U.S. patent application number 11/355641 was filed with the patent office on 2007-08-16 for ease of use feature for audio communications within chat conferences.
Invention is credited to Viktors Berstis, Randolph M. Forlenza.
Application Number | 20070192427 11/355641 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38370034 |
Filed Date | 2007-08-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070192427 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Berstis; Viktors ; et
al. |
August 16, 2007 |
Ease of use feature for audio communications within chat
conferences
Abstract
Methods and arrangements to communicate aurally during a chat
conference are contemplated. Embodiments include transformations,
code, state machines or other logic to communicate aurally during a
chat conference by receiving through a user interface for the chat
conference the designation of a participant in the chat conference,
receiving through the user interface for the chat conference a
command to capture audio, capturing audio, and transmitting the
captured audio to the participant based upon the designation of the
participant. In some embodiments, a participant may be designated
by a mouse click on a name representing the participant. In some
embodiments, the command to capture audio may be expressed by
holding down a mouse button. In alternate embodiments, the command
to capture audio may be expressed by a pop-up menu. In further
embodiments, the captured audio may be stored and transmitted to
additional participants.
Inventors: |
Berstis; Viktors; (Austin,
TX) ; Forlenza; Randolph M.; (Austin, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
IBM CORPORATION (JSS);C/O SCHUBERT OSTERRIEDER & NICKELSON PLLC
6013 CANNON MOUNTAIN DRIVE, S14
AUSTIN
TX
78749
US
|
Family ID: |
38370034 |
Appl. No.: |
11/355641 |
Filed: |
February 16, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
709/207 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 10/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/207 |
International
Class: |
G06F 15/16 20060101
G06F015/16 |
Claims
1. A method to communicate aurally during a chat conference, the
method comprising: receiving through a user interface for the chat
conference a designation of a participant in the chat conference;
receiving through the user interface for the chat conference a
command to capture audio; capturing audio; and transmitting the
captured audio to the participant based upon the designation.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing the captured
audio; receiving through the user interface a command to transmit
the audio to a second participant in the chat conference; and
transmitting the stored captured audio to the second participant in
response to the command.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing the captured
audio; receiving through the user interface a command to transmit
the stored captured audio to two or more other participants in the
chat conference; and transmitting the stored captured audio to the
two or more other participants in the chat conference in response
to the command.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein: receiving from the participant
through the interface for the chat conference a command to capture
audio comprises receiving a change in state of a button on a
mouse.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein: receiving the designation and
receiving the command comprises receiving a first change in state
of a button on a mouse while a location of a pointer driven by the
mouse is associated with the designation; and receiving a second
change in the state of the button represents an instruction to stop
capturing audio and to transmit the captured audio to the
participant.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein: receiving the designation and
receiving the command comprises receiving a first change in state
of a button on a mouse while a location of a pointer driven by the
mouse is associated with the participant; receiving the first
change in state of the button represents an instruction to start
transmitting the captured audio to the participant; and receiving a
second change in the state of the button represents an instruction
to stop capturing the audio.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving from the participant
through the interface for the chat conference a command to capture
audio comprises receiving the command through a pop-up menu.
8. An apparatus to communicate aurally during a chat conference,
the apparatus comprising: an audio client module to transmit audio
to designated participants; and a chat conference client module to
relay text messages among chat conference participants; the chat
conference module comprising: a chat conference user interface
coupled to the audio client module to present to conference
participants a list of chat conference participants and to receive
commands to transmit audio to designated participants.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a server to connect
participants to the chat conference.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the server is operable to
receive text and audio communications from the conference
participants and to relay the text and audio communications to the
other conference participants.
11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein: the audio client module
comprises an audio input module to capture audio from a participant
in the chat conference.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the audio client module
comprises storage to store the captured audio for transmission to
additional participants.
13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the server comprises storage
to store the captured audio for transmission to additional
participants.
14. A machine-accessible medium containing instructions to
communicate aurally during a chat conference which, when the
instructions are executed by a machine, cause said machine to
perform operations, comprising: receiving through a user interface
for the chat conference a designation of a participant in the chat
conference; receiving through the user interface for the chat
conference a command to capture audio; capturing audio; and
transmitting the captured audio to the participant based upon to
the designation.
15. The machine-accessible medium of claim 14, wherein the
operations further comprise: storing the captured audio; receiving
through the user interface a command to transmit the stored
captured audio to a second participant in the chat conference; and
transmitting the stored captured audio to the second participant in
response to the command.
16. The machine-accessible medium of claim 14, wherein the
operations further comprise: storing the captured audio; receiving
through the user interface a command to transmit the stored
captured audio to two or more other participants in the chat
conference; and transmitting the stored captured audio to the two
or more other participants in the chat conference in response to
the command.
17. The machine-accessible medium of claim 14, wherein receiving
from the participant through the interface for the chat conference
a command to capture audio comprises receiving a mouse command.
18. The machine-accessible medium of claim 14, wherein: receiving
the designation and receiving the command comprises receiving a
first change in state of a button on a mouse while a location of a
pointer driven by the mouse is associated with the designation; and
receiving a second change in the state of the button represents an
instruction to stop capturing audio and to transmit the captured
audio to the participant.
19. The machine-accessible medium of claim 14, wherein: receiving
the designation and receiving the command comprises receiving a
first change in state of a button on a mouse while a location of a
pointer driven by the mouse is associated with the designation;
receiving the first change in state of the button represents an
instruction to start transmitting the captured audio to the
participant; and receiving a second change in the state of the
button represents an instruction to stop capturing the audio.
20. The machine-accessible medium of claim 14, wherein receiving
from the participant through the interface for the chat conference
a command to capture audio comprises receiving the command through
a pop-up menu.
Description
FIELD
[0001] The present invention is in the field of the audio
communications over a network. More particularly, the present
invention relates to methods and arrangements to transmit audio
over a network during a chat conference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Chat conferences are the real-time exchange of text among
groups of people. Chat conferences are popular among social and
business users. Social users can gossip and discuss fields of
interest. Business users may be able to avoid in-person conferences
by participating in the chat conferences, thereby avoiding the
concomitant travel and disruption. In addition, because the chat
conferences are far more convenient and easier to arrange, business
users can participate in them more often and more flexibly. Chat
conferences may be formed spontaneously. One person can join
others, or several people may each join several others. A chat
conference may present problems of privacy and speed of input. A
participant may wish to make a comment to another participant or a
few other participants, in the nature of a whispered aside at a
live conference. The chat conference may not provide a mechanism
for this type of private comment. All messages sent to the
conference may be transmitted to all of the participants. In
addition, typing is a relatively slow form of data entry. A
participant may desire to make a quick spoken comment. The chat
conference may not provide a mechanism for transmitting voice
messages.
[0003] Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) is a method for the
real-time exchange of speech and other audio over the Internet and
other networks. Some versions may specify destinations with
telephone numbers. Other versions may specify destinations with
Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. A participant in a chat
conference may have access to a VoIP system on the computer or
other device the participant uses to connect to the conference. The
participant may use the VoIP system to call another of the
participants and engage in a private voice conversation while the
chat conference is proceeding. The VoIP program may not, however,
be integrated with the chat conference. The participant may be
required to launch a separate application to access the VoIP
program. Moreover, the participant may be unable to specify a
proper destination at which the other participants may be reached.
The VoIP system addressing mechanism may not have the addresses of
the conference participants available. The participant may not have
the address for another participant, or may have the usual address
for the other participant, but the other participant is currently
at another location. In addition, the participant may wish to send
the same message to several participants in the conference. Even if
their addresses are known, the only available mechanism may be
separate calls to each of the participants. The participant may be
required to open multiple windows, one for each call. The
participant may be limited in making the calls by limits on the
number of VoIP windows permitted to be opened at any one time.
Further, if the participant is engaged in multiple conversations at
once, with multiple windows open, all of the participants may hear
all of the conversations, some of the conversations may drown out
other conversations, and the participant may be confused about who
is talking.
[0004] FIG. 1 depicts a prior art embodiment of a display 400
containing a chat conference interface window 405 and a VoIP
interface window 425 for unintegrated chat conference and VoIP
applications. Chat conference window 405 includes a conference
display panel 410, a contacts list 415, and an input panel 420. The
conference display panel 410 may display the messages transmitted
through the conference. Input panel 420 may provide space for
entering text to be transmitted to the conference. The contacts
list 415 may display a list of participants in the conference and
other frequent contacts and their status. A participant may be able
to click on a name from the list to invite the person represented
to join the conference.
[0005] The VoIP window 425 includes a contacts list 430 and a
transmitting control panel 445 with start transmitting 435 and stop
transmitting 440 buttons. The contacts list 430 may display a list
of contacts. A chat conference participant may be able to click on
a name to make a call to the person represented. The participant
may then click the start transmitting button 435 to begin a
conversation and click the stop transmitting button 440 when the
conversation is complete. The contacts list 430 of the VoIP
application may, however, not be integrated with the contacts list
415 of the chat conference application. Another participant of the
conference may not be listed on the contacts list 430 or may be
listed at an address other than address for the conference. As a
result, it may be difficult to call the other participant over the
VoIP application during the chat conference. Even if the VoIP
address of the other participant is available, it may be
inconvenient to use the VoIP system to make a call during the chat
conference. To make the VoIP call to the other participant, the
participant may be required to launch the VoIP window, locate the
other participant in the contacts list 430 or manually enter the
correct address, and go through several more steps to make the
call. By the time the participant has completed all of the
procedures, the chat conference may have moved past the topic on
which the participant desired to comment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The problems identified above are in large part addressed by
methods and arrangements to communicate aurally during a chat
conference. One embodiment provides a method to communicate aurally
during a chat conference. The method may involve receiving through
a user interface for the chat conference a designation of a
participant in the chat conference. The method may also involve
receiving through the user interface for the chat conference a
command to capture audio and may also involve capturing the audio.
The method may further involve transmitting the captured audio to
the participant based upon the designation of the participant.
[0007] Another embodiment provides an apparatus to communicate
aurally during a chat conference. The apparatus may comprise an
audio client module to transmit audio to designated participants.
The apparatus may further a chat conference client module to relay
text messages among chat conference participants. The chat
conference client module may comprise a chat conference user
interface coupled to the audio client module to present to
conference participants a list of chat conference participants and
to receive commands to transmit audio to designated
participants.
[0008] Another embodiment provides machine-accessible medium
containing instructions to communicate aurally during a chat
conference, which when the instructions are executed by a machine,
cause said machine to perform operations. The operations may
involve receiving through a user interface for the chat conference
a designation of a participant in the chat conference. The
operations may also involve receiving through the user interface
for the chat conference a command to capture audio and may also
involve capturing the audio. The operations may further involve
transmitting the captured audio to the participant based upon the
designation of the participant.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Advantages of the invention will become apparent upon
reading the following detailed description and upon reference to
the accompanying drawings in which like references may indicate
similar elements:
[0010] FIG. 1 depicts an prior art embodiment of separate chat
conference and Voice over Internet Protocol applications;
[0011] FIG. 2 depicts a network diagram of an embodiment of devices
capable of audio communication during a chat conference;
[0012] FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of a chat conferencer with
audio communications;
[0013] FIG. 4 depicts an embodiment of a system to transmit sound
across a network;
[0014] FIG. 5 depicts an embodiment of a user interface for a chat
conferencer with audio communications; and
[0015] FIG. 6 depicts a flowchart of an embodiment to combine a
chat conference and audio communications.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0016] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of
the invention depicted in the accompanying drawings. The
embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the
invention. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to
limit the anticipated variations of embodiments, but on the
contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents,
and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present
invention as defined by the appended claims. The detailed
descriptions below are designed to make such embodiments obvious to
a person of ordinary skill in the art.
[0017] Generally speaking, methods and arrangements to communicate
aurally during a chat conference are contemplated. Embodiments
include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to
communicate aurally during a chat conference by receiving through a
user interface for the chat conference the designation of a
participant in the chat conference, receiving through the user
interface for the chat conference a command to capture audio,
capturing audio, and transmitting the captured audio to the
participant based upon the designation of the participant. In some
embodiments, a participant may be designated by a mouse click on a
name representing the participant. In some embodiments, the command
to capture audio may be expressed by holding down a mouse button.
In some embodiments, positioning a mouse to place a pointer over a
name, and manipulating a single mouse button may select the
participant, start the capturing of audio, end the capturing of
audio, and transmit the captured audio to the participant. In
alternate embodiments, the command to capture audio may be
expressed by a pop-up menu. In further embodiments, the captured
audio may be stored and transmitted to additional participants.
[0018] While specific embodiments will be described below with
reference to particular circuit or logic configurations, those of
skill in the art will realize that embodiments of the present
invention may advantageously be implemented with other
substantially equivalent configurations.
[0019] FIG. 2 depicts a diagram of an embodiment of a networked
system 100 of devices capable of communicating aurally during a
chat conference. The system 100 includes a network 150, chat
conference and audio server 128 connected to network 150 through
wireline connection 130, and a variety of devices capable of
communicating aurally during a chat conference (conference
participant network devices), including:
[0020] workstation 102, a computer coupled to network 150 through
wireline connection 122,
[0021] personal computer 108, coupled to network 150 through
wireline connection 120,
[0022] personal digital assistant 112, coupled to network 150
through wireless connection 114,
[0023] laptop computer 126, coupled to network 150 through wireless
connection 118; and
[0024] mobile phone 110, coupled to network 150 through wireless
connection 116.
[0025] Network 150, which may consist of the Internet or another
wide area network, a local area network, or a combination of
networks, may provide data communications among the chat conference
and audio server 128 and the conference participant network devices
102, 108, 112, 126, and 110. Chat conference and audio server 128
may administer a chat conference. A chat conference may be the
real-time exchange of text messages among a group of people. Chat
conference and audio server software 128 may have been installed
and be operative to connect to the participants in a chat
conference. In some embodiments, the chat conference and audio
server 128 may inform each participant of the status of other
conference participants and other contacts of the participant. In
some embodiments, the chat conference and audio server 128 may also
receive text messages from the conference participants and relay
them to the other participants. In other embodiments, the
participants may send messages directly to the other participants
once they have connected to chat conference and audio server 128 to
join the conference. In still other embodiments, the chat
conference may function without a chat conference and audio
server.
[0026] Users at the conference participant devices may participate
in a chat conference through conference participant network devices
such as devices 102, 108, 112, 126, and 110. In some embodiments,
participants in a chat conference may run client software on their
conference participant network devices. When a participant opens a
client, the client attempts to connect with chat conference and
audio server 128. If the connection is successful, the client may
inform the chat conference and audio server 128 of the
participant's Internet Protocol (IP) address, a number identifying
the conference participant network device, and the number of a port
assigned to the client. In other embodiments, a participant may
visit a web site to log onto a conference. No client software may
reside on the participant's conference participant network device.
A conference participant may enter a text message for the
conference into a conference participant device. In some
embodiments, the text message may be transmitted across the network
150 to the chat conference and audio server 128 and may be relayed
to the other participants by chat conference and audio server 128.
In other embodiments, the text message may be transmitted from one
participant to the others without being relayed through the chat
conference and audio server 128.
[0027] System 100 may also provide for the transmission of audio
messages from one chat conference participant at one conference
participant network device such as device 102, 108, 112, 126, or
110 to another chat conference participant at another conference
participant network device by conversion of the content of the
audio messages into digital form, transmission of the content in
digital form across network 150 to the other participant, and the
conversion of the digital content back to audio content for playing
by the other participant's conference participant network device.
In some embodiments, the audio messages may be sent directly from
one participant's conference participant network device to another
participant's conference participant network device without relay
through the chat conference and audio server 128. A client running
on a participant's conference participant network device may have
obtained connection information such as IP addresses and ports from
the chat conference and audio server 128. In alternative
embodiments, the audio messages may be relayed through the chat
conference and audio server 128. The audio messages may be sent
under a variety of protocols, or methods for bundling up the
digital content and transmitting the digital content across network
150. When the client sending an audio message adheres to an
agreed-upon protocol, the client receiving the audio message may
know how to process the audio message. The receiving client may
know what to expect in terms of the format of the message and the
manner in which the message was sent across the network 150.
Protocols for transmitting audio across a network such as network
150 include H.323, a standard created for multimedia data including
audio and video by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU);
Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP); and Session Initiation
Protocol (SIP).
[0028] The arrangement of the server and other devices making up
the exemplary system illustrated in FIG. 2 is for explanation, not
for limitation. Data processing systems useful according to various
embodiments of the present invention may not include a server, or
may include additional servers, routers, other devices, and
peer-to-peer architectures, not shown in FIG. 2, as will occur to
those of skill in the art. Networks in such data processing systems
may support many data communications protocols, including for
example TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), IP (Internet
Protocol), HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol), WAP (Wireless Access
Protocol), HDTP (Handheld Device Transport Protocol), and others as
will occur to those of skill in the art. Various embodiments of the
present invention may be implemented on a variety of hardware
platforms in addition to those illustrated in FIG. 2.
[0029] Turning to FIG. 3, depicted is an embodiment of a chat
conferencer with audio 200 that includes a user interface 205, a
chat conferencer 225, an audio communicator 240, and an
administrator 260. The chat conferencer 225 is an apparatus for
participating in chat conferences. It includes text receiver 230 to
receive text entered by a participant and text transmitter 235 to
transmit the text to the other chat conference participants, either
directly or through a conference server. The text may be displayed
on the screens or other display devices of the other participants.
A text message transmitted by the text transmitter 235 may be sent
to all of the other participants. The text transmitter 235 may not
provide a mechanism for sending the text message to fewer than all
of the participants.
[0030] Audio communicator 240 includes an audio processor 245,
audio storage 250, and audio transmitter 255. Audio communicator
240 is an apparatus for capturing audio and transmitting the audio
across a network. Audio processor 245 may capture sound produced by
a participant and transform the sound into digital form for
transmission across a network. Audio processor 245 may include an
input device such as a microphone, which converts sound waves into
electrical waves. The microphone may be built into a computer or
other network enabled device, or may plug into a port on the
device. Audio processor 245 may also include an audio to digital
converter for converting electrical waves into digital information.
For example, the sound card of a computer may contain an audio to
digital converter. Audio storage 250 may store audio captured from
a user. Audio transmitted to one chat conference participant may be
stored for later transmission to other participants. Audio
transmitter 255 sends audio across a network. Audio transmitter 255
may, for example, break up an audio file into small pieces and
place the pieces into packets with appropriate headers. In some
embodiments, audio communicator 240 may adhere to a standard
protocol for the transmission of audio across a network, such as
H.323, MGCP, or SIP. In alternative embodiments, audio communicator
240 may follow a proprietary protocol.
[0031] User interface 205 includes a participation presenter 255,
an audio control 215, and a transmit control 220. User interface
205 provides an integrated interface for a chat conference and
audio communications. Within the single interface of user interface
205, a participant in a chat conference can view text messages sent
over the chat conference, view a list of participants and their
status, and send audio or other voice messages to selected
participants. The participation presenter 210 may present to a
participant a list of the participants of the chat conference and
other contacts of the participant. In some embodiments, the
participant may be able to click on the name of a contact to invite
the contact to join the chat conference. In some embodiments, the
participant may click on the name of another participant to select
the participant for the transmission of an audio message. Because
the user interface 205 integrates the chat conference and audio
messages, the participant does not have to perform a search to
obtain an IP address or other address in order to transmit an audio
message to another participant.
[0032] The audio control 215 provides an interface through which a
participant may issue commands on capturing sound. Similarly, the
transmit control 220 provides an interface for issuing commands to
control the transmission of the captured sound. The participant
may, for example, issue a command through the audio control 215 to
begin capturing sound and may begin speaking a message for a chat
conference participant. When the participant has finished, the
participant may issue a command through the audio control 215 to
stop capturing the sound. The participant may issue a command
through the transmit control 220 to transmit the captured sound to
a participant designated through the participation presenter 210.
In some embodiments, a mouse may function as the interface for
designating a recipient of the sound, as the audio control 215, and
as the transmit control 220. In further embodiments, a participant
may move a pointer over the name of another conference participant,
click on a mouse button to select the other participant as the
recipient of an audio transmission; hold the mouse button down to
start capturing the sound, and release the mouse button to stop
capturing the sound and transmit the sound. In alternative
embodiments, holding the mouse button down may start transmission
as well as capturing the sound. These types of embodiments may
maximize ease of use of the audio feature. A single mouse button
may be used to transmit an audio communication to another
participant. Thus, a participant may transmit audio communications
with very little effort.
[0033] In other embodiments, other interface features such as a
pop-up menu or a button may function as the record control 215 or
the transmit control 220. In some embodiments, a participant may
transmit the captured sound to multiple recipients. In these
embodiments, the captured sound may be stored or recorded. After
transmitting the captured sound to a first participant, the
participant may select other participants through the participation
presenter 210 and utilize the transmit control 220 to transmit the
recorded sound to them. In some of these embodiments, the recorded
sound may be transmitted to several participants with one transmit
command. In other of these embodiments, only a single recipient may
be selected for each transmission.
[0034] Administrator 260 includes address locator 265 and
connection maker 270. Address locator 265 locates the participants
and the other contacts displayed by the participation presenter
210. Connection maker 270 establishes connections between a
participant and other participants. In many embodiments,
administrator 260 may reside on a server. A participant may connect
to the server to join the conference. In other embodiments, a
client may perform the administrative functions. In some
embodiments, a conference server may provide the client with
address information. The client may use the address information to
connect a participant to other participants. In still other
embodiments, clients may obtain address information without the use
of a conference server.
[0035] FIG. 4 depicts an embodiment of a system 300 to transmit
sound across a network. System 300 may transmit audio
communications over a network during a chat conference. The system
includes a microphone 315, two amplifiers 320 and 355, an analog to
digital converter 325, a digital to audio converter 350, two sound
buffers 330 and 345, and sound packets 335 and 340. A participant
305 in a chat conference may produce sound 310, for example, by
speaking. The sound may also be non-verbal. In alternative
embodiments, the sound may be produced by an agency other than a
participant. Microphone 315 converts the sound waves into
electrical signals. The sound waves may produce vibrations in a
diaphragm, a thin plate contained in the microphone; and the
vibrations of the diaphragm may induce electrical signals. In some
embodiments, the microphone 315 may be a component of a conference
participant network device, such as a built-in microphone in a
computer or a cell phone. In alternative embodiments, the
microphone may plug into the conference participant network device.
For instance, a microphone jack may plug into a computer.
[0036] Amplifier 320 boosts or increases the strength of the
electrical signals produced by the microphone. The signal then goes
to an analog to digital converter (ADC) 330, which converts the
electrical waves to digital forms. ADC 330 may measure the
electrical signals produced by the microphone at a predetermined
frequency (`sample` the signals), divide the amplitudes of the
waves into ranges, and record the ranges. For example, an ADC that
encodes the interval as an 8-bit number may divide the amplitude of
waves into 256 ranges. For each sample, the ADC 330 may determine
the range in which the wave amplitude falls. For example, an 8-bit
ADC may find that successive amplitudes fall into the range of 128,
135, and 180 in successive samples. The ADC may return the numbers
128, 135, and 180 as the value of those samples. The sampling rate
may depend upon the protocol used for the transmission of sound
across a network. Common protocols include the G.711, G.722 and
G.720 protocols, audio components of the H.323 protocol suite
promulgated by the International Communication Union for video
conferencing. Under the G.711 protocol, sampling occurs 64,000
times per second (64 kHz). Under the G.729A protocol, sampling
occurs at 8 kHz. This protocol is the most commonly used by Voice
over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems. VoIP systems provide for the
real-time exchange of speech and other audio over the Internet and
other networks. The sampling rate of 8 kHz provides a good
compromise between sound quality and bandwidth efficiency. In
contrast, typical CD recordings may sample at the rate of 44.1 kHz.
A computer sound card may contain an ADC.
[0037] The sampling of the electrical signal produced by microphone
315 may generate a large amount of data. At a resolution of 16 bits
and a sampling rate of 48 kHz, an ADC may produce roughly six
megabytes of data per minute. The data produced by ADC 325 may be
stored in sound buffer 330 for further processing. In some
embodiments, the data may be copied from sound buffer 330 to other
storage for later retrieval, such as storage in the device by which
a participant in a chat conference connects to a network.
[0038] The data in sound buffer 330 may be transmitted across a
network. The data may be transmitted uncompressed or may be
compressed for more efficient transmission. Uncompressed sound data
may be represented as WAV files. A WAV file may include a small
header with information about size, sample rate, and other facts.
The remainder of the file may consist of digital numbers
representing the magnitude of the sound waves at the sampling
points. Methods of compression include MPEG, layer three of a
standard developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group for the
compression of audio-digital information. Compression may reduce
the size of data by a factor of 10 or more. The data, compressed or
not, is then divided into packets 335 or small pieces for
information for transmission over the internet. The packets contain
the actual sound data and other information, such as the source and
destination internet addresses, information about the protocols
being followed for transmission, information about the format of
the sound data file, and information for reassembling the packets.
In addition to H.323, other protocols commonly used for the
transmission of audio include the Session Initiation Protocol, a
protocol designed especially for VoIP, and Media Gateway Control
Protocol. Other protocols can be used for adding audio to chat
conferences. In particular, proprietary protocols may be used,
since all participants may use the same chat conference
software.
[0039] The packets may be transmitted across the internet to a
network device of a recipient. There, the packets may be converted
to sound by a process which is roughly the reverse of the process
of transforming sound into packets. The arriving packets 340 are
stored in a sound buffer 345. The sound buffer 345 may gather
packets until the entire data from a transmission has been
collected. Alternatively, the sound buffer 345 may gather enough
packets to produce sound for a certain duration, and then pass on
the packets for transformation into sound and playing the sound
while additional packets continue to gather. This process of
playing a portion of the sound while packets containing other
portions of the sound are still arriving is called "streaming." The
packets 340 are assembled into an uncompressed digital sound file
and sent to the DAC converter 350, which converts the digital files
into analog electrical waves. The waves are amplified by amplifier
355 and sent through speaker 360 to produce sound 365. If the
fidelity of system 300 is good, sound 365 may be very similar to
sound 310. Even in relatively low-fidelity systems, when sound 310
is speech, sound 365 may be recognizable as the speech that
produced sound 310. In some embodiments, the packets may be
transmitted to a server of a chat conference with audio as an
intermediate stage in the transmission of the packets to the
network device of a recipient. In further embodiments, data
representing the sound may be stored in the server for later
retrieval and retransmission.
[0040] Turning now to FIG. 5, there is shown a display 500
containing a chat conference with audio interface window 505. The
window 505 includes a conference display panel 510, a contacts list
515, an input panel 520, and a send previous message button 525.
The chat conference display panel 510 displays the text messages
that have been conveyed through the conference. In some
embodiments, the chat conference display panel 510 may present the
complete list of messages annotated with information about the
senders. The panel may be scrollable to allow a participant to see
previous messages. The messages may be displayed with different
fonts, to make it convenient for a participant to separate the
various messages. The chat conference input panel 520 may enable a
participant to enter a text message. The participant may click on
the chat conference input panel 520 to select it, type a message,
and hit the ENTER key to transmit the message to the chat
conference. Contact list panel 515 may display a list of the
conference participants and a list of a participant's frequent
contacts. In some embodiments, the contact list displayed in
contact list panel 515 may display information about the status of
each contact. Status information may include whether a contact is
connected, whether the contact is participating in the conference,
the types of communications the contact is accepting, whether the
contact is temporarily away, whether the participant is currently
typing, and whether the contact has engaged in keyboard activity in
the last half hour.
[0041] The chat conference with audio interface window 505 may
enable a participant to send an audio message to one or more other
participants of the chat conference. This ability to send an audio
message is similar to a whispered comment to a neighbor at an
in-person conference. Through the interface provided by the
interface window 505, the user may select a participant or
participants, capture speech or other sound, and transmit the sound
to the selected participant or participants. In some embodiments of
the combined user interface for a chat conference with voice, a
participant may click on the name of another chat conference
participant which is displayed in contacts list panel 515 to select
the other participant. The participant may then hold down a mouse
button to command the chat conferencer to begin capturing sound
from the participant. The participant may then begin speaking a
private message for another participant or may otherwise cause the
production of sound. When the participant has finished speaking or
otherwise producing sound, the participant may release the mouse
button to command the chat conferencer to transmit the audio
message to the selected participant. The audio message may be
retained in storage after transmission. In alternative embodiments,
the user interface may operate differently. For example, the
display for the chat conference with voice may contain a record
button. Clicking on the name of a participant may activate the
record button. Clicking on the activated record button may start
the recording of a sound message to the participant. In still other
embodiments, the chat conference with voice user display may
include a pop-up window which enables a user to record sound and
transmit it to other participants in the chat conference.
[0042] The send previous message button 525 may enable a
participant to send a message to additional participants. In some
embodiments, a participant may select one or more names from the
contacts list and click on the send previous message button 525 to
send the previous message from storage to the one or more selected
contacts. In alternative embodiments, the participant may click on
the send previous message button 525 first, and then select a name
or names. In alternative embodiments, a participant may be limited
to one recipient per click of the send previous message button 525.
In still other embodiments, the interface to a chat conference with
voice may provide other mechanisms for transmitting the previous
message to additional participants. In yet other embodiments, there
may be no mechanism for transmitting the previous message. The user
interface of FIG. 5 may provide an easy procedure for a participant
in a chat conference to send an audio message to some, but not all,
of the other participants, a far simpler procedure than attempting
to send an audio message through the use of the prior art interface
depicted in FIG. 1.
[0043] FIG. 6 depicts a flowchart of an embodiment to combine a
chat conference and audio communication. Flow chart 600 begins with
a participant joining a chat conference with audio (element 610).
Joining the conference may result in the making of connections
between a participant and the other participants, or between the
participant and a server or servers for the conference. In
addition, joining the conference may result in a participant being
provided with a list of the other conference participants, and the
other participants being provided with the name of the
participant.
[0044] A participant in a chat conference with sound may desire to
send an audio message or other sound message to another
participant. The participant may select another participant
(element 620) for the audio message through an interface for the
chat conference with sound. Then participant may issue a record
command (element 625) through the interface for the chat conference
to instruct the chat conference with sound module to begin
recording sound. The participant may, for example, hold down a
designated mouse button. The participant may then produce an audio
message (element 630) for transmission to the selected participant.
The participant may speak the message where it can be picked up by
a microphone which is a component of, or connected to, the network
device used by the participant to connect to the chat conference
with voice. Alternatively, the participant may produce non-speech
sound either directly or through another person or means. A chat
conference with voice module may record the sound produced by the
participant (element 640), store the recorded sound, and send the
audio message to the designated participant (element 650).
[0045] The user may desire to send the audio message to other
additional participants (element 660). If so, the user may send the
audio message to the additional participants (element 670). In some
embodiments, the user may be able to select one or more names of
other participants from the interface for the conference and click
a button to transmit the stored recording of the previous message
to the additional participants. In alternative embodiments, the
user may be required to send the stored recorded audio message to
one participant at a time. If there are additional audio messages
to be sent (element 680), each element of flowchart 600 from
element 620 to element 670 may be repeated. Otherwise, the sending
of audio messages may end.
[0046] Another embodiment of the invention is implemented as a
program product for creating a chat conference with audio such as
chat conferencer with sound 200 illustrated in FIG. 3. The
program(s) of the program product defines functions of the
embodiments (including the methods described herein) and can be
contained on a variety of data and/or signal-bearing media.
Illustrative data and/or signal-bearing media include, but are not
limited to: (i) information permanently stored on non-writable
storage media (e.g., read-only memory devices within a computer
such as CD-ROM disks readable by a CD-ROM drive); (ii) alterable
information stored on writable storage media (e.g., floppy disks
within a diskette drive or hard-disk drive); and (iii) information
conveyed to a computer by a communications medium, such as through
a computer or telephone network, including wireless communications.
The latter embodiment specifically includes information downloaded
from the Internet and other networks. Such data and/or
signal-bearing media, when carrying computer-readable instructions
that direct the functions of the present invention, represent
embodiments of the present invention.
[0047] In general, the routines executed to implement the
embodiments of the invention may be part of an operating system or
a specific application, component, program, module, object, or
sequence of instructions. The computer program of the present
invention typically is comprised of a multitude of instructions
that will be translated by a computer into a machine-readable
format and hence executable instructions. Also, programs are
comprised of variables and data structures that either reside
locally to the program or are found in memory or on storage
devices. In addition, various programs described hereinafter may be
identified based upon the application for which they are
implemented in a specific embodiment of the invention. However, it
should be appreciated that any particular program nomenclature that
follows is used merely for convenience, and thus the invention
should not be limited to use solely in any specific application
identified and/or implied by such nomenclature.
[0048] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the
benefit of this disclosure that the present invention contemplates
methods and arrangements to communicate aurally during a chat
conference. It is understood that the form of the invention shown
and described in the detailed description and the drawings are to
be taken merely as examples. It is intended that the following
claims be interpreted broadly to embrace all the variations of the
example embodiments disclosed.
[0049] Although the present invention and some of its advantages
have been described in detail for some embodiments, it should be
understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can
be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims. Although an embodiment
of the invention may achieve multiple objectives, not every
embodiment falling within the scope of the attached claims will
achieve every objective. Moreover, the scope of the present
application is not intended to be limited to the particular
embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of
matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As
one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the
disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines,
manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps,
presently existing or later to be developed that perform
substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same
result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be
utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the
appended claims are intended to include within their scope such
processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means,
methods, or steps.
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