Copyright: Voice Blaster is a trademark of COVOX, INC.


Contents

Introduction

System Requirements

Hardware Installation

Software Installation

Tutorial

Recognition Guidelines

Trouble Shooting

Reference

Glossary

General Information

Limited Warranty Statement

Software Update Policy

Liability Disclaimer

Copyrights, Patents & Trademarks

!!! Important FCC Notice !!!


Introduction

Welcome to the world of Voice Blaster for Windows! With this program you can teach your computer to respond to human voice. This document is organized into several sections:

Overview

•	System requirements

•	Installation guidelines

•	Tutorial

•	Voice recognition guidelines

•	Trouble Shooting Guide

Reference

•	Screens and advanced functions in depth

Glossary

Index


System Requirements

Hardware requirements

•	IBM 386DX-25 compatible computer (or higher)

•	2 Megabytes of RAM (4 recommended)

•	Multi-media compatible sound card: installed in your system

Software requirements

•	Windows 3.1

•	Windows Multi-media sound drivers installed in your system


Hardware Installation

Connect the E/Q module (included with Voice Blaster) to your LPT printer port. Note that your printer can be attached to the other end of the E/Q module.

There are three cables connected to the E/Q module, one male and two females. Plug the male jack into the microphone input jack of your sound card.

Plug the red headset plug into the larger of the two female jacks of the E/Q module. Your headset microphone should now be ready for use. (The smaller female jack is for a footswitch that can be used to activate recognition. Contact Covox for details.)

See E/Q Module and Headset Connection Diagram on page 55.

Remember: The red plug from the headset goes into the larger female plug on the E/Q Module. The black stereo male plug goes into the microphone input on your sound card. Make sure the stereo plug is not inserted into the sound card's line input.


Software Installation

The installation program guides you through the process of copying the Voice Blaster software to your hard drive.

1. Insert the disk 1 of 2 into the A or B disk drive of your computer.

If you have not yet started Windows, start it now by typing win<ENTER> at the DOS prompt. Or you can invoke the installation procedure while activating Windows by typing: win B:\VB51WIN\SETUP and skipping steps 2, 3, 4, and 5.

2. Go to the Program Manager window and click on File to display the File Menu.

3. Select the Run menu option from the File menu.

4. A dialog box will then be displayed, type in the command line b:\vb51win\setup.exe (for drive b, if you have the disk inserted into drive a, type a:\vb51win\setup.exe).

5. Leave the Run minimized box unchecked and click OK.

6. The screen will change to display a Covox graphic and a question dialog box prompting you to install Voice Blaster 5.1. Click on the OK button to confirm and begin the installation. You will be guided through a series of dialog boxes, gathering information to tailor the installation for your system.

7. If you have used Voice Blaster before, you will be asked whether the Covox program group and items should be cleared. If you select yes, your Covox group will be cleared and the appropriate files will be added. Otherwise, you will be required to manually add the file vb51.exe from your install directory to the Covox group.

8. You will then be prompted for the desired location of the Voice Blaster files. You can click on OK to use the default location, or enter a new directory.

9. As Voice Blaster is installed, a slider portraying the percentage of completion will be displayed.

When complete, your windows session will need to be restarted for Voice Blaster to work properly.


Tutorial

What is Voice Blaster? Voice Blaster is a voice-activated keyboard macroing system_when you say a word (or words), Voice Blaster will press some keys for you. The words you say are Commands. The keys Voice Blaster presses for you are Macros.

This section will take you through a startup scenario using the Program Manager as an example application.

Double click on the Voice Blaster icon in the Covox group.

Logon

Voice Blaster Main Section

Training Commands

Testing Your Trained Commands

Using Voice Blaster


Logon

Check that your microphone is properly connected to the sound hardware.

Double click on the Voice Blaster icon to start the program.

When you run Voice Blaster for the first time, you will be presented with a logon dialog box. Enter your name in the text field and press return or click on OK.

Voice Blaster will create a user file in the working directory using this name with the extension .usr. The user files contain the command templates that Voice Blaster uses to match your spoken command to a keyboard macro.


Voice Blaster Main Section

When Voice Blaster is activated, several things happen automatically. Voice Blaster recognizes Program Manager is the active application and loads its commands. The commands will be displayed in gray in the Voice Blaster window to indicate that they have not yet been trained. You can look at the title bar and system menu of the Program Manager to see where these commands originated.

Note: the Active Application is the Program Manager, and the active commands listed in the scrollable window are from the main menu of the Program Manager. The commands with the bullets by them are the global commands.


Training Commands

Click on this

To invoke the Language menu.

Select Train Commands_

The Active Application is known to the Train Commands window and listed next to the Command File title at the top of the window. In our example this is the Program Manager. This file is stored in the working directory with a .cml extension.

Select the Active Commands option

In the Command Selection menu on the left side of the Train Commands window, click in the circle next to the Active Commands item. This tells Voice Blaster that you will be training the active commands for the Program Manager (the active application). The Command List on the right side of the window shows the active commands that are available to be trained.

If you would like to train all the commands for Program Manager, select Single Command File. Training should only take about 3-5 minutes.

Click on the Train button

The first command to be trained is shown in the Command field at the top of the dialog box. Make sure you have your headset properly positioned (see Position the Microphone under Recognition guidelines).

Press Start to begin training.

"Speak Now!" will be displayed in the message area prompting you to repeat the command into the microphone. When the command is accepted, an X will be entered to the right of Training #1. Repeat the command once more to completely train a command.

Continue this process for the other commands on the list. When all commands have been trained, select Close, for both this dialog box and the Train Commands dialog. You will notice that the active commands in Voice Blaster's main window are now displayed in black type indicating that they have been trained.


Testing Your Trained Commands

Click on this

To display the Configuration & Fine Tuning menu. Then select Test Recognition.

Click on the Start button and speak into your microphone. Voice Blaster will compare your voice input to the commands in the Available Commands list. If it finds a match, the command will be written into the Recognized Command section at the top of the window.


Using Voice Blaster

Once a program's commands have been trained, activate that application (by clicking on it) and Voice Blaster will recognize and execute your spoken commands!

Click outside the Voice Blaster window, anywhere on the Program Manager. (You will always need to make sure your application is active for your spoken commands to be recognized.) Now say minimize into the microphone and you will see the Program Manager turn into an icon! Say restore, and the Program Manager returns to its previous display.

For more detailed information about voice recognition continue to the next section. For more detailed information on Voice Blaster screens and functions see the reference section.

Make sure Voice Blaster is no longer the active application before issuing commands, spoken commands are not executed while Voice Blaster is the active program. Change the active focus by clicking outside the Voice Blaster window.

Global Commands versus Local Commands


Global Commands versus Local Commands

Global and local are the two basic types of commands that Voice Blaster recognizes. Global commands by default are mostly comprised of the system menu: Restore, Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize, Close, Switch To, and Clipboard. These commands work the same for any application. Global commands are available at all times in all applications.

Local commands are unique to each application. For instance, Program Manager would have a different set of local commands than Sound Recorder, but both would have the same global commands.

Local commands have more than one level in the command structure (for example the command New is a sub-level of the command File), and commands are only applicable at their leveljust like you can't select a menu item from a menu that is not displayed, a local command can only be recognized in the right context. Global commands on the other hand, do not contain any sub-commands and they are always available.

By default, Voice Blaster places a bullet before global commands in the command list. This is a user definable trait that  can be modified through the Display Settings dialog box found in the system menu.


Recognition Guidelines

How Voice Blaster Works

Speaker Dependency

Isolated Word

Voice Macroing

Improving Recognition

Position the Microphone

Choose Distinctive Sounds

For Unrecognized Commands


How Voice Blaster Works

Voice Blaster utilizes the concepts of speaker-dependency, voice macroing, and isolated word recognition. It has not been designed for dictation (such a system would require enormous computing resources), but it can save you time normally spent typing, making your computer more efficient and easier to use.


Speaker Dependency

Voice Blaster is designed to operate with either gender and in any language. Each user must train Voice Blaster in advance to recognize his/her voice. Usually this means that different people cannot use one another's commands, but this is not always the case. (See Edit User).

Voice Blaster has not been designed for voice imprinting and is not a recommended tool for determining the identity of the speaker.


Isolated Word

You must pause briefly between each voice command so that Voice Blaster can determine the beginning and end of your command and compare it to the trained templates.

If you watch the indicator light while you are speaking, you can see how long a pause is necessary. If the light is green: Voice Blaster is detecting sound input, if it is red: a command is recognized. White is displayed during playback, and black when there is no noise above the background threshold level.


Voice Macroing

The Voice Blaster system is set up to associate each voice command with a series of keystrokes to be entered into the computer. This sequence of keystrokes, called a macro, usually takes the place of something you type frequently.

Voice Blaster compares the sound pattern of your voice command with the trained templates in your computer's memory. When you say a command (a word or short phrase), Voice Blaster translates the digitized sound data into an algorithmic template representing the frequency content of your voice. Voice Blaster recognizes your commands according to the following procedure:

Records your command.

Removes extraneous sounds before and after the command.

Compares the command to the trained templates using a complex pattern matching algorithm.

Calculates a score that represents how close your command is to each of the trained templates.

Chooses the voice template with the closest score and determines if that score is within the allowable tolerance.

If recognition is successful, the macro associated with that voice template is entered into the computer, otherwise, it does nothing.


Improving Recognition

Voice recognition is not completely accurate. After all, people often do not understand speech perfectly either. You should expect Voice Blaster to recognize between 75% and 95% of your commands correctly.

The following list represents some of the areas you can work on to increase your enjoyment of the Voice Blaster.

Your experience using the system.

Your consistency in pronunciation.

The number of commands trained in the current group.

The level of background noise.


Position the Microphone

If you are using the Covox Headset, position it so that it fits snugly on your head. Adjust the microphone so that the foam-covered element is an inch or two away from the corner of your mouth. Do not position the microphone directly in front of your lips, moisture and air from your breath can interfere with recognition.

Voice Blaster works best when you use a similar microphone position during training and recognition.


Choose Distinctive Sounds

Just like people, Voice Blaster can confuse similar sounding commands. For example, we may easily confuse the words choose and shoes, or the sounds made by the letters b d and v. Choose commands that sound different from one another. If you wish to enter individual letters by voice command, use the phonetic alphabet and numbers.

Phonetic Alphabet

Numbers


Phonetic Alphabet

Alpha	Juliet	Sierra

Bravo	Kilo	Tango

Charley	Lima	Uniform

Delta	Mike	Victor

Echo	November	Whiskey

Fox-trot	Oscar	X-ray

Golf	Papa	Yankee

Hotel	Quebec	Zulu

India	Romeo


Numbers

Oh	Fie-yuv

One	Six

Two	Seven

Thuh-ree	Eight

Fow-wer	Nie-yun


For Unrecognized Commands

Retrain it with a different pronunciation.

Train using a natural voice.

Voice Blaster will recognize your commands more easily if you train them the way you would normally say them. Because your pronunciation and inflection can change through out a typical day, we recommend varying your tone and volume slightly (within your normal speaking range) during training. Voice Blaster can then produce an average voice profile and recognize your commands more accurately. You may also need to create and train an alternate macro/template file when your voice changes considerably, (i.e. if you have a cold).

Pronounce commands consistently.

Voice Blaster cannot recognize your voice if you alter your speech dramatically. Speak naturally, both when training and using voice commands. When using some applications this may be difficult. For example, you will probably be excited while playing an action game and speak voice commands differently. In these cases, train each command according to the situation.


Trouble Shooting

No Microphone Input in Windows

Windows Mixer Programs

Error Messages in Windows

Error Messages in DOS

Installation Error Messages


No Microphone Input in Windows

First, check the connections to the E/Q Module and the Sound Card. (See Hardware Installation section.)

Note: If you are getting an error message associated with this problem, refer also to the message explanation on the following pages.

Next, close Voice Blaster and try running a utility such as Sound Recorder (included with Microsoft Windows). You should be able to record and playback your voice as well as see a healthy signal in the oscilliscope window.

If you cannot record your voice, you may need to run your sound card's mixer program prior to running Voice Blaster.


Windows Mixer Programs

If you run your sound cards mixer in DOS, in most cases you will still have to run the Windows mixer program. Most sound card mixers in Windows will reset the card with new settings. Some mixers allow you to save your changes so that you will only have to make alterations once.

Consult your sound card user's manual on using the Windows mixer utility. You will need to make sure the microphone is set to record mode, and the microphone volume is turned up.

Pro Audio Spectrum 16, Logitech Soundman 16, and Fusion 16

Sound Blaster 16


Pro Audio Spectrum 16, Logitech Soundman 16, and Fusion 16

Double-click on the Pocket Mixer icon (usually found in the Multi-Media Tools file folder). Underneath the microphone icon there is a meter which controls the microphone input level. We recommend that this level be set to about 80% of the maximum. Below the meter is a button which designates whether the microphone is on record or play. It needs to be set to record. If this is set correctly, the meter will be the color red.


Sound Blaster 16

Double-click on the SB16 Mixer icon, then raise the MIC to 80% of the maximum setting allowed. Select RECORDING... under the SETTINGS menu in SB16 Mixer, here you will need to raise the Left and Right gain settings to x8. Select the SAVE command under the SETTINGS menu and Voice Blaster should function properly.


Error Messages in Windows

E/Q Module Not Attached

Invalid pathname, access denied

Wave driver not installed in system!

Wave driver does not support the required sample rate and/or the 8 bit PCM format!

Error querying Wave driver!

Wave driver is currently in use by another application!

Error opening Wave driver!


E/Q Module Not Attached

First, confirm that you have the E/Q Module connected to your printer port correctly. (See Hardware Installation.)

If you have a printer attached to the other side of the E/Q Module:

Is the printer ON, and ready to print?

If not, turn the printer on and try running the software again.

Detach the printer from the E/Q Module.

If this fixed the problem, you should contact technical support at COVOX Inc. for the latest information.

If none of the above steps work, search your SYSTEM.INI file for DEVICE=VPD.386, located under the [386Enh] section. If that line is there, put a semi-colon in front of it to disable it. ;DEVICE=VPD.386

If you have the Microsoft Windows Printing System, Voice Blaster will not function correctly. You will have to disable the Virtual Printer driver that the printing system loads. To do this, you need to search for "DEVICE=WPSLJVPD.386" located under the [386Enh] section, and change it to ;DEVICE=WPSLJVPD.386

If neither of these steps solve your problems, you might need to contact technical support.


Invalid pathname, access denied

If you are getting this error, you are probably using Central Point's Anti-Virus or MS-DOS 6's VSAFE function. You must disable this to install Voice Blaster. Consult your Central Point or MS-DOS 6 manual on removing VSAFE, and then re-install Voice Blaster.


Wave driver not installed in system!

This message indicates that your system is missing the required Windows 3.1 Multimedia (MME) sound card driver. Refer to your sound card's installation guide for directions on installing the Windows 3.1 MME drivers.


Wave driver does not support the required sample rate and/or the 8 bit PCM format!

This message indicates that your sound card and/or Multimedia sound card drivers do not support the sound data format required for Voice Blaster.

Make certain that during Voice Blaster installation you select the correct sound card.


Error querying Wave driver!

This error message indicates that your Multimedia (MME) sound card driver has returned an invalid error message to Voice Blaster. Check your sound card installation guide to insure that your sound card and drivers are properly installed.


Wave driver is currently in use by another application!

This error indicates that another application is currently using the Multimedia (MME) sound card drivers installed in your system. Microsoft specified that the MME drivers only support one application at a time. One possible way around this problem is to use Voice Blaster in manual mode instead of continuous mode.


Error opening Wave driver!

This message means that you have a Multimedia (MME) driver installed and avaiable but the MME driver is returning an invalid error message. Check your sound card installation guide to insure that your sound card and drivers are properly installed.


Error Messages in DOS

These error messages for DOS are included in this Windows manual as a convenience for our DOS Voice Blaster users since they are not currently in any other manual at this time.

E/Q Module Not Attached

Microphone Not Responding Sample Too Long Time-out Error


E/Q Module Not Attached

If you get this error from the DOS or Windows version of Voice Blaster there are a few steps we ask you to do prior to calling for technical assistance.

First, confirm that you have the E/Q Module connected to your printer port correctly. (See Hardware Installation.)

If you have a printer attached to the other side of the E/Q Module:

Is the printer ON, and ready to print?

If not, turn the printer on and try running the software again.

Detach the printer from the E/Q Module.

If this fixed the problem, you should contact technical support at COVOX Inc. for the latest information.


Microphone Not Responding
Sample Too Long
Time-out Error

There are a few possible problems when you get a time-out error or the microphone doesn't respond.

Note: Check the connections to the E/Q Module and the Sound Card. (See Hardware Installation section.)

DOS Mixer Programs

If you have a Sound Blaster Pro, Sound Blaster 16, Logitech Soundman 16, or a Pro AudioSpectrum 16 sound card, you must run the cards input mixer program prior to running Voice Blaster. Consult your cards user manual for guidance.

Pro AudioSpectrum/Pro AudioStudio 16

Logitech Soundman 16/Fusion 16

Sound Blaster 16


Pro AudioSpectrum/Pro AudioStudio 16

For the Pro AudioSpectrum/Pro AudioStudio 16, go to the sound card utility directory and type: PAS SET LEFT MIC TO 60 (if input still seems low, retype command, replacing 60 with 70 or 80).

For help setting up your sound card for use with a microphone, please refer to your sound card users manual, or contact Media Vision technical support.

When you are sure that your microphone is connected properly, if you continue to have problems open Voice Blaster, select Special, then select Test Recognition. Press V, press ENTER, and move the black box with the left arrow key until it is past the moving white bar. Do this when you are not talking.


Logitech Soundman 16/Fusion 16

For the Logitech Soundman 16 or Fusion 16, go to the sound card utility directory and type: PAS SET LEFT MIC TO 60 (if input still seems low, retype command, replacing 60 with 70 or 80).

If you continue to have difficulties setting up your sound card for use with a microphone, please refer to your sound card users manual, or contact Logitech technical support.

If you continue to have problems, pop up Voice Blaster, select Special, then select Test Recognition. Press V, press ENTER, and move the black box with the left arrow key until it is past the moving white bar. Do this when you are not talking.»Sound Blaster Pro

For the Sound Blaster Pro, go to the Sound Blaster Pro utility directory, and type: BP-SET /ADCS:MIC /X:7

If you need further assistance in setting up your sound card for use with a microphone, please refer to your sound card users anual, or contact Creative Labs technical support.


Sound Blaster 16

For the Sound Blaster 16, go to the Sound Blaster 16 utility directory, and type: B16SET /AGC:OFF /MIC:255 /IPGAIN:8

If you need further assistance in setting up your sound card for use with a microphone, please refer to your sound card user's manual, or contact Creative Labs technical support.


Installation Error Messages

Cannot Load Parser Script (During DOS Installation)


Cannot Load Parser Script (During DOS Installation)

Disable After Dark® screen saver for DOS while installing.


Reference

Main Window

Title Bar

Tool Bar

Active Command List

Recognized Command

Active Application

VU Meter

Title Bar Items

Tool Bar Items

Command Editor

Edit Command/New Command

Train Commands

Edit User

Configuration & Fine Tuning Icon

Configuration & Fine Tuning Menu

Recognition Mode

Manual

Continuous

Echo Commands

Manual Mode

Test Recognition

Settings


Main Window

This is the top level window for Voice Blaster. The system menu is accessible from here, and the subsidiary windows are all invoked from this starting point.


Title Bar

The strip across the top of the main window. It contains the system menu button, displays the application name and version number, the indicator light, and the minimize and maximize buttons.


Tool Bar

The Tool Bar contains an on/off switch for turning sound input on and off, arrows for navigating through the active commands, language and configuration menu buttons and the active users name.


Active Command List

Initially, this window will display the top level of commands available for an application. The default display shows both global and local commands, with the global commands indicated by a bullet mark.

You can navigate further into a programs list of local commands by selecting an item from this list and clicking on the Down Arrow in the toolbar. The display will change to show the child commands available for your selection. You can think of the command file as a tree structure of commands, where one branch can be active (and displayed in this list) at a time. Global commands will be displayed at every level in the command tree.

The commands in this list that are gray, have not yet been trained. By setting your preference through the Display dialog box, the untrained commands can also be underlined.

The commands that are written in black have already been trained.

There are two shortcuts available to you using this command list. First, by double clicking on a command entry, you are directly selecting the train dialog box for this one command. Second, by double clicking on the new entry at the end of the list of commands in the main window a dialog box will prompt you for the command to add, its associated keyboard macro, and its placement in the command structure.


Recognized Command

When Voice Blaster recognizes a command it will insert the text of the perceived selection into this window for verification.


Active Application

The name of the currently active application whose active commands are displayed in the Active Command list. Each application will have a unique command file that is used when that application becomes active. A command file contains keystrokes that are executed when a spoken command is recognized. For instance the command file progman.cml contains all of the valid commands and associated keystrokes for the Program Manager.


VU Meter

The VU (volume units) meter gives a visual translation of the amplitude of sound signals.


Title Bar Items

Indicator Light

Minimize Button

Maximize Button

System Menu


Indicator Light

When voice recognition is enabled, this square in the title bar gives a visual indication of how the sound is recognized.

Green:	Ready for you to speak.

Red:	Listening to a command.

White:	Voice Blaster is echoing (playing back) the captured sound.

Note: In Manual Mode, the indicator light will only be visible when Voice Blaster is activated via keystroke, mouse, or footswitch.


Minimize Button

A shortcut to choosing minimize from the system menu, will turn the application window into an icon.


Maximize Button

A shortcut to choosing maximize from the system menu, to expand the application window to fit the screen.


System Menu

The first seven items in the system menu are standard for Windows applications. You can double click on the system menu icon to close Voice Blaster.

Help

About

Display

Fonts

Always On Top


Help

Click on Help for guidelines on using Voice Blaster. The F1 function key will also activate help.


About

Select About to find the serial number and version number for Voice Blaster. The serial number is read from the E/Q module and displayed in the title bar of the About window. If for some reason the E/Q module is not connected to the printer port, this display will warn you that the serial number has not been found and allows you to click on the retry button to retrieve the serial number after the E/Q module has been connected. Sound input cannot be determined if the E/Q module is not properly attached.


Display

The Display option will open a dialog box allowing you to customize the look, size and font of the Voice Blaster main window. You have the choice of changing:

typeface size and style (in Fonts dialog box)

removing titles for the various fields

removing fields (or views)

command order

display of local, global and trained/untrained commands

priority

In the Voice Blaster Views list, a check will appear in the box to the left of a display option if it is to appear in the main window. For a more compact main window, you can click in the box to erase the check mark and cause that item to be deleted from the Voice Blaster main window.

The Command List View gives you a choice of what commands should be displayed, and the way that they should be ordered.

Under Command List Features you can specify the visual indication of the command type.

The Priority option lets you specify that the Voice Blaster main window will always be on the top layer in the Windows display. (See Always On Top.)


Fonts

The font dialog box lets you choose the look of the text in all Voice Blaster windows.

Font: 	The typeface to be used in the Voice Blaster main window display.

Font Style: 	The style of the typeface used in the main window: regular, italic, bold, or bold italic.

Size: 	The point size of the type.

Sample: 	Displays upper and lower case examples of the chosen font.


Always On Top

When this system menu item is checked, Voice Blaster will always be visible on top of the appication you are using.


Tool Bar Items

On/Off Switch

Up Arrow & Down Arrow

Language Menu Button

Language Menu


On/Off Switch

A toggle switch for turning voice recognition on and off. By setting the switch to off you will be able to use other programs that record and playback .WAV sound files.


Up Arrow & Down Arrow

These arrows allow you to navigate through the active command list directly below them in the window. The up arrow will be inaccessible and appear gray when you are at the top level of the command tree. The down arrow will be gray unless a selection has been made from the active commands, and there are child commands for the selected command.


Language Menu Button

A menu of options for tailoring the user and command lists, and for accessing the training window, where you will teach Voice Blaster to respond to your spoken command.


Language Menu


Command Editor

The Command Editor can be accessed through the toolbar's Language menu and gives you the ability to:

change the keystroke macro associated with a command.

create a new global or local command.

capture the commands from an application.

To use the Edit, New, Delete, and Train buttons in this window, a command must be selected.

Command File

Macro Definitions

Edit

New

Delete

Train

Capture


Command File

The currently active vocabulary's application name is inserted in this field automatically. If you wish to edit a different command file, you can select the down arrow to the right of this field. Voice Blaster is only aware of applications that are currently running in Windows.

If you want to edit the vocabulary for an application that is not on this list, close the Edit Commands window, leave Voice Blaster running, start up the application of choice, then re-open the Edit Commands window. The Command FIle for the program will be accessible for editing.


Macro Definitions

The keyboard sequences that are executed when a voice command is recognized.


Edit

When a command is highlighted you can click on this button to display the Edit Command dialog box.

To change the macro keystrokes associated with a command you must press the Clear button to erase the old macro definition and enter the new keyboard sequence into the Use Keyboard to Enter Definition Here box. (See Edit Command/New Command.)


New

Click on this button to display the New Command dialog box.

You can use the New command to:

•	add commands too deeply embedded in an application for Voice Blaster to capture.

•	add commands that you would normally type to execute a given function.


Delete

Removes the selected item from the list.


Train

Displays the training dialog box. (See Train Command.)


Capture

An application's vocabulary (command list) is captured by Voice Blaster when that application becomes active after Voice Blaster is opened. There are two ways to make Voice Blaster aware of an application's commands.

1. Start up Voice Blaster first.

2. If another application is running when Voice Blaster is opened, change your focus to make that application active and Voice Blaster will automatically capture its commands.

Voice Blaster can capture the top level menu commands for all programs. Due to the variation in software applications, Voice Blaster cannot always detect the commands deeply embedded in a program. (You can add these sub-commands using New.)

There must be a currently active application that is the focus for the capture. If a command list for that application already exists (i.e. Voice Blaster has already captured its vocabulary), the commands and macro definitions will be overwritten by the commands that are retrieved through the Capture function.

You may also collect lists of commands that are too deeply embedded in a program to be captured automatically and add them to an application's vocabulary.

To Capture Commands


To Capture Commands

Make sure the applications title bar for the menu to be captured is visible on your screen.

Select the application from the pull-down menu for the command file in the Command Editor window.

Click on the Capture button.

If there is an existing command list you will be asked to confirm overwriting the current commands. The system menu for the application is read during Capture.

Click on OK

The menu to be captured must be available to your cursor. After you click on OK, click on the menu item to be captured.

The default for this window is to have Voice Blaster skip capturing commands that currently exist (the Yes to All button). Voice Blaster recognizes these menu items as global commands. Usually you will want the global items skipped, if not, they will be included as local commands in this vocabulary and take precedence over the same command names that are global.


Edit Command/New Command

Global

Clear

Command

Defined For

Use Keyboard to Enter Definition Below

This definition valid after

After recognizing item go to

Menu Item


Global

By clicking on this button you can instruct Voice Blaster to convert a local command into a global command. When a command is changed in this way, all of the sub-commands (if any) are deleted and the process is irreversible after selecting OK in the Edit Commmand dialog box.


Clear

Clicking on the Clear button will erase everything in the Use Keyboard to Enter Definition Below box.


Command

The name of the command being edited.


Defined For

Command file (application) that the command is defined in.


Use Keyboard to Enter Definition Below

The keyboard sequence for command.


This definition valid after

The command (e.g. which menu option or button) that would cause this selection to be displayed.


After recognizing item go to

Same group of items: remain at the same active command level.

Top group of items: return the root (topmost) level of active commands.

Previous group of items: change to the active commands of the parent (directly above) the currently defined command.


Menu Item

Check this box if the command is located on a pull-down menu.


Train Commands

Command Selection

Selected Commands

Active Commands

Single Command File

All Command Files

Untrained Only

Command List

Train Button

Train Command Dialog Box


Command Selection

The selection from this list tells Voice Blaster which commands to insert into the Command List.


Selected Commands

Commands that have been selected and are highlighted in the Command List. Click on a command(s) to select. Select each individual command by clicking and highlighting.


Active Commands

This selection will choose only the commands shown in the Active Command list of Voice Blaster's Main Window.


Single Command File

A single command file can be thought of as the vocabulary of an application, where the vocabulary is all commands that a program will recognize.


All Command Files

All of the commands from all of the known applications. It only takes running a program at the same time that Voice Blaster is running to make it known to the Voice Blaster software. The common commands are shared by all of the applications that use them (i.e. Close, Save, etc.), so you only have to train each command one time, even if it appears in many programs.


Untrained Only

If this box is selected, the command list will reflect only the commands that have not yet been trained by the current user, and that match the selections above, i.e. Single Command, Active Commands, Single Command File, All Command Files.


Command List

This list will show the commands that are available or have been selected for training.


Train Button

Pressing this button will open the Train Command Dialog Box.


Train Command Dialog Box

This is where you teach Voice Blaster to respond to your spoken commands! Adjust your microphone so that it rests about an inch away from your face, and at the corner of your mouth for best recognition.

It is a good idea to have the settings dialog box open while you are training commands to watch the Recorded Command Length for consistency in your training.

Press the Start button to begin training.

Because Voice Blaster memorizes rather than understands what you say, you can say any easily remembered word or short phrase, even if it has nothing to do with the command you typed. However, it will be easier to remember commands if you repeat the command as it is written on the list.

Your voice inflection, tone, and volume are important factors when training. Speak naturally during the training process, voicing slight variations between repetitions which Voice Blaster will average for better results.

Each time a command is accepted, an x will replace the command name in the training list. A command must be accepted two times before it is trained.

Retrain will go back one iteration of one command at a time.


Edit User

All of the administrative functions for users can be performed in this window. Each users file contains the command templates that have been trained by that user.

The active user's name will be inserted at the top of this window.

Activate

Rename

Create

Delete


Activate

To switch active users, select a name from the list of users on the left and press the activate button. The new selection will then become the active user, and the command templates for their voice will be used to recognize and test commands. The edit user dialog box is automatically closed for you and the new user's name is inserted into the toolbar on the main window.


Rename

Before selecting the Rename button, select a user from the list on the left. Click on Rename and enter the new name in the dialog box provided.


Create

There is a maximum of eight characters that can be used in a users name before the .usr extension. You do not need to type the extension, it will be appended automatically to the name.


Delete

Press on the delete button after selecting one of the user names from the list. You will be asked for confirmation for a delete, since removing a user causes the file containing all of the voice templates that have been created for that user to be erased.


Configuration & Fine Tuning Icon

By selecting this icon, you will find the menu items relating to sound management. This is where you tell Voice Blaster how the sound should be monitored (continuously or on demand), and when to look for commands in manual mode. It is also where you access testing for commands that have been trained, and settings for sound input that can be customized for your voice and environment.


Configuration & Fine Tuning Menu


Recognition Mode


Manual

There must be manual intervention through the keyboard, mouse or footswitch to alert Voice Blaster to a voice command. Recognition will be turned on for one command at a time.


Continuous

Voice input will be recognized automatically and continuously without the need for manual intervention.


Echo Commands

If this option is checked, the spoken commands will be played back through the speaker.


Manual Mode

Specification dialog box for manual mode activation. This is where you can tailor manual activation to your preferred style. There are three choices available: the keyboard, the mouse, and/or a footswitch. You can simultaneously enable any combination of these modes by clicking in the Enabled box. Click in the box a second time to remove the selection.

Keyboard: indicate a key from the scrollable list and combine it with the control and/or the shift key(s) by clicking in the check boxes.

Mouse: choose which mouse button to activate recognition. Since the left is used frequently in normal circumstances under Windows, and the middle is not recognized in some systems, using the right button to activate recognition makes the most sense.

Footswitch: This selection is automatically set to the E/Q module's port. (available only from Covox, call for price information.)


Test Recognition

After training a command, you can verify that it was recorded correctly and that Voice Blaster can recognize it. In addition, you can set the levels that control the accuracy of recognition.

Voice Blaster calculates a score to represent how close your command is to each of the templates in the current group, and chooses the voice template with the best score. You can adjust how the score is evaluated using the Covox Settings window (press the Settings button to display).

Available Commands

Recognized Commands

Test

Train


Available Commands

The list of commands that have been trained.


Recognized Commands

When Voice Blaster recognizes a command during testing, it will list the command at the top of this column and any other commands that were within given tolerance levels.

For a command to be recognized during testing, it must be trained.


Test

This option activates the test procedure.


Train

Pressing this button will cause the Train Dialog Box to be displayed. This option is not available during the testing process. To access, press the Stop button, then select Train, or double click on the command in the list. The training session will cycle through all of the highlighted commands.


Settings

Selecting this button will cause the Covox Settings Dialog Box to be displayed.

Acceptance Level

Minimum Command Length

Recognized Command Length


Acceptance Level

With this slider, you can adjust the accuracy level for command recognition. With the slider control at the left end of the scale, you will have to be extremely exact in the repetition of each command during training for the iteration to be accepted, and you will also have to be very close to your original training voice when issuing a command for it to be recognized. With the slider control at the extreme right end of the scale, it will be easier for more than one command to match the voice template, so you should experiment to find your best setting.

You can use the test recognition function to help you adjust the acceptance level for optimum performance for your voice.


Minimum Command Length

This is the shortest length a word can be to be recognized as a command. To adjust, move the slider control to the right for a longer minimum, and to the left for a shorter minimum.


Recognized Command Length

Voice Blaster will insert the recorded length of a recognized command into this field.


Glossary

This section defines the terms used in this manual and in the Voice Blaster software.

Accelerator Key

Acceptance Level

Active Commands

Background Noise Level

Click

Command

Continuous Mode

Dialog Box

Double Click

Global Commands

Local Commands

LPT Port

Macro

Manual Mode

Menu

Recognition Hot Key

Template

Training

Vocabulary

Voice Input Level


Accelerator Key

A keyboard shortcut, consisting of a letter key pressed at the same time as the <ALT> or <CTRL> key, which activates a Windows program or function.


Acceptance Level

A tolerance level outside of which a voice template will not be considered for recognition purposes. Adjust this parameter in the Covox Settings window.


Active Commands

The layer of commands (e.g. all the commands from one menu) within a program's vocabulary that is currently active.


Background Noise Level

Background noise can be thought of as any noise extraneous to the spoken command, it is automatically filtered out by the Voice Blaster software.


Click

To briefly depress and release a mouse button to select or activate an item.


Command

A spoken word or phrase for Voice Blaster to recognize. The command must be trained to your voice. When the command is later repeated from within an application, Voice Blaster types the associated keyboard macro.

A command is the spoken word or phrase which is global, and a set of keystrokes unique to each application's command file.


Continuous Mode

A mode in which Voice Blaster continuously listens to the microphone for your voice command. When the sound input level exceeds the Voice Input Level, Voice Blaster activates recognition.


Dialog Box

A window considered to be a child of another window that is displayed to gather information needed to perform a command. Usually, the action (or dialog) with this window will need to be complete, and the window closed before another window can be accessed.


Double Click

To press the active mouse button twice in succession. (See Click, above)


Global Commands

Commands that are available at all times in all applications. (See Local Commands.)


Local Commands

All of the commands that apply to a specific application.


LPT Port

Line Printer Port. Also called a parallel printer port. The Voice Blaster E/Q hardware is connected to a PC by means of this port.


Macro

The series of keystrokes Voice Blaster types when it recognizes a spoken command. The macro is placed into the keyboard buffer of your PC, as if you had typed it in manually.


Manual Mode

In this mode, Voice Blaster will listen to the microphone input only after the Recognition Hot Key is pressed.


Menu

A list of commands, can be displayed in a scrollable window, in a menu bar across the top of a window, or as a pop-up list of items.


Recognition Hot Key

The key instructing Voice Blaster to listen for a voice command. This hot key is only used while Voice Blaster is in Manual Mode.


Template

The voice pattern Voice Blaster associates with a trained command.


Training

The process of recording the speech pattern of a command, or template, for Voice Blaster to recognize. You will train each command two times before it is accepted for recognition. (See Template.)


Vocabulary

All of the valid commands that make up a single command file.


Voice Input Level

The level of microphone input at which Voice Blaster begins to listen for a voice command. This level is automatically determined by the Voice Blaster software.


General Information

VOICE BLASTER  VERSION 5.1

Project Director & Software Design

Ryan Hanlon

Programmers

Ryan Hanlon

John Martin

Lance Wentz

Don Fowler

Macro Editor Design

Ryan Hanlon

Macro Editor Programmers

Ryan Hanlon

Lance Wentz

Nick Girman

Project Vision Director

Kevin Corson

Artwork

Dave Price

Ryan Hanlon

Manual Design & Documentation

Karen Forkish

Voice Recognition Acknowledgments

Voice Recognition Engine licensed from Interactive Products Inc.

Copyright Dr. Kononenko and Dr. Perelman.

The Voice Toolkit and Macro Editor are licensed from and copyright of Interactive Products Inc.

SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OF THE COVOX EMPLOYEES
WHO HELPED BRING THIS PRODUCT TO MARKET


Limited Warranty Statement

COVOX, Inc. guarantees the Voice Blaster hardware and media to be free of manufacturing or duplication defects for a period of one year from the date of purchase. COVOX, Inc. will replace the software and/or hardware free of charge during the one-year period, provided it is returned to the factory via prepaid transportation.


Software Update Policy

COVOX, Inc. reserves the right to incorporate software improvements in products without prior notice and without obligation to replace previously issued software. Updated software is available from the company at a nominal cost. Current production information will be sent to customers of record, namely those who purchased directly from COVOX, Inc. and/or returned warranty cards.


Liability Disclaimer

Information provided in this manual and associated software are provided on an "as is" basis. COVOX, Inc. disclaims liability for direct, indirect, or incidental damages arising from the use of this product, including but not limited to interruption of service, loss of business or potential profits, legal actions, or other consequential damages.

Control of environmental or security factors by means of voice recognition is not implied as a reason for purchasing this software. Computerized voice recognition remains relatively new technology and due to variations in computer hardware, COVOX, Inc. specifically disclaims liability as stated in the preceding paragraph when applied to voice recognition.


Copyrights, Patents & Trademarks

The software on this disk and this user's manual are copyrighted. They may not be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any readable medium or code for other than personal use by the owner without prior written permission of COVOX, Inc.

Voice BlasterTM software version 5.1

The information provided in this manual is subject to change without notice.

c Copyright 1994 Covox, Inc.

The recognition algorithms and other parts of the software are subject to existing patents and patents pending. Unauthorized duplication for commercial purposes or to otherwise avoid payment of appropriate royalties or license fees will be deemed a violation of proprietary rights under patent and trademark laws.

The name COVOX and the Covox logo are registered trademarks.

Voice Blaster is a trademark of, and the property of COVOX, Inc.

All other trademarks are acknowledged as the property of their owners.


!!! Important FCC Notice !!!

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by Covox could void the user's authority to operate this equipment.

In order to meet FCC requirements, shielded cables are required for the connections to another computing device, such as a printer. Shielded printer cables are readily available from your computer dealer. Operation with non-certified equipment or with un-shielded cables is likely to result in interference to radio and television reception. The user must use shielded interface cables in order to maintain compliance with FCC regulations.

NOTE:	This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications or television reception. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this device does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

•	Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

•	Increase separation between the equipment and receiver.

•	Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

•	Consult dealer or experienced radio/TV technician.

You may find the booklet How To Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems helpful. It was prepared by the Federal Communications Commission and is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Refer to stock number: 002-000-00345-4.

Covox, Inc., Voice Blaster

FCC ID: JBT300