Enabling separate chat and selective enablement of microphone
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Two different and separate audio data streams are processed through a personal computer (PC) system or other computing device so that the separate and distinct audio data streams are heard through separate sound transducers. In a preferred embodiment, chat messages received over a network during execution of a multiplayer game are processed separately from sounds produced by the multiplayer game, enabling a user to hear the game sounds from speakers, separate and distinct from verbal chat messages, which are heard through earphone(s). The earphone(s) are included in a headset, as well as a microphone that enables the user to produce verbal data that are conveyed to a hardware control unit that is connected to the PC system through a universal serial bus (USB) port. The chat audio data are converted into an analog audio signal that is heard by the user in the headphone(s) and is spatially separate and distinct from the game audio data heard through the speakers. Included on the control unit are switches that enable the user to selectively direct verbal data either to the chat session or to a voice recognition engine that converts the verbal data into commands used for controlling the game.
-
Citations
33 Claims
-
1-18. -18. (canceled)
-
19. A method for selectively enabling a user to direct an audio signal into different audio data streams on a computing device, so that the audio signal appears to be from a different source relative to each audio data stream and is selectively used for different functions, said computing device being coupled to a network for output of an audio data stream comprising chat data, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing a microphone for entry of analog audio data for processing by the computing device to produce said different audio data streams so that the audio signal appears to be from a different source relative to each audio data stream;
(b) converting the analog audio data into digital audio data comprising said different audio data streams;
(c) providing a voice recognition module on the computing device; and
(d) providing a switching device adapted to enable the user to selectively control the digital audio data by actuating a switch that determines if the digital audio data are output over the network as a chat session verbal message comprising the chat data, or are instead input into the voice recognition module, which recognizes words spoken by the user. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A system for processing a first audio data stream and at least a second audio data stream to produce separate audio outputs concurrently audible to a user and corresponding to each audio data stream, comprising:
-
(a) a computing device that includes a processor and a memory, said memory storing a plurality of machine instructions that are executed by the processor to receive data from another computing device for use in connection with a software application being executed by the processor execution of said software application causing said at least the second audio data stream to be produced, and said data conveying said first audio data stream that is maintained separate from all other audio data streams that are processed by the computing device;
(b) converter means connected to separately receive the audio data streams input to the computing device, for separately converting each of the audio data streams into corresponding analog audio signals, said converter means including an external controller that is coupled in communication with the computing device, converts the first audio data stream into a corresponding analog audio signal, and which enables a user to select a recipient and a function of audio data input by a user, said audio data input by a user being processed by the computing device to produce an output audio data stream that is selectively transmitted by the computing device to the recipient selected by the user, along with output data produced by the software application such that said output audio data stream and said output audio data are concurrently audible to a user; and
(c) a plurality of sound transducers connected to separately receive the analog audio signals, said plurality of sound transducers producing different and unrelated sounds corresponding to the analog audio signals that are audible to a user. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
Specification