IP Library Patent Application 11382583
Patent Application
App. No. 11/382,583

STREAMING AUDIO FROM A FULL-DUPLEX NETWORK THROUGH A HALF-DUPLEX DEVICE

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
11/382,583
Abstract

Streaming audio from a full-duplex network through a half-duplex device, including buffering, in the half-duplex device, input audio from the full-duplex network, where the input audio includes audio data for output through the half-duplex device; playing, through the half-duplex device, the buffered input audio; pausing, during voice activity on the half-duplex device, the playing of the buffered input audio; recording, during the voice activity, output audio to be sent to the full-duplex network; and resuming the playing of the buffered input audio after the voice activity.

Claims (55)

1 . A method for streaming audio from a full-duplex network through a half-duplex device, the method comprising:

buffering, in the half-duplex device, input audio from the full-duplex network, the input audio comprising audio data for output through the half-duplex device;

playing, through the half-duplex device, the buffered input audio;

pausing, during voice activity on the half-duplex device, the playing of the buffered input audio;

recording, during the voice activity, output audio to be sent to the full-duplex network; and

resuming the playing of the buffered input audio after the voice activity.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein:

the input audio from the full-duplex network comprises voice over the internet protocol (‘VOIP’), and

the half-duplex device comprises a distributed speech recognition (‘DSR’) client.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein buffering input audio further comprises:

receiving, by a receive thread, audio data from an input audio stream; and

storing the audio data in an input memory buffer.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting the voice activity on the half-duplex device.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein detecting the voice activity on the half-duplex device further comprises:

detecting voice activity by a VAD engine; and

advising, by the VAD engine, a media thread of the voice activity.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein:

playing the buffered input audio further comprises playing the buffered input audio by a media thread;

pausing the playing of the buffered input audio further comprises pausing the playing of the buffered input audio by the media thread; and

recording output audio for delivery to the full-duplex network further comprises recording output audio by the media thread in an output memory buffer.

7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising sending the recorded output audio by a send thread to the full-duplex network.

8 . Apparatus for streaming audio from a full-duplex network through a half-duplex device, the apparatus comprising a computer processor and a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

buffering, in the half-duplex device, input audio from the full-duplex network, the input audio comprising audio data for output through the half-duplex device;

playing, through the half-duplex device, the buffered input audio;

pausing, during voice activity on the half-duplex device, the playing of the buffered input audio;

recording, during the voice activity, output audio to be sent to the full-duplex network; and

resuming the playing of the buffered input audio after the voice activity.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 wherein:

the input audio from the full-duplex network comprises voice over the internet protocol (‘VOIP’), and

the half-duplex device comprises a distributed speech recognition (‘DSR’) client.

10 . The apparatus of claim 8 wherein buffering input audio further comprises:

receiving, by a receive thread, audio data from an input audio stream; and

storing the audio data in an input memory buffer.

11 . The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a voice activity detection (‘VAD’) engine capable of detecting the voice activity on the half-duplex device.

12 . The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising computer program instructions capable of sending the recorded output audio by a send thread to the full-duplex network.

13 . A computer program product for streaming audio from a full-duplex network through a half-duplex device, the computer program product disposed upon a signal bearing medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

buffering, in the half-duplex device, input audio from the full-duplex network, the input audio comprising audio data for output through the half-duplex device;

playing, through the half-duplex device, the buffered input audio;

pausing, during voice activity on the half-duplex device, the playing of the buffered input audio;

recording, during the voice activity, output audio to be sent to the full-duplex network; and

resuming the playing of the buffered input audio after the voice activity.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a recordable medium.

15 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a transmission medium.

16 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:

the input audio from the full-duplex network comprises voice over the internet protocol (‘VOIP’), and

the half-duplex device comprises a distributed speech recognition (‘DSR’) client.

17 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein buffering input audio further comprises:

receiving, by a receive thread, audio data from an input audio stream; and

storing the audio data in an input memory buffer.

18 . The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of detecting the voice activity on the half-duplex device.

19 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:

playing the buffered input audio further comprises playing the buffered input audio by a media thread;

pausing the playing of the buffered input audio further comprise pausing the playing of the buffered input audio by the media thread; and

recording output audio for delivery to the full-duplex network further comprises recording output audio by the media thread in an output memory buffer.

20 . The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of sending the recorded output audio by a send thread to the full-duplex network.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2009
From: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
To: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 022689/0317 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 10, 2006
From: CROSS, JR., CHARLES W.; LI, YAN; MCCOBB, GERALD M.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018086/0825 →