Customizable media player with online/offline capabilities

• US 7,412,484 B1
• Filed: 01/16/2002
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lextron Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder; Patrice L.
• Application Number:
  US10/052,076
• Time in Patent Office: 2,400 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 705/34, 707/10, 707/6, 709/203, 709217-218, 709/219, 709/224, 709206-207, 379/100.13
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/25 Arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable

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 Appliance (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.

Claims

1. A system for delivering emails to a user, comprising:

a network-connected server for receiving and processing the emails;

a data base at the network server for storing user preferences used by the network-connected server for processing the emails;

a wireless transmission facility in communication with the network-connected server, for transmitting the emails; and

a portable playback device enabled for connection to a user computer and receiving the emails transmitted by the transmission facility and to display the emails as text to the user;

wherein the server transmits emails to the user computer for download to the portable device via the network while the device is connected to the user computer, and upon disconnection of the portable device from the user computer the server is instructed by signal sent from either the user computer or from the playback device that the user is now in the field, and the server transmits the emails directly to the portable device via the wireless transmission facility while the user is in the field.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the network is the Internet network.

3. A method for delivering multimedia emails to a user, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving the multimedia emails on a network by a network-connected server,

(b) storing user preferences at a database at the network-connected server;

(c) processing the emails at the network-connected server by accessing the user preferences;

(d) transmitting individual ones of the emails over the network by the network-connected server;

(e) receiving the transmitted emails at a user computer for download to a portable playback device connected to the user computer, and displaying the emails on a display of the playback device; and

(f) editing the user preferences via direct communication from the playback device;

wherein the network-connected server transmits emails to the user computer for download to the portable device via the network while the device is connected to the user computer, and upon disconnection of the portable device from the user computer the network-connected server is instructed by code sent from the user computer that the user is now in the field, and the server transmits the emails directly to the portable device by a wireless transmission facility while the user is in the field.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the network is the Internet network.