Method of providing an alternative audio format of a web page in response to a request for audible presentation of the same

• US 6,721,781 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2000
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cerence Operating Company (Cerence Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Day, Paul Reuben, Bates, Cary Lee, Santosuosso, John Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US09/490,661
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/224, 709/225, 709/212, 709/216-219, 704/260, 704/270.1, 704/270, 704/271, 704/258, 370/352, 370/354, 707/501.1, 379/88.01, 379/88.04, 379/88.22, 379/88.13, 379/12, 379/88.14, 379/88.17, 379/93.01, 379/85, 379/908, 379/101.01
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, a web server supports a client choice of audio or standard video presentation of essentially the same web content. A client passes information requesting web page content in a specific form, preferably as a newly defined argument to the URL called “pagetype”. The pagetype may specify that the client wants text only, audio only, or wants both audio and text. Preferably, a new HTML tag “audiate” is defined. An audiate tag in the HTML stream of a web page indicates how an audio version of the web content will be constructed, and optionally indicates the conditions under which the audio version will be played to the user. Specifically, the audiate tag may include one or more optional parameters, among which are one specifying a wave file containing audio content, one specifying HTML elements to be converted to audio, and one specifying a time interval for repeating the audio presentation. The alternative audio format of a web page has many potential uses, including background audio presentation while the user is working on other tasks at a workstation, audio presentation to portable devices, simultaneous audio and video presentation as a teaching tool, and others.

Claims

1. A method of providing information from the web, comprising the step of:

receiving a request for a web page of a web server, the request coming from a web client, the request including an audible formatting parameter specifying whether web content should be returned in an audible format;

returning the requested web page in a first format which includes audible content if said audible formatting parameter requests an audible format;

returning the requested web page in a second format which does not include audible content if said audible formatting parameter requests no audible format;

wherein said web page is represented by an HTML file having a plurality of MTML tags, wherein at least one of said HTML tags is an audiate tag defining said audible content;

wherein said audiate tag has at least one parameter, said at least one parameter including a wave parameter specifying a wave file containing sound, said wave file to be included in a response in said first format and not to be included in a response in said second format.

2. A method of providing information from the web, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for a web page of a web server, the request coming from a web client, the request including an audible formatting parameter specifying whether web content should be returned in an audible format;

returning the requested web page in a first format which includes audible content if said audible formatting parameter requests an audible format;

returning the requested web page in a second format which does not include audible content if said audible formatting parameter requests no audible format;

wherein said web page is represented by an HTML file having a plurality of HTML tags, wherein at least one of said HTML tags is an audiate tag defining said audible content;

wherein said audiate tag has at least one parameter, said at least one parameter including an elements parameter specifying at least one text field to be converted to audible speech, said audible speech to be included in a response in said first format and not to be included in a response in said second format.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said audible formatting parameter is an argument to a URL of said web page, said argument assuming one of a plurality of values, wherein a first value of said argument signifies that the requested web page should be returned in an audible format, and a second value of said argument signifies that the requested web page should be returned in video format without audio.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said first value of said argument signifies that the requested web page should be returned in said audible format only, without video, and wherein a third value of said argument signifies that the requested web page should be returned in both audible format and video format.

5. A computer program product for providing web page content in a server computer coupled to the Internet, said computer program product comprising:

a plurality of processor executable instructions recorded on signal-bearing media, wherein said instructions, when executed by said processor, cause said server computer to perform the steps of;

receiving a request for a web page, the request coming from a web client, the request including an audible formatting parameter specifying whether web content should be returned in an audible format;

returning the requested web page to the web client in a first format which includes audible content if said audible formatting parameter requests an audible format; and

returning the requested web page to the web client in a second format which does not include audible content if said audible formatting parameter requests no audible format;

wherein said web page is represented by an HTML file having a plurality of HTML tags, wherein at least one of said HTML tags is an audiate tag defining said audible content;

wherein said audiate tag has at least one parameter said at least one parameter including an elements parameter specifying at least one text field to be converted to audible speech, said audible speech to be included in a response in said first format and not to be included in a response in said second format.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein said audible formatting parameter is an argument to a URL of said web page, said argument assuming one of a plurality of values, wherein a first value of said argument signifies that the requested web page should be returned in an audible format, and a second value of said argument signifies that the requested web page should be returned in video format without audio.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein said first value of said argument signifies that the requested web page should be returned in said audible format only, without video, and wherein a third value of said argument signifies that the requested web page should be returned in both audible format and video format.

8. A web server for providing web content in response to requests received from clients over the Internet, said web server comprising:

an Internet interface for receiving communications from and transmitting communications over the Internet;

a programmable processor for processing instructions;

a web page responder application executable on said programmable processor, said web page responder application generating web page responses in response to web page requests received from clients, said web page responses being generated in a plurality of formats responsive to a respective formatting parameter specified by each requesting client, said plurality of formats including at least one audible format and at least one non-audible format

wherein said web page is represented by an HTML file having a plurality of HTML tags, wherein at least one of said HTML tags is an audiate tag defining said audible content;

wherein said audiate tag has at least one parameter, said at least one parameter including an elements parameter specifying at least one text field to be converted to audible speech, said audible speech to be included in a response in said first format and not to be included in a response in said second format.

9. The web server of claim 8, wherein said audible formatting parameter is an argument to a URL of a requested web page, said argument assuming one of a plurality of values, wherein a first value of said argument signifies that the requested web page should be returned in said audible format, and a second value of said argument signifies that the requested web page should be returned in said non-audible format.

10. The web server of claim 9, wherein said first value of said argument signifies that the requested web page should be returned in said audible format only, without video, and wherein a third value of said argument signifies that the requested web page should be returned in both audible format and video format.

11. The web server of claim 8, further comprising a text-to-speech converter for converting textual web page content to audible speech for inclusion in said at least one audible format.