Patent Application
20110246194
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1. Field
The technology of the present application relates generally to activating or invoking an application in a computerized work environment, and, more specifically, to providing an indicia that an activated application is ready to accept input.
2. Background
Computers and processors are a ubiquitous tool today. Many common personal and business applications are completed using everyday computers and processors, such as, for example, desktop computers, laptop computers, MP3 players, electronic personal digital assistants, smartphones, and the like. Applications, however, are typically developed using state of the art computers and processors. Users, however, frequently do not have the most up-to-date computers and processors. Thus, the applications are often designed for computers and processors that have more capacity than the processor or computer on which the application is launched and run. The lower capacity computer or processor may be able to execute the application, but the execution introduces processing delays in the form of lag and latency.
Additionally, many applications today are executed on computers or processors using a thin client architecture. A thin client architecture is one in which a user operates a client computer that provides an interface, such as a graphical user interface, but the actual processing of the application is performed by a host computer connected to the client computer via a network connection. The network connection may be, for example, the World Wide Web or another public network, or a proprietary network. The transfer of data, whether a batch transfer or a streaming transfer, may introduce additional lag or latency delays. Delays in the form of lag and latency associated with thin client applications may be exacerbated by older computers and processors that lack sufficient processing speeds and capacity.
In many instances, the lag and latency are little more than a nuisance in usability in that data is not lost, but simply cached in a buffer for eventual processing when the computer or processor has available capacity. In some applications, however, the computer or processor is not able to receive required data until the application is activated or a specific operation is invoked. This is especially true for speech dictation. In particular, the lag or latency between sending a command when a dictation application is invoked and the computer or processor being capable of receiving audio may be significant. If the user begins speaking, for example, before the computer, processor, or recording equipment is ready to receive audio data, a portion of the data will be lost. Thus, against this background, it would be desirous to provide indicia that the launched application is in a state ready to receive input.
A computer-implemented method for providing an indication that an application is capable of receiving data is described. An instruction is provided to the processor to activate or invoke the application. The processor fetches the application from memory and executes the commands to activate or invoke the application. Indicia regarding the status of the application is provided in a first configuration indicating that the application is being activated or invoked but is not yet capable of accepting data. Once the application is active and capable of receiving data, the indicia regarding the status of the application is provided in a second configuration, different from the first configuration, indicating that the application is active and ready to receive data.
In one configuration, the indicia may be a microphone image indicative of recording audio via an actual microphone. The microphone may comprise a first color, such as, for example, RED to indicate to the user that the application is not yet capable of receiving audio. The microphone may comprise a second color, such as, for example, GREEN to indicate to the user that the application is now capable of receiving audio. The red and green indicia signal to a user when spoken audio will be recorded and transcribed.
In another configuration, the indicia may be an audio playback of a file indicative of recording audio via an actual microphone. The playback of the audio file may be a particular sound when the application is capable of receiving audio signals.
Features from any of the above-mentioned embodiments may be used in combination with one another in accordance with the general principles described herein. These and other embodiments, features, and advantages will be more fully understood upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.
The accompanying drawings illustrate a number of exemplary embodiments and are a part of the specification. Together with the following description, these drawings demonstrate and explain various principles of the technology of the present application.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference characters and descriptions indicate similar, but not necessarily identical elements. While the exemplary embodiments described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, the exemplary embodiments described herein are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the instant disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims.
The technology of the present application will now be explained with reference to a dictation or recording application where the data being received by the application is audio. The technology, in general, is described as receiving audio from a user as the data input, but the technology of the present application would be useful for data other than audio. Moreover, the technology of the present application is explained using a conventional operating system, such as, for example, WINDOWS®, that is available from Microsoft Corporation. One of ordinary skill in the art on reading the disclosure will now recognize that the technology of the present application will be useful in other environments and other operating systems. Other operating systems include, for example, Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris, to name but a few conventional operating systems. Moreover, while described as operating on a thin client, the technology of the present application also is useful using a fat client. A thin client would use a remote server or other processor to run the application being accessed by the thin client instead of the local processor as in a fat client. Additionally, the technology of the present application may be especially useful for automated transcription of dictation as an automated transcribing engine is less able to “guess” clipped or otherwise unrecorded audio. Moreover, the technology of the present application will be described with relation to exemplary embodiments. The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Additionally, unless specifically identified otherwise, all embodiments described herein should be considered exemplary.
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While a visual indication is currently contemplated, the visual indication may be replaced with a sound emanating from a speaker 18 attached to computer 10. For example, when the graphical icon 102 was operated, such as by clicking the graphical icon, speaker 18 may provide a first sound indicative that the microphone is not yet available as the application is fetched and activated. Once activated and ready, speaker 18 would provide a second sound or audible indicative that the microphone is now available. The first and second sounds may be the same or different. For example, a first electronic chirp may indicate that the application function is being activated or invoked, but the application is not yet ready to receive audio. A second electronic chirp may indicate that the application function has been activated, and the application is ready to receive data. Alternatively, the first sound may be a continuous sound or continuous string of electronic chirps indicating that the application is not yet ready to receive audio; whereas the second sound may be a change or ending of the continuous sound or continuous string of electronic chirps indicating the application is now ready to receive audio. Alternatively, the first sound may be an electronic chirp and the second sound may be an electronic bell, etc.
While the present application may be useful for several types of data entry, it is particularly useful for audio applications and applications operating in conjunction with a graphical user interface such that the applications are activated or invoked and operating within other applications. For example, with dictation, a user may click a graphical icon to activate a dictation/transcription program, such as, for example DRAGON® NATURALLYSPEAKING® available from Nuance Communications Corporation. The person may begin speaking into the microphone immediately following clicking the graphical icon to activate the program, substantially simultaneously with clicking the graphical icon, or even in some situations prior to clicking the graphic icon. However, the dictation/transcription program is not yet completely activated and ready to accept audio input. Thus, the audio spoken while the program is activating is not recorded, not transcribed, and potentially, not recoverable.
Computer 10, as explained above, may be a thin client. However, computer 10 may also be a fat client capable of its own processing. In any event, computer 10 will be described with reference to an exemplary operating system capable of implementing the technology of the present application. Generally, computer 10 includes a processing unit 502, a system memory 504, and a system bus 506. System bus 506 couples the various system components and allows data and control signals to be exchanged between the components. System bus 506 could operate on any number of conventional bus protocols. System memory 504 generally comprises both a random access memory (RAM) 508 and a read only memory (ROM) 510. ROM 510 generally stores a basic operating information system such as a basic input/output system (BIOS) 512. RAM 508 often contains the basic operating system (OS) 514, application software 516 and 518, and data 520. Computer 10 generally includes one or more of a hard disk drive 522, a magnetic disk drive 524, or an optical disk drive 526. The drives are connected to the bus 506 via a hard disk drive interface 528, a magnetic disk drive interface 530 and an optical disk drive interface 532. Application modules and data may be stored on a disk, such as,. for example, a hard disk installed in the hard disk drive (not shown). Computer 10 also may have network connection 534 to connect to a local area network (LAN), a wireless network, an Ethernet, or the like, as well as one or more serial port interfaces 536 to connect to peripherals, such as a mouse, keyboard, modem, or printer. Computer 10 also may have USB ports or wireless components, not shown. Computer 10 typically has a display or monitor 538 connected to bus 506 through an appropriate interface, such as a video adapter 540. Monitor 538 may be used as an input mechanism using a touch screen, a light pen, or the like. On reading this disclosure, those of skill in the art will recognize that many of the components discussed as separate units may be combined into one unit and an individual unit may be split into several different units. Further, the various functions could be contained in one personal computer or spread over several networked personal computers.
If computer 10 is connected to a network, typically one or more remote network servers exist to manage the network resources. The network server may be another computer (or computer 10 could act as the server), a server, or other equivalent device.
Those of skill in the art would understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, non-transitory signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the above description may be represented by non-transitory voltages, non-transitory currents, non-transitory electromagnetic waves, non-transitory magnetic fields or particles, non-transitory optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.
Those of skill would further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules: circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.
The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.
The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module may reside in Random Access Memory (RAM), flash memory, Read Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in a user terminal.
The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
