Sound output setting apparatus, method, and computer-executable program

• US 8,966,365 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Maki, Koutaroh, Hagiwara, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): BHARGAVA, ANIL K
• Application Number:
  US13/106,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20110283191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 715/727, 715/728
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for an information processing apparatus capable of allowing a user to select appropriate processing beforehand when an application program outputs sound in a state in which an audio device is silenced. The apparatus in one embodiment includes a silencing module for silencing audio information output from an audio device, a detection module for detecting a sound playback request from an application program while silencing is set, a display module for displaying a select screen for allowing a user to select processing when the sound playback request from the application program is detected by the detection module, and a processing module for executing the processing selected by the user on the select screen.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a storage device storing machine readable code; and

a processor executing the machine readable code, the machine readable code comprising;

a silencing module that silences audio output from an audio device, wherein the silencing module comprises an audio driver that controls the external output of the audio of the audio device;

a detection module that detects a sound playback request for an audio stream from an application program while silencing is set, wherein the detection module comprises

an audio service that receives a sound playback request from the application program and outputs the sound playback request to a kernel-mode driver, and

a filter driver that intercepts the sound playback request while the audio device is silenced and outputs a select screen display request, the filter driver further causing the audio driver to execute a processing option selected by a user on a select screen;

a display module that displays the select screen to allow the user to select the processing option, wherein the processing option comprises one or more of enabling audio output for a predetermined period and enabling audio output for the audio stream only; and

a processing module that executes the processing option selected by the user on the select screen.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing option further comprises silencing audio output and enabling audio output.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the processing module causing the silencing module to enable audio output from the audio device for a predetermined period in response to the user selecting the enabling audio output for a predetermined period processing option on the selection screen.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the processing module causing the silencing module to only enable audio output for the audio stream in response to the user selecting the enabling audio output for the audio stream only processing option on the selection screen.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising the processing module causing the silencing module to enable audio output for one or more other audio streams in response to the user selecting the enable audio output processing option on the selection screen.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising the audio output being output from the beginning of the audio stream in response to the user selecting the enabling audio output processing option on the selection screen.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display module comprises:

a user interface that displays a select screen for allowing a user to select processing responsive to the select screen display request being received; and

wherein the processing module comprises;

an audio service that receives a sound playback request from an application program and outputs the sound playback request to a kernel-mode driver, and

a filter driver that intercepts the sound playback request while the audio device is silenced and outputs a select screen display request, the filter driver further causing the audio driver to execute the processing selected by the user on the select screen.

8. A machine implemented method comprising:

silencing audio output from an audio device;

detecting a sound playback request for an audio stream from an application program while silencing is set, wherein detecting the sound playback request comprises

receiving a sound playback request from the application program and outputting the sound playback request to a kernel-mode driver, and

intercepting the sound playback request while the audio device is silenced and outputting a select screen display request;

displaying a select screen for allowing a user to select a processing option responsive to the sound playback request from the application program being detected in the detecting step, wherein the processing option comprises one or more of enabling audio output for a predetermined period and enabling audio output for the audio stream only; and

executing the processing option selected by the user on the select screen, wherein executing the processing option comprises causing an audio driver that controls the external output of the audio of the audio device to execute the processing option selected by the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the processing option further comprises silencing audio output and enabling audio output.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising enabling audio output from the audio device for a predetermined period in response to the user selecting the enabling audio output for a predetermined period processing option on the selection screen.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising only enabling audio output for the audio stream in response to the user selecting the enabling audio output for the audio stream only processing option on the selection screen.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising enabling audio output for one or more other audio streams in response to the user selecting the enabling audio output processing option on the selection screen.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising outputting the audio output from the beginning of the audio stream in response to the user selecting the enabling audio output processing option on the selection screen.

14. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing machine readable code executed by a processor to perform the operation of:

silencing audio output from an audio device;

detecting a sound playback request for an audio stream from an application program while silencing is set, wherein detecting the sound playback request comprises

receiving a sound playback request from the application program and outputting the sound playback request to a kernel-mode driver, and

intercepting the sound playback request while the audio device is silenced and outputting a select screen display request;

displaying a select screen for allowing a user to select a processing option responsive to the sound playback request from the application program being detected in the detecting step, wherein the processing option comprises one or more of enabling audio output for a predetermined period and enabling audio output for the audio stream only; and

executing the processing option selected by the user on the select screen, wherein executing the processing option comprises causing an audio driver that controls the external output of the audio of the audio device to execute the processing option selected by the user.

15. The program product of claim 14, wherein the processing option further comprises silencing audio output and enabling audio output.

16. The program product of claim 14, wherein the operation further comprises enabling audio output from the audio device for a predetermined period in response to the user selecting the enabling audio output for a predetermined period processing option on the selection screen.

17. The program product of claim 14, wherein the operation further comprises only enabling audio output for the audio stream in response to the user selecting the enabling audio output for the audio stream only processing option on the selection screen.

18. The program product of claim 15, wherein the operation further comprises enabling audio output for one or more other audio streams in response to the user selecting the enable audio output processing option on the selection screen.

19. The program product of claim 15, wherein the operation further comprises outputting the audio output from the beginning of the audio stream in response to the user selecting the enabling audio output processing option on the selection screen.