Voice file management in portable digital audio recorder

• US 6,671,567 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1998
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dictaphone Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Colon, Richard S. Sr., Vaughan, John C., Dwyer, John J., Rothschild, Stephen, Godin, David K., Pawlowski, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Application Number:
  US09/190,196
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 704/270, 704/272, 704/278, 369/25, 369/25.01, 369/29.01, 369/29.02
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A portable digital voice recorder is interfaced for data communication with a personal computer. Voice data files are stored in the portable recorder together with header data which indicates the status of the voice data files. In response to a batch upload command, selected ones of the voice data files are uploaded to the personal computer, depending on the status of the voice data files as indicated by the status data. Graphical user interface software running in the PC causes the PC to display icons indicative of voice data files stored in the portable recorder. The header data in the portable recorder may be changed by operation of the PC'"'"'s graphical user interface. For example, file designations indicated by header data in the portable recorder may be changed by editing corresponding fields displayed by the PC.

Claims

1. A voice data management system, comprising:

a portable digital voice recorder, including a housing shaped and sized to fit in a user'"'"'s hand, a microphone secured to said housing, and memory means mounted in said housing for storing voice data files which correspond to audio signals generated by said microphone, said memory means also storing respective status data for each voice data file stored by said memory means, said status data for indicating a status of the respective voice data file;

a personal computer;

means for providing a data signal transmission path connecting said memory means to said personal computer; and

control means for receiving an upload signal and for responding to the received upload signal by (a) selecting ones of said voice data files on the basis of the respective status data for the voice data files, and (b) uploading the selected voice data files to the personal computer via said data signal transmission path.

2. A voice data management system according to claim 1, wherein said memory means stores respective header data associated with each of said voice data files, the header data including file name information for the respective voice data file and also including said status data for the respective voice data file.

3. A voice data management system according to claim 1, wherein said control means changes the status data corresponding to said selected and uploaded voice data files.

4. A voice data management system according to claim 1, wherein said control means is mounted inside said portable recorder housing and controls operation of said portable recorder.

5. A method of uploading voice data files from a portable digital voice recorder to a data processing device, the method comprising the steps of:

storing voice data files in the portable digital voice recorder;

associating respective status data with each voice data file stored in the portable digital voice recorder;

interfacing the portable digital voice recorder to the data processing device to permit data communication between the recorder and the data processing device; and

selectively transferring the stored voice data files from the portable digital voice recorder to the data processing device in accordance with the respective status data associated with each stored voice data file.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of changing the status data associated with each voice data file transferred at said transferring step.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said data-changing step is performed after said transferring step.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein the data processing device is a personal computer.

9. A voice data management system, comprising:

a portable digital voice recorder, including a housing shaped and sized to fit in a user'"'"'s hand, a microphone secured to said housing, and memory means mounted in said housing for storing voice data files which correspond to audio signals generated by said microphone, said memory means also storing respective status data for each voice data file stored by said memory means, said status data for indicating a status of the respective voice data file;

a personal computer;

means for providing a data signal transmission path connecting said memory means to said personal computer; and

control means for receiving an upload signal and for responding to the received upload signal by (a) uploading to the personal computer at least some of said voice data files stored by said memory means, and (b) changing the status data for the uploaded voice data files.

10. A voice data management system according to claim 9, wherein said control means changes the status data for uploaded voice data files after the same have been uploaded to the personal computer.

11. A voice data management system according to claim 9, wherein said control means changes the status data for uploaded voice data files before the same have been uploaded to the personal computer.

12. A voice data management system according to claim 9, wherein said memory means is a removable solid state memory card.

13. A voice data management system, comprising:

a portable digital voice recorder, including a housing shaped and sized to fit in a user'"'"'s hand, a microphone secured to said housing, memory means mounted in said housing for storing voice data files which correspond to audio signals generated by said microphone, said memory means also storing respective header data associated with each of said voice data files stored by said memory means, said header data including data for identifying the respective voice data files, and control means mounted in said housing for controlling operation of said recorder;

a personal computer including a display and a cursor control device, said personal computer running software for providing a graphical user interface, said interface allowing a user of the personal computer to cause the personal computer to generate a data management signal; and

means, interconnecting said personal computer and said control means of said portable digital voice recorder, for transmitting said data management signal from said personal computer to said control means;

said control means responding to said data management signal by changing the header data associated with at least one of said voice data files stored by said memory means.

14. A voice data management system according to claim 13, wherein said graphical user interface displays an alphanumeric field corresponding to said header data stored in the recorder memory means, and said data management signal is generated in response to the user editing the alphanumeric field displayed by said graphical user interface.

15. A voice data management system, comprising:

a portable digital voice recorder, including a housing shaped and sized to fit in a user'"'"'s hand, a microphone secured to said housing, memory means mounted in said housing for storing voice data files which correspond to audio signals generated by said microphone, said memory means also storing respective header data associated with each of said voice data files stored by said memory means, said header data including data for identifying the respective voice data files, and control means mounted in said housing for controlling operation of said recorder;

a personal computer including a display and a cursor control device, said personal computer running software for providing a graphical user interface;

means for providing a data signal transmission path connecting said memory means to said personal computer; and

upload means for uploading to said personal computer header data associated with voice data files stored by said memory means and not uploaded to said personal computer.

16. A voice data management system according to claim 15, wherein said graphical user interface includes icons on said display corresponding to voice data files stored in the portable digital voice recorder.

17. A method of operating a portable digital voice recorder, comprising the steps of:

storing voice data files in the recorder;

storing header data in the recorder in association with the stored voice data files;

interfacing the recorder to a personal computer which includes a display; and

displaying on the display icons corresponding to the voice data files stored in the recorder.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said displayed icons include alphanumeric information corresponding to the header data stored in the recorder;

and further comprising the steps of;

operating the personal computer to change the alphanumeric information included in the displayed icons; and

changing the corresponding header data in the recorder in response to said change in the alphanumeric information included in the displayed icons.