Systems and methods for navigating page-oriented information assets

• US 20080040378A1
• Filed: 04/06/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Chi, Ed. H., Hong, Lichan, Stefik, Mark J., Card, Stuart K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,861,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

Techniques provide for the dynamic display of a page-oriented information asset using an audio output mode. Pluralities of elements in the page-oriented information asset are determined based on chapters, sections, paragraphs, sentences, words and the like. The elements are rendered to an audio output mode. Optionally selectable representations of the elements are also determined and output using a 3-dimension-like rendering to a visual output mode. The 3-dimension-like rendering of the visual representations of the elements shows how the current element relates to the other elements and its location within the page-oriented information asset. The 3-dimension-like rendering provides visual orientation or context within the page-oriented information asset. The visual representations of the elements are optionally selectable as spatial context indicators providing direct navigation control to support reading, browsing and information retrieval tasks within the page-oriented information asset. Speech input is also optionally recognized as a direct navigation control.

Claims

1. A system for navigating page-oriented information assets comprising:

an input/output circuit for retrieving a plurality of elements associated with a page-oriented information asset; and

a rendering circuit for rendering the plurality of elements via an audio output mode and for 3-dimensional like rendering of the plurality of elements via a visual output mode.

2. The system of claim 1, in which the 3-dimensional like rendering incorporates user-interface elements for navigation within the page-oriented information asset.

3. The system of claim 1, in which the plurality of elements associated with the page-oriented information asset are determined based on at least one of:

mark-up and parsing; and

the user interface elements are at least one of;

a touch sensitive display, a switch, a button and voice input.

4. The system of claim 1, in which structure levels associated with the asset are based on at least one of:

pages, chapters, sections, paragraphs, sentences and words.

5. The system of claim 4, in which at least two structural levels are associated with the page-oriented information asset.

6. The system of claim 1, in which the page-oriented information asset is trans-coded between different media types.

7. The system of claim 2, in which navigation within the page-oriented information asset is based on at least one of:

pushing, sliding, touching, and activating, at least one user-interface element.

8. The system of claim 1, in which a context circuit indicates how the current element relates to the other element and where the current element is located within the page-oriented information asset and is associated with an animation.

9. The system of claim 1, in which the processor determines graphical elements associated with the page-oriented information asset and outputs attention attracting display characteristics via the audio output mode when the graphical elements are associated with the current element in the audio presentation.

10. The system of claim 9, in which the graphical elements are at least one of:

figures, photos, movies, footnotes, side bar commentaries, links to related articles, drawings, and markers for the end of elements.

11. The system of claim 1, in which the page-oriented asset is at least one of:

an audio-book, an audio-newspaper; and

an audio-magazine.

12. The system of claim 1, in which a single user-interface element is used for navigating across multiple structural levels.

13. A method for navigating a page-oriented information assets comprising the steps of:

retrieving a plurality of elements associated with a page-oriented information asset; and

rendering the plurality of elements via an audio output mode and 3-dimension-like rendering of the plurality of elements via a visual output mode.

14. The method of claim 13, in which the 3-dimensional like rendering incorporates user-interface elements for navigation within the page-oriented information asset.

15. The method of claim 13, in which the plurality of elements associated with the page-oriented information asset are determined based on at least one of:

mark-up and parsing; and

the user interface elements are at least one of;

a touch sensitive display, a switch, a button and voice input.

16. The method of claim 13, in which structure levels associated with the asset are based on at least one of:

pages, chapters, sections, paragraphs, sentences and words.

17. The method of claim 16, in which at least two structural levels are associated with the page-oriented information asset.

18. The method of claim 13, in which the page-oriented information asset is trans-coded between different media types.

19. The method of claim 14, in which navigation within the page-oriented information asset is based on at least one of:

pushing, sliding, touching, and activating, at least one user-interface element.

20. The method of claim 13, in which a context indicator indicates how the current element relates to the other elements and where the current element is located within the page-oriented information asset and is associated with an animation.

21. The method of claim 13, in which the processor determines graphical elements associated with the page-oriented information asset and outputs attention attracting display characteristics via the audio output mode when the graphical elements are associated with the current element in the audio presentation.

22. The method of claim 21, in which the graphical elements are at least one of:

figures, photos, movies, footnotes, side bar commentaries, links to related articles, drawings, and markers for the end of elements.

23. The method of claim 13, in which the page-oriented asset is at least one of:

an audio-book, an audio-newspaper; and

an audio-magazine.

24. The method of claim 13, in which a single user-interface element is used for navigating across multiple structural levels.

25. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code embodied on the computer readable storage medium, the computer readable program code useable to program a computer to navigating page-oriented information assets comprising the steps of:

retrieving a plurality of elements associated with a page-oriented information asset; and

rendering the plurality of elements via an audio output mode and 3-dimension-like rendering of the plurality of elements via a visual output mode.