The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 06, 1999
Filed:
Mar. 10, 1997
Philip Albert Loats, Round Rock, TX (US);
William Joseph Tracey, II, Round Rock, TX (US);
Xiaotong Wang, Round Rock, TX (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A voice command interface is implemented in a data processing system whereby a user may select any application which is currently running on the data processing system without having to manually modify a list of programs which may be accessed by a voice command and without having to request the program by its full name. To allow a user to access a program which is currently running on the data processing system, control within the data processing system ensures that a name of the program or application which is opened by an external user is added to a window list automatically. Similarly, a program which is no longer enabled by a user and running on the data processing system will be automatically removed from the window list. Additionally, the data processing system and methodology implemented therein allow an external user to speak merely a portion of a title of an application to access the application using a voice command. When two or more programs have the same or similar titles, the data processing system first accesses a program which is first on the window list. If this is not the program desired by the user, the user then repeats the command and a next program or application is accessed and brought into focus. This procedure repeats and may even loop back to the first access program if the user continues to repeat commands accessing the program having similar or the same titles.