Personal computer and scanner for generating conversation utterances to a remote listener in response to a quiet selection

• US 7,013,279 B1
• Filed: 09/08/2000
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Nelson, Lester D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCFADDEN, SUSAN IRIS
• Application Number:
  US09/658,243
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions

Abstract

A user conducts a telephone conversation without speaking. It does this by moving the participant in the public situation to a quiet mode of communication (e.g., keyboard, buttons, touchscreen). All the other participants are allowed to continue using their usual audible technology (e.g., telephones) over the existing telecommunications infrastructure. The quiet user interface transforms the user'"'"'s silent input selections into equivalent audible signals that may be directly transmitted to the other parties in the conversation.

Claims

1. A personal computer, comprising:

(a) an input for receiving audio;

(b) a display for providing a conversation representation;

(c) a memory for storing the conversation representation and an associated conversation element, wherein the conversation element has an internal representation of an audible utterance;

(d) a processor, coupled to the audio input, display and memory, for providing a control signal; and

,

(e) an audio output, coupled to the processor and memory, for providing the audible utterance responsive to the control signal and the conversation element.

2. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein an impedance matching circuit is coupled to the audio output.

3. The personal computer of claim 2, wherein a telephone is coupled to the impedance matching circuit.

4. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein the personal computer further comprises:

(f) an audio generator, coupled to the processor and audio output, for generating the audible utterance.

5. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein the conversation representation is in a graphic user interface (GUI).

6. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein the conversation representation is selected from the group consisting of an icon, a symbol, a figure, a graph, a checkbox, a GUI widget and a graphic button.

7. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein the conversation representation is selected from the group consisting of a text and a label.

8. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein the conversation element is selected from the group consisting of a phrase, a word, a letter, a number, a symbol, and a sound effect.

9. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein the internal representation is in a format selected from the group consisting of a sound file, a record or playback, a text and a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (“

MIDI”

) sequence.

10. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein a user alters the conversation representation.

11. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein a user alters the conversation element.

12. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein a user deletes the conversation representation.

13. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein a user deletes the conversation element.

14. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein a user adds the conversation element.

15. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein a user adds the conversation representation.

16. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein a user alters the association between the conversation representation and the conversation element.

17. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein a user records the conversation element.

18. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein the conversation representation and the conversation element are loaded from a host computer.

19. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein the control signal is generated in response to a user selecting the conversation representation.

20. The personal computer of claim 1, wherein an earpiece is coupled to the audio output for listening by a user.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the conversation representation and the conversation element is loaded from a host computer.

22. A personal computer, comprising:

(a) an input for receiving audio;

(b) a device for providing a conversation representation;

(c) a memory for storing a conversation element associated with the conversation representation, wherein the conversation element has an internal representation of an audible utterance;

(d) a processor, coupled to the audio input, device and memory, for generating a control signal responsive to a device signal; and

,

(e) an audio output, coupled to the processor and memory, for providing the audible utterance responsive to the control signal and the conversation element.

23. The personal computer of claim 22, wherein an impedance matching circuit is coupled to the audio output.

24. The personal computer of claim 23, wherein a telephone is coupled to the impedance matching circuit.

25. The personal computer of claim 22, wherein the conversation representation is selected from the group consisting of a button, a switch, a barcode, a label, a glyph, and Braille.

26. The personal computer of claim 22, when the control signal is generated in response to a user selecting the conversation representation.

27. The personal computer of claim 22, where an earpiece is coupled to the audio output for listening by a user.

28. The personal computer of claim 22, wherein the conversation element is selected from the group consisting of a phrase, a word, a letter, a number, a symbol, and a sound effect.

29. The personal computer of claim 22, wherein the internal representation is in a format selected from the group consisting of a sound file, a record or a playback, text and a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (“

MIDI”

) sequence.

30. The personal computer of claim 22, wherein the personal computer further comprises:

(f) an audio generator, coupled to the processor and audio output, for generating the audible utterance.

31. The system of claim 22 wherein the device for providing the conversation representation comprises:

an item comprising a code associated with the conversation element; and

a scanning device, coupled to the processor for reading the code and transmitting the device signal to the processor in response to reading the code.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the code is a barcode and the item is a printed card.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the scanning device is a barcode scanner.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the scanning device is a laser scanner.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the scanning device is a digital camera.

36. A personal computer system, comprising:

(a) an audio input for receiving audio;

(b) a display for providing the conversation representation icon;

(c) a memory for storing the conversation representation icon and an associated conversation element, wherein the conversation element has an internal representation of an audible utterance;

(d) a processor, coupled to the audio input, display and memory, for generating a control signal;

(e) an audio generator, coupled to the processor, for generating the audible utterance responsive to the control signal and the conversation element;

(f) an audio output, coupled to the audio generator, for providing the audible utterance;

(g) an impedance matching circuit coupled to the audio output; and

,

(h) a telephone coupled to the impedance matching circuit.