Modifications of audio communications in an online environment

Abstract

A system and method to modify audio communications in an online environment and, in particular, to modifying audio communications using one or more parameters. The system includes a module configured to detect one or more parameters applicable to an incoming audio communication and a weighing engine configured to weigh the one or more parameters and obtain a weighted volume. The system further includes a module configured to transmit the weighted volume to a user participating in a virtual universe. The method determines whether one or more parameters apply to an incoming communication, weighs the incoming communication based on the one or more parameters to determine a weighted volume of the incoming communication, and transmits the incoming communication to a user at the weighted volume.

1 . A method for modifying audio comprising:
 determining whether one or more parameters apply to an incoming communication;   weighing the incoming communication based on the one or more parameters to determine a weighted volume of the incoming communication; and   permitting transmission of the incoming communication to a user at the weighted volume.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameters include at least one of: a user identification parameter, a group identification parameter, an inventory item possession parameter, a display parameter, a user declaration parameter, a timing parameter, a listening device channel setting parameter, and a proximity parameter. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user is participating in a virtual universe. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing additional parameters as pluggable acoustic modules. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising setting a base volume for the incoming communication. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining, weighting, and permitting are offered by a service provider based on one of a fee and a subscription basis. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining, weighting, and permitting are provided on a computer infrastructure, which is at least one of: supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 obtaining an incoming audio communication from a user;   assigning a weight to the one or more parameters, which include: a user's inventory item; a group membership; a declaration; an interrupting an existing audio communication; a listening device channel setting; and a proximity to a receiver; wherein the weight is assigned by at least one of: the user and a computing device;   obtaining a weighted average of the one or more parameters, wherein the weighted average represents the weighted volume of the incoming audio communication;   adjusting the incoming audio communication according to the weighted average; and   transmitting the incoming audio communication to the user at the weighted volume.   
     
     
         9 . A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer program product includes at least one component operable to:
 determine an initial volume of an incoming communication;   apply one or more parameters to the incoming communication, whereby the one or more parameters are configured to change the initial volume;   determine a final volume based on the application of the one or more parameters; and   transmit the incoming communication at the final volume.   
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more parameters include at least one of: a user identification parameter, a group identification parameter, an inventory item possession parameter, a display parameter, a user declaration parameter, a timing parameter, a listening device channel setting parameter, and a proximity parameter. 
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , comprising at least one component operable to:
 obtain an incoming audio communication from a user;   determine the initial volume of the incoming audio communication;   determine whether at least one of the one or more parameters apply;   apply at least one of the one or more parameters to the initial volume;   weigh each of the one or more parameters to obtain a weighted average, wherein the weighted average represents a weighted volume of the incoming audio communication;   adjust the initial volume according to the weighted average; and   transmit the incoming audio communication to the user at the weighted volume.   
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the final volume is one of: same as the initial volume, louder than the initial volume, and quieter than the initial volume. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the computer infrastructure is at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider. 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 detecting one or more parameters applicable to an incoming audio communication;   weighing the one or more parameters;   obtaining a weighted volume based on the weighing; and   providing the weighted volume such that a user participating in a virtual universe implemented on a computing device can be provided with an audio at a certain volume.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more parameters include at least one of: a user identification parameter, a group identification parameter, an inventory item possession parameter, a display parameter, a user declaration parameter, a timing parameter, a listening device channel setting parameter, and a proximity parameter. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the proximity parameter applies a volume multiplier to the incoming communication, the volume multiplier configured to change relative to a distance between a source of an incoming communication and a recipient of the incoming communication. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the user declaration parameter includes at least one of pressing a designated key, typing a command, and sounding an alert and/or warning. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the listening device channel setting parameter is configured to designate a channel on which to transmit the incoming communication. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the timing parameter is configured to determine whether the incoming communication is interrupting an existing communication. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein weighing comprising assigning weights to at least one of the one or more parameters as a function of at least one of: a user, the virtual universe, a source of the incoming communication, a group member, a group, a virtual universe administrator, a service provider, and a location owner.