APPLICATION FOR SYNCHRONIZING E-BOOKS WITH ORIGINAL OR CUSTOM-CREATED SCORES

• US 20140040715A1
• Filed: 07/25/2013
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Leilani M. Harwood, Oliver S. Younge
• Original Assignee: Leilani M. Harwood, Oliver S. Younge
• Inventors: Younge, Oliver S., Harwood, Leilani M.
• Application Number:
  US13/950,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20140040715A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/203
• 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 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

An application for electronic devices through which users can synchronize custom sound recordings and sound scores with eBooks. The application allows a computer to receive audio reference lists; values representing how similar users are to each other based on various factors; and a structural representation of an eBook. The application then tracks a first user'"'"'s position in the eBook, synchronizing the relative position with the structural representation of the eBook, and determining if the first user'"'"'s position has progressed to a specific point. If the first user has reached the specific point, the application suggests audio that was previously synchronized by other users with the point, and the application orders the suggestions based on the similarity between the first user and a previous user that created a suggested sound score. The first user can then associate a presented audio with the point.

Claims

1. Method of synchronizing custom sound recordings with eBooks comprising:

receiving, by a computer, a collection of sound scores, each sound score previously synchronized with an eBook, and each sound score comprising at least one audio identifier;

receiving, by a computer, a social similarity weight wherein each social similarity weight is a value representing a social similarity between a first user and a contributing user, and each contributing user having provided one or more sound scores, wherein each provided sound score is a member of the collection of sound scores;

receiving, by the computer, a linear timeline of the eBook, the linear timeline containing points of synchronization;

receiving, from the first user, a progression through the eBook;

synchronizing, by the computer, the progression through the eBook with the linear timeline;

determining, by the computer, whether the first user has progressed to a point of synchronization of the eBook;

upon determining that the first user has progressed to a point of synchronization of the eBook, providing, by the computer, to the first user, a collection of audio identifiers, and each audio identifier is previously associated with the point of synchronization and is a part of a score previously synchronized with the eBook, and each previously synchronized score being a member of the collection of sound scores, wherein each audio identifier is presented in an order, and each audio identifier is ordered by a social similarity weight associated with a contributing user who created the respective sound score; and

receiving, from the first user, an audio identifier to associate with the point of synchronization.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the computer, a sound score, the sound score comprising audio identifiers associated with points of synchronization, and each audio identifier received from a contributing user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sound score is associated with a social similarity weight partially based upon the contributing user who created the sound score.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the generated sound score is automatically generated by the computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the linear timeline of the eBook is generated through the use of optical character recognition technology.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user can select to a point of synchronization by clicking an icon associated with the respective point of synchronization.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the social similarity weight is partially based upon the first user'"'"'s reading speed.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first user'"'"'s reading speed can be determined by analyzing ocular interactions while progressing through an eBook.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein an audio identifier can link to resources external to the computer.

10. A system for synchronizing custom sound recordings with eBooks comprising:

at least one user device;

one or more computers operable to interact with the at least one user device; and

a network connecting the at least one user device and the one or more computers;

wherein the one or more computers are further operable to;

receive, by a computer, a collection of sound scores, each sound score previously synchronized with an eBook, and each sound score comprising at least one audio identifier;

receive, by a computer, a social similarity weight wherein each social similarity weight is a value representing a social similarity between a first user and a contributing user, and each contributing user having provided one or more sound scores, wherein each provided sound score is a member of the collection of sound scores;

receive, by the computer, a linear timeline of the eBook, the linear timeline containing points of synchronization;

receive, from the first user, a progression through the eBook;

synchronize, by the computer, the progression through the eBook with the linear timeline;

determine, by the computer, whether the first user has progressed to a point of synchronization of the eBook;

upon determining that the first user has progressed to a point of synchronization of the eBook, provide, by the computer, to the first user, a collection of audio identifiers, and each audio identifier is previously associated with the point of synchronization and is a part of a score previously synchronized the eBook, and each previously synchronized score being a member of the collection of sound scores, wherein each audio identifier is presented in an order, and each audio identifier is ordered by a social similarity weight associated with a contributing user who created the respective sound score; and

receive, from the first user, an audio identifier to associate with the point of synchronization.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

generating, by the computer, a sound score, the sound score comprising audio identifiers associated with points of synchronization, and each audio identifier received from a contributing user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the sound score can be associated with a social similarity weight partially based upon a contributing user who created the sound score.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the generated sound score can be automatically generated by the computer.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the linear timeline of the eBook is generated through the use of optical character recognition technology.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the first user can select a point of synchronization by clicking an icon associated with the respective point of synchronization.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the social similarity weight is partially based upon a user'"'"'s reading speed.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the user'"'"'s reading speed is partially derived from an analysis of ocular interactions while progressing through the eBook.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more computers are further operable to:

receive, from the computer, user interaction information from a third-party program wherein the information transfer from a third-party party program is depicted through the use of a sidebar

19. The system of claim 10, wherein an audio identifier can link to resources external to the computer.