System and method for audio content generation

• US 8,260,616 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2011
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AudioEye, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AudioEye, Inc.
• Inventors: O'Conor, William C., Bradley, Nathan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Jakieda
• Application Number:
  US13/098,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 704/271, 704/270, 704/260
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

A system and method for generating audio content. Content is automatically retrieved from an original website according to a predetermined schedule to generate retrieved content. The retrieved content is converted to one or more audio file. A hierarchy is assigned to the one or more audio files to provide an audible website that mimics a hierarch of the retrieved content as represented at the original website. The audible website is stored in a database for retrieval by one or more users. A first user input is received indicating an attempt to access the original website. The audible website is indicated as being associated with the original website in response to the user selection. Portion of the audible website are played in response to a second user input.

Claims

1. A method for generating audio content, comprising:

automatically retrieving content from an original website according to a predetermined schedule to generate retrieved content;

converting the retrieved content to audio files, utilizing a processor;

assigning a hierarchy to audio files to provide an audible website that mimics a hierarchy of the retrieved content as represented at the original website;

storing the audible website in a database for retrieval by one or more users;

receiving a first user input indicative of an attempt to access the original website;

indicating the audible website is associated with the original website in response to the user selection; and

playing portions of the audible website in response to a second user input.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein indicating the audible website comprises:

delivering an audio file, which when executed by a computer system associated with a user having made the user selection causes the computer system to play an audible tone.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

filtering the retrieved content to remove source code references prior to performing the converting.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the converting is performed by a text-to-speech engine, and wherein the filtering is performed by a filtering engine.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content is text content and non-text content, and wherein the text content includes menu content and is read by a text-to-speech converter to convert the retrieved content to the audio files, and wherein the non-text content is described by the text-to-speech converter to convert the retrieved content to the audio files.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the hierarchy is substantially similar to the original website, and wherein the hierarchy is navigated in response to user selections.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating a toneless navigation interface enabling a user to navigate the audible website.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

uploading the audible website to a content delivery network;

establishing a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) path for accessing the audible website;

mapping pages of the original website to pages of the audible website.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the mapping is performed utilizing a navigation value associated with the audible website by a navigation database, and wherein the audible website is acquired by associating the user selection with the audible website utilizing the navigation value.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the original website is a Really Simple Syndication (RSS), and wherein the automatically retrieving is performed to generate a structure information document.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user selection is received through a navigation system that includes some or all of:

menu options, forward and backward navigation options, and means for increasing and decreasing volume.

12. A server for generating audio content, the server comprising:

a network interface operable to communicate with a web application through a network, the web application is accessible by one or more users to receive a selection of an original website;

logic including;

a reading engine for retrieving content from the original website, wherein the reading engine marks the content for scraping according to a hierarchical organization;

a harvesting engine for harvesting the content from the original website according to a predetermined schedule to generate harvested content;

a filtering engine operable to filter the harvested content to remove source code references to generate filtered content;

a text-to-speech engine for converting the filtered content to an audible website including audio files organized in a hierarchy that mimics a hierarchy of the retrieved content as represented at the original website; and

a database for storing the audible website for access the one or more users through the web application.

13. The server according to claim 12, wherein the logic further comprises:

a scheduler operable to set the predetermined schedule.

14. The server according to claim 12, wherein the content includes text content and non-text content.

15. The server according to claim 14, wherein the text content includes menu content and is read by the text-to-speech engine to generate the audio files, and wherein the non-text content is described by the text-to-speech engine to generate the audio files.

16. A server for generating an audible website, comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions; and

a memory for storing the set of instructions, the set of instructions are executed to;

automatically scrape content from an original website according to a predetermined schedule to generate scraped content;

converting the scraped content to audio files;

assign a hierarchy to the audio files to provide an audible website that mimics a hierarchy of the scraped content as represented at the original website;

store the audible website in a database for retrieval by one or more users;

receive a first user input indicative of an attempt to access the original website;

indicate the audible website is associated with the original website in response to the user selection; and

play portions of the audible website in response to a second user input.

17. The server according to claim 16, wherein the content includes text content and non-text content.

18. The server according to claim 17, wherein the text content includes menu content and is read by the text-to-speech engine to generate the audio files, and wherein the non-text content is described by the text-to-speech engine to generate the audio files.

19. The server according to claim 16, wherein the content is an extensible Markup Language (XML) file, and wherein the audible website is generated prior to the user selection of the original website and associated audible website.

20. The server according to claim 16, wherein the set of instructions are further executed to:

upload the audible website to a content delivery network;

establish a URL path for accessing the audible website; and

map pages of the original website to pages of the audible website.