Information processing system

• US 6,996,533 B2
• Filed: 12/16/1997
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ikeda, Keiichi, Osaka, Yoshimichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Azad, Abul K.
• Application Number:
  US08/991,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,975 Days
• Field of Search: 704/260, 704/271, 704/272, 704/270, 704/270.1, 709/203, 709/218, 707/10, 715/542, 715/739, 345/472.2
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

An information processing system receives notice information, having a predetermine format, transmitted via a network. The information processing system includes an extracting unit for analyzing the notice information and extracting character symbol information other than format information included in the notice information based on an analyzing result, a display unit for displaying the notice information using the analyzing result obtained by the extracting unit, and a voice output unit for converting the character symbol information extracted by the extracting unit into voice signals and outputting the notice information by voice based on the voice signals.

Claims

1. An information processing system which receives notice information having a predetermined format, transmitted via a network, said information processing system enabling access thereto by visually impaired users of the system and comprising:

a World Wide Web (“

WWW”

) browser, which is activated by the information processing system, for receiving the notice information in response to a supply request indicated by a visually impaired user;

obtaining means for obtaining the notice information received by the WWW browser;

storage means for storing the notice information;

extracting means for analyzing the notice information that is obtained and stored in the storage means and extracting character symbol information other than format information included in the notice information based on an analyzing result;

interactive video display means for instantaneously displaying the notice information to the visually impaired user using the analyzing result obtained by said extracting means and for indicating a user selected part of the notice information at a specified position; and

voice output means for converting the character symbol information extracted by said extracting means into voice signals and outputting the selected part of the notice information by voice to the visually impaired user based on the voice signals and the user selected part, wherein

said extracting means extracts character symbol information having linked address information and stores the extracted character symbol information in the storage means, wherein when the notice information stored in the storage means includes information having linked address information other than character symbol information of image data, said extracting means extract a file name of the image data as character symbol information from the linked address information of the information, and

said interactive video display means instantaneously displays a list of character symbol information extracted by said extracting means and said voice output means outputs the list of the character symbol information by voice when a voice output request is made by the visually impaired user for the list of the character symbol information instantaneously displayed by said interactive video display means thereby affording the visually impaired access to the information.

2. The information processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said voice output means performs a process for outputting the notice information by voice when a voice output request for the notice information instantaneously displayed by said interactive video display means is issued.

3. The information processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said voice output means audibly reads out letters corresponding to typed keyboard characters.

4. The information processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the specified position is a position specified in the list of the character symbol information instantaneously displayed by said interactive video display means, said voice output means outputs character information instantaneously displayed at the specified position by voice.

5. The information processing system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

issuance means for specifying linked address information provided in the selected character symbol information and issuing a supply request for the notice information when specific character symbol information is selected from the list of the character symbol information instantaneously displayed by said interactive video display means.

6. The information processing system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said interactive video display means instantaneously displays a screen on which a list of address information specified by said supply request for the notice information, and wherein said voice output means outputs the list of the address information by voice when a voice output request for the fist of the address information instantaneously displayed by said interactive video display means is issued.

7. The information processing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein when a position is specified in the list of the address information instantaneously displayed by said interactive video display means and the voice output request is issued, said voice output means outputs address information instantaneously displayed at the specified position by voice.

8. The information processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when an input operation is performed, said voice output means output contents of information corresponding to the input operation by voice.

10. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the notice information is an html document that is intended to be accessible on the WWW via a unique uniform resource locator (“

URL”

).

9. An information processing system which receives notice information having a predetermined format, transmitted via a network, said information processing system enabling access thereto by visually impaired users of the system and comprising:

a World Wide Web (“

WWW”

) browser, which is activated by the information processing system, for receiving the notice information in response to a supply request indicated by a visually impaired user;

obtaining means for obtaining the notice information received by the WWW browser;

storage means for storing the notice information;

extracting means for analyzing the notice information that is obtained and stored by the storage means and extracting character symbol information other than format information included in the notice information based on an analyzing result;

interactive video display means for instantaneously displaying the notice information to the visually impaired user using the analyzing result obtained by said extracting means and for indicating a user selected part of the notice information at a specified position;

voice output means for converting the character symbol information extracted by said extracting means into voice signals and outputting the selected part of the notice information by voice to the visually impaired user based on the voice signals and the user selected part; and

setting means for setting a size of character symbol information which is instantaneously displayed on a display screen, wherein said interactive video display means enlarges and instantaneously displays the character symbol information based on the size set by said setting means enabling viewing thereof by the visually impaired user, wherein said display screen includes a first display area to display the character symbol information based on the size set by said setting means; and

a second display area to display one line of the character symbol information selected by scrolling upward or downward by a user operation while said voice output means is outputting the one line of the character symbol by voice.

11. An information processing system which receives notice information having a predetermined format, transmitted via a network, said information processing system enabling access thereto by visually impaired users of the system and comprising:

a World Wide Web (“

WWW”

) browser, which is activated by the information processing system, to receive the notice information in response to a supply request indicated by a visually impaired user;

an obtaining unit to obtain the notice information received by the WWW browser;

a storage area to store the notice information;

an extracting unit to analyze the notice information that is obtained and stored by the obtaining unit and extract character symbol information other than format information included in the notice information based on an analyzing result;

an interactive video display unit to instantaneously display the notice information to the visually impaired user using the analyzing result obtained by said extracting unit and to indicate a user selected part of the notice information at a specified position; and

a voice output unit to convert the character symbol information extracted by said extracting unit into voice signals and to output the selected part of the notice information by voice to the visually impaired user based on the voice signals and the user selected part, wherein

said extracting unit extracts character symbol information having linked address information and stores the extracted character symbol information in the storage area, wherein when the notice information stored by the obtaining means includes information having linked address information other than character symbol information of image data, said extracting unit extracts a file name of the image data as character symbol information from the linked address information of the information, and

wherein said interactive video display unit instantaneously displays a list of character symbol information extracted by said extracting unit and said voice output unit outputs the list of the character symbol information by voice when a voice output request is made by the visually impaired user for the list of the character symbol information instantaneously displayed by said interactive video display unit.

12. The information processing system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said voice output unit performs a process to output the notice information by voice when a voice output request for the notice information instantaneously displayed by said interactive video display unit is issued.

13. The information processing system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said voice output unit performs a process when a position is specified in the notice information instantaneously displayed by said interactive video display unit and a voice output request is issued, the process outputting a part of the notice information instantaneously displayed at the specified position by voice.

14. The information processing system as claimed in claim 11, wherein when the specified position is a position specified in the list of the character symbol information instantaneously displayed by said interactive video display unit, said voice output unit outputs character information instantaneously displayed at the specified position by voice.

15. The information processing system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

an issuance unit to specify linked address information provided in the selected character symbol information and issue a supply request for the notice information when specific character symbol information is selected from the list of the character symbol information instantaneously displayed by said interactive video display unit.

16. The information processing system as claimed in claim 15,

wherein said interactive video display unit instantaneously displays a screen which lists address information specified by said supply request for the notice intonation, and

wherein said voice output unit outputs the list of the address information by voice when a voice output request for the list of the address information instantaneously displayed by said interactive video display unit is issued.

17. The information processing system as claimed in claim 16, wherein when the specified position is a position specified in the list of the address information instantaneously displayed by said interactive video display unit and the voice output request is issued, said voice output unit outputs address information instantaneously displayed at the specified position by voice.

18. The information processing system as claimed in claim 11, wherein when an input operation is performed, said voice output unit output contents of information corresponding to the input operation by voice.

19. An information processing system which receives notice information having a predetermined format, transmitted via a network, said information processing system enabling access thereto by visually impaired users of the system and comprising:

a World Wide Web (“

WWW”

) browser, which is activated by the information processing system, to receive the notice information in response to a supply request indicated by a visually impaired user;

an obtaining unit to obtain the notice information received by the WWW browser;

a storage area to store the notice information;

an extracting unit to analyze the notice information that is obtained by the obtaining unit end stored in the storage area, and to extract character symbol information other than format information included in the notice information based on an analyzing result, and to store the extracted character symbol information in the storage area;

an interactive video display unit to instantaneously display the notice information to the visually impaired user using the analyzing result obtained by said extracting unit and to indicate a user selected part of the notice information at a specified position;

a voice output unit to convert the character symbol information extracted by said extracting unit into voice signals and to output the selected part of the notice information by voice to the visually impaired user based on the voice signals and the user selected part; and

a setting unit to set a size of character symbol information which is instantaneously displayed on a display screen, wherein said interactive video display unit enlarges and instantaneously displays the character symbol information based on the size set by said setting unit thereby affording access by the visually impaired to the information, wherein said display screen includes a first display area to display the character symbol information based on the size set by said setting means; and

a second display area to display one line of the character symbol information selected by scrolling upward or downward by a user operation while said voice output means is outputting the one line of the character symbol by voice.

20. An information processing system to receive notice information having a predetermined format, transmitted via a network, the information processing system enabling access thereto by visually impaired users of the system, comprising:

a World Wide Web (“

WWW”

) browser, which is activated by the information processing system, to receive the notice information in response to a supply request indicated by a visually impaired user;

an obtaining unit to obtain the notice information received by the WWW browser;

a storage area to store the notice information;

an extracting unit to analyze the notice information that is obtained by the obtaining unit and stored in the storage area and to extract character symbol information other than format information included in the notice information based on an analyzing result;

an interactive video display unit to instantaneously display the notice information to the visually impaired user using the analyzing result obtained by the extracting unit arid to indicate a user selected part of the notice information at a specified position; and

a voice output unit to convert the character symbol information extracted by the extracting unit into voice signals and to output the selected part of the notice information by voice to the visually impaired user based on the voice signals and the user selected part,

wherein the extracting unit extracts character symbol information having linked address information and stores the extracted character symbol information in the storage area, wherein, when the notice information stored by the obtaining unit includes information having linked address information other than character symbol information of image data, the extracting unit extracts a file name of the image data as character symbol information from the linked address information of the information,

wherein the interactive video display unit instantaneously displays a list of character symbol information extracted by the extracting unit and wherein the voice output unit outputs the list of the character symbol information by voice when a voice output request is made by the visually impaired user for the list of the character symbol information instantaneously displayed by the interactive video display unit, thereby affording the visually impaired access to the information.

21. An information processing method to receive notice information having a predetermined format, transmitted via a network, the information processing method enabling access thereto by visually impaired users, comprising:

receiving the notice information in response to a supply request indicated by a visually impaired user;

storing the notice information in a storage area;

analyzing the notice information;

extracting character symbol information other than format information included in the notice information based on an analyzing result;

instantaneously displaying the notice information to the visually impaired user using the analyzing result;

indicating a user-selected part of the notice information at a specified position;

converting the extracted character symbol information into voice signals;

outputting the selected part of the notice information by voice to the visually impaired user based on the voice signals and the user selected part, wherein the extracted character symbol information has linked address information, wherein, when the stored notice information includes information having linked address information other than character symbol information of image data, a file name of the image data as character symbol information from the linked address information of the information is extracted;

instantaneously displaying a list of extracted character symbol information; and

outputting the list of the character symbol information by voice when a voice output request is made by the visually impaired user for the list of the character symbol information instantaneously displayed thereby affording the visually impaired access to the information.

22. A computer network implemented information processing system which receives information transmitted over said network, said information enabling access thereto by visually impaired users of the system and comprising:

a network browser receiving information in response to a request indicated by the visually impaired user;

a memory storing information;

a selection unit analyzing information and selecting character symbol information other than format information;

an interactive display instantaneously displaying information to the visually impaired user using an analyzing result obtained by said selection unit and for indicating a user selected part of the information at a specified position;

a voice output unit outputting the selected part of the information by voice to the visually impaired, wherein

said selection unit selects character symbol information having linked address information and stores the character symbol information in memory, wherein when the notice information stored in memory includes information having linked address information other than character symbol information of image data, said selection unit selects a file name of the image data as character symbol information from the linked address information of the information, and

said interactive display instantaneously displays a list of character symbol information selected by said selection unit and said voice output unit outputs the list of the character symbol information by voice when a voice output request is made by the visually impaired user thereby affording the visually impaired access to the information.

23. The computer network implemented information processing system of claim 22, further comprising a size adjusting unit adjusting the size of character symbol information which is instantaneously displayed on said interactive display, wherein said interactive display increases and instantaneously displays the character symbol information based on the size adjusted by said adjusting unit.

24. The computer network implemented information processing system of claim 23, wherein said interactive display includes a first display area to display the character symbol information based on the size adjusted by said adjusting unit;

and a second display area to display one line of the character symbol information selected by scrolling upward or downward by a user operation while said voice output means is outputting the one line of the character symbol by voice.