Dynamic data generation suitable for talking browser

• US 20020129100A1
• Filed: 03/08/2001
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dutta, Rabindranath, Schwerdtfeger, Richard Scott, Weiss, Lawrence Frank
• Granted Patent: US 7,000,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information

Abstract

A system and method for transferring information a data processing network. A client device suitable for connecting to the network includes a client application configured to receive information from the network and to present the received information to a user as audio information. The server is configured to provide information to the client data processing device responsive to the client request. The system is configured to determine when at least a portion of the information provided by the server is unsuitable for presentation by the client and to respond to the determination by storing the information for later access by the user, presenting a visually enhanced version of the information to the user, or providing portions of the information suitable for audio presentation to the user.

Claims

1. An information system, comprising:

a client device comprising processing means and storage, wherein the client device is suitable for connecting to a network and includes a client application configured to generate a client request, receive information from the network, and present the received information to a user as audio information; and

a server device connected to the network and configured to provide information to the client device responsive to the client request;

wherein the system is configured to determine when at least a portion of the information provided by the server is unsuitable for presentation to the user by the client and wherein the system is further configured to respond to the determination by taking an action selected from the group consisting of storing the information for subsequent access by the user, providing a visually enhanced version of the provided information to the user, and providing portions of the information suitable for audio presentation to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein information provided by the server is unsuitable when the information is unsuitable for being presented to the user as audio information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the client comprises a talking browser configured to convert Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) information to audio information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the information provided by the server is unsuitable includes determining that the request wa s initiated by a talking browser by comparing a user agent field of the request against a list of talking browser user agent fields.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a proxy server intermediate between the server, wherein the proxy server determines that the requested information is unsuitable for presentation to the client.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the client data processing device communicates with the network via a wireless link.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the client data processing device is located on a vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein storing the information for later access by the user comprises dynamically creating a link indicating where the stored information is located and emailing the link to the user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein storing the information for later access comprises emailing the retrieved information to the user.

10. A method of information transfer in a data processing network, comprising:

initiating a client request for information from a server on the network, wherein the client is suitable for presenting information to a user as audio information;

responsive to the request, retrieving the requested information from the server, wherein the requested information includes information not suitable for presentation as audio information;

determining that the retrieved information includes information not suitable for audio presentation and, responsive thereto, taking an action selected from the group consisting of storing the requested information for subsequent retrieval, presenting a visually enhanced version of the requested information to the user, and presenting the portions of the information suitable for audio presentation to the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining that information requested by the client is unsuitable for presentation by the client includes determining that the request was initiated by a talking browser.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining when requested information is unsuitable further comprises determining that the requested information includes information unsuitable for audio presentation.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining that the request was initiated by a talking browser comprises comparing a user agent field of the request against a list of known talking browser user agent fields.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein storing the requested information include generating a link indicating the location of the stored information and forwarding the link to the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein forwarding the link to the user comprises sending the link to the user as an email message.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein storing the information includes forwarding the requested information to the user as an email message.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising requesting the user whether the user wishes to store the requested information.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the code means for determining that information requested by the client is unsuitable for presentation by the client includes code means for determining that the request was initiated by a talking browser.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the code means for determining when requested information is unsuitable further comprises code means for determining that the requested information includes information unsuitable for audio presentation.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the code means includes code for determining that the request was initiated by a talking browser comprises means for comparing a user agent field of the request against a list of known talking browser user agent fields.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the code means for storing the requested information comprises code means for generating a link indicating the location of the stored information and code means for forwarding the link to the user.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the code means for forwarding the link to the user comprises code means for sending the link to the user as an email message.

24. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the code means for storing the information includes code means for forwarding the requested information to the user as an email message.

25. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising code means for requesting the user whether the user wishes to store the requested information.

18. A computer program product residing on a computer useable medium for transferring information from a server to a client on a data processing network, comprising:

computer code means for determining when at least a portion of information requested by the client is unsuitable for presentation by the client; and

computer code means, responsive to determining that the requested information includes unsuitable information, for taking an action selected from the group consisting of storing the requested information for subsequent retrieval by the user, providing a visually enhanced version of the requested information to the user, and providing suitable portions of the requested information to the user via the client.