[Indigo]<Voice>Documentation>VoiceSystemTalk>VoiceApplicationsNov86.slides!1

Voice Applications in Cedar

November 1986

Voice Applications in Cedar

Polle T. Zellweger

with
Daniel C. Swinehart
Douglas B. Terry
Stephen Ades*

Computer Science Laboratory
Xerox Palo Alto Research Center

*Cambridge University

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Talk Overview

· Telephone management & uses of recorded voice (videotape)

· Voice annotation

· Voice editing

· Scripted documents

· Future directions

(show videotape here)

Voice Annotation

· Uses

manager dictates to secretary

collaboration tool for joint authoring

"marginal notes" to oneself

· Desired behavior

arbitrary length

lightweight user interface

visual indication, but does not alter layout

· Add voice annotations to Tioga documents

=> multi-media documents

include text, typography, graphics, voice

used throughout Cedar system

documents, programs, electronic mail, display

· Implementation

voice stored on Voice File Server

recording/playing voice sets up conversation between Etherphone and Voice File Server

Voice Annotation Example

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To play back: To record:

select character(s) select character

button PlayVoice button AddVoice

speak

button STOP

Voice Editing

· Recording studio model: effort pays off

many fine-grain edits

=> voice energy graphs

· Office workstation model: ease of use

few coarse-grain edits

simple cut & paste editing

record new phrases

=> sound-and-silence profiles

Contextual Aids for Voice Editing

· Playback cue

· Temporary markers

· Permanent textual annotations

· Color editing history

Voice Editing Implementation

· Recorded voice stored on Voice File Server

encrypted, immutable

voice shared and manipulated by reference

voice data only copied on playback

· Editing creates voice descriptors

sequence of voice intervals <tune#, start, length>

stored on Voice Control Server

· Editing builds up complex voice descriptors

premise: number of edits is small

Scripted Documents

· script

directed path through document(s)

arbitrary order

can include actions, timing at each location

· sample actions

play back voice annotation

send text to text-to-speech server

animate picture

· formal uses

audio-visual presentations, demonstrations

electronic books

program documentation

· informal uses

communication from reviewers to an author

organizing technique for writers

planning editing sessions

Sample Script

script name: Simple Introduction

entry: 1
filename: ScriptUserManual.tioga
location: 10..50
action: speak("Hello, ", UserCredentials.Get[].name)
time: 10 sec

entry: 2
filename: ScriptUserManual.tioga
location: 235..240
action: play(annotations)
time: *

entry: 3
filename: TiogaDoc.tioga
location: 1172..1210
action: play(RowRowRowYourBoat)
time: 15 sec

entry: 4
filename: ScriptUserManual.tioga
location: 10..21
action: PreView Picture.interpress
time: *

Sample Script: entry #1

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script name: Introduction to Gargoyle

entry: 1
filename: GargoyleTutorial.tioga
location: 15..121
action: speak("Hello, ", UserCredentials.Get[].name, ". Get ready to blast off.")
time: 15 sec

Sample Script: entry #2

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entry: 2
filename: GargoyleTutorial.tioga
location: 624..683
action: bringover -p -m Gargoyle.df; Gargoyle
time: *

Sample Script: entry #3

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entry: 3
filename: GargoyleDoc.tioga
location: 1..17
action: play(annotations)1
time: 10 sec

1 "GargoyleDoc.tioga is a valuable reference manual. It includes some additional material not covered in the tutorial."

Sample Script: entry #4

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entry: 4
filename: GargoyleTutorial.tioga
location: 55417..55537
action: PreView RomanLetterB.interpress
time: *

Scriptwriting Tool

· tool for creating and editing sequential scripts

scripts stored in central database

Current Status

· tool for creating and editing sequential scripts

scripts stored in central database

· internal scripts

modify document (store unique id with chars)

editing document does not disturb script

public script of public document(s)

private script of private document(s)

· external scripts

document not modified (use char positions)

refers to unique version of document

private script of public document(s)

Better Scripts

· Improved visualization for script writers

show script sequencing better

· Conditional and interactive scripts

single script tailors to different users

user can influence script direction

· Improved layout control

control highlighting, window placement

capture mouse actions

· Compare scripts with other complex document structures

hypermedia

Future Voice Directions

· Call filtering

· Integrate conversation log with electronic mail

· Novel interactive voice connections

"background" calls

broadcast talks, meetings

conference calls with side-conversations

· Additional media

still & real-time video

· Voice architecture

user programmable

supports interoperability

extensible