Sound Output Setting Apparatus, Method, and Computer-Executable Program

• US 20110283191A1
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Maki, Koutaroh, Hagiwara, Mikio
• Granted Patent: US 8,966,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for an information processing apparatus capable of allowing a user to select appropriate processing beforehand when an application program outputs sound in a state in which an audio device is silenced. The apparatus in one embodiment includes a silencing module for silencing audio information output from an audio device, a detection module for detecting a sound playback request from an application program while silencing is set, a display module for displaying a select screen for allowing a user to select processing when the sound playback request from the application program is detected by the detection module, and a processing module for executing the processing selected by the user on the select screen.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a storage device storing machine readable code; and

a processor executing the machine readable code, the machine readable code comprising;

a silencing module that silences audio information output from an audio device;

a detection module that detects a sound playback request from an application program while silencing is set;

a display module that displays a select screen to allow a user to select processing responsive to the sound playback request from the application program being detected by the detection module; and

a processing module that executes the processing selected by the user on the select screen.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the processing module causing the silencing module to silence the audio information responsive to the user selecting to silence the external output of the audio information on the select screen.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the processing module causing the silencing module to disable the silencing of the audio information responsive to the user selecting to disable the silencing of the external output of the audio information on the select screen.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the processing module causing the silencing module to disable the silencing of the audio information for a predetermined period responsive to the user selecting to disable the silencing of the external output of the audio information for the predetermined period on the select screen.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the processing module causing the silencing module to disable the silencing of the audio information only for the period while the present audio stream is output responsive to the user selecting to disable the silencing of only a present audio stream on the select screen.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the audio information being output from the beginning of the audio stream responsive to the user selecting to disable the silencing of the external output of the audio information on the select screen.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the silencing module comprises:

an audio device that outputs audio information, and

an audio driver that controls the external output of the audio information of the audio device; and

wherein the detection module comprises;

an audio service that receives a sound playback request from an application program and outputs the sound playback request to a kernel-mode driver, and

a filter driver that intercepts the sound playback request while the audio device is silenced and outputs a select screen display request, the filter driver further causing the audio driver to execute the processing selected by the user on the select screen;

wherein the display module comprises;

a user interface that displays a select screen for allowing a user to select processing responsive to the select screen display request being received; and

wherein the processing module comprises;

an audio service that receives a sound playback request from an application program and outputs the sound playback request to a kernel-mode driver, and

a filter driver that intercepts the sound playback request while the audio device is silenced and outputs a select screen display request, the filter driver further causing the audio driver to execute the processing selected by the user on the select screen.

8. A machine implemented method comprising:

silencing audio information output from an audio device;

detecting a sound playback request from an application program while silencing is set;

displaying a select screen for allowing a user to select processing responsive to the sound playback request from the application program being detected in the detecting step; and

executing the processing selected by the user on the select screen.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying a select screen that comprises a set of sound mode output options and implementing a selection by the user with the sound playback device for the currently present audio information stream.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising silencing the external output of the audio information responsive to the user selecting to silence the external output of the audio information on the select screen.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising disabling the silencing of the external output of the audio information responsive to the user selecting to disable the silencing of the external output of the audio information on the select screen.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising disabling the silencing of the external output of the audio information for a predetermined period responsive to the user selecting to disable the silencing of the external output of the audio information for the predetermined period on the select screen.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising disabling the silencing of the audio information only for the period while the present audio stream is output responsive to the user selecting to disable the silencing of only a present audio stream on the select screen.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising outputting the audio information from the beginning of the audio stream responsive to the user selecting to disable the silencing of the external output of the audio information on the select screen.

15. A program product comprising a storage device storing machine readable code executed by a processor to perform the operation of:

silencing audio information output from an audio device;

detecting a sound playback request from an application program while silencing is set;

displaying a select screen for allowing a user to select processing responsive to the sound playback request from the application program being detected in the detecting step; and

executing the processing selected by the user on the select screen.

16. The program product of claim 15, wherein the operation further comprises silencing the external output of the audio information responsive to the user selecting to silence the external output of the audio information on the select screen.

17. The program product of claim 15, wherein the operation further comprises disabling the silencing of the external output of the audio information responsive to the user selecting to disable the silencing of the external output of the audio information on the select screen.

18. The program product of claim 15, wherein the operation further comprises disabling the silencing of the external output of the audio information for a predetermined period responsive to the user selecting to disable the silencing of the external output of the audio information for the predetermined period on the select screen.

19. The program product of claim 15, wherein the operation further comprises disabling the silencing of the audio information only for the period while the present audio stream is output responsive to the user selecting to disable the silencing of only a present audio stream on the select screen.

20. The program product of claim 15, wherein the operation further comprises outputting the audio information from the beginning of the audio stream responsive to the user selecting to disable the silencing of the external output of the audio information on the select screen.