System and method for concurrent presentation of multiple audio information sources

• US 6,757,656 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2000
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gong, Qing, Vanbuskirk, Ronald E., Lewis, James R., Wang, Huifang
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOLAN, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US09/594,397
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275, 704/274, 704/248, 704/243
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue

Abstract

A method for concurrent presentation of multiple audio information sources. In the method, audio information from at least two audio information sources is concurrently presented, and a user speech selection of one of the audio information sources is accepted. At least one of the audio information sources can then be reconfigured. The reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the user selected audio information source from other audio information sources.

Claims

1. A method for concurrent presentation of multiple audio information sources, comprising the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources; and

responsive to said accepting step, automatically reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said presenting step further comprises presenting at least one audio information source which is audibly distinguishable from each other audio information source.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said presenting step further comprises having at least one audio information source at a volume level which differs from that of the other audio information sources.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said accepting step further comprises accepting a command from the user which specifies a name of at least one audio information source.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of accepting a user selection of at least one of the audio information sources through a user interface, wherein the user interface electronically communicates the user selection to at least one audio information source.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the user interface is a keypad.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the command is at least one word associated with the name of the at least one audio information source.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reconfiguring step further comprises adjusting the volume of at least one selected audio information source.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said presenting step further comprises adjusting a sound-related characteristic of at least one audio information source.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the sound-related characteristic is at least one selected from the group consisting of pitch, echoing, and frequency.

11. A method for concurrent presentation of multiple audio information sources, comprising the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources, wherein said presenting step further comprises having at least one audio information source which originates from a direction that differs from that of the direction from which the other audio information sources originate;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources; and

reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.

12. A method for concurrent presentation of multiple audio information sources, comprising the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources, wherein said presenting step further comprises having at least one audio information source which moves in a direction that differs from that of the direction in which the other audio information sources move;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources; and

reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.

13. A method for concurrent presentation of multiple audio information sources, comprising the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources, wherein said accepting step further comprises accepting a command from the user which identifies at least one audio information source, wherein the command from the user is the same as at least one word generated by the audio information source; and

reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.

14. A method for concurrent presentation of multiple audio information sources, comprising the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources, wherein said accepting step further comprises accepting a command from the user which identifies at least one audio information source, wherein the command describes the location of the audio information source relative to the user; and

reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.

15. A method for concurrent presentation of multiple audio information sources, comprising the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources, wherein said presenting step further comprises the step of temporarily reconfiguring at least one audio information source, whereby the user can consider whether to select the temporarily reconfigured audio information source;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources; and

reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.

16. A method for concurrent presentation of multiple audio information sources, comprising the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources, wherein at least one audio information source identifies itself by generating sound which describes the audio information source;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources; and

reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.

17. A method for concurrent presentation of multiple audio information sources, comprising the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources; and

reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, wherein said reconfiguring step further comprises adjusting the volume of at least one non-selected audio information source, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.

18. 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 cause the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources; and

responsive to said accepting step, automatically reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.

19. The machine readable storage according to claim 18, wherein said presenting step further comprises presenting at least one audio information source which is audibly distinguishable from each other audio information source.

20. The machine readable storage according to claim 18, wherein said presenting step further comprises having at least one audio information source at a volume level which differs from that of the other audio information sources.

21. The machine readable storage according to claim 18, wherein said accepting step further comprises accepting a command from the user which specifies a name of at least one audio information source.

22. The machine readable storage according to claim 21, further comprising the step of accepting a user selection of at least one of the audio information sources through a user interface, wherein the user interface electronically communicates the user selection to at least one audio information source.

23. The machine readable storage according to claim 22, wherein the user interface is a keypad.

24. The machine readable storage according to claim 21, wherein the command is at least one word associated with name of the at least one audio information source.

25. The machine readable storage according to claim 18, wherein said reconfiguring step further comprises adjusting the volume of at least one selected audio information source.

26. The machine readable storage according to claim 18, wherein said presenting step further comprises adjusting a sound-related characteristic of at least one audio information source.

27. The machine readable storage according to claim 26, wherein the sound-related characteristic is at least one selected from the group consisting of pitch, echoing, and frequency.

28. 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 cause the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources, wherein said presenting step further comprises having at least one audio information source which originates from a direction that differs from the direction from which the other audio information sources originate;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources; and

reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.

29. 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 cause the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources, wherein said presenting step further comprises having at least one audio information source which moves in a direction that differs from that of the direction in which the other audio information sources move;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources; and

reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.

30. 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 cause the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources, wherein said accepting step further comprises accepting a command from the user which identifies at least one audio information source, wherein the command is the same as at least one word generated by the audio information source; and

reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.

31. 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 cause the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources, wherein said accepting step further comprises accepting a command from the user which identifies at least one audio information source, wherein the command describes the location of the audio information source relative to the user; and

reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.

32. 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 cause the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources, said presenting step further comprises the step of temporarily reconfiguring at least one audio information source, whereby the user can consider whether to select the temporarily reconfigured audio information source;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources; and

reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.

33. 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 cause the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources, said method further comprises the step of having at least one audio information source identify itself by generating sound which describes the audio information source;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources; and

reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.

34. 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 cause the steps of:

concurrently presenting audio information from at least two audio information sources;

accepting a user speech selection of at least one of the audio information sources; and

reconfiguring at least one of the audio information sources, wherein said reconfiguring step further comprises adjusting the volume of at least one non-selected audio information source, whereby the reconfiguration audibly distinguishes the at least one user selected audio information source from others of the audio information sources.