Customizable media player with online/offline capabilities
First Claim
1. An information delivery system comprising:
- an Internet-connected host server compiling information from information sources, storing subscriber preferences and sorting information, adjusting stored subscriber preferences according to subscriber use patterns and delivering the information as text documents via the Internet;
a subscriber'"'"'s Internet Appliance (IA) connected to the Internet and adapted to download the text documents from the Internet-connected server;
a playback unit connectable to the subscriber'"'"'s IA by a data link; and
a radio broadcast system coupled to the host server and a radio receiving unit in the playback unit;
wherein the playback unit receives and stores the text documents while connected to the subscriber'"'"'s IA, and renders the text documents as speech on demand when not connected to the subscriber'"'"'s IA, and the broadcast system and receiving unit updates information according to subscriber preferences in the playback unit with the playback unit disconnected from the subscriber'"'"'s IA.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An information dissemination system comprises an Internet-connected server adapted for gathering information from plural sources, and sorting the information according to subscriber preferences. The sorted information is transmitted via the Internet to a subscriber'"'"'s Internet Applicance (IA) as electronic documents, where the documents are downloaded to a connected playback device. The playback device may be disconnected from the PC, and the information electronic documents rendered as speech to a speaker in the playback device by a text-to-speech system. In a preferred embodiment annotation is added at the Internet-connected server to control speech characteristics, such as inflection, upon playback. In some embodiments updates may be made by radio with the playback device disconnected from the IA.
352 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An information delivery system comprising:
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an Internet-connected host server compiling information from information sources, storing subscriber preferences and sorting information, adjusting stored subscriber preferences according to subscriber use patterns and delivering the information as text documents via the Internet; a subscriber'"'"'s Internet Appliance (IA) connected to the Internet and adapted to download the text documents from the Internet-connected server; a playback unit connectable to the subscriber'"'"'s IA by a data link; and a radio broadcast system coupled to the host server and a radio receiving unit in the playback unit; wherein the playback unit receives and stores the text documents while connected to the subscriber'"'"'s IA, and renders the text documents as speech on demand when not connected to the subscriber'"'"'s IA, and the broadcast system and receiving unit updates information according to subscriber preferences in the playback unit with the playback unit disconnected from the subscriber'"'"'s IA. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A portable playback unit comprising:
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a data port for connecting to an Internet Appliance (IA) having downloaded text documents from an internet connected host server; a memory for storing text documents downloaded from the IA via the data port; a speaker; and a radio antenna and receiving circuitry capable of receiving radio broadcast from the host server; and a text-to-speech system adapted to open text documents downloaded from the IA, and to render the electronic documents as speech via the speaker; wherein the portable playback unit downloads text documents when connected to the IA, and also downloads text documents via the host server when not connected to the IA via the receiving circuitry. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for providing filtered information to a subscriber, comprising steps of:
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(a) collecting information at an Internet-connected server from plural information sources; (b) sorting the information according to stored subscriber preferences, adjusting stored subscriber preferences according to a subscriber'"'"'s usage patterns; (c) sending information sorted for a specific subscriber as text documents to that subscriber'"'"'s Internet Appliance (IA) via the Internet; (d) downloading the text documents from the subscriber'"'"'s IA to a connected playback device; (e) disconnecting the playback device from the IA; (f) sending text document updates from the Internet-connected server by a radio broadcast system coupled to the host server and a radio receiving unit in the playback device, the broadcast system and receiving unit updating information in the playback unit with the playback unit disconnected from the subscriber'"'"'s IA according to stored subscriber preferences, adjusting the stored preferences according to the subscriber'"'"'s usage patterns; and (g) playing back the text documents to a speaker at the playback device by a text-to-speech system. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. An information delivery system comprising:
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an Internet-connected host server having a radio broadcast system adapted to compile information from information sources and deliver the information as text documents via the Internet; a subscriber'"'"'s Internet Appliance (IA) connected to the Internet and adapted to download the text documents from the Internet-connected host server; and a playback unit having a radio receiving unit also connectable to the subscriber'"'"'s IA by a data link, wherein the IA sends a code to the host server via the internet when the playback unit is disengaged from the IA indicating that the subscriber is now in the field and a code is sent to the host server when the playback device reconnects, the playback unit receives and stores the electronic documents while connected to the subscriber'"'"'s computer, and when disengaged, the host server sends updates to the playback unit via the radio broadcast system, and the playback unit renders the electronic documents as speech on demand when not connected to the subscriber'"'"'s computer. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification