Patent ID: 7861008

Claim:
In a computing device, a method for determining a particular manner for outputting audio information comprising: maintaining metadata in a volatile or non-volatile memory of the computing device for each of a plurality of categories; wherein the metadata for each category of the plurality of categories specifies a particular manner for outputting audio information that belongs to that category; receiving, from a software application executing on the computing device, a request to output particular audio information from the software application; wherein the request includes data that specifies a particular category, of the plurality of categories, for the particular audio information; wherein the request does not specify the particular manner for outputting audio information that belongs to the particular category; based on the particular category specified in the request, reading the metadata for the particular category to determine the particular manner for outputting audio information that belongs to the particular category; and causing the particular audio information to be outputted in the particular manner for outputting audio information that belongs to the particular category.