Customizable Media Player with Online/Offline Capabilities
First Claim
1. An information delivery system comprising:
- an Internet-connected host server adapted to compile information from information sources and deliver the information as electronic documents via the Internet;
a subscriber'"'"'s Internet Appliance (IA) connected to the Internet and adapted to download the text documents from the Internet-connected server; and
a playback unit connectable to the subscriber'"'"'s IA by a data link;
wherein the playback unit is adapted to receive and store the electronic documents while connected to the subscriber'"'"'s computer, and to render the electronic documents as speech on demand when not connected to the subscriber'"'"'s computer.
4 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An information dissemination system comprises an Internet-connected server adapted for gathering information from plural sources, and sorting the information according to subscriber preferences. The sorted information is transmitted via the Internet to a subscriber'"'"'s Internet Appliance (IA) as electronic documents, where the documents are downloaded to a connected playback device. The playback device may be disconnected from the PC, and the information electronic documents rendered as speech to a speaker in the playback device by a text-to-speech system. In a preferred embodiment annotation is added at the Internet-connected server to control speech characteristics, such as inflection, upon playback. In some embodiments updates may be made by radio with the playback device disconnected from the IA.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An information delivery system comprising:
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an Internet-connected host server adapted to compile information from information sources and deliver the information as electronic documents via the Internet; a subscriber'"'"'s Internet Appliance (IA) connected to the Internet and adapted to download the text documents from the Internet-connected server; and a playback unit connectable to the subscriber'"'"'s IA by a data link; wherein the playback unit is adapted to receive and store the electronic documents while connected to the subscriber'"'"'s computer, and to render the electronic documents as speech on demand when not connected to the subscriber'"'"'s computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A portable playback unit comprising:
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a data port for connecting to an Internet Appliance (IA); a memory for storing text documents downloaded from the IA via the data port; a speaker; and a text-to-speech system adapted to open electronic documents downloaded from the IA, and to render the electronic documents as speech via the speaker. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for providing filtered information to a subscriber, comprising steps of:
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(a) collecting information at an Internet-connected server from plural information sources; (b) sorting the information according to subscriber preferences; (c) sending information sorted for a specific subscriber as electronic documents to that subscriber'"'"'s Internet Appliance (IA) via the Internet; (d) downloading the electronic documents from the subscriber'"'"'s IA to a connected playback device; and (e) disconnecting the playback device from the IA; and (f) playing back the electronic documents to a speaker at the playback device by a text-to-speech system. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification