Audio notification management system

• US 6,542,868 B1
• Filed: 09/23/1999
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hanson, Gary R., Woodward, Steven G., Badt, Daniel E., Wang, Huifang, Ruback, Harvey, Guasti, Peter J., Nassiff, Amado, Vanbuskirk, Ronald E., Rodriguez, Edwin A., Smith, Carl A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks-Harold, Marsha D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARPER, V PAUL
• Application Number:
  US09/404,678
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 704/201, 704/258, 704/251, 704/3, 704/207, 704/250, 704/233, 340/7.39, 340/286.11, 340/521
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A computer system has a notification manager for playing a message to a user by selecting one of a plurality of audio notifications. The method includes the step of setting a priority level for each notification arriving into a queue. The notification is inserted into a position in the queue based upon the priority level of the notification, such that the audio notifications at the queue top have a generally higher priority than audio notifications at the queue bottom. The notification at the top of the queue can be selected if the priority level of the notification is greater than a predetermined gate level. Once a notification is selected, a message corresponding to the selected notification is played to the user.

Claims

1. In a computer system having an audio-only interface, a method for playing a message to a user by selecting one of a plurality of notifications comprising the steps of:

setting a priority level of a notification arriving into a queue, as determined by said computer system, wherein if said notification is associated with the receipt of an electronic message, said priority level of said notification is set lower when said electronic message is sent to more than one recipient;

inserting said notification into a position in said queue based upon said priority level of said notification, wherein notifications proximal a top of said queue have a higher priority than notifications proximal a bottom of said queue;

selecting a notification at said queue top; and

playing a message corresponding to said selected notification to said user.

2. In a computer system having an audio-only interface, a method for playing a message to a user by selecting one of a plurality of notifications comprising the steps of:

setting a priority level of a notification arriving into a queue, as determined by said computer system, wherein said priority level of said notification is set lower if said notification is a type which a user has previously declined to play;

inserting said notification into a position in said queue based upon said priority level of said notification, wherein notifications proximal a top of said queue have a higher priority than notifications proximal a bottom of said queue;

selecting a notification at said queue top; and

playing a message corresponding to said selected notification to said user.

3. In a computer system having an audio-only interface, a method for playing a message to a user by selecting one of a plurality of notifications comprising the steps of:

setting a priority level of a notification arriving into a queue, as determined by said computer system, wherein said priority level of one of said notifications in said queue is increased if said notification has been within said queue for a predetermined amount of time and a message associated with said notification has not been played;

inserting said notification into a position in said queue based upon said priority level of said notification, wherein notifications proximal a top of said queue have a higher priority than notifications proximal a bottom of said queue;

selecting a notification at said queue top; and

playing a message corresponding to said selected notification to said user.

4. In a computer system having an audio-only interface adapted for playing a message to a user by selecting one of a plurality of audio notifications comprising:

means for setting a priority level of a notification arriving into a queue, as determined by said computer system, wherein if said notification is associated with the receipt of an electronic message, said means for setting said priority level of said notification set said priority level lower when said electronic message is sent to more than one recipient;

means for inserting said notification into a position in said queue based upon said priority level of said notification, wherein notifications proximal a top of said queue have a higher priority than notifications proximal a bottom of said queue;

means for selecting a notification at said queue top; and

means for playing a message corresponding to said selected notification to said user.

5. In a computer system having an audio-only interface adapted for playing a message to a user by selecting one of a plurality of audio notifications comprising:

means for setting a priority level of a notification arriving into a queue, as determined by said computer system, wherein said means for setting said priority level of said notification set said priority level lower if said notification is a type which a user has previously declined to play;

means for inserting said notification into a position in said queue based upon said priority level of said notification, wherein notifications proximal a top of said queue have a higher priority than notifications proximal a bottom of said queue;

means for selecting a notification at said queue top; and

means for playing a message corresponding to said selected notification to said user.

6. In a computer system having an audio-only interface adapted for playing a message to a user by selecting one of a plurality of audio notifications comprising:

means for setting a priority level of a notification arriving into a queue, as determined by said computer system, wherein said means for setting a priority level increase said priority level of one of said notifications in said queue if said notification has been within said queue for a predetermined amount of time and a message associated with said notification has not been played;

means for inserting said notification into a position in said queue based upon said priority level of said notification, wherein notifications proximal a top of said queue have a higher priority than notifications proximal a bottom of said queue;

means for selecting a notification at said queue top; and

means for playing a message corresponding to said selected notification to said user.

7. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

setting a priority level of a notification arriving into a queue, as determined by said computer system, wherein if said notification is associated with the receipt of an electronic message, said priority level of said notification is set lower when said electronic message is sent to more than one recipient;

inserting said notification into a position in said queue based upon said priority level of said notification, wherein notifications proximal a top of said queue have a higher priority than notifications proximal a bottom of said queue;

selecting a notification at said queue top; and

playing a message corresponding to said selected notification to said user.

8. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

setting a priority level of a notification arriving into a queue, as determined by said computer system, wherein said priority level of said notification is set lower if said notification is a type which a user has previously declined to play;

inserting said notification into a position in said queue based upon said priority level of said notification, wherein notifications proximal a top of said queue have a higher priority than notifications proximal a bottom of said queue;

selecting a notification at said queue top; and

playing a message corresponding to said selected notification to said user.

9. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

setting a priority level of a notification arriving into a queue, as determined by said computer system, wherein said priority level of one of said notifications in said queue is increased if said notification has been within said queue for a predetermined amount of time and a message associated with said notification has not been played;

inserting said notification into a position in said queue based upon said priority level of said notification, wherein notifications proximal a top of said queue have a higher priority than notifications proximal a bottom of said queue;

selecting a notification at said queue top; and

playing a message corresponding to said selected notification to said user.