Virtual push-to-talk

• US 20060247925A1
• Filed: 04/27/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mandalia, Baiju D., Haenel, Walter
• Application Number:
  US11/115,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20060247925A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/215
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

A method of implementing a virtual push-to-talk function within a multimodal interface can include presenting a multimodal interface having a voice-enabled user interface element and locating a visual identifier proximate to the voice-enabled user interface element. The visual identifier can signify that the voice-enabled user interface element is configured to receive speech input. The method further can include activating a grammar associated with the voice-enabled user interface element responsive to a selection of the visual identifier and modifying an appearance of the visual identifier to indicate that the grammar associated with the voice-enabled user interface element is active.

Claims

1. A method of implementing a virtual push-to-talk function within a multimodal interface comprising:

presenting the multimodal interface having a voice-enabled user interface element;

locating a visual identifier proximate to the voice-enabled user interface element, wherein the visual identifier signifies that the voice-enabled user interface element is configured to receive speech input;

activating a grammar associated with the voice-enabled user interface element responsive to a selection of the visual identifier; and

modifying an appearance of the visual identifier to indicate that the grammar associated with the voice-enabled user interface element is active.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a period of silence; and

automatically deactivating the grammar associated with the voice-enabled user interface element responsive to said detecting step.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising changing the appearance of the visual identifier to indicate that the grammar associated with the voice-enabled user interface element is not active.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising deactivating the grammar associated with the voice-enabled user interface element responsive to a de-selection of the visual identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising changing the appearance of the visual identifier associated with the voice-enabled user interface element to indicate that the grammar is not active.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimodal interface includes at least one graphical user interface element that is not voice-enabled, wherein the visual identifier associated with the voice-enabled user interface element distinguishes the voice-enabled user interface element from the at least one graphical user interface element that is not voice-enabled.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

first dynamically identifying the voice-enabled user interface element within the multimodal interface; and

automatically associating the voice-enabled user interface element with the visual identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimodal interface is associated with a plurality of grammars, the method further comprising selecting the grammar associated with the voice-enabled user interface element from the plurality of grammars responsive to the selection of the visual identifier.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising automatically including the visual identifier, or a reference to the visual identifier, within a multimodal application that, when rendered, generates the multimodal interface.

9-1. (canceled)

10. A multimodal interface comprising:

at least one data input mechanism configured to receive user input in a modality other than speech;

a voice-enabled user interface element configured to receive speech input; and

a visual identifier associated with the voice-enabled user interface element, wherein the voice-enabled user interface element and the visual identifier are displayed within the multimodal interface and the visual identifier is located proximate to the voice-enabled user interface element, and wherein the visual identifier indicates that the voice-enabled user interface element is configured to receive speech input.

11. The multimodal interface of claim 10, wherein, responsive to activation of the visual identifier, speech recognition is activated for processing audio.

12. The multimodal interface of claim 11, wherein an appearance of the visual identifier is dynamically changed to indicate whether a grammar corresponding to the voice-enabled user interface element is active.

12-2. (canceled)

13. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

presenting a multimodal interface having a voice-enabled user interface element;

locating a visual identifier proximate to the voice-enabled user interface element, wherein the visual identifier signifies that the voice-enabled user interface element is configured to receive speech input;

activating a grammar associated with the voice-enabled user interface element responsive to a selection of the visual identifier; and

modifying an appearance of the visual identifier to indicate that the grammar associated with the voice-enabled user interface element is active.

14. The machine readable storage of claim 13, wherein the multimodal interface is associated with a plurality of grammars, the machine readable storage further causing the machine to perform the step of selecting the grammar associated with the voice-enabled user interface element from the plurality of grammars responsive to the selection of the visual identifier.

15. The machine readable storage of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting a period of silence; and

automatically deactivating the grammar associated with the voice-enabled user interface element responsive to said detecting step.

16. The machine readable storage of claim 15, further comprising changing the appearance of the visual identifier to indicate that the grammar associated with the voice-enabled user interface element is not active.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 13, further comprising deactivating the grammar associated with the voice-enabled user interface element responsive to a de-selection of the visual identifier.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 17, further comprising changing the appearance of the visual identifier associated with the voice-enabled user interface element to indicate that the grammar is not active.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 13, wherein the multimodal interface includes at least one graphical user interface element that is not voice-enabled, wherein the visual identifier associated with the voice-enabled user interface element distinguishes the voice-enabled user interface element from the at least one graphical user interface element that is not voice-enabled.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 13, further comprising:

first dynamically identifying the voice-enabled user interface element within the multimodal interface; and

associating the voice-enabled user interface element with the visual identifier.