Data processing system with block attribute-based vocalization mechanism

• US 6,751,593 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2001
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Tetsumoto, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): MCFADDEN, SUSAN IRIS
• Application Number:
  US09/779,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20020002462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/256, 379/88.01, 379/90.01, 709/218, 709/246
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/16 Sequence circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

A data processing unit which vocalizes web page data, including non-textual information contained therein, such as font size specifications. A call reception unit accepts a call signal from a user'"'"'s telephone set. A speech recognition unit recognizes the user'"'"'s verbal messages received from the telephone set. When a request for a particular web page is detected by the speech recognition unit, a web page data collector makes access to the requested web page to obtain its web page data. A text data extractor extracts every block of text data from the obtained web page data. An attribute extractor extracts attributes of each block extracted by the text data extractor. A vocalization order decision unit determines in what order to vocalize the blocks, evaluating the attributes of each block extracted by the attribute extractor. A vocalizer converts text data contained in the blocks into speech, based on the block vocalization order determined by the vocalization order decision unit.

Claims

1. A data processing system which provides a user with vocalized information of web pages that are written in a markup language, comprising:

call reception means for accepting a call from the user'"'"'s telephone set;

speech recognition means for recognizing a verbal message being received from the user'"'"'s telephone set;

web page data collection means, responsive to a request for a particular web page which is recognized by said speech recognition means, for making access to the requested web page to obtain web page data therefrom;

text data extraction means for extracting text data from the obtained web page data on a block basis;

attribute extraction means for extracting attributes of each of the blocks of text data extracted by said text data extraction means;

vocalization order decision means for determining in what order to vocalize the blocks, based on the attributes extracted by said attribute extraction means; and

vocalizing means for vocalizing the text data contained in each block, according to the vocalization order that is determined by said vocalization order decision means.

2. The data processing system according to claim 1,

wherein the attributes include a font size specified in each block of text data and

wherein said vocalization order decision means determines the vocalization order for the web page data according to the font size of each block.

3. The data processing system according to claim 1,

wherein the attributes include a text length of each block, and

wherein said vocalization order decision means determines the vocalization order for the web page data according to the text length of each block.

4. A computer-readable medium storing a program which provides a user with vocalized information of web pages that are written in a markup language, the program causing a computer system to function as:

call reception means for accepting a call from the user'"'"'s telephone set;

speech recognition means for recognizing a verbal message being received from the user'"'"'s telephone set;

web page data collection means, responsive to a request for a particular web page which is recognized by said speech recognition means, for making access to the requested web page to obtain web page data therefrom;

text data extraction means for extracting text data from the obtained web page data on a block basis;

attribute extraction means for extracting attributes of each of the blocks of text data extracted by said text data extraction means;

vocalization order decision means for determining in what order to vocalize the blocks, based on the attributes extracted by said attribute extraction means; and

vocalizing means for vocalizing the text data contained in each block, according to the vocalization order that is determined by said vocalization order decision means.

5. A data processing system which provides a user with vocalized information of web pages that are written in a markup language, comprising:

call reception means for accepting a call from the user'"'"'s telephone set;

speech recognition means for recognizing a verbal message being received from the user'"'"'s telephone set;

web page data collection means, responsive to a request for a particular web page which is recognized by said speech recognition means, for making access to the requested web page to obtain web page data therefrom;

a replacement data table that associates particular text elements in the web page data with links to corresponding sound clip files;

insertion means for inserting a link to a sound clip file into the web page data as a substitute or additional piece of text for a particular text element therein that matches with an entry of said replacement data table; and

vocalizing means for vocalizing the web page data that has been processed by said insertion means and when the inserted links are encountered, replaying the corresponding sound clip files.

6. The data processing system according to claim 5, wherein said replacement data table is supplied from a server, being embedded in the web page data.

7. The data processing system according to claim 5,

wherein said replacement data table further associates particular image references in the web page data with links to corresponding sound clip files,

wherein said insertion means inserts the links to corresponding sound clip files in place of the image references in the web page data, consulting said replacement data table, and

wherein when the inserted links are encountered, said vocalizing means replays the corresponding sound clip files.

8. The data processing system according to claim 5, wherein said replacement data table is loaded, which is provided for each instance of web page data.

9. The data processing system according to claim 5, wherein:

said replacement data table further associates particular image references in the web page data with predetermined pieces of text;

said insertion means inserts the predetermined pieces of text in place of the image reference in the web page data, consulting said replacement data table; and

said vocalizing means vocalizes the text inserted in place of the image references in the web page data.

10. A computer-readable medium storing a program which provides a user with vocalized information of web pages that are written in a markup language, the program causing a computer system to function as:

call reception means for accepting a call from the user'"'"'s telephone set;

speech recognition means for recognizing a verbal message being received from the user'"'"'s telephone set;

web page data collection means, responsive to a request for a particular web page which is recognized by said speech recognition means, for making access to the requested web page to obtain web page data therefrom;

a replacement data table that associates particular text elements in the web page data with links to corresponding sound clip files;

insertion means for inserting a link to a sound clip file into the web page data as a substitutive or additional piece of text for a particular text element therein that matches with an entry of said replacement data table; and

vocalizing means for vocalizing the web page data that has been processed by said insertion means, and when the inserted links are encountered, replaying the corresponding sound clip files.