PLAYBACK SYSTEM FOR SYNCHRONISED SOUNDTRACKS FOR ELECTRONIC MEDIA CONTENT
First Claim
1. A method for displaying electronic text and synchronizing the playback of a soundtrack for the electronic text, the soundtrack comprising multiple audio regions configured for playback during corresponding text regions of the electronic text, each audio region being defined by audio data comprising:
- an audio track for playback in the audio region, a start text position indicative of the word in the electronic text corresponding to where the playback of the audio track is to begin; and
a stop text position indicative of the word in the electronic text comprising to where playback of the audio track is to cease, comprising;
displaying at least a portion of the electronic text on a display;
tracking the movement of at least one eye of the user with an eye tracker and generating representative eye tracking signals;
determining the user'"'"'s reading scan rate based on the eye tracking signals;
calculating an estimate of the user'"'"'s reading speed based on the determined reading scan rate and supplementary scan rate data relating to the electronic text and/or user;
updating a user reading speed variable representing the user'"'"'s reading speed based at least partly on the calculated estimate of the user'"'"'s reading speed;
maintaining a reading position counter corresponding to the estimated text position indicative of the word in the electronic text that the user is currently reading, the counter incrementing at a rate based on the user reading speed variable; and
controlling playback of the audio regions of the soundtrack over an audio output system based on the audio data and reading position counter to synchronize playback of the audio regions with the user'"'"'s estimated reading position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for displaying electronic text and synchronizing the playback of a soundtrack for the electronic text. The soundtrack contains multiple audio regions configured for playback during corresponding text regions of the electronic text. Playback of the audio regions of the soundtrack over an audio output system is based on a reading position counter indicative of the user'"'"'s estimate reading position, and which increments based on a user reading speed variable. The user reading speed variable is updated by processing eye tracking signals from an eye tracker to determine the user'"'"'s reading scan rate.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for displaying electronic text and synchronizing the playback of a soundtrack for the electronic text, the soundtrack comprising multiple audio regions configured for playback during corresponding text regions of the electronic text, each audio region being defined by audio data comprising:
- an audio track for playback in the audio region, a start text position indicative of the word in the electronic text corresponding to where the playback of the audio track is to begin; and
a stop text position indicative of the word in the electronic text comprising to where playback of the audio track is to cease, comprising;displaying at least a portion of the electronic text on a display; tracking the movement of at least one eye of the user with an eye tracker and generating representative eye tracking signals; determining the user'"'"'s reading scan rate based on the eye tracking signals; calculating an estimate of the user'"'"'s reading speed based on the determined reading scan rate and supplementary scan rate data relating to the electronic text and/or user; updating a user reading speed variable representing the user'"'"'s reading speed based at least partly on the calculated estimate of the user'"'"'s reading speed; maintaining a reading position counter corresponding to the estimated text position indicative of the word in the electronic text that the user is currently reading, the counter incrementing at a rate based on the user reading speed variable; and controlling playback of the audio regions of the soundtrack over an audio output system based on the audio data and reading position counter to synchronize playback of the audio regions with the user'"'"'s estimated reading position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- an audio track for playback in the audio region, a start text position indicative of the word in the electronic text corresponding to where the playback of the audio track is to begin; and
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10. A system for displaying electronic text and controlling playback of a soundtrack synchronized to the reading speed of a user comprising:
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a display configured to display the electronic text; a user interface configured to receive user input to control the system; an audio output system that is operable to generate audio output for the user to hear; an electronic text display module configured to process electronic text data representing the electronic text and control display of the electronic text on the display in response to user input from the user interface; a soundtrack playback module configured to;
generate a reading position counter corresponding to the estimated current text position indicative of the word in the electronic text that the user is currently reading, the reading position counter incrementing at a rate based at least partly on a configurable user reading speed variable representing the user'"'"'s reading speed; and
process soundtrack data representing the soundtrack to control playback of the soundtrack over the audio output system, the soundtrack data defining multiple audio regions for the soundtrack, each audio region being defined by audio data comprising;an audio track for playback in the audio region; a start text position indicative of the word in the electronic text corresponding to where the playback of the audio region is to begin; and a stop text position indicative of the word in the electronic text corresponding to where the playback of the audio region is to cease; and wherein the soundtrack playback module is configured to coordinate playback of the audio regions based on the reading position counter to synchronize playback of the audio regions of the soundtrack with the user'"'"'s reading of the electronic text; and a reading speed detector that is configured to;
track the movement of at least one eye of the user with an eye tracker to generate representative eye tracking signals;
determine the user'"'"'s reading scan rate based on the eye tracking signals; and
calculate an estimate of the user'"'"'s reading speed based on the determined reading scan rate and supplementary scan rate data relating to the electronic text and/or user,wherein the soundtrack playback module is configured to update the user reading speed variable at least partly based on the estimate of the user'"'"'s reading speed as calculated by the reading speed detector. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of estimating a reader'"'"'s reading position in an electronic text comprising:
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using a first means to locate a first reading position of a user at a first time; detecting a reading scan rate by tracking a readers eye movement; using the reading scan rate to estimate a reading speed; and estimating the user'"'"'s reading position at a second time based on the incremental time from the first time, the estimated reading speed and the first position. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification