User interface selectable real time information delivery system and method

Abstract

An information delivery system including a client device and server interconnected by a network passes data files in accordance with a well known protocol. The server creates an audio version of a displayed page associated with a first data file. The audio version includes information from the first data file and other items, so that the information is presented in the form of conversation-like natural speech. The server merges the audio version and the data file to produce a second data file and delivers the second data file to the client device. Advantageously, the client device includes a speech synthesizer engine and a display so that the data file can be viewed using the first data file and/or heard by a user using the audio version, both included in the second data file.

1 . A method for delivering information from a server across a network in an audible format of a displayed page, the method comprising the steps of: 
 creating a template for the audible format of the displayed page, the template including fixed and variable items;    filling the variable items in the template using data at least from the displayed page based on a user preferences set; and    delivering data in the template with the filled variable items to a client device of a user using a network communication protocol.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of receiving a request from the user before the filling step.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of receiving a request from the user before the delivering step.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the variable items include user preferences saved in a database.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the filling step includes the step of retrieving the user preferences from the database for filling the variable items.  
   
   
       6 . A method for displaying a page and playing an audio version of the page in a client device, the method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving the audio version, wherein the audio version is created from a template having fixed and variable items, and the variable items are filled with data at least from the page;    converting the audio version into text; and    playing the text using a text-to-speech converter.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the playing step is performed by a speech engine in the client device and the audio version includes control settings for the speech engine.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein one of the settings specifies a playing speed in the unit of words per second.  
   
   
       9 . A server for delivering information across a network in an audible format of a displayed page, the server comprising: 
 a first data base for storing a template for the audible format of the displayed page, the template including fixed and variable items; and    a rendering engine for filling the variable items in the template using data at least from the displayed page based on a user preferences set and delivering data in the template to a client device of a user using a network communication protocol.    
   
   
       10 . The server of  claim 9  further comprising a second database for storing user preferences.  
   
   
       11 . The server of  claim 10  wherein the rendering machine retrieves one of the user preferences for filling one of the variable items in the template.  
   
   
       12 . A client device for displaying a page and playing an audio version of the page in a client device, the client device comprising: 
 a remote client for receiving the audio version, wherein the audio version is created from a template having fixed and variable items, and the variable items are filled with data at least from the page based on a user preferences set; and    a speech engine playing the audio version using a text-to-speech converter.    
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12  wherein the speech engine is configured by control settings included in the audio version.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein one of the settings specifies a playing speed in the unit of words per second.  
   
   
       15 . A method for providing natural speech rendering of acontextual data, the method comprising: 
 in a structure comprising natural speech phrases and variable items, filling the variable items with corresponding acontextual data from a database having time associated updates, wherein the natural speech phrases provide context to the acontextual data;    rendering a combination of the natural speech phrases and acontextual data.