Multi-modal communication through modal-specific interfaces

• US 8,881,020 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Affronti, Michael Anthony, Breskin-Auer, Nathaniel Eric, McCann, Robert Emmett
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): VARGA, WILSON V
• Application Number:
  US12/145,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20090319918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,324 Days
• Field of Search: 715751-753, 715/758, 715/744
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for providing multi-modal communication through modal-specific interfaces. In one method, a communication in a first modality is received from a first interface across a computer network. The communication is converted into a second modality. Upon converting the communication into the second modality, the communication is provided to a second interface across the computer network.

Claims

1. A method for multi-modal communication via a communication controller operating in a computer network architecture, said controller associated with a user and responsive to the user'"'"'s preference for a modality-specific user interface for communications, comprising:

receiving from a first user from a first modality-specific user interface adapted to transmit and receive communications only in the first modality across a computer network, a first communication in a first modality, the first communication directed at a second user, wherein the first modality comprises email;

upon receiving the first communication in the first modality from the first modality-specific user interface across the computer network, converting the first communication into a second modality adapted to transmit and receive communications only in the second modality based on a preference set by the second user, wherein the second modality comprises chat or short message service (SMS); and

upon converting the first communication into the second modality, providing the first communication to a second modality-specific user interface across the computer network, the first modality-specific user interface capable of presenting communications in the first modality but not capable of presenting communications in the second modality and the second modality-specific user interface capable of presenting communications in the second modality but not capable of presenting communications in the first modality,

wherein an incoming communication into the second modality-specific user interface is converted into the second modality of chat when the second user is online and into the other second modality of SMS when the second user is offline,

wherein the incoming communication is converted to provide for the ability of the second-modality user interface to present the communication to the second user so that the first communication from the first modality-specific user interface appears to originate in the second modality and the first modality-specific user interface presents a second communication originating from the second user from the second modality-specific user interface in response to the first communication,

wherein the second communication is converted to provide for the ability of the first modality-specific interface to present the second communication so that the second communication appears to the first user to originate in the first modality.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the second modality-specific user interface across the computer network, the second communication in the second modality;

converting the second communication into the first modality; and

upon converting the second communication into the first modality, providing to the first modality-specific user interface across the computer network, the second communication.

3. A method for multi-modal communication via a communication controller operating in a computer network architecture, said controller associated with a user and responsive to the user'"'"'s preference for a modality-specific user interface for communications, comprising:

receiving from a first user from a first modality-specific user interface adapted to transmit and receive communications only in the first modality across a computer network, a first communication in a first modality from the first user, the first communication directed at a second user, wherein the first modality comprises chat or short message service (SMS);

upon receiving the first communication in the first modality from the first modality-specific user interface across the computer network, determining that the second user is associated with a second modality adapted to transmit and receive communications only in the second modality, wherein the second modality comprises email or SMS;

upon determining that the second user is associated with the second modality, converting the first communication into the second modality based on a second preference set by the second user when the second user is online and converting the first communication into the other second modality of SMS when the second user is offline;

upon converting the first communication into the second modality, providing the first communication to a second modality-specific user interface across the computer network;

receiving, from the second modality-specific user interface across the computer network, a second communication in the second modality from the second user, the second communication directed at the first user;

upon receiving the second communication in the second modality from the second modality-specific user interface across the computer network, determining that the first user is associated with the first modality;

upon determining that the first user is associated with the first modality, converting the second communication into the first modality based on a first preference set by the first user; and

upon converting the second communication into the first modality, providing the second communication to the first modality-specific user interface across the computer network, the first modality-specific user interface capable of presenting communications in the first modality but not capable of presenting communications in the second modality, the second modality-specific user interface capable of presenting communications in the second modality but not capable of presenting communications in the first modality,

wherein the incoming communication is converted to provide for the ability of the second-modality user interface to present the communication to the second user so that the first communication from the first modality-specific user interface appears to originate in the second modality and the first modality-specific user interface presents a response communication originating from the second user from the second modality-specific user interface in response to the first communication,

wherein the response communication is converted to provide for the ability of the first modality-specific interface to present the response communication so that the response communication appears to the first user to originate in the first modality.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second modality-specific interface displays notification of receiving the first communication in an inbox.

5. A computer-readable storage device having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive from a first user from a first modality-specific user interface operating on a first computer across a computer network, a first communication in a first modality from a first user, the first communication directed at a second user, the first modality-specific user interface capable of presenting communications in the first modality but not capable of presenting communications in a second modality, wherein the first modality-specific user interface is adapted to transmit and receive communications only in the first modality, and wherein the second modality-specific user interface is adapted to transmit and receive communications only in the second modality, wherein the first modality comprises email and the second modality comprises chat or short message service (SMS);

upon receiving the first communication in the first modality from the first modality-specific user interface across the computer network, determine that the second user is associated with the second modality-specific user interface;

upon determining that the second user is associated with the second modality-specific user interface, convert the first communication into the second modality based on a second preference set by the second user when the second user is online and convert the first communication into the other second modality of SMS when the second user is offline;

upon converting the first communication into the second modality, provide the first communication to the second modality-specific user interface operating on a second computer across the computer network;

receive, from the second modality-specific user interface operating on the second computer across the computer network, a second communication in the second modality from the second user, the second communication directed at the first user, the second modality-specific user interface not capable of presenting communications in the first modality;

upon receiving the second communication in the second modality from the second modality-specific user interface across the computer network, determine that the first user is associated with the first modality,

upon determining that the first user is associated with the first modality, convert the second communication into the first modality based on a first preference set by the first user; and

upon converting the second communication into the first modality, provide the second communication to the first modality-specific user interface operating on the first computer across the computer network,

wherein the second communication is converted to provide for the ability of the second-modality user interface to present the second communication so that the second communication from the first modality-specific user interface appears to the second user to originate in the second modality and the first-modality user interface presents a response communication,

wherein the response communication is converted to provide for the ability of the first-modality specific interface to present the response communication so that the response communication appears to the first user to originate in the first modality.