Window control apparatus and method having function for controlling windows by means of voice-input

Claim 2

A window control apparatus comprising: display means for displaying at least a window of a plurality of windows; first voice-pattern dictionary means for storing a first group of voice patterns, each of said voice patterns in said first group representing a command used for switching active windows of said plurality of windows; window switching means for comparing and associating a voice pattern entered by non-particular users with said first group of voice patterns so as to facilitate switching active windows in response to an input voice pattern of a non-particular user; second voice-pattern dictionary means for storing a second group of voice patterns associated with particular users, each of said voice patterns in said second group representing a sub-command used for performing an executable operation associated with a currently active window; and sub-command inputting means for comparing a voice pattern entered by a particular user with said second group of voice patterns so as to facilitate performance of the executable operation.

Claim 3

The window control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said command is a command which indicates a relationship concerning a spatial arrangement of said plurality of windows, said relationship comprising a relationship between the currently active window and another window to be activated from the windows among said plurality of windows.

Claim 4

The window control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said window switching means comprises: keyboard means for switching the active window in accordance with a corresponding keyboard means input; and voice-keyboard signal conversion means for converting a signal corresponding to the voice-input of the non-particular user into a signal corresponding to a keyboard means input relevant to the non-particular voice-input.

Claim 5

The window control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said window switching means comprises: voice recognition means for recognizing the non-particular user voice-input to be a corresponding command by means of said first voice-pattern dictionary means.

Claim 6

The window control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sub-command inputting means comprises: voice recognition means for recognizing the particular user voice-input to be the corresponding sub-command by means of said second voice-pattern dictionary means.

Claim 7

The window control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said window control apparatus further comprises: voice recognition means for recognizing a user voice-input to be a word corresponding to said first voice-pattern dictionary means or said second voice-pattern dictionary means; and wherein said voice recognition means, after said window switching means has switched the active window, recognizes the user voice-input to be words in said second voice-pattern dictionary means indicating sub-commands previously determined for the currently active window.

Claim 8

The window control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said window switching means comprises: pointing-device means for switching the active window in accordance with a corresponding pointing-device means input; and voice-pointing-device signal conversion means for converting a signal corresponding to the voice-input into a signal corresponding to a pointing-device input, said conversion being executed for the voice-input relevant a position of a mouse cursor displayed on a screen which position is controlled by operation of said pointing-device means.

Claim 9

A window control method comprising steps of: a display step (a) displaying at least a window of a plurality of windows; a window switching step (b) switching a currently active window between windows of said plurality of windows in accordance with a corresponding non-particular voice-input, said non-particular voice-input comprising a relationship command representing a relationship between a currently active window of said plurality of windows and a window of said plurality of windows to be subsequently activated, said window switching step (b) includes the step of: (b1) using a first voice-pattern dictionary for storing a first group of voice patterns, each voice pattern of said first group of voice patterns being for use in converting the voice pattern of the voice-input into a word corresponding to said voice-input, said first group of voice patterns being used for converting voice patterns comprising any user's voice; and a sub-command inputting step (c) performing executable operations associated with a currently active window, said sub-command inputting step includes the step of: (c1) using a second voice-pattern dictionary for storing a second group of voice patterns associated with particular users each voice pattern of said second group of voice patterns being for use in converting the voice pattern of the voice-input into a word corresponding to said voice-input, said second group of voice patterns being used for converting voice patterns comprising a particular user's voice.

Claim 10

A window control method comprising steps of: a display step (a) displaying at least a window of a plurality of windows; a window switching step (b) switching a currently active window between windows of said plurality of windows in accordance with a corresponding non-particular voice-input, said non-particular voice-input comprising a relationship command representing a relationship between a currently active window of said plurality of windows and a window of said plurality of windows to be subsequently activated, said window switching step (b) includes the step of: (b1) using a first voice-pattern dictionary for storing a first group of voice patterns, each voice pattern of said first group of voice patterns being for use in converting the voice pattern of the voice-input into a word corresponding to said voice-input, said first group of voice patterns being used for converting voice patterns comprising any user's voice; and a sub-command inputting step (c) performing executable operations associated with a currently active window, said sub-command inputting step includes the step of: (c1) using a second voice-pattern dictionary for storing a second group of voice patterns associated with particular users each voice pattern of said second group of voice patterns being for use in converting the voice pattern of the voice-input into a word corresponding to said voice-input, said second group of voice patterns being used for converting voice patterns comprising a particular user's voice.

Claim 11

The window control method according to claim 8, wherein said relationship command represents a spatial arrangement between the currently active window of said plurality of windows and a window of said plurality of windows to be activated.

Claim 12

The window control method according to claim 8, wherein said window switching step (b) further comprises: a keyboard step (b2) switching the active window in accordance with a corresponding keyboard input; and a voice-keyboard signal conversion step (b3) converting a signal corresponding to the voice-input non-particular user into a signal corresponding to the keyboard input relevant to the non-particular voice-input.

Claim 13

The window control method according to claim 8, wherein said window switching step (b) further comprises: a voice recognition step (b4) recognizing the non-particular user voice-input to be a word corresponding to said first voice-pattern dictionary.

Claim 14

The control method according to claim 11, wherein: said window switching step (b) further comprises a step (b7) using a second voice-pattern dictionary for storing a second group of voice patterns, each voice pattern of said second group of voice patterns being for use in converting the voice pattern comprising the voice-input into a corresponding word, said second group of voice patterns being used for converting voice patterns comprising a particular user's voice; and said voice recognition step (b4) recognizes the voice-input to be the corresponding word by means of said second voice-pattern dictionary as well as said first voice-pattern dictionary.

Claim 15

The window control method according to claim 8, wherein said sub-command inputting step (c) further comprises: a voice recognition step (c2) recognizing the particular voice-input to be a word corresponding to said second voice-pattern dictionary.

Claim 16

The window control method according to claim 8, wherein said window control method further comprises a voice recognition step (d) recognizing a user voice-input to be a word corresponding to said first voice-patterns dictionary or said second voice-pattern dictionary; wherein said voice recognition step (d), after said window switching step has switched the active window, recognizes the user voice-input to be words in said second voice-pattern dictionary means indicating sub-commands previously provided for the currently active window.

Claim 17

The window control method according to claim 8, wherein said window switching step (b) further comprises: a pointing-device step (b5) switching the active window in accordance with a corresponding pointing-device input; and a voice-pointing-device signal conversion step (b6) converting a signal corresponding to the voice-input into a signal corresponding to a pointing-device input, said conversion being executed for the voice-input relevant a position of a mouse cursor displayed on a screen which position is controlled by operations of said pointing-device step (b5).