International Business Machines Corporation

Nuance Communications, Inc.

David John Roberts

Richard Edmond Berry

Scott Harlan Isensee

Craig Ardner Swearingen

John Martin Mullaly

Scott Anthony Morgan

Alan Richard Tannenbaum

Didier Daniel Bardon

Susan F Henshaw

Didier Daniel Claude Bardon

Anthony Christopher Courtney Temple

Shirley Lynn Martin

David John Clark

Andrew John Smith

Paul Jonathan Englefield

Raymond Trainer

Vanessa Donnelly

Denise Marie Burton

John Simmons

Anthony C C Temple

In an interactive computer controlled display system with speech command input recognition and visual feedback including means for predetermining a plurality of speech commands for respectively initiating each of a corresponding plurality of system actions in combination with means for providing for each of the plurality of speech commands an associated set of speech terms, each term having relevance to its associated command. Also included are means responsive to a detected speech term having relevance to one of the speech commands for displaying a relevant command. The system preferably may display basic speech commands simultaneously along with relevant commands. The means for providing the associated set of speech terms may comprise a stored relevance table of universal speech input commands and universal computer operation terms conventionally associated with system actions initiated by the input commands, and means for relating operation terms of the system with terms in the relevance table.

Speech command input recognition system for interactive computer display with interpretation of ancillary relevant speech query terms into commands

In an interactive computer controlled display system with speech command input recognition and visual feedback, implementations are provided for predetermining a plurality of speech commands for respectively initiating each of a corresponding plurality of system actions in combination with implementations for providing for each of said plurality of commands, an associated set of speech terms, each term having relevance to its associated command. Also included are implementations for detecting speech command and speech terms. The system provides an implementation responsive to a detected speech command for displaying said command, and an implementation responsive to a detected speech term having relevance to one of said commands for displaying the relevant command. The system further comprehends an interactive implementation for selecting a displayed command to thereby initiate a system action; this selecting implementation is preferably through a speech command input. The system preferably displays the basic speech commands simultaneously along with the relevant commands.

A speech recognition system which does not switch modes of operation when interpreting speech queries, such as help queries, or receiving actual spoken commands. The system handles both concurrently and seamlessly in the same operation mode. The present invention is directed to an interactive computer controlled display system with speech recognition comprising an implementation for predetermining a plurality of speech commands each associated with a corresponding plurality of system actions in combination with an implementation for concurrently detecting speech commands and speech queries for locating commands. There is also provided an implementation responsive to a detected speech command for carrying out the system action corresponding to the command, and an implementation responsive to a detected speech query for attempting to locate commands applicable to said query. The system also includes an implementation for displaying the detected speech query together with an implementation for displaying located commands applicable to said query.

Speech command input recognition system for interactive computer display with means for concurrent and modeless distinguishing between speech commands and speech queries for locating commands

The present invention provides a solution for users of voice recognition systems who still need visual feedback in order to confirm the accuracy of spoken commands but need to operate in a 'hands-off' mode with respect to computer input. In an interactive computer controlled display system with speech command input recognition, the present invention provides a system for confirming the recognition of a command by first predetermining a plurality of speech commands for respectively designating each of a corresponding plurality of system actions and providing means for detecting such speech commands. There also are means responsive to a detected speech command for displaying said command for a predetermined time period, during which time the user may give a spoken command to stop the system action designated by said displayed command. In the event that said system action is not stopped during said predetermined time period, the system action designated by said displayed command will be executed. The user need not wait for the expiration of the time period if he notes that the displayed command is the right one; he has speech command means for executing the system action designated by said displayed command prior to the expiration of said time period. This may be as simple as just repeating the displayed command.

Speech command input recognition system for interactive computer display with speech controlled display of recognized commands

A system, method and computer program are provided for viewer navigation within a virtual reality three-dimensional workspace containing functional three-dimensional objects which are capable of being moved and environmental three-dimensional objects which have stationary positions in the workspace. Navigation from an initial viewpoint interface in the virtual reality workspace to a subsequent viewpoint is carried out by the viewer selecting an environmental object whereupon the system responds by shifting the viewpoint to a subsequent position in the workspace.

Navigation via environmental objects in three-dimensional workspace interactive displays

A method, system and program for navigating within any compound graphical object in a graphical user interface presented on a display. The compound graphical object has an arbitrary number of hierarchically ranked levels. First, the system determines whether a command to move within the compound object was issued from a pointing device or from a keyboard device. If issued from a pointing device, a lowest level object in the compound object is found which encompasses a hot-spot of a pointer icon controlled by the pointing device. The level to which the lowest level object belongs is made active. If the selection command was issued from a keyboard device, a next object in the compound object is selected, the next object being established by the keyboard user command and other information such as the relative hierarchical and spatial positions of the current and next objects.

Navigation within a graphical user interface for a compound graphical object using pointing device input

A physical play-in-place case for housing and playing a media disc, such as an audio compact disc (CD). The case comprises a base, a shell attached to the base defining a cavity for receiving a CD, the shell further having a landing portion defining a spine area extending substantially along a common side of the base and the shell, and a cover hinged to the base along the spine area. Playback controls are located at the landing portion of the shell and extend into the spine area. At least one audio output device is located in the shell. A track/time display can also be located at the landing portion of the shell. In a further embodiment, a graphic display panel is attached to the cover, and may be viewed when the cover is in the closed position. A touch screen may be operatively combined with the graphic display panel. The case can be fabricated in the same size as conventional CD jewel cases, i.e., with dimensions no greater than about 14 cm&times;12.5 cm&times;10 cm.

Physical play-in-place audio compact disc jewel case

A system, method and computer program are provided for presenting to a viewer at a display interface, a virtual 3D workspace containing virtual 3D objects and viewer interactive means for navigating in said workspace. Each object in the workspace has a plurality of face views associated with it. Viewer interactive means are provided for selecting one of the face views. A predetermined face view is presented in the absence of a viewer selection.

Viewer interactive object with multiple selectable face views in virtual three-dimensional workplace

A user interface builder provides support for creation of customized user interfaces, enabling users to associate images, animation, sound clips and other media with specific predefined states of a user interface control. A set of object classes for each control predefined within the user interface builder include a first class defining the functional behavior and a comprehensive state model for the control, and a second class which encapsulates property attributes which may be set by a user to be associated with specific states of the control. In particular, desired graphics images, audio and animation sequences can be associated with a control via simple GUI interaction, avoiding the need for an interface creator to write code for standard interface control functions and so enabling easy creation of interfaces with semantic consistency and customized appearance.

User interface controls for a computer system

Speech command input recognition system for interactive computer display with term weighting means used in interpreting potential commands from relevant speech terms

A method and system for providing visual hierarchy of task groups and related viewpoints of a three dimensional display of a computer system is disclosed. The method and system comprises providing a group of task related objects and positioning an object within an associated viewpoint when the object is to be utilized. In the present invention each task group is composed of objects related to a particular user task. Associated with each task group is a viewpoint in the 3D space. The visual organization of task groups and associated viewpoints allows the user to traverse the task-object hierarchy smoothly, seeing more or less of the surrounding task context as desired.

Method and system for providing visual hierarchy of task groups and

A method and system for classifying user objects in a three-dimensional environment on a display of a computer system is disclosed. The method and system comprises providing a set of standardized classes of user objects and defining the standardized classes based upon a users needs. The method and system is directed toward a classification for objects relevant to the tasks of organizing the 3D environment, navigating through the 3D environment, and performing useful work in the 3D user environment in a computer system classification. The distinction between classes of objects in the classification is based on user needs and is reflected in the properties and behaviors of objects as perceived by the users.

Method and system for classifying user objects in a three-dimensional

A system, method and computer program are provided for user navigation within a virtual reality three-dimensional workspace containing functional three-dimensional objects. The viewer navigates from an initial viewpoint interface through a sequence of viewpoints, which sequence the system records. When the viewer has completed his accessing of a functional object for whatever purpose, he has the option of triggering a backout sequence. If the viewer triggers such a sequence, the system will backout from the accessed objects through the sequence of recorded viewpoints in reverse order. At any one of these viewpoints during the backout, the viewer has the option of interrupting the reverse or backout sequence and proceeding to any viewpoint he may desire in another direction.

Back away navigation from three-dimensional objects in three-dimensional

A system, method and computer program are provided for a virtual three-dimensional workspace with means for navigating the user's viewpoint into said workspace. Potentially interactive three-dimensional objects are positioned within the workspace. There is provided for each object an interaction sphere having a preselected radius. This interaction sphere is stored in association with its corresponding object. It remains a characteristic of the object so that when, during navigation, the user's viewpoint comes within the interaction sphere of a particular object, that object is rendered interactive. In addition, the object which is rendered interactive is usually highlighted in some manner so as to inform the user that he may functionally interact with the object.

Interaction spheres of three-dimensional objects in three-dimensional

The instant invention relates to a system and method of assisting interactive users to effectively address the need to control the user's entrance and exit of places in virtual 3-D workspace. Specifically, how can a designer and or a user best control what happens when the user enters or exits a particular place in a virtual reality environment. The purpose of this invention, 'Passageway Properties', is the creation of customizable attributes pertaining to the behavior of the user interface upon the entrance or exit of places in virtual environments.

Growing community of inventors

Stockton, United Kingdom

David John Roberts