Enabling speech within a multimodal program using markup

Abstract

A method for speech enabling an application can include the step of specifying a speech input within a speech-enabled markup. The speech-enabled markup can also specify an application operation that is to be executed responsive to the detection of the speech input. After the speech input has been defined within the speech-enabled markup, the application can be instantiated. The specified speech input can then be detected and the application operation can be responsively executed in accordance with the specified speech-enabled markup.

1 . A method for speech enabling an application comprising the steps of:
 specifying a speech input with a speech-enabled markup;   defining within said speech-enabled markup at least one operation of an application that is to be executed upon a detection of said specified speech input;   after said defining step, instantiating said application;   detecting said specified speech input; and   executing said application operation responsive to said detecting step.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said application is a multimodal Web browser. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a speech-enabled markup interpreter within an operating system upon which said application executes, wherein said speech-enabled markup interpreter is used to detect said speech input and responsively initiate said application operation.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the steps of:
 rendering a Web page within said application, wherein said Web page includes speech-enabled markup for at least one element of said Web page, and wherein said speech-enabled markup interpreter speech-enables said Web page element.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 associating said speech-enabled markup with a graphical user interface element of said application;   determining that said graphical user interface element receives focus; and   responsive to said determination, activating said speech-enabled markup so that said application starts monitoring audible input for said specified speech input.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the steps of:
 determining that said graphical user interface element loses focus; and   responsive to said loss of focus, deactivating said speech-enabled markup so that said application no longer monitors audible input for said specified speech input.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said application is written in a Markup language. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said speech-enabled markup is written in a Voice Extensible Markup Language. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said application is written in an Extensible Hypertext Markup Language. 
     
     
         10 . A speech-enabled application comprising:
 a graphical user interface element configured to initiate at least one application operation responsive to a predefined graphical user interface event;   a speech-enabled markup associated with said graphical user interface element that specifies said application operation is to be performed responsive to a speech input; and   a markup interpreter configured to interpret said speech-enabled markup and initiate said application operation responsive to said speech input.   
     
     
         11 . The application of  claim 10 , wherein said markup interpreter is embedded within an operating system of a client computer in which said application is disposed. 
     
     
         12 . The application of  claim 10 , wherein said speech-enabled application is a Web browser. 
     
     
         13 . The application of  claim 12 , wherein said markup interpreter is configured to interpret speech-enabled markup contained within Web pages rendered by said Web browser. 
     
     
         14 . The application of  claim 10 , wherein said application is written in a markup language. 
     
     
         15 . A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:
 specifying a speech input with a speech-enabled markup;   defining within said speech-enabled markup at least one operation of an application that is to be executed upon a detection of said specified speech input;   after said defining step, instantiating said application;   detecting said specified speech input; and   executing said application operation responsive to said detecting step.   
     
     
         16 . The machine-readable storage of  claim 15 , wherein said application is a multimodal Web browser. 
     
     
         17 . The machine-readable storage of  claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a speech-enabled markup interpreter within an operating system upon which said application executes, wherein said speech-enabled markup interpreter is used to detect said speech input and responsively initiate said application operation.   
     
     
         18 . The machine-readable storage of  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:
 rendering a Web page within said application, wherein said Web page includes speech-enabled markup for at least one element of said Web page, and wherein said speech-enabled markup interpreter speech-enables said Web page element.   
     
     
         19 . The machine-readable storage of  claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:
 associating said speech-enabled markup with a graphical user interface element of said application;   determining that said graphical user interface element receives focus; and   responsive to said determination, activating said speech-enabled markup so that said application starts monitoring audible input for said specified speech input.   
     
     
         20 . The machine-readable storage of  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of:
 determining that said graphical user interface element loses focus; and   responsive to said loss of focus, deactivating said speech-enabled markup so that said application no longer monitors audible input for said specified speech input.