first talking speed;

an eighth interface that returns a current talking speed;

a ninth interface that receives a first voice identifier that indicates a voice to be used by the text-to-speech component; and

a tenth interface that returns a second voice identifier that indicates the current voice used by the text-to-speech component.

7. In a computing system that includes an application for providing text-to-speech functionality in a limited resource environment, a method for allowing the application to interface with one or more text-to-speech components, the method comprising:

an act of receiving an application identifier, a notification interface, an identifier for the notification interface, a flag identifying a set of notifications to be sent to the notification interface, and a reference to a site information structure and that registers the application with a text-to-speech component; and

an act of receiving a buffer containing text, a priority flag indicating the type of text, and a buffer that contains text-to-speech control tags and that causes the text-to-speech component to convert the buffer containing text to audio output.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

an act of causing the text-to-speech component to stop playing the buffer containing text and to flush a set of pending text from a playback queue;

an act of causing the text-to-speech component to pause playing the buffer containing text; and

an act causing the text-to-speech component to resume playing the buffer containing text.

9. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

an act of returning a flag indicating a current speech status;

an act of receiving a first talking speed that causes the text-to-speech component to output text at the first talking speed;

an act of returning a current talking speed;

an act of receiving a first voice identifier that indicates a voice to be used by the text-to-speech component; and

an act of returning a second voice identifier that indicates the current voice used by the text-to-speech component.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein at least some of the recited acts are performed by different interfaces.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein each recited act is performed by a different interface.

12. A computer program product for use in a computing system that includes an application for providing text-to-speech functionality in a limited resource environment for implementing a method for allowing the application to interface with one or more text-to-speech components, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing the method, the method comprising:

an act of receiving an application identifier, a notification interface, an identifier for the notification interface, a flag identifying a set of notifications to be sent to the notification interface, and a reference to a site information structure and that registers the application with a text-to-speech component; and

an act of receiving a buffer containing text, a priority flag indicating the type of text, and a buffer that contains text-to-speech control tags and that causes the text-to-speech component to convert the buffer containing text to audio output.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

an act of causing the text-to-speech component to stop playing the buffer containing text and to flush a set of pending text from a playback queue;

an act of causing the text-to-speech component to pause playing the buffer containing text; and

an act causing the text-to-speech component to resume playing the buffer containing text.

14. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

an act of returning a flag indicating a current speech status;

an act of receiving a first talking speed that causes the text-to-speech component to output text at the first talking speed;

an act of returning a current talking speed;

an act of receiving a first voice identifier that indicates a voice to be used by the text-to-speech component; and

an act of returning a second voice identifier that indicates the current voice used by the text-to-speech component.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein at least some of the recited acts are performed by different interfaces.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein each recited act is performed by a different interface.