MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20110119572A1
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: PARK, Jong Se, JANG, Seok Bok, KIM, Jae Min, LEE, Joon Yup, CHOI, Jung Kyu, PARK, Yong Chul
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications

Abstract

A mobile terminal outputs text-to-speech (TTS) voice data. The mobile terminal displays text data including link data on a display unit of the mobile terminal, selects the link data, receives an original data of the link data as a background process, converts the original data to the TTS voice data, and outputs the TTS voice data though a voice outputting unit of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A method of outputting electronic content, the method comprising:

displaying, using a mobile terminal, an electronic interface that includes text data and a link to electronic content, the link defining an address at which the electronic content is accessible;

receiving user input selecting the link to electronic content included in the displayed electronic interface;

in response to receiving the user input selecting the link, accessing the electronic content linked to by the selected link using the address defined by the link;

processing the accessed electronic content linked to by the selected link to identify text data included in the accessed electronic content;

converting the identified text data into an audio signal; and

outputting the audio signal using a speaker device without displaying the electronic content on the mobile terminal in response to receiving the user input selecting the link.

2. The method of claim 1:

wherein displaying the electronic interface comprises displaying a first web page that includes text data and a link to a second web page, the link defining an address at which the second web page is accessible;

wherein accessing the electronic content linked to by the selected link using the address defined by the link comprises accessing the second web page using the address at which the second web page is accessible;

wherein processing the accessed electronic content linked to by the selected link to identify text data included in the accessed electronic content comprises extracting text data from the second web page;

wherein converting the identified text data into the audio signal comprises converting the extracted text data from the second web page into the audio signal; and

wherein outputting the audio signal using the speaker device comprises outputting the audio signal using the speaker device without displaying the second web page on the mobile terminal in response to receiving the user input selecting the link

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

maintaining display of the first web page on the mobile terminal while outputting the audio signal.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to receiving the user input selecting the link, determining whether the mobile terminal is set in a text-to-speech (TTS) conversion mode,

wherein the processing, converting, and outputting occur automatically, without further human intervention, in response to a determination that the mobile terminal is set in the TTS conversion mode.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising, in response to a determination that the mobile terminal is not set in the TTS conversion mode, displaying an interface element that enables a user select among options including at least displaying the electronic content linked to by the selected link and outputting the electronic content linked to by the selected link as audio output,

wherein the processing, converting, and outputting are conditioned on receiving, using the displayed interface element, a selection of the option to output the electronic content linked to by the selected link as audio output.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a progress bar that shows progress of outputting the audio signal.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein displaying the progress bar that shows progress of outputting the audio signal comprises:

determining an amount of the electronic content that has been audibly output relative to a total amount of the electronic content;

determining a time needed to audibly output a remainder of the electronic content that has not been audibly output; and

displaying a progress bar that indicates the determined amount of the electronic content that has been audibly output relative to the total amount of the electronic content and the determined time needed to audibly output the remainder of the electronic content that has not been audibly output.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein outputting the audio signal comprises enabling a user to rewind, fast forward, pause, and play the audio signal.

11. The method of claim 1:

wherein displaying the electronic interface comprises displaying an electronic interface that includes text data and a plurality of links to electronic content, each of the plurality of links defining an address at which electronic content of the corresponding link is accessible;

wherein receiving user input selecting the link to electronic content comprises receiving user input selecting the plurality of links;

wherein outputting the audio signal using the speaker device comprises outputting an audio signal of electronic content for each of the plurality of links in an order in which the plurality of links were selected.

12. The method of claim 1:

wherein displaying the electronic interface comprises displaying an electronic interface that includes text data and a plurality of links to electronic content, each of the plurality of links defining an address at which electronic content of the corresponding link is accessible; and

wherein receiving user input selecting the link to electronic content comprises receiving user input selecting the plurality of links, further comprising;

displaying tabs corresponding to the plurality of links, wherein each tab is selectable to cause electronic content of the corresponding link to be audibly output.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether a still image is included in the electronic content linked to by the selected link;

in response to a determination that a still image is included in the electronic content linked to by the selected link, displaying, while outputting the audio signal, a still image control that is selectable to cause display of the still image; and

in response to receiving user input selecting the still image control, displaying the still image and continuing to output the audio signal.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether a moving image is included in the electronic content linked to by the selected link;

in response to a determination that a moving image is included in the electronic content linked to by the selected link, displaying, while outputting the audio signal, a moving image control that is selectable to cause display of the moving image; and

in response to receiving user input selecting the moving image control, displaying the moving image.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying, while outputting the audio signal, an entrance control that is selectable to cause display of the electronic content linked to by the selected link; and

in response to receiving user input selecting the entrance control, displaying the electronic content linked to by the selected link and continuing to output the audio signal.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving user input selecting a subset of the text data displayed in the electronic interface; and

in response to the user input selecting the subset of the text data displayed in the electronic interface, converting the subset of the text data into a second audio signal; and

outputting the second audio signal using the speaker device.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein outputting the second audio signal using the speaker device comprises:

determining a selection speed with which the subset of the text data was selected; and

adjusting a speed of outputting the second audio signal based on the determined selection speed.

18. The method of claim 1:

wherein displaying the electronic interface comprises displaying an electronic mail interface that includes a link to an electronic mail message, the link defining an address at which content of the electronic mail message is accessible;

wherein accessing the electronic content linked to by the selected link using the address defined by the link comprises accessing the content of the electronic mail message;

wherein processing the accessed electronic content linked to by the selected link to identify text data included in the accessed electronic content comprises extracting text data from the content of the electronic mail message;

wherein converting the identified text data into the audio signal comprises converting the extracted text data from the content of the electronic mail message into the audio signal; and

wherein outputting the audio signal using the speaker device comprises outputting the audio signal using the speaker device without displaying the content of the electronic mail message on the mobile terminal in response to receiving the user input selecting the link.

4. The method of 2 further comprising:

receiving user input navigating to a third web page while outputting the audio signal, the third web page being different than the first web page and the second web page; and

displaying the third web page on the mobile terminal while continuing to output the audio signal.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving user input to return to the electronic interface having the link to the second web page; and

in response to receiving the user input to return to the electronic interface having the link to the second web page, shifting the display to show the first web page that includes text data and the link to the second web page.

19. A mobile terminal comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one computer-readable medium coupled to the at least one processor having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising;

displaying an electronic interface that includes text data and a link to electronic content, the link defining an address at which the electronic content is accessible;

receiving user input selecting the link to electronic content included in the displayed electronic interface;

in response to receiving the user input selecting the link, accessing the electronic content linked to by the selected link using the address defined by the link;

processing the accessed electronic content linked to by the selected link to identify text data included in the accessed electronic content;

converting the identified text data into an audio signal; and

outputting the audio signal using a speaker device without displaying the electronic content on the mobile terminal in response to receiving the user input selecting the link.

20. At least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with at least one computer program comprising instructions that, when executed, operate to cause a computer to perform operations comprising:

displaying, using a mobile terminal, an electronic interface that includes text data and a link to electronic content, the link defining an address at which the electronic content is accessible;

receiving user input selecting the link to electronic content included in the displayed electronic interface;

in response to receiving the user input selecting the link, accessing the electronic content linked to by the selected link using the address defined by the link;

processing the accessed electronic content linked to by the selected link to identify text data included in the accessed electronic content;

converting the identified text data into an audio signal; and

outputting the audio signal using a speaker device without displaying the electronic content on the mobile terminal in response to receiving the user input selecting the link.

21. At least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with at least one computer program comprising instructions that, when executed, operate to cause a computer to perform operations comprising:

displaying, using a mobile terminal, an electronic interface that includes text data and a link to electronic content, the link data at which the electronic content is accessible;

receiving user input selecting the link to electronic content included in the displayed electronic interface;

detecting an original data based on the selected link data;

converting the original data to a TTS voice data; and

outputting the TTS voice data through a voice outputting unit of the mobile terminal.