Establishing a Multimodal Personality for a Multimodal Application

• US 20080065388A1
• Filed: 09/12/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Pike, Hilary A., Cross, Charles W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and computer program products are described for establishing a multimodal personality for a multimodal application that include selecting, by the multimodal application, matching vocal and visual demeanors and incorporating, by the multimodal application, the matching vocal and visual demeanors as a multimodal personality into the multimodal application.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a multimodal personality for a multimodal application, the method comprising:

selecting, by the multimodal application, matching vocal and visual demeanors; and

incorporating, by the multimodal application, the matching vocal and visual demeanors as a multimodal personality into the multimodal application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein incorporating the matching vocal and visual demeanors as a multimodal personality into the multimodal application further comprises linking one or more markup elements of a markup document of the multimodal application to one or more styles of a cascading style sheet.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting matching vocal and visual demeanors further comprises selecting a visual demeanor in dependence upon a history of multimodal interactions between the multimodal application and a user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting matching vocal and visual demeanors further comprises selecting a vocal demeanor in dependence upon visual properties of a history of a user'"'"'s navigation among web sites.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting matching vocal and visual demeanors further comprises selecting a visual demeanor in dependence upon vocal aspects of a history of a user'"'"'s navigation among multimodal web sites.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting matching vocal and visual demeanors further comprises

retrieving a user profile from storage;

selecting a vocal demeanor in dependence upon the retrieved user profile; and

selecting a visual demeanor in dependence upon the retrieved user profile.

7. Apparatus for establishing a multimodal personality for a multimodal application, the apparatus comprising a computer processor and a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

selecting, by the multimodal application, matching vocal and visual demeanors; and

incorporating, by the multimodal application, the matching vocal and visual demeanors as a multimodal personality into the multimodal application.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein incorporating the matching vocal and visual demeanors as a multimodal personality into the multimodal application further comprises linking one or more markup elements of a markup document of the multimodal application to one or more styles of a cascading style sheet.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein selecting matching vocal and visual demeanors further comprises selecting a visual demeanor in dependence upon a history of multimodal interactions between the multimodal application and a user.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein selecting matching vocal and visual demeanors further comprises selecting a vocal demeanor in dependence upon visual properties of a history of a user'"'"'s navigation among web sites.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein selecting matching vocal and visual demeanors further comprises selecting a visual demeanor in dependence upon vocal aspects of a history of a user'"'"'s navigation among multimodal web sites.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein selecting matching vocal and visual demeanors further comprises

retrieving a user profile from storage;

selecting a vocal demeanor in dependence upon the retrieved user profile; and

selecting a visual demeanor in dependence upon the retrieved user profile.

13. A computer program product for establishing a multimodal personality for a multimodal application, the computer program product disposed upon a signal bearing medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

selecting, by the multimodal application, matching vocal and visual demeanors; and

incorporating, by the multimodal application, the matching vocal and visual demeanors as a multimodal personality into the multimodal application.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a recordable medium.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a transmission medium.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein incorporating the matching vocal and visual demeanors as a multimodal personality into the multimodal application further comprises linking one or more markup elements of a markup document of the multimodal application to one or more styles of a cascading style sheet.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein selecting matching vocal and visual demeanors further comprises selecting a visual demeanor in dependence upon a history of multimodal interactions between the multimodal application and a user.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein selecting matching vocal and visual demeanors further comprises selecting a vocal demeanor in dependence upon visual properties of a history of a user'"'"'s navigation among web sites.

19. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein selecting matching vocal and visual demeanors further comprises selecting a visual demeanor in dependence upon vocal aspects of a history of a user'"'"'s navigation among multimodal web sites.

20. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein selecting matching vocal and visual demeanors further comprises

retrieving a user profile from storage;

selecting a vocal demeanor in dependence upon the retrieved user profile; and

selecting a visual demeanor in dependence upon the retrieved user profile.