System and method for audible web site navigation

• US 7,966,184 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AudioEye, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AudioEye, Inc.
• Inventors: Bradley, Nathan T., O'Conor, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Jakieda R
• Application Number:
  US11/682,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20070208687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 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

Systems and methods for an audio-based content management, navigation and retrieval system are provided. The system translates and organizes content, for example text, Podcasts, RSS, pictures, video, into audio output, and provides intelligent access to the content for use on the internet, mobile phones, MP3 devices, or other digital devices. A user may listen to and navigate content by listening to streaming audio and performing simple keystroke or audio commands from an Internet enabled or other digital device.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for generating audio content from web-based content, comprising the steps of:

receiving a path for web-based content;

automatically acquiring the web-based content in the form of an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) file for conversion to an audio file according to a predetermined schedule;

extracting text content from the XML file;

hierarchically indexing the text content into one or more menus associated with the web-based content of the path;

converting the text and the one or more menus to the audio file, the conversion being performed by a processor of the data processing system prior to a request for the audio file associated with the web-based content; and

storing the audio file in a database for subsequent retrieval by a user based on a user selection associated with the path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of extracting text content includes accessing a scraping logic for removing code from the XML file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a menu of syndicated feeds for which there is associated audio content, wherein the web-based content includes a syndicated feed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the web-based content is accessed through a web application, and wherein the audio file is stored in the database for access by visually or physically impaired users prior to the request by one or more users to retrieve the web-based content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of converting the text to an audio file includes computerized text recognition and automatic conversion to speech.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the path is received in response to determining the web-based content is new, changed, or has not previously been converted to an audio file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering the audio file to the database in communication with a content delivery network; and

associating the audio file with the path of the web-based content.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving the request for the web-based content from a user;

playing an tone indicating the audio file is available for audible playback to the user;

determining the location of a corresponding audio file based on the path of the web-based content; and

delivering the audio file to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a menu of syndicated feeds for which there is associated audio content;

recording a voice of a reader as audio files corresponding to original files of the web-based content;

associating each of the audio files with each of the original files corresponding to the web-based content; and

assigning a hierarchy for the audio files including the audio file corresponding to the original files and web-based content included in the one or more menus; and

storing the audio files for retrieval by one or more users through a content delivery network.

10. The method of claim 1, further including:

uploading a description of a web-based photograph;

converting the description to an audio file; and

associating the audio file with the photograph.

11. A server for generating audio content from web-based content, the server comprising:

a navigation database for the physically impaired or visually impaired, the navigation database is accessible to a user through a navigation portal, wherein a user selection having a navigation value is mapped to a path for web-based content utilizing the navigation portal;

a content management system (CMS) in communication with the navigation portal, wherein prior to a request for the web-based content the CMS acquires the web-based content in the form of an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) file, extracts text content from the XML file, converts the text to an audio file, and store the audio file in the navigation database for retrieval by one or more users; and

an interface in communication with the CMS, the interface operable to send the audio files associated with the path including the audio file to a client utilized by the user to access the navigation portal for playback through an audio interface of the client.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the navigation portal plays a sound indicating to a user that web content is audibly accessible, wherein the user controls the navigation portal utilizing voice commands or touch selections, and wherein the interface communicates the audio file from the interface to the client through a content delivery network.

13. The server of claim 11, wherein the content management system includes:

a scheduler operable to retrieve a syndicated feed included in the web content at regular intervals, and

a reading engine operable to retrieve the web based content, determine whether items in the web based content are new and mark the items, parse items that are new into a menu and submenus;

a scraping engine operable to retrieve the marked items one at a time to remove code from the XML file;

a filtering engine operable to remove the items that are not human-understandable text as retrieved by the scraping engine;

a text-to-speech engine operable to convert the items, menus and submenus into speech within the audio file.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein the text-to-speech engine utilizes computerized text recognition and automatic conversion to speech.

15. The server of claim 11, wherein the web-based content is converted to the audio file according to a predetermined schedule prior to the user selection.

16. The server of claim 11, further comprising an administrative panel operable to:

record a voice of a reader stored as audio files corresponding to original files of the web-based content;

associate each of the audio files with each of the original files corresponding to the web-based content; and

assign a hierarchy for the audio files including the audio file corresponding to the original files and web-based content included in the one or more menus; and

store the audio files for retrieval by the one or more users through the content delivery network.

17. The server of claim 11, wherein the text-to-speech engine further:

delivers the audio file to the content delivery network; and

associates the audio file with the path of the web-based content.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the navigation portal further:

receives the request for the web-based content from a user;

determines the location of a corresponding audio file based on the path of the web-based content; and

delivers the audio file to the user.

19. The server of claim 11, wherein the navigation portal displays a menu of syndicated feeds for which there is associated audio content, and wherein the user controls playback of the audio file.

20. A data processing system for generating audio content from web-based content, comprising:

a memory storing a computer program that receives a path for web-based content, automatically acquires the web-based content in the form of an extensible Markup Language (XML) file for conversion to an audio file at regular intervals, extracts text content from the XML file,

converts the text to the audio file, the conversion being performed prior to a request for the audio file associated with the web-based content; and

archives the audio file for subsequent retrieval by one or more users based on a user selection; and

a processor for executing the computer program.

21. The data processing system of claim 20, wherein the data processing system is a memory-constrained device, wherein the audio file is archived in a database for the visually impaired or physically impaired, wherein the web-based content includes one or more syndicated feeds, wherein a sound indicating the web-based content is audibly accessible is played to a user, and wherein the extraction, conversion, and archival is performed in response to determining the web-based content is not archived or the web-based content is modified from an earlier archived version.