VOICE ACTIVATED SYSTEM AND METHOD TO ENABLE A COMPUTER USER WORKING IN A FIRST GRAPHICAL APPLICATION WINDOW TO DISPLAY AND CONTROL ON-SCREEN HELP, INTERNET, AND OTHER INFORMATION CONTENT IN A SECOND GRAPHICAL APPLICATION WINDOW

• US 20090210795A1
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ronald M. Katsuranis
• Original Assignee: Ronald M. Katsuranis
• Inventors: Katsuranis, Ronald M.
• Application Number:
  US12/427,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20090210795A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/728
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A system is disclosed for displaying a second window of a second application while a first window of a first application has input focus in a windowed computing environment having a voice recognition engine. The system comprises a retriever for launching the second application, a user command receiver for receiving commands from the voice recognition engine, and an application manager. The application manager responds to a command from the user command receiver by invoking the retriever to launch the second application and display the second window while the first window maintains substantially uninterrupted input focus.

Claims

1. A system for displaying a second window of a second application while a first window of a first application has input focus in a windowed computing environment, the system comprising a computing device comprising:

a voice recognition engine;

a retriever for launching the second application;

a user command receiver for receiving a command from the voice recognition engine while input focus is on the first window; and

an application manager for responding to the command by;

invoking the retriever to launch the second application, display the second window, and set input focus on the second window; and

switching input focus back to the first window independent of user input.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first graphical application window and the second window do not overlap.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein a size of the second window is based on the contents of the second window.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second windows are displayed on any combination of display monitors.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the second application is a help application.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the second application is an Internet browser application.

7. A system for displaying a second window of a second application while a first window of a first application has input focus in a windowed computing environment, the system comprising a computing device comprising:

a voice recognition engine;

a retriever for launching the second application;

a user command receiver for receiving a command from the voice recognition engine while input focus is on the first window; and

an application manager for responding to the command by invoking the retriever to launch the second application and display the second window while input focus remains on the first window.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the first graphical application window and the second window do not overlap.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein a size of the second window is based on the contents of the second window.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the first and second windows are displayed on any combination of display monitors.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the second application is a help application.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the second application is an Internet browser application.

13. A computer readable medium comprising code segments for displaying a second window of a second application while a first window of a first application has input focus in a windowed computing environment, the code segments for:

receiving a voice command from a user while input focus is on the first window; and

responding to the voice command by;

launching the second application, displaying the second window, and setting input focus on the second window; and

switching input focus back to the first window independent of user input.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the first graphical application window and the second window do not overlap.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein a size of the second window is based on the contents of the second window.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the first and second windows are displayed on any combination of display monitors.

17. A computer readable medium comprising code segments for displaying a second window of a second application while a first window of a first application has input focus in a windowed computing environment, the code segments for:

receiving a voice command from a user while input focus is on the first window; and

responding to the voice command by launching the second application and displaying the second window while input focus remains on the first window.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the first graphical application window and the second window do not overlap.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein a size of the second window is based on the contents of the second window.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the first and second windows are displayed on any combination of display monitors.