Systems and methods for navigating page-oriented information assets

• US 7,861,186 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2007
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Chi, Ed H., Hong, Lichan, Stefik, Mark J., Card, Stuart K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chuong; Truc T
• Application Number:
  US11/784,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20080040378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 715/757, 715/782, 715/848, 715/850, 715/852, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/850
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

Techniques provide for the dynamic display of a page-oriented information asset using an audio output mode. Pluralities of elements in the page-oriented information asset are determined based on chapters, sections, paragraphs, sentences, words and the like. The elements are rendered to an audio output mode. Optionally selectable representations of the elements are also determined and output using a 3-dimension-like rendering to a visual output mode. The 3-dimension-like rendering of the visual representations of the elements shows how the current element relates to the other elements and its location within the page-oriented information asset. The 3-dimension-like rendering provides visual orientation or context within the page-oriented information asset. The visual representations of the elements are optionally selectable as spatial context indicators providing direct navigation control to support reading, browsing and information retrieval tasks within the page-oriented information asset. Speech input is also optionally recognized as a direct navigation control.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for navigating page-oriented information asset, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor operatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute computer executable program circuits, including;

an input/output circuit retrieving a page-oriented information asset, which incorporates audio speech information organized into pages;

an element determination circuit determining a plurality of elements within the page-oriented information asset organized into structure levels respectively comprising chapters, sections, paragraphs, sentences and words;

a current output element circuit outputting each of the elements via an audio mode during a playback;

a context circuit indicating how the current output element relates to the other element and where the current output element is located within the page-oriented information asset and is associated with an animation;

a rendering circuit rendering the elements via a visual output mode in a 3-dimension-like rendering during a playback; and

a spatial context circuit moving through the structure levels and the pages of the page-oriented information asset during a navigation in a direction indicated by an ordering of the structure levels and by a degree of input speed in a user-generated gesture,

wherein the processor determines graphical elements associated with the page-oriented information asset and outputs attention attracting display characteristics via the audio output mode when the graphical elements are associated with the current element in the audio presentation.

2. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, in which the 3-dimensional like rendering incorporates user-interface elements for navigation within the page-oriented information asset.

3. The computer-implemented system of claim 2, in which navigation within the page-oriented information asset is based on at least one of:

pushing, sliding, touching, and activating, at least one user-interface element.

4. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, in which the plurality of elements associated with the page-oriented information asset are determined based on at least one of:

mark-up and parsing; and

the user interface elements are at least one of;

a touch sensitive display, a switch, a button and voice input.

5. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, in which the page-oriented information asset is trans-coded between different media types.

6. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, in which the graphical elements are at least one of:

figures, photos, movies, footnotes, side bar commentaries, links to related articles, drawings, and markers for the end of elements.

7. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, in which the page-oriented asset is at least one of:

an audio-book, an audio-newspaper; and

an audio-magazine.

8. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, in which a single user-interface element is used for navigating across multiple structural levels.

9. A computer-implemented method for navigating a page-oriented information asset, comprising:

retrieving a page-oriented information asset, which incorporates audio speech information organized into pages;

determining a plurality of elements within the page-oriented information asset organized into structure levels respectively comprising chapters, sections, paragraphs, sentences and words;

outputting each of the elements via an audio mode during a playback;

indicating how the current output element relates to the other element and where the current output element is located within the page-oriented information asset and is associated with an animation;

rendering the elements via a visual output mode in a 3-dimension-like rendering during a playback; and

moving through the structure levels and the pages of the page-oriented information asset during a navigation in a direction indicated by an ordering of the structure levels and by a degree of input speed in a user-generated gesture,

wherein the processor determines graphical elements associated with the page-oriented information asset and outputs attention attracting display characteristics via the audio output mode when the graphical elements are associated with the current element in the audio presentation.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, in which the 3-dimensional like rendering incorporates user-interface elements for navigation within the page-oriented information asset.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, in which navigation within the page-oriented information asset is based on at least one of:

pushing, sliding, touching, and activating, at least one user-interface element.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, in which the plurality of elements associated with the page-oriented information asset are determined based on at least one of:

mark-up and parsing; and

the user interface elements are at least one of;

a touch sensitive display, a switch, a button and voice input.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, in which the page-oriented information asset is trans-coded between different media types.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, in which the graphical elements are at least one of:

figures, photos, movies, footnotes, side bar commentaries, links to related articles, drawings, and markers for the end of elements.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, in which the page-oriented asset is at least one of:

an audio-book, an audio-newspaper; and

an audio-magazine.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, in which a single user-interface element is used for navigating across multiple structural levels.