Method and apparatus for audio navigation of an information appliance
First Claim
1. A method of requesting electronic program guide (EPG) data which have been converted to EPG speech files using an information appliance coupled to a server at a location remote from the information appliance, comprising the steps of:
- (a) requesting a portion of the converted EPG speech files corresponding to a particular time interval, the portion including a plurality of sections each section representing a respectively different sub-interval of the portion of the EPG speech files;
(b) receiving and storing the portion of the converted EPG speech files in the information appliance;
(c) presenting a sequence of aural prompts to a user, prompting the user to select time information corresponding to one section of the plurality of sections of the stored portion of EPG speech files to be extracted, the one section including a plurality of programs, each program associated with a respectively different channel;
(d) navigating through the stored portion of EPG speech files in the information appliance, responsive to the aural prompts, to extract the one section of the plurality of sections of the stored portion of EPG speech files;
(e) presenting the extracted one section of the stored portion of EPG speech files through audio speakers;
(f) receiving an indication of a location on a page of text corresponding to the extracted section of the stored speech files;
(g) transmitting the received indication to the server at the remote location;
(h) receiving, from the server at the remote location, a further portion of the EPG speech files corresponding to the received indication; and
(i) presenting the further portion of the EPG speech files through the audio speakers.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention includes an apparatus and method of providing information using an information appliance coupled to a network. The method includes storing text files in a database at a remote location and converting, at the remote location, the text files into speech files. A portion of the speech files requested are downloaded to the information appliance and presented through an audio speaker. The speech files may include audio of electronic program guide (EPG) information, weather information, news information or other information. The method also includes converting the text files into speech files at the remote location using an English text-to-speech (TTS) synthesizer, a Spanish TTS synthesizer, or another language synthesizer. A voice personality may be selected to announce the speech files.
94 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of requesting electronic program guide (EPG) data which have been converted to EPG speech files using an information appliance coupled to a server at a location remote from the information appliance, comprising the steps of:
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(a) requesting a portion of the converted EPG speech files corresponding to a particular time interval, the portion including a plurality of sections each section representing a respectively different sub-interval of the portion of the EPG speech files; (b) receiving and storing the portion of the converted EPG speech files in the information appliance; (c) presenting a sequence of aural prompts to a user, prompting the user to select time information corresponding to one section of the plurality of sections of the stored portion of EPG speech files to be extracted, the one section including a plurality of programs, each program associated with a respectively different channel; (d) navigating through the stored portion of EPG speech files in the information appliance, responsive to the aural prompts, to extract the one section of the plurality of sections of the stored portion of EPG speech files; (e) presenting the extracted one section of the stored portion of EPG speech files through audio speakers; (f) receiving an indication of a location on a page of text corresponding to the extracted section of the stored speech files; (g) transmitting the received indication to the server at the remote location; (h) receiving, from the server at the remote location, a further portion of the EPG speech files corresponding to the received indication; and (i) presenting the further portion of the EPG speech files through the audio speakers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of providing information using an information appliance coupled to a server at a location remote from the information appliance, comprising the steps of:
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(a) storing electronic program guide (EPG) text files in a database at the remote location; (b) converting, at the remote location, the EPG text files stored in step (a) into EPG speech files and storing the converted EPG speech files; (c) receiving a request for a portion of the EPG speech files converted in step (b) and a request for the EPG text files; (d) retrieving the requested portion from the stored converted EPG speech files and transmitting to the information appliance the portion of the EPG speech files requested in step (c); (e) receiving and storing the EPG speech files in the information appliance transmitted in step (d); (f) presenting a sequence of aural prompts; (g) navigating through the stored speech files in the information appliance, responsive to the aural prompts, to extract a section of the stored speech files; (h) reformatting the EPG text files into a page of text and presenting the page of text on a television monitor; (i) receiving an indication of a location on the page of text corresponding to the extracted section of the stored speech files; and (j) transmitting, from the remote location to the information appliance, a further portion of the EPG speech files corresponding to the received location indication. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A method of requesting electronic program guide (EPG) text data which have been converted to EPG audio data using a communications network, comprising the steps of:
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(a) requesting a portion of the converted EPG audio data corresponding to a particular time interval, the portion including a plurality of sections each representing a respectively different sub-interval of the portion of EPG audio data; (b) receiving from the network, by a set top box (STB), at least the portion of the converted EPG audio data; (c) storing, by the STB, the at least the portion of the converted EPG audio data received in step (b); (d) presenting a sequence of aural prompts to a user, prompting the user to select time information corresponding to one section of the plurality of sections of the stored EPG data to be extracted, the one section including a plurality of programs, each program associated with a respectively different channel; (e) receiving commands, responsive to the sequence of aural prompts; (f) extracting the one section of the EPG audio data, responsive to the commands entered in step (e) (g) presenting the extracted one section of the EPG audio data through an audio speaker; (h) receiving an indication of a location on a page of text corresponding to the extracted one section of the EPG speech files and transmitting the received indication to the network; (i) receiving, from the network, a further portion of the EPG speech files corresponding to the received indication; and (j) presenting the further portion of the EPG speech files through the audio speaker. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An audio enabled data service system, including an information appliance comprising:
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a memory device; a modem adapted to connect to a network; a processor coupled to the modem for (a) communicating on the network, (b) periodically receiving portions of electronic program guide (EPG) speech files from the network, each portion corresponding to a respectively different time interval and each portion including a plurality of sections each representing a respectively different sub-interval of the respective portion (c) storing the portion of EPG speech files in the memory device and (d) providing a sequence of aural navigation prompts to a user, prompting the user to select time information corresponding to one section of the plurality of sections of the stored portion of EPG speech files to be extracted, the one section including a plurality of programs, each program associated with a respectively different channel; a receiver for accepting input commands from a remote control, the input commands entered responsive to the sequence of aural navigation prompts; an audio speaker configured with the processor to present the sequence of aural navigation prompts; and the processor, responsive to the input commands accepted by the receiver for (a) extracting the one section of the plurality of sections of the portion of the EPG speech files stored in the memory device (b) presenting the extracted one section of the stored portion of EPG speech files through the audio speaker (c) receiving an indication of a location on a page of text corresponding to the extracted one section of the EPG speech files (d) transmitting the received indication to the network, (e) receiving, from the network, a further portion of the EPG speech files corresponding to the received indication (f) presenting the further portion of the EPG speech files through the audio speaker. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. An audio enabled data service system comprising:
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a television monitor; and an information appliance comprising; a memory device, a modem adapted to connect to a network, a processor coupled to the modem for (a) communicating on the network, (b) periodically receiving electronic program guide (EPG) speech files and EPG text files from the network, (c) storing the EPG speech files in the memory device and (d) providing a sequence of aural navigation prompts, a receiver for accepting input commands from a remote control, the input commands entered responsive to the sequence of aural navigation prompts, and an audio speaker configured with the processor to present the sequence of aural navigation prompts, the processor is responsive to the input commands accepted by the receiver for (a) extracting a portion of the EPG speech files stored in the memory device and (b) sending the extracted portion of the EPG speech files to the audio speaker, wherein; the processor formats the EPG text files into a page of text and the processor provides the page for display on the television monitor, the page including a section, the section including a plurality of sub-sections, the extracted portion of the EPG speech files corresponds to the section, the receiver accepts an input command which provides an identifier for identifying a location of a sub-section of the plurality of sub-sections on the page displayed on the television monitor, and the processor, in response to the identifier, requests from the network, further portion of the EPG speech files corresponding to the identified location of the sub-section on the page, receives the further portion from the network and sends the corresponding further portion of the EPG speech files to the audio speaker. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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Specification