Patent ID: 7389153

Claim:
A method for selectively enabling a user to direct an audio signal into different audio data streams on a computing device, so that the audio signal appears to be from a different source relative to each audio data stream and is selectively used for different functions, said computing device being coupled to a network for output of an audio data stream comprising chat data transmitted to one or more different user-selectable entities, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a microphone for entry of analog audio data for processing by the computing device to produce said different audio data stream and the audio signal is selectively used for different functions; (b) converting the analog audio data into digital audio data comprising said different audio data streams; (d) providing a switching device adapted to enable the user to selectively control the processing of the digital audio data by actuating one or more switches on the switching device that determine to whom the audio data stream is to be sent; (e) determining that a first switch has been activated, the first switch being configured to direct the audio data stream to a determined group of users; (f) in response to determining that the first switch has been activated, transmitting the digital audio data as chat data over the network to a the determined group of users; and (g) determining that a second different switch has been activated, the second switch being configured to direct the audio data stream to a selected subset of the group of users; (h) in response to determining that the second different switch has been activated, transmitting the digital audio data as chat data over the network to the selected subset of the group of users.