Mimicking voice commands as keyboard signals

• US 6,038,534 A
• Filed: 09/11/1997
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cowboy Software
• Original Assignee: Cowboy Software
• Inventors: Richards, Kevin W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lerner, Martin
• Application Number:
  US08/927,338
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 704/231, 704/235, 704/270, 704/275, 704/200, 704/201, 364/188, 364/410.1, 463/35, 463/36
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating keyboard commands in response to voice commands is described. An association between command strings and a set of keyboard combinations is established. Each command string is associated with a keyboard combination. Command strings are generated by a sound engine in response to voice commands. A keyboard combination is selected based on the association between keyboard combinations and command strings. The keyboard combination is sent to a computer system as mimicked signals from a keyboard. The keyboard combinations are mimicked as signals from the keyboard by sending the keyboard combination to a keyboard controller and then sending a message to the keyboard controller to send the key combination as signals generated from the keyboard. Alternatively, a keyboard message may be sent to the operating system running on the computer system, causing the computer system to respond to the keyboard combination as signals generated from a keyboard. The sound engine receives a voice command while the sound engine is generating sound. The command string associated with the command string is found and then transmitted. The command strings are associated with keyboard combinations that control the play of a computer game.

Claims

1. A method for sending signals to a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing an association between a set of command strings and a set of keyboard combinations, wherein each command string from said set of command strings is associated with at least one keyboard combination from said set of keyboard combinations;

receiving from a sound engine a command string generated in response to a voice command;

selecting a keyboard combination based on said association between the set of command strings and the set of keyboard combinations; and

sending the keyboard combination to the computer system to mimic signals generated by a keyboard; and

generating sound output from the sound engine while said sound engine is receiving said voice command and operating in full duplex mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of establishing the association between the set of command strings and the set of keyboard combinations includes establishing an association between the set of command strings and a set of keyboard combinations that control play in a computer game.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending the keyboard combination includes the steps of:

sending the keyboard combination to a keyboard controller; and

sending a set of messages to the keyboard controller to send the key combination to the computer system as a signal generated from the keyboard.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending the keyboard combination includes the step of sending a keyboard message to an operating system running on said computer system, the keyboard message being a message to which said operating system responds as signals generated by said keyboard.

5. A method for sending signals to a computer system the method comprising the steps of:

establishing an association between a set of command strings and a set of keyboard combinations, wherein each command string from said set of command strings is associated with at least one keyboard combination from said set of keyboard combinations;

receiving from a sound engine a command string generated in response to a voice command;

selecting a keyboard combination based on said association between the set of command strings and the set of keyboard combinations; and

sending the keyboard combination to the computer system to mimic signals generated by a keyboard;

receiving from a user the command string;

receiving from a user the keyboard combination;

receiving from a user data identifying the type of keyboard manipulation; and

storing a mapping of said command string to said keyboard combination and the type of keyboard manipulation;

wherein the step of receiving from a user data identifying the type of keyboard manipulation includes the steps of;

receiving data representing a duration associated with the type of keyboard manipulation if the data identifying the type of keyboard manipulation identifies the type of keyboard manipulation as a hold type;

storing a mapping of the command string to the duration;

wherein the step of sending the keyboard combination further includes, if the duration associated with the keyboard combination is set to a value that represents infinity, the step of sending the selected keyboard combination to the computer system to mimic signals generated by the keyboard as a keyboard combination that is depressed indefinitely;

wherein the method further comprises the steps of

receiving a subsequent command string from the sound engine, said subsequent command string being associated with the keyboard combination and a release type of keyboard manipulation; and

in response to receiving said subsequent command string, sending to the computer system a keyboard combination to mimic signals generated by the keyboard that signal to said computer system that the keyboard combination that is depressed indefinitely is no longer depressed.

6. A computer-readable medium carrying sequences of instructions for sending signals to a computer system, the sequences of instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

establishing an association between a set of command strings and a set of keyboard combinations, wherein each command string from said set of command strings is associated with at least one keyboard combination from said set of keyboard combinations;

receiving from a sound engine a command string generated in response to a voice command;

selecting a keyboard combination based on said association between the set of command strings and the set of keyboard combinations; and

sending the keyboard combination to the computer system to mimic signals generated by a keyboard; and

generating sound output from the sound engine while said sound engine is receiving said voice command and operating in full duplex mode.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the step of establishing the association between the set of command strings and the set of keyboard combinations includes establishing an association between the set of command strings and a set of keyboard combinations that control play in a computer game.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the step of sending the keyboard combination includes the steps of:

sending the keyboard combination to a keyboard controller; and

sending a set of messages to the keyboard controller to send the key combination to the computer system as a signal generated from the keyboard.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the step of sending the keyboard combination includes the step of sending a keyboard message to an operating system running on said computer system, the keyboard message being a message to which said operating system responds as signals generated by said keyboard.

10. A computer-readable medium carrying sequences of instructions for sending signals to a computer system, the sequences of instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

establishing an association between a set of command strings and a set of keyboard combinations, wherein each command string from said set of command strings is associated with at least one keyboard combination from said set of keyboard combinations;

receiving from a sound engine a command string generated in response to a voice command;

selecting a keyboard combination based on said association between the set of command strings and the set of keyboard combinations; and

sending the keyboard combination to the computer system to mimic signals generated by a keyboard;

receiving from a user the command string;

receiving from a user the keyboard combination;

receiving from a user data identifying the type of keyboard manipulation; and

storing a mapping of said command string to said keyboard combination and the type of keyboard manipulation;

wherein the step of receiving from a user data identifying the type of keyboard manipulation includes the steps of;

receiving data representing a duration associated with the type of keyboard manipulation if the data identifying the type of keyboard manipulation identifies the type of keyboard manipulation as a hold type;

storing a mapping of the command string to the duration;

wherein the step of sending the keyboard combination further includes, if the duration associated with the keyboard combination is set to a value that represents infinity, the step of sending the selected keyboard combination to the computer system to mimic signals generated by the keyboard as a keyboard combination that is depressed indefinitely;

wherein the computer-readable medium carries sequences of instructions for receiving a subsequent command string from the sound engine, said subsequent command string being associated with the keyboard combination and a release type of keyboard manipulation; and

in response to receiving said subsequent command sting, sending to the computer system a keyboard combination to mimic signals generated by the keyboard that signal to said computer system that the keyboard combination that is depressed indefinitely is no longer depressed.