Technique for synchronizing visual and voice browsers to enable multi-modal browsing

• US 20030182622A1
• Filed: 02/18/2003
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waloomba Tech Limited LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Kirusa Inc.
• Inventors: Bashir, Imran, Sibal, Sandeep
• Granted Patent: US 7,210,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/511
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

A system and method for interacting with content, such as web-based markup content, using visual and voice browsers. A first browser facilitates communication in a first mode (e.g., an HTML browser that facilitates visual/tactile interaction with HTML content), and a second browser facilitates communication in a second mode (e.g., a VXML browser that facilitates audio interaction with VXML content). HTML and VXML content is created that: (1) indicates a correspondence between HTML and VXML pages that represent the same underlying content; and (2) contains specialized tags that indicate information to be send from one browser to the other to synchronize each browser to equivalent parts of the content. The HTML browser is adapted to use relative links as signals that information is to be sent to the VXML browser, and the platform on which the VXML browser runs is adapted to recognize a “hit” on its own port 80 as a signal that information is to be sent to the HTML browser.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing between a first browser and a second browser comprising:

while browsing a first content item in the first browser, executing a jump to a non-existent relative link in said first content item;

using a view control to recognize a name associated with said non-existent relative link, said view control being adapted to recognize a class of names; and

sending information to the second browser indicative of the first browser'"'"'s state at the time the name associated with said non-existent relative link was followed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first browser comprises a visual browser, and wherein said second browser comprises a voice browser.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said content item comprises an Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said class of names comprises names beginning with a predetermined string.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicative of the first browser'"'"'s state comprises a representation of the position at which a user is browsing said first content item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first content item comprises an identifier of a second content item that corresponds to said first content item, said second content item being viewable on said second browser.

7. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions to perform the method of claim 1.

8. A method of synchronizing between a first browser and a second browser comprising:

at a first host at which said first browser executes, receiving a request from said first host; and

in response to the receipt of said request, sending to said second browser information indicative of a state of said first browser.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said first browser comprises a voice browser, and wherein said second browser comprises a visual browser.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said request comprises a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

wherein said information indicative of the state of said first browser comprises a script to be run by said second browser.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said first browser enables a user to navigate a content item, and wherein the state of said first browser comprises a position within said content item at which said user is navigating.

13. A computer readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions to perform the method of claim 8.

14. In a system that comprises a first browser which enables the rendering of an item of markup content, the improvement comprising:

a view control that recognizes a class of relative links and that, upon recognizing a member of said class of relative links, provides to a second browser information indicative of a state of said first browser.

15. The improvement of claim 14, wherein said class of relative links comprises relative links whose names begin with a predetermined string.

16. The improvement of claim 14, wherein said information indicative of said state of said first browser comprises information indicative of a position within said item of markup content at which a user of said first browser is navigating.

17. In a system that executes a first browser, the improvement comprising:

logic that detects a request generated by the system and directed to a port of the system, and that, in response to detecting said request, sends to a second browser information indicative of a state of the first browser.

18. The improvement of claim 17, wherein said first browser renders a content item, and wherein said information indicative of a state of said first browser comprises a position within said content item.