MODIFICATIONS OF AUDIO COMMUNICATIONS IN AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20100067718A1
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R., AMSTERDAM, Jeffrey D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/107
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A system and method to modify audio communications in an online environment and, in particular, to modifying audio communications using one or more parameters. The system includes a module configured to detect one or more parameters applicable to an incoming audio communication and a weighing engine configured to weigh the one or more parameters and obtain a weighted volume. The system further includes a module configured to transmit the weighted volume to a user participating in a virtual universe. The method determines whether one or more parameters apply to an incoming communication, weighs the incoming communication based on the one or more parameters to determine a weighted volume of the incoming communication, and transmits the incoming communication to a user at the weighted volume.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a module configured to detect one or more parameters applicable to an incoming audio communication;

a weighing engine configured to weigh the one or more parameters and obtain a weighted volume; and

a module configured to provide the weighted volume such that a user participating in a virtual universe can be provided with an audio at a certain volume.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters include at least one of:

a user identification parameter, a group identification parameter, an inventory item possession parameter, a display parameter, a user declaration parameter, a timing parameter, a listening device channel setting parameter, and a proximity parameter.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the proximity parameter applies a volume multiplier to the incoming communication, the volume multiplier configured to change relative to a distance between a source of an incoming communication and a recipient of the incoming communication.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the user declaration parameter includes at least one of pressing a designated key, typing a command, and sounding an alert and/or warning.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the listening device channel setting parameter is configured to designate a channel on which to transmit the incoming communication.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the timing parameter is configured to determine whether the incoming communication is interrupting an existing communication.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising an acoustic module configured to provide additional parameters.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the weighing engine is configured to assign weights to at least one of the one or more parameters as a function of at least one of:

a user, the virtual universe, a source of the incoming communication, a group member, a group, a virtual universe administrator, a service provider, and a location owner.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the weighted volume is an average of the one or more parameters.

10. A method for modifying audio comprising:

determining whether one or more parameters apply to an incoming communication;

weighing the incoming communication based on the one or more parameters to determine a weighted volume of the incoming communication; and

permitting transmission of the incoming communication to a user at the weighted volume.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more parameters include at least one of:

a user identification parameter, a group identification parameter, an inventory item possession parameter, a display parameter, a user declaration parameter, a timing parameter, a listening device channel setting parameter, and a proximity parameter.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the user is participating in a virtual universe.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing additional parameters as pluggable acoustic modules.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising setting a base volume for the incoming communication.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining, weighting, and permitting are offered by a service provider based on one of a fee and a subscription basis.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining, weighting, and permitting are provided on a computer infrastructure, which is at least one of:

supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.

17. The method of claim 10, comprising:

obtaining an incoming audio communication from a user;

assigning a weight to the one or more parameters, which include;

a user'"'"'s inventory item;

a group membership;

a declaration;

an interrupting an existing audio communication;

a listening device channel setting; and

a proximity to a receiver;

wherein the weight is assigned by at least one of;

the user and a computing device;

obtaining a weighted average of the one or more parameters, wherein the weighted average represents the weighted volume of the incoming audio communication;

adjusting the incoming audio communication according to the weighted average; and

transmitting the incoming audio communication to the user at the weighted volume.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer program product includes at least one component operable to:

determine an initial volume of an incoming communication;

apply one or more parameters to the incoming communication, whereby the one or more parameters are configured to change the initial volume;

determine a final volume based on the application of the one or more parameters; and

transmit the incoming communication at the final volume.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the one or more parameters include at least one of:

a user identification parameter, a group identification parameter, an inventory item possession parameter, a display parameter, a user declaration parameter, a timing parameter, a listening device channel setting parameter, and a proximity parameter.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, comprising at least one component operable to:

obtain an incoming audio communication from a user;

determine the initial volume of the incoming audio communication;

determine whether at least one of the one or more parameters apply;

apply at least one of the one or more parameters to the initial volume;

weigh each of the one or more parameters to obtain a weighted average, wherein the weighted average represents a weighted volume of the incoming audio communication;

adjust the initial volume according to the weighted average; and

transmit the incoming audio communication to the user at the weighted volume.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the final volume is one of:

same as the initial volume, louder than the initial volume, and quieter than the initial volume.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer infrastructure is at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.

23. A method for deploying an application for modifying audio communications, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

determine an initial volume of an incoming communication;

determine a final volume of the incoming communication by adjusting the initial volume according to one or more factors, which are configured to be customized by at least one of;

a virtual universe and a user; and

transmit the final volume to the user.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the one or more weighted factors include at least one of:

a user identification parameter, a group identification parameter, an inventory item possession parameter, a display parameter, a user declaration parameter, a timing parameter, a listening device channel setting parameter, and a proximity parameter.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the computer infrastructure is at least one of:

supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.