On demand contents providing method and system

• US 7,044,741 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2001
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Young-Hie Leem
• Original Assignee: Young-Hie Leem
• Inventors: Leem, Young-Hie
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US10/276,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20040044473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,823 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/156, 434/157, 434/169, 434/185, 434/307.R, 434/308, 434/322, 434/323, 434/350, 434/362, 434/365, 704/201, 704/260, 704/270, 704/3, 704/250, 707/1, 707/103.R, 345/709, 463/19, 717/115, 844/832
• US Class Current: 434/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/61 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A system for providing customized audio content, based on a client-server communication network, includes a means for producing a plurality of audio content with different attributes; and a content-providing server for converting the plurality of audio content into digital audio files that are stored with and linked to the corresponding script. A contents file with specific attributes is provided via the communication network to a user after being requested.

Claims

1. A system for providing customized audio content, comprising a content database and a content-providing server connected to a wired or wireless communication network,

the content database comprising digital content for language learning or musical learning, each content comprising:

a plurality of digital audio files each associated with an equivalent script file, the plurality of digital audio files being characterized by one or more audio attributes such that each audio file of the plurality of audio files differ in a least one audio attribute from other digital audio files associated with the equivalent script file, the digital audio file and the script file being linked to each other wherein the audio attributes include a playback device attribute and at least one attribute selected from the group consisting of a musical performance type attribute, a language attribute, a voice attribute, and a playback speed attribute; and

the server operable to;

receive user selected audio file attribute selection information,

retrieve an audio file or script file corresponding the selection information from the database; and

provide the retrieved audio file or script file to a user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital audio file and script files are linked together by a content-providing means, the content-providing means comprising:

a GUI-based display file or text-based display file linked with content menu information equipped with an attribute selection means that includes a component selected from the group consisting of a voice attribute selection means, a playback speed attribute selection means, a musical performance type attribute selection means, and a playback device attribute selection means.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the content-providing means includes a musical performance type attribute selection means wherein the scripts are musical note files, the audio files are files made by recording vocal music, musical instrument music or chanting, and the performance type attributes selection means specifies if an audio file is vocal music, instrumental music, or a chant, the vocal music being a soprano tune, an alto tune, a base tune, a tenor tune or a chorus tune with or without musical instrument accompaniment.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the server further comprises a means for:

providing a user terminal with the content menu information that is selectable by the user wherein the content-providing means is linked to selected content menu information;

receiving selected audio file attribute information through the content-providing means from the user terminal;

linking the content-providing means with an URL of an audio file corresponding to received audio attribute information or an URL of a script file for a second recording corresponding to language attributes of the audio file; and

retrieving the audio file or the script file requested by the user through the content-providing means.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the server further comprises a user-produced content register, the user-produced content register operable to

provide the user with content information to be registered;

up-load user-produced content; and

store up-loaded content in a database.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein

the user is provided content information to be registered by a bulletin board, the information of the content to be registered is information related to a content-providing documents file, the script for sound recording, or the requested audio attribute of the content.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the content is provided from a user or local branch content-providing servers located in a plurality of countries.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the content-providing server comprising:

a main content-providing server and one or more local branch content-providing servers located in one or more countries,

each branch server able to access the content of the main server or other branch servers in order to optionally build a database in each native language corresponding in meaning to the content on the main server or other branch server wherein the local branch servers are operable to build content databases that are accessible to the main server or other branch servers.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the server is operable to provide a customized interface to each registered user on the basis of the information accessed recently or registered by the registered user.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the customized interface is provided by a component comprising:

a content use information database that stores identifying information on the content-providing server, the identifying information including selected audio attribute information;

database linking template documents files; and

a means for producing and providing customized interface by dynamically combining user'"'"'s content use information retrieved from the content use information database with the database linking template documents file when the user logs onto the server.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the content database further comprises an index file, the index file storing index information comprising:

a classification number and a content name corresponding to attributes of the audio file or the script file; and

a file name that indicates an URL including the stored location of the audio file or script file in a server storage device, corresponding to the classification number or content name or combination thereof.

12. A method for providing customized content with a system comprising a content database and content-providing server connected to wired or wireless communication network,

the content database comprising digital content for language learning or musical learning, each content comprising:

a plurality of digital audio files each associated with an equivalent script file, the plurality of digital audio files being characterized by one or more audio attributes such that each audio file of the plurality of audio files differ in at least one audio attribute from other digital audio files associated with the equivalent script file, the digital audio file and the script file being linked to each other wherein the audio attributes include a playback device attribute and at least one attribute selected from the group consisting of a musical performance type attribute, a language attribute, a voice attribute, and a playback speed attribute, the method comprising;

(a) providing a user terminal with user selectable content menu information user can select;

(b) receiving selected audio file attribute information through the user terminal; and

(c) retrieving an audio file or a script file corresponding to the selected audio file attribute information.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the digital audio file and script files are linked together by a content-providing means, the content-providing means comprising:

a GUI-based display file or text-based display file linked with content menu information equipped with an attribute selection means that includes a component selected from the group consisting of a voice attribute selection means, a playback speed attribute selection means, a musical performance type attribute selection means, and a playback device attribute selection means.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the content-providing means includes a musical performance type attribute selection means wherein the scripts are musical note files, the audio files are files made by recording vocal music, musical instrument music or chanting, and the performance type attributes selection means specifies if an audio file is vocal music, instrumental music, or a chant, the vocal music being a soprano tune, an alto tune, a base tune, a tenor tune or a chorus tune with or without musical instrument accompaniment.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the content is provided from a user or local branch content-providing servers located in a plurality of countries.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of registering user-produced content, the user-produced content registering step comprising the steps of:

providing the user with the information of the content to be registered;

up-loading the user-produced content; and

storing up the up-loaded content in a database.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the user is provided content information to be registered by a bulletin board, the information of the content to be registered comprising information related to a content-providing documents file, the script for sound recording, or the requested audio attribute of the content, and wherein the step of uploading includes registering of the user-produced file, indexing information that includes audio attributes, and the user'"'"'s personal information.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the content-providing server comprises:

a main content-providing server and one or more local branch content-providing servers located in one or more countries,

each branch server able to access the content of the main server or other branch servers in order to optionally build a database in each native language corresponding in meaning to the content on the main server or other branch server wherein the local branch servers are operable to build content databases that are accessible to the main server or other branch servers.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing a customized interface to each registered user on the basis of the information accessed recently or registered by the registered user.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of providing customized interface comprising the steps of:

building a content use information database that stores identifying information on the content-providing server, the identifying information including selected audio attribute information; and

producing and providing customized interface by dynamically combining user'"'"'s content use information retrieved from the content use information database with a database linking template documents file when the user logs onto the server.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein the content database further comprises an index file, the index file storing index information comprising:

a classification number and a content name corresponding to attributes of the audio file or the script file; and

a file name that indicates an URL including the stored location of the audio file or script file in a server storage device, corresponding to the classification number or content name or combination thereof.