US20150180807A1 - Multi-Modal Communication Through Modal-Specific Interfaces - Google Patents
Multi-Modal Communication Through Modal-Specific Interfaces Download PDFInfo
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- US20150180807A1 US20150180807A1 US14/501,417 US201414501417A US2015180807A1 US 20150180807 A1 US20150180807 A1 US 20150180807A1 US 201414501417 A US201414501417 A US 201414501417A US 2015180807 A1 US2015180807 A1 US 2015180807A1
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Definitions
- a dedicated user interface is provided for each modality.
- a first user interface may be provided enabling a user to send an email message
- a second user interface may be provided enabling a user to chat by transmitting and receiving instant messages.
- the first user interface is provided in an entirely separate window than the second user interface, thereby causing the user to alternate, sometimes awkwardly, between windows in order to send an email and to chat at the same time.
- communications through the first interface are typically mutually exclusive from communications through the second interface.
- an email exchange between two users bears no relation to a chat exchange between the same two users, even if the email exchange and the chat exchange occur at the same time.
- users are generally responsible for maintaining communications between multiple modalities, thereby creating additional challenges with respect to communicating across multiple modalities.
- a communication controller that enables one user interface operating under one modality to communicate with another user interface operating under another modality.
- the communication controller may enable a first user utilizing an email interface to communicate with a second user utilizing a chat interface.
- the communication controller may be adapted to convert communications from one modality into another modality.
- modalities may include, but are not limited to, email, chat (i.e., instant messaging), short message service (“SMS”), and voicemail.
- SMS short message service
- the communication controller may be further adapted to operate in the background of a communications network between two or more users.
- a user may seamlessly transmit and receive communications through her preferred modality irrespective of the other user's chosen interface or modality. Since a user can transmit and receive communications in a single modality, the responsibility of maintaining any knowledge or concern for the modality of others can be removed from the user.
- a computer program provides multi-modal communication through modal-specific interfaces.
- the computer program receives, from a first interface across a computer network, a communication in a first modality.
- the computer program converts the communication into a second modality.
- the computer program Upon converting the communication into the second modality, the computer program provides the communication to a second interface across the computer network.
- FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a network architecture configured to provide multi-modal communication through modal-specific interfaces, in accordance with one embodiment
- FIG. 2 is a dual screen capture diagram showing a illustrative communicate between separate modal-specific interfaces, in accordance with one embodiment
- FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing an illustrative method for providing modal-specific interfaces, in accordance with one embodiment.
- FIG. 4 is a computer architecture diagram showing aspects of an illustrative computer hardware architecture for a computing system capable of implementing aspects of the embodiments presented herein.
- FIG. 1 shows an illustrative network architecture 100 including a first user 102 A and a second user 102 B.
- the first user 102 A operates a first computer 104 A, which includes an email interface 106 A.
- the second user 102 B operates a second computer 104 B, which includes a chat interface 106 B.
- the first user 102 A and the second user 102 B may be collectively referred to as users 102 .
- the email interface 106 A and the chat interface 106 B may be collectively referred to as interfaces 106 .
- the email interface 106 A may be any suitable interface capable of enabling the first user 102 A to transmit emails to and to receive emails from other users. Examples of email interfaces include those provided by GROUPWISETM from NOVELL INC. and OUTLOOK® messaging and collaboration client from MICROSOFT CORPORATION.
- the email interface 106 A is a dedicated email application.
- the email interface 106 A may be a standalone application executing on the first computer 104 A.
- the email interface 106 A may be a web application accessible through a web browser executing on the first computer 104 A.
- the email interface 106 A is provided within any suitable application.
- the chat interface 106 b may be any suitable interface capable of enabling the second user 102 B to transmit instant messages to and to receive instant messages from other users.
- Examples of chat interfaces include those provided by AOL® INSTANT MESSENGERTM software from AOL LLC and WINDOWS MESSENGER® messaging client from MICROSOFT CORPORATION.
- the chat interface 106 B is a dedicated instant messaging application.
- the chat interface 106 B may be a standalone application executing on the second computer 104 B.
- the chat interface 106 B may be a web application accessible through a web browser (not shown) executing on the second computer 104 B.
- the chat interface 106 B is provided within any suitable application.
- each communication interface may be specific to a particular modality.
- Each communication interface may be distinguished by its design, which can be optimized for a specific modality, as well as by the modal-specific options that are provided. In many cases, even if the interfaces 106 are provided in a single application, the interfaces 106 are still typically distinguished from each other via a drop-down menu or other suitable interface selection mechanism. In the alternative, the application may automatically switch the interfaces 106 for the users.
- the network architecture 100 further includes a communication controller 108 .
- the communication controller 108 enables the first user 102 A utilizing the email interface 106 A and the second user utilizing the chat interface 106 B to seamlessly communicate.
- the communication controller 108 enables the first user 102 A to communicate using the email interface 106 A without knowledge of or concern for the particular modality being used by the second user 102 B or any other user.
- the communication controller 108 enables the second user 102 B to communicate using the chat interface 106 B without knowledge of or concern for the modality or communication interface being used by the first user 102 A or any other user.
- the communication controller 108 converts the email into an instant message and provides the instant message to the second user 102 B via the chat interface 106 B. Since the second user 102 B is provided with an instant message instead of an email, the second user 102 B may have no knowledge that the first user 102 A is using the email interface 106 A. As far as the second user 102 B is concerned, the first user 102 A may even be using another chat interface.
- the second user 102 B may reply to the instant message through the chat interface 106 B.
- the communication controller 108 converts the instant message reply into an email and provides the email to the first user 102 A through the email interface 106 A. Since the first user 102 A is provided with an email instead of an instant message, the first user 102 A may have no knowledge that the second user 102 B is using the chat interface 106 B. As far as the first user 102 A is concerned, the second user 102 A may even be using another email interface.
- the ability for the first user 102 A and the second user 102 B to communicate through separate interfaces and across different modalities without any knowledge of or concern for the other's modality provides an additional level of abstraction over conventional implementations.
- the communication controller 108 essentially hides the possibility that multiple users may be utilizing interfaces operating under different modalities. Accordingly, a user can utilize her preferred communication interface, even if the communication interface is modality-specific and operates under a different modality than other users.
- a conventional implementation that provides multi-modal communication typically does not allow a user to choose a preferred communication interface irrespective of other users.
- a sender may be limited to using the chat interface 106 B only when the recipient is online (i.e., presence information).
- a recipient who receives an email from the email interface 106 A may be limited to viewing the email on another email interface. That is, the recipient cannot choose whether to receive the email in another format, such as SMS or voicemail messages, by default.
- the users 102 may configure the communication controller 108 to convert incoming communications under one modality into one or more other modalities.
- the first user 102 A may configure the communication controller 108 to convert incoming communications into emails and voicemail messages. If the incoming message is text-based, the voicemail messages may be generated via a suitable text-to-speech converter.
- the users 102 may further configure the communication controller 108 to select appropriate modalities based on predefined conditions being met or business logic. For example, the second user 102 B may configure the communication controller 108 to convert incoming communications into an instant message if the second user 102 B is online or into a SMS message if the second user 102 B is offline. By enabling the users 102 to specify logic defining how the users 102 will receive incoming communications, the communication controller 108 provides enhanced flexibility over conventional implementations.
- FIG. 2 includes screen capture diagrams 200 A- 200 B showing an illustrative conversation between the first user 102 A and the second user 102 B.
- the first user 102 A transmits and receives communications via the email interface 106 A
- the second user 102 B transmits and receives communications via the chat interface 106 B.
- the communication controller 108 enables the users 102 to communicate through their respective interfaces 106 without knowledge of the other user's specific modality or communication interface.
- the first screen capture diagram 200 A displays the email interface 106 A used by the first user 102 A.
- the email interface 106 A includes an email composition window 202 where the first user 102 A has composed an email 204 to the second user 102 B.
- the email interface 106 A includes a recipient field 206 designated by the word “to” as well as a subject field 208 .
- the first user 102 A accesses (e.g., clicks on) a send button 210 to send the email 204 to the second user 102 B.
- the second screen capture diagram 200 B displays the chat interface 106 B used by the second user 102 B.
- the chat interface 106 B includes a reading pane 212 and a writing pane 214 .
- the reading pane 212 displays incoming instant messages.
- the reading pane 212 displays an instant message 216 that the communication controller 108 has converted from the email 204 .
- the instant message 216 includes sender information 218 indicating that the first user 102 A sent the instant message 216 as well as a time stamp 220 indicating the time that the first user 102 A sent the instant message 216 . It should be noted that no where in the reading pane 212 does it indicate that the first user 102 A sent an email through the email interface 106 A.
- the communication controller 108 effectively abstracts this information, thereby providing a more customized experience for the second user 102 B.
- the writing pane 214 enables the second user 102 B to enter a reply to the instant message 216 in the form of an instant message 222 .
- the communication controller 108 converts the instant message 222 into an email.
- the email converted from the instant message 222 may be displayed in an inbox (not shown) or other suitable notification interface within the email interface 106 A.
- FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating aspects of a method provided herein for providing multi-modal communication through modal-specific interfaces.
- the logical operations described herein are implemented (1) as a sequence of computer implemented acts or program modules running on a computing system and/or (2) as interconnected machine logic circuits or circuit modules within the computing system. The implementation is a matter of choice dependent on the performance and other requirements of the computing system. Accordingly, the logical operations described herein are referred to variously as states, operations, structural devices, acts, or modules. These operations, structural devices, acts, and modules may be implemented in software, in firmware, in special purpose digital logic, and any combination thereof. It should be appreciated that more or fewer operations may be performed than shown in the figures and described herein. These operations may also be performed in a different order than those described herein.
- a routine 300 begins at operation 302 , where the communication controller 108 receives a first communication in a first modality from a first interface. For example, if the first interface is the email interface 106 A, then the modality of the first communication is email. The routine 300 then proceeds to operation 304 , where the communication controller converts the first communication from the first modality into a second modality associated with a second interface. For example, if the second interface is the chat interface 106 B, then the communication controller 108 converts the email 204 received from the email interface 106 A into the instant message 216 . Upon converting the first communication into the second modality, the routine 300 proceeds to operation 306 .
- the communication controller 108 provides the converted first communication to the second interface. For example, upon converting the email 204 into the instant message 216 , the communication controller 108 may provide the instant message 216 to the chat interface 106 B. Upon receiving the converted first communication from the communication controller 108 , the second interface may display the first communication in the second modality as specified by the second user 102 B. The routine 300 then proceeds to operation 308 .
- the communication controller 108 receives a second communication in the second modality from a second interface.
- the second interface is the chat interface 106 B
- the modality of the second communication is chat.
- the second communication may be a reply, such as the instant message 222 , to the first communication.
- the routine 300 then proceeds to operation 310 , where the communication controller 108 converts the second communication from the second modality into a first modality associated with a first interface. For example, if the first interface is the email interface 106 A, then the communication controller 108 converts the instant message 222 received from the chat interface 106 B into an email.
- the routine 300 proceeds to operation 312 .
- the communication controller 108 provides the converted second communication to the first interface. For example, upon converting the instant message 222 into the email, the communication controller 108 may provide the email to the email interface 106 A. Upon receiving the converted second communication from the communication controller 108 , the first interface may display the second communication in the first modality as specified by the first user 102 A.
- the computer 400 includes a processing unit 402 (“CPU”), a system memory 404 , and a system bus 406 that couples the memory 404 to the CPU 402 .
- the computer 400 further includes a mass storage device 412 for storing one or more program modules 414 and one or more databases 416 .
- Examples of the program modules 414 include the email interface 106 A, the chat interface 106 B, and the communication controller 108 .
- the mass storage device 412 is connected to the CPU 402 through a mass storage controller (not shown) connected to the bus 406 .
- the mass storage device 412 and its associated computer-readable media provide non-volatile storage for the computer 400 .
- computer-readable media can be any available computer storage media that can be accessed by the computer 400 .
- computer-readable media may include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data.
- computer-readable media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other solid state memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (“DVD”), HD-DVD, BLU-RAY, or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by the computer 400 .
- the computer 400 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to remote computers through a network 418 .
- the computer 400 may connect to the network 418 through a network interface unit 410 connected to the bus 406 .
- the network interface unit 410 may also be utilized to connect to other types of networks and remote computer systems.
- the computer 400 may also include an input/output controller 408 for receiving and processing input from a number of input devices (not shown), including a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, and a game controller.
- the input/output controller 408 may provide output to a display or other type of output device (not shown).
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Abstract
Description
- This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. 12/145,498, filed on Jun. 24, 2008, and titled “Multi-Modal Communication Through Modal-Specific Interfaces,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
- The rapid growth of computer networks has created new modalities of communication over these computer networks. These new modalities include, among others, email, chat (i.e., instant messaging), short message service (“SMS”), and voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”). In conventional implementations, a dedicated user interface is provided for each modality. For example, a first user interface may be provided enabling a user to send an email message, while a second user interface may be provided enabling a user to chat by transmitting and receiving instant messages. In many cases, the first user interface is provided in an entirely separate window than the second user interface, thereby causing the user to alternate, sometimes awkwardly, between windows in order to send an email and to chat at the same time.
- Further, communications through the first interface are typically mutually exclusive from communications through the second interface. For example, an email exchange between two users bears no relation to a chat exchange between the same two users, even if the email exchange and the chat exchange occur at the same time. As such, users are generally responsible for maintaining communications between multiple modalities, thereby creating additional challenges with respect to communicating across multiple modalities.
- It is with respect to these considerations and others that the disclosure made herein is presented.
- Technologies are described herein for providing multi-modal communication through modal-specific user interfaces. In particular, a communication controller is provided that enables one user interface operating under one modality to communicate with another user interface operating under another modality. For example, the communication controller may enable a first user utilizing an email interface to communicate with a second user utilizing a chat interface.
- In order to display communications generated in one modality on an interface designed for another modality, the communication controller may be adapted to convert communications from one modality into another modality. Examples of modalities may include, but are not limited to, email, chat (i.e., instant messaging), short message service (“SMS”), and voicemail. The communication controller may be further adapted to operate in the background of a communications network between two or more users. Thus, a user may seamlessly transmit and receive communications through her preferred modality irrespective of the other user's chosen interface or modality. Since a user can transmit and receive communications in a single modality, the responsibility of maintaining any knowledge or concern for the modality of others can be removed from the user.
- According to one aspect presented herein, a computer program provides multi-modal communication through modal-specific interfaces. The computer program receives, from a first interface across a computer network, a communication in a first modality. The computer program converts the communication into a second modality. Upon converting the communication into the second modality, the computer program provides the communication to a second interface across the computer network.
- This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended that this Summary be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.
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FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a network architecture configured to provide multi-modal communication through modal-specific interfaces, in accordance with one embodiment; -
FIG. 2 is a dual screen capture diagram showing a illustrative communicate between separate modal-specific interfaces, in accordance with one embodiment; -
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing an illustrative method for providing modal-specific interfaces, in accordance with one embodiment; and -
FIG. 4 is a computer architecture diagram showing aspects of an illustrative computer hardware architecture for a computing system capable of implementing aspects of the embodiments presented herein. - The following detailed description is directed to technologies for providing multi-modal communication through a modality-specific user interface. While the subject matter described herein is presented in the general context of program modules that execute in conjunction with the execution of an operating system and application programs on a computer system, those skilled in the art will recognize that other implementations may be performed in combination with other types of program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures, and other types of structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the subject matter described herein may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like.
- In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments or examples. Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements through the several figures, aspects of a computing system and methodology for providing multi-modal communication through a modality-specific user interface will be described.
FIG. 1 shows anillustrative network architecture 100 including afirst user 102A and asecond user 102B. Thefirst user 102A operates afirst computer 104A, which includes anemail interface 106A. Thesecond user 102B operates asecond computer 104B, which includes achat interface 106B. Thefirst user 102A and thesecond user 102B may be collectively referred to as users 102. Theemail interface 106A and thechat interface 106B may be collectively referred to as interfaces 106. - The
email interface 106A may be any suitable interface capable of enabling thefirst user 102A to transmit emails to and to receive emails from other users. Examples of email interfaces include those provided by GROUPWISE™ from NOVELL INC. and OUTLOOK® messaging and collaboration client from MICROSOFT CORPORATION. In one embodiment, theemail interface 106A is a dedicated email application. Theemail interface 106A may be a standalone application executing on thefirst computer 104A. In the alternative, theemail interface 106A may be a web application accessible through a web browser executing on thefirst computer 104A. In another embodiment, theemail interface 106A is provided within any suitable application. - The chat interface 106 b may be any suitable interface capable of enabling the
second user 102B to transmit instant messages to and to receive instant messages from other users. Examples of chat interfaces include those provided by AOL® INSTANT MESSENGER™ software from AOL LLC and WINDOWS MESSENGER® messaging client from MICROSOFT CORPORATION. In one embodiment, thechat interface 106B is a dedicated instant messaging application. Thechat interface 106B may be a standalone application executing on thesecond computer 104B. In the alternative, thechat interface 106B may be a web application accessible through a web browser (not shown) executing on thesecond computer 104B. In another embodiment, thechat interface 106B is provided within any suitable application. - It should be appreciated that the
email interface 106A and thechat interface 106B are merely illustrative examples of communication interfaces. Other suitable communication interfaces that enable users to communicate via text, images, audio, video, and combinations thereof may be similarly utilized. It should further be appreciated that each communication interface may be specific to a particular modality. Each communication interface may be distinguished by its design, which can be optimized for a specific modality, as well as by the modal-specific options that are provided. In many cases, even if the interfaces 106 are provided in a single application, the interfaces 106 are still typically distinguished from each other via a drop-down menu or other suitable interface selection mechanism. In the alternative, the application may automatically switch the interfaces 106 for the users. - As illustrated in
FIG. 1 , thenetwork architecture 100 further includes acommunication controller 108. According to embodiments, thecommunication controller 108 enables thefirst user 102A utilizing theemail interface 106A and the second user utilizing thechat interface 106B to seamlessly communicate. In particular, thecommunication controller 108 enables thefirst user 102A to communicate using theemail interface 106A without knowledge of or concern for the particular modality being used by thesecond user 102B or any other user. Similarly, thecommunication controller 108 enables thesecond user 102B to communicate using thechat interface 106B without knowledge of or concern for the modality or communication interface being used by thefirst user 102A or any other user. - For example, when the
first user 102A sends an email to thesecond user 102B, thecommunication controller 108 converts the email into an instant message and provides the instant message to thesecond user 102B via thechat interface 106B. Since thesecond user 102B is provided with an instant message instead of an email, thesecond user 102B may have no knowledge that thefirst user 102A is using theemail interface 106A. As far as thesecond user 102B is concerned, thefirst user 102A may even be using another chat interface. - Upon receiving the instant message from the
first user 102A through thecommunication controller 108, thesecond user 102B may reply to the instant message through thechat interface 106B. When thesecond user 102B sends the instant message reply to thefirst user 102A, thecommunication controller 108 converts the instant message reply into an email and provides the email to thefirst user 102A through theemail interface 106A. Since thefirst user 102A is provided with an email instead of an instant message, thefirst user 102A may have no knowledge that thesecond user 102B is using thechat interface 106B. As far as thefirst user 102A is concerned, thesecond user 102A may even be using another email interface. - The ability for the
first user 102A and thesecond user 102B to communicate through separate interfaces and across different modalities without any knowledge of or concern for the other's modality provides an additional level of abstraction over conventional implementations. Thecommunication controller 108 essentially hides the possibility that multiple users may be utilizing interfaces operating under different modalities. Accordingly, a user can utilize her preferred communication interface, even if the communication interface is modality-specific and operates under a different modality than other users. - In contrast, a conventional implementation that provides multi-modal communication typically does not allow a user to choose a preferred communication interface irrespective of other users. In one example, a sender may be limited to using the
chat interface 106B only when the recipient is online (i.e., presence information). In another example, a recipient who receives an email from theemail interface 106A may be limited to viewing the email on another email interface. That is, the recipient cannot choose whether to receive the email in another format, such as SMS or voicemail messages, by default. - In one embodiment, the users 102 may configure the
communication controller 108 to convert incoming communications under one modality into one or more other modalities. For example, thefirst user 102A may configure thecommunication controller 108 to convert incoming communications into emails and voicemail messages. If the incoming message is text-based, the voicemail messages may be generated via a suitable text-to-speech converter. - The users 102 may further configure the
communication controller 108 to select appropriate modalities based on predefined conditions being met or business logic. For example, thesecond user 102B may configure thecommunication controller 108 to convert incoming communications into an instant message if thesecond user 102B is online or into a SMS message if thesecond user 102B is offline. By enabling the users 102 to specify logic defining how the users 102 will receive incoming communications, thecommunication controller 108 provides enhanced flexibility over conventional implementations. - Referring now to
FIG. 2 , additional details will be provided regarding communication between the interfaces 106. In particular,FIG. 2 includes screen capture diagrams 200A-200B showing an illustrative conversation between thefirst user 102A and thesecond user 102B. As previous mentioned with respect toFIG. 1 , thefirst user 102A transmits and receives communications via theemail interface 106A, and thesecond user 102B transmits and receives communications via thechat interface 106B. Also as previously mentioned, thecommunication controller 108 enables the users 102 to communicate through their respective interfaces 106 without knowledge of the other user's specific modality or communication interface. - As illustrated in
FIG. 2 , the first screen capture diagram 200A displays theemail interface 106A used by thefirst user 102A. Theemail interface 106A includes anemail composition window 202 where thefirst user 102A has composed anemail 204 to thesecond user 102B. Theemail interface 106A includes arecipient field 206 designated by the word “to” as well as asubject field 208. Upon composing theemail 204 in theemail composition window 202, thefirst user 102A accesses (e.g., clicks on) asend button 210 to send theemail 204 to thesecond user 102B. - As further illustrated in
FIG. 2 , the second screen capture diagram 200B displays thechat interface 106B used by thesecond user 102B. Thechat interface 106B includes areading pane 212 and awriting pane 214. Thereading pane 212 displays incoming instant messages. In particular, inFIG. 2 , thereading pane 212 displays aninstant message 216 that thecommunication controller 108 has converted from theemail 204. Theinstant message 216 includessender information 218 indicating that thefirst user 102A sent theinstant message 216 as well as atime stamp 220 indicating the time that thefirst user 102A sent theinstant message 216. It should be noted that no where in thereading pane 212 does it indicate that thefirst user 102A sent an email through theemail interface 106A. Thecommunication controller 108 effectively abstracts this information, thereby providing a more customized experience for thesecond user 102B. - The
writing pane 214 enables thesecond user 102B to enter a reply to theinstant message 216 in the form of aninstant message 222. Once thesecond user 102B accesses a submitbutton 224 to submit theinstant message 222 to thefirst user 102A, thecommunication controller 108 converts theinstant message 222 into an email. For example, the email converted from theinstant message 222 may be displayed in an inbox (not shown) or other suitable notification interface within theemail interface 106A. - Turning now to
FIG. 3 , additional details will be provided regarding the operation of thecommunication controller 108. In particular,FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating aspects of a method provided herein for providing multi-modal communication through modal-specific interfaces. It should be appreciated that the logical operations described herein are implemented (1) as a sequence of computer implemented acts or program modules running on a computing system and/or (2) as interconnected machine logic circuits or circuit modules within the computing system. The implementation is a matter of choice dependent on the performance and other requirements of the computing system. Accordingly, the logical operations described herein are referred to variously as states, operations, structural devices, acts, or modules. These operations, structural devices, acts, and modules may be implemented in software, in firmware, in special purpose digital logic, and any combination thereof. It should be appreciated that more or fewer operations may be performed than shown in the figures and described herein. These operations may also be performed in a different order than those described herein. - Referring to
FIG. 3 , a routine 300 begins atoperation 302, where thecommunication controller 108 receives a first communication in a first modality from a first interface. For example, if the first interface is theemail interface 106A, then the modality of the first communication is email. The routine 300 then proceeds tooperation 304, where the communication controller converts the first communication from the first modality into a second modality associated with a second interface. For example, if the second interface is thechat interface 106B, then thecommunication controller 108 converts theemail 204 received from theemail interface 106A into theinstant message 216. Upon converting the first communication into the second modality, the routine 300 proceeds tooperation 306. - At
operation 306, thecommunication controller 108 provides the converted first communication to the second interface. For example, upon converting theemail 204 into theinstant message 216, thecommunication controller 108 may provide theinstant message 216 to thechat interface 106B. Upon receiving the converted first communication from thecommunication controller 108, the second interface may display the first communication in the second modality as specified by thesecond user 102B. The routine 300 then proceeds tooperation 308. - At
operation 308, thecommunication controller 108 receives a second communication in the second modality from a second interface. For example, if the second interface is thechat interface 106B, then the modality of the second communication is chat. The second communication may be a reply, such as theinstant message 222, to the first communication. The routine 300 then proceeds tooperation 310, where thecommunication controller 108 converts the second communication from the second modality into a first modality associated with a first interface. For example, if the first interface is theemail interface 106A, then thecommunication controller 108 converts theinstant message 222 received from thechat interface 106B into an email. Upon converting the second communication into the first modality, the routine 300 proceeds tooperation 312. - At
operation 312, thecommunication controller 108 provides the converted second communication to the first interface. For example, upon converting theinstant message 222 into the email, thecommunication controller 108 may provide the email to theemail interface 106A. Upon receiving the converted second communication from thecommunication controller 108, the first interface may display the second communication in the first modality as specified by thefirst user 102A. - Referring now to
FIG. 4 , an exemplary computer architecture diagram showing aspects of acomputer 400 is illustrated. Examples of thecomputer 400 include thefirst computer 104A and thesecond computer 104B. Thecomputer 400 includes a processing unit 402 (“CPU”), asystem memory 404, and a system bus 406 that couples thememory 404 to theCPU 402. Thecomputer 400 further includes amass storage device 412 for storing one ormore program modules 414 and one ormore databases 416. Examples of theprogram modules 414 include theemail interface 106A, thechat interface 106B, and thecommunication controller 108. Themass storage device 412 is connected to theCPU 402 through a mass storage controller (not shown) connected to the bus 406. Themass storage device 412 and its associated computer-readable media provide non-volatile storage for thecomputer 400. Although the description of computer-readable media contained herein refers to a mass storage device, such as a hard disk or CD-ROM drive, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that computer-readable media can be any available computer storage media that can be accessed by thecomputer 400. - By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media may include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. For example, computer-readable media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other solid state memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (“DVD”), HD-DVD, BLU-RAY, or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by the
computer 400. - According to various embodiments, the
computer 400 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to remote computers through anetwork 418. Thecomputer 400 may connect to thenetwork 418 through anetwork interface unit 410 connected to the bus 406. It should be appreciated that thenetwork interface unit 410 may also be utilized to connect to other types of networks and remote computer systems. Thecomputer 400 may also include an input/output controller 408 for receiving and processing input from a number of input devices (not shown), including a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, and a game controller. Similarly, the input/output controller 408 may provide output to a display or other type of output device (not shown). - Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that technologies for providing multi-modal communication through modal-specific interfaces are presented herein. Although the subject matter presented herein has been described in language specific to computer structural features, methodological acts, and computer readable media, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features, acts, or media described herein. Rather, the specific features, acts and mediums are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
- The subject matter described above is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting. Various modifications and changes may be made to the subject matter described herein without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
Claims (1)
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AU2009271514B2 (en) | 2014-10-02 |
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CN102067169B (en) | 2017-10-13 |
SG192424A1 (en) | 2013-08-30 |
CN102067169A (en) | 2011-05-18 |
JP2011525676A (en) | 2011-09-22 |
MX2010014055A (en) | 2011-04-05 |
AU2009271514A1 (en) | 2010-01-21 |
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