Method and apparatus for audible presentation of web page content

• US 6,732,142 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2000
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Day, Paul Reuben, Bates, Cary Lee, Santosuosso, John Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US09/490,747
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203-205, 709/212, 709/216-219, 709/231, 709/232, 379/88.25, 379/67.1, 379/93.01, 379/3, 379/88.13, 379/12, 379/88.14, 379/17, 379/85, 379/101.01, 379/908, 704/260, 704/270, 704/258
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

A web user may elect to have certain frequently changing web content audibly presented in the background while performing other tasks. Content may be audibly presented when it changes, or at user-specified intervals. Audible presentation does not require that any other task in which the user is engaged be interrupted. Preferably, audible background presentation is an optional feature in a web browser. The user selects web content by highlighting a portion or portions of one or more web pages. The user specifies any of various options for audible presentation, such as at fixed intervals, every time any content changes, or every time selected content changes. At the specified intervals or events, the selected web content is converted from text to speech, and audibly played over the computer'"'"'s speaker. The audible presentation of web content in the background as described herein enables a user to perform other tasks while listening to web content, much as one might perform other tasks while listening to a radio broadcast in the background, significantly improving user productivity, enjoyment or general enlightenment.

Claims

1. A method of presenting information from the web, comprising the steps of:

selecting web content for audible background presentation on a web client digital device, said web client digital device supporting concurrent execution of a plurality of tasks;

specifying at least one audible presentation parameter said at least one audible presentation parameter determining when said selected web content will be audibly presented; and

audibly presenting said selected web content on said web client digital device at a time determined by said at least one audible presentation parameter, said step of audibly presenting said selected web content being performed as a background task of said pluralit of tasks executing on said web client digital device, concurrently with visually presenting independent information on a display of said web client digital device, said independent information being presented as at least one task of said plurality of tasks executing on said web client digital device other than said background task, said independent information being unaffected by said audio presentation;

wherein said at least one audible presentation parameter comprises a determination whether said selected web content has changed since a previous audible presentation.

2. A method of presenting information from the web, comprising the steps of:

selecting web content for audible background presentation on a web client digital device, said web client digital device supporting concurrent execution of a plurality of tasks;

specifying at least one audible presentation parameter, said at least one audible presentation parameter determining when said selected web content will be audibly presented; and

audibly presenting said selected web content on said web client digital device at a time determined by said at least one audible presentation parameter, said step of audibly presenting said selected web content being performed as a background task of said plurality of tasks executing on said web client digital device, concurrently with visually presenting independent information on a display of said web client digital device, said independent information being presented as at least one task of said plurality of tasks executing on said web client digital device other than said background task, said independent information being unaffected by said audio presentation;

wherein said at least one audible presentation parameter comprises a time interval for accessing a web server, and wherein said step of audibly presenting said selected web content comprises the steps of;

accessing said web server a plurality of times at time intervals determined by said time interval parameter to obtain current web content; and

audibly presenting said current web content at a plurality of times.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of audibly presenting said selected web content comprises converting selected web content in text form to speech using a text-to-speech converter, and audibly presenting said speech.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of audibly presenting said selected web content comprises audibly presenting an audible version of said web content, said audible version being formatted for audible presentation.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of audibly presenting said current web content at a plurality of times is performed only if said current web content has changed since the last audible presentation.

6. A computer program product for presenting information from the web, said computer program product comprising:

a plurality of processor executable instructions recorded on signal-bearing media, wherein said instructions, when executed by said processor, cause said computer to perform the steps of;

receiving a selection of web content for audible background presentation on said computer, said computer supporting concurrent execution of a plurality of tasks;

receiving a specification of at least one audible presentation parameter said at least one audible presentation parameter determining when said selected web content will be audibly presented; and

audibly presenting said selected web content on said computer at a time determined by said at least one audible presentation parameter, said step of audibly presenting said selected web content being performed as a background task of said plurality of tasks executing on said computer, concurrently with visually presenting independent information on a display of said computer, said independent information being visually presented as at least one task of said plurality of tasks executing on said computer other than said background task, said independent information being unaffected by said audio presentation;

wherein said at least one audible presentation parameter comprises a determination whether said selected web content has changed since a previous audible presentation.

7. A computer program product for presenting information from the web, said computer program product comprising:

a plurality of processor executable instructions recorded on signal-bearing media, wherein said instructions, when executed by said processor, cause said computer to perform the steps of;

receiving a selection of web content for audible back around presentation on said computer, said computer supporting concurrent execution of a plurality of tasks;

receiving a specification of at least one audible presentation parameter, said at least one audible presentation parameter determining when said selected web content will be audibly presented; and

audibly presenting said selected web content on said computer at a time determined by said at least one audible presentation parameter, said step of audibly presenting said elected web content being performed as a background task of said plurality of tasks executing on said computer, concurrently with visually presenting independent information on a display of said computer, said independent information being visually presented as at least one task of said plurality of tasks executing on said computer other than said background task, said independent information being unaffected by said audio presentation;

wherein said at least one audible presentation parameter comprises a time interval for accessing a web server, and wherein said step of audibly presenting said selected web content comprises the steps of;

accessing said web server a plurality of times at time intervals determined by said time interval parameter to obtain current web content; and

audibly presenting said current web content at a plurality of times.

8. The program product of claim 7, wherein said step of audibly presenting said selected web content comprises converting selected web content in text form to speech using a text-to-speech converter, and audibly presenting said speech.

9. The program product of claim 7, wherein said step of audibly presenting said selected web content comprises audibly presenting an audible version of said web content, said audible version being formatted for audible presentation.

10. The program product of claim 7, wherein said step of audibly presenting said current web content at a plurality of times is performed only if said current web content has changed since the last audible presentation.

11. A method of presenting information from the web, comprising the steps of:

visually displaying a web page in a display of a web client digital device, said web client digital device supporting concurrent execution of a plurality of tasks;

interactively selecting at least a portion of said visually displayed web page for audible presentation as a background task of said plurality of tasks executing on said web client digital device;

specifying at least one audible presentation condition, said at least one audible presentation condition determining when said selected portion of said visually displayed web page will be audibly presented;

thereafter determining that said at least one audible presentation condition has been met; and

responsive to said step of determining that said at least one audible presentation condition has been met, audibly presenting said selected portion of said visually displayed web page, said step of audibly presenting said selected portion being performed as a background task of said plurality of tasks executing on said web client digital device, concurrently with visually presenting independent information on said display, said independent information being presented as at least one task of said plurality of tasks executing on said web client digital device other than said background task;

wherein said at least one audible presentation condition comprises a determination whether said selected portion of said visually displayed web page has changed since a previous audible presentation.

12. A method of presenting information from the web, comprising the steps of:

visually displaying a web page in a display of a web client digital device, said web client digital device supporting concurrent execution of a plurality of tasks;

interactively selecting at least a portion of said visually displayed web cage for audible presentation as a background task of said plurality of tasks executing on said web client digital device;

specifying at least one audible presentation condition, said at least one audible presentation condition determining when said selected portion of said visually displayed web page will be audibly presented;

thereafter determining that said at least one audible presentation condition has been met; and

responsive to said step of determining that said at least one audible presentation condition has been met, audibly presenting said selected portion of said visually displayed web page, said step of audibly presenting said selected portion being performed as a background task of said plurality Of tasks executing on said web client digital device, concurrently with visually presenting independent information on said display, said independent information being presented as at least one task of said plurality of tasks executing on said web client digital device other than said background task;

wherein said at least one audible presentation condition comprises a time interval for accessing a web server, and wherein said step of audibly presenting said selected portion comprises the steps of;

accessing said web server a plurality of times at time intervals determined by said time interval condition to obtain a current version of said web page; and

audibly presenting the selected portion of said current version at a plurality of times.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of audibly presenting said selected portion of said visually displayed web page comprises converting said selected portion in text form to speech using a text-to-speech converter, and audibly presenting said speech.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of audibly presenting the selected portion of said current version at a plurality of times is performed only if said current version has changed since the last audible presentation.