Selective mute/unmute control over applications running on a PC

• US 7,911,983 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Labhesh, Eppel, Martin R., Tong, Aaron, Jain, Mukul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quynh H
• Application Number:
  US11/194,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20070025335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 379/201.01, 379/199
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A computer includes a sound card and a processor that runs one or more applications that cause the processor to generate audio signals coupled to the sound card. The processor is operable to execute code that provides a graphical user interface which allows a user to selectively mute the audio signals associated with a set of the one or more applications. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A computer comprising:

audio circuitry; and

a processor that runs one or more applications that cause the processor to generate audio signals coupled to the audio circuitry, the processor being further operable to execute code that provides a graphical user interface which allows a user to selectively mute the audio signals associated with a set of the one or more applications on an application-by-application basis comprising a first mute setting, the user also being allowed to enable a second setting, wherein when the second setting is enabled, the first mute setting is dynamically overridden responsive to an incoming call being detected or an outgoing call being placed, such that the processor only generates the audio signals coupled to the audio circuitry for playing out audio media associated with the incoming call or the outgoing call, the second setting thereby providing greater granular control over the audio circuitry.

2. The computer of claim 1 wherein the audio circuitry comprises a sound card.

3. The computer of claim 1 wherein the one or more applications include an application that provides an Internet Protocol (IP) telephone function.

4. The computer of claim 1 wherein the one or more applications include an Internet Protocol (IP) call management application.

5. The computer of claim 1 further comprising a button, activation of the button invoking the graphical user interface.

6. A processor-implemented method for controlling audio output of a personal computer (PC) comprising:

providing a graphical user interface that allows a user to selectively mute audio outputs associated with one or more applications running on the PC on an application-by-application basis comprising a mute setting, the graphical user interface also allowing the user to enable a second setting;

saving the mute setting and the second setting;

disabling audio signals sent to a sound card of the PC based on the mute setting;

dynamically overriding the mute setting in response to an Internet Protocol (IP) telephone call when the second setting is enabled, the second setting thereby providing greater granular control over the audio output of the PC.

7. The processor-implemented method of claim 6 wherein dynamically overriding the mute setting comprises:

automatically muting all of the one or more applications, except any application associated with management or communication of the IP telephone call;

resetting the PC to the mute setting upon completion of the IP telephone call.

8. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program, when executed, operable to:

provide a graphical user interface that allows a user to selectively mute audio outputs associated with one or more applications running on a computer on an application-by-application basis by clicking one or more boxes corresponding to the one or more applications, a set of one or more selected icons comprising a mute setting, the graphical user interface also allowing the user to enable a second setting;

save the mute setting and the second setting to a memory;

disable audio signals sent to a sound card of the computer based on the mute setting;

dynamically override the mute setting in response to an Internet Protocol (IP) telephone call when the second setting is enabled, the second setting thereby providing greater granular control over the sound card of the computer.

9. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the computer program, when executed, is further operable to:

automatically mute all of the one or more applications, except any application associated with management or communication of the IP telephone call; and

reset the PC to the mute setting upon completion of the IP telephone call.

10. A processor-implemented method for controlling audio output of a personal computer (PC) comprising:

saving a first user setting that identifies, on an application-by-application basis, a selected set of applications running on the PC, the selected set being a subset of all applications running the PC;

saving a second user setting that enables a mute override function, the second user setting providing greater granular control over the audio output of the PC;

muting audio media associated with the selected set of applications running on the PC;

dynamically overriding the first user setting in response to an Internet Protocol (IP) telephone call;

automatically muting all active applications on the PC except any application associated with management or communication of the IP telephone call;

resetting the PC to the first user setting upon completion of the IP telephone call.