Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Intermind Corporation

Onename Corporation

Dan Banay

Stephen Russell Falcon

David Michael Miller

Clement Chun Pong Yip

Jeffrey Todd Oberlander

Drummond Shattuck Reed

Kevin Benard Jones

Steven Mark Mushero

Clement Yip

Richard St Clair Bailey

Peter Earnshaw Heymann

Steve Falcon

Peter Earnshaw Heyman

Systems and methods are described for systems that utilize an interaction manager to manage interactions&#x2014;also known as requests or dialogues&#x2014;from one or more applications. The interactions are managed properly even if multiple applications use different grammars. The interaction manager maintains a priority for each of the interactions, such as via an interaction list, where the priority of the interactions corresponds to an order in which the interactions are to be processed. Interactions are normally processed in the order in which they are received. However, the systems and method described herein may provide a grace period after processing a first interaction and before processing a second interaction. If a third interaction that is chained to the first interaction is received during this grace period, then the third interaction may be processed before the second interaction.

Management and prioritization of processing multiple requests

Systems and methods are described for a speech system that manages multiple grammars from one or more speech-enabled applications. The speech system includes a speech server that supports different grammars and different types of grammars by exposing several methods to the speech-enabled applications. The speech server supports static grammars that do not change and dynamic grammars that may change after a commit. The speech server provides persistence by supporting persistent grammars that enable a user to issue a command to an application even when the application is not loaded. In such a circumstance, the application is automatically launched and the command is processed. The speech server may enable or disable a grammar in order to limit confusion between grammars. Global and yielding grammars are also supported by the speech server. Global grammars are always active (e.g., 'call 9-1-1') while yielding grammars may be deactivated when an interaction whose grammar requires priority is active.

Systems and methods for managing multiple grammars in a speech recognition system

Systems and methods are described for speech systems that utilize an interaction manager to manage interactions&#x2014;also known as dialogues&#x2014;from one or more applications. The interactions are managed properly even if multiple applications use different grammars. The interaction manager maintains an interaction list. An application wishing to utilize the speech system submits one or more interactions to the interaction manager. Interactions are normally processed in the order in which they are received. An exception to this rule is an interaction that is configured by an application to be processed immediately, which causes the interaction manager to place the interaction at the front of the interaction list of interactions. If an application has designated an interaction to interrupt a currently processing interaction, then the newly submitted application will interrupt any interaction currently being processed and, therefore, it will be processed immediately.

Systems and methods for managing interactions from multiple speech-enabled applications

Systems and methods are described for a speech system that includes one or more speech controls incorporated into one or more speech-enabled applications that run on the speech system. The controls allow applications to be developed with minimal programming effort to incorporate common speech-enabled application functions. A question control provides a customizable template for requesting information from a user. An announcer control allows a speech-enabled application to provide a user with information without having to re-create an entire announcer process each time it is used. A command control provides a simple way to attach command and control functions to speech-enabled applications. A word trainer control provides a way to associate user-selected voice tags with certain information. Providing the controls for use with speech-enabled applications ensures standardized user interfaces across multiple speech-enabled applications.

Speech controls for use with a speech system

Systems and methods are described for scaling a graphical user interface (GUI) to fit proportionally in displays of different sizes. Bounds of display objects to be displayed in the graphical user interface are defined in terms of position relative to horizontal and vertical dimensions of a display on which the GUI is rendered. An application defines the GUI in relative terms, but an end user may alter the look and feel of controls in the GUI. A tiered sizing schema is described that provides size constraints for display objects. The end user is limited as to how much a size of a display object can be altered in order to preserve the integrity of the original specifications of the GUI when the GUI is displayed on displays of various dimensions.

Systems and methods for scaling a graphical user interface according to display dimensions and using a tiered sizing schema to define display objects

Improved methods and arrangements provide user interface platforms that are capable of meeting the unique requirements of manufacturers, while also advantageously supporting the development of independently designed software applications. In accordance with certain aspects of the present invention, methods and arrangements are provided whereby certain key events are defined and operatively associated with the hardware suite. These key events, which are essentially virtual events, can be invoked or otherwise implemented by the manufacturers and independent software vendor (ISV) applications. These key events are categorized as being either determinate events or indeterminate events, and their functionality can be based on different behavior models. The behavior models consider the notion that the user interface will most likely include various focusing (e.g., function selection) and/or editing (e.g., parameter modifying) capabilities. As such, the methods and arrangements can support several different behavior models, including, for example, a full-focus mode, a focus-free mode, and an edit-free mode.

Methods and arrangements for interacting with controllable objects within a graphical user interface environment using various input mechanisms

An automated communications system operates to transfer data, metadata and methods from a provider computer to a consumer computer through a communications network. The transferred information controls the communications relationship, including responses by the consumer computer, updating of information, and processes for future communications. Information which changes in the provider computer is automatically updated in the consumer computer through the communications system in order to maintain continuity of the relationship. Transfer of metadata and methods permits intelligent processing of information by the consumer computer and combined control by the provider and consumer of the types and content of information subsequently transferred. Object oriented processing is used for storage and transfer of information. The use of metadata and methods further allows for automating may of the actions underlying the communications, including communication acknowledgements and archiving of information. Service objects and partner servers provide specialized data, metadata, and methods to providers and consumers to automate many common communications services and transactions useful to both providers and consumers. A combination of the provider and consumer programs and databases allows for additional functionality, including coordination of multiple users for a single database.

Computer-based communication system and method using metadata defining a control-structure

An automated communications system operates to transfer data, metadata and methods from a provider computer to a consumer computer through a communications network. The transferred information controls the communications relationship, including responses by the consumer computer, updating of information, and processes for future communications. Information which changes in the provider computer is automatically updated in the consumer computer through the communications system in order to maintain continuity of the relationship. Transfer of metadata and methods permits intelligent processing of information by the consumer computer and combined control by the provider and consumer of the types and content of information subsequently transferred. Object oriented processing is used for storage and transfer of information. Method servers provide specialized data, metadata, and methods to providers and consumers to automate many common communications services and transactions useful to both providers and consumers.

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Dan Banay