Method and apparatus for accessing a wide area network

Abstract

A voice web browser system includes a telephone, an access system coupled to a TCP/IP network, a telephone system coupling the telephone to the access system, and a speech-to-text system for "reading" text that had been sent over the TCP/IP network to the telephone user. Preferably, the access system receives TCP/IP packets from web pages accessible over the TCP/IP network and parses the HTML code of the web pages into text and non-text portions, such that the text portion can be read to the telephone user. A computer implemented process for obtaining web page information over a TCP/IP network includes implementing a connection of a telephone user to an access system that is coupled to a TCP/IP network, detecting a selection of at least one navigation command by the telephone user to access a web page accessible over the TCP/IP network, and navigating over the TCP/IP network to the web page in response to the navigation command, resulting in a verbal communication of at least some information derivable from the web page to the telephone user. A method for retrieving e-mail that was sent over a TCP/IP network includes calling from a user telephone to an access computer coupled to a TCP/IP network, providing user identification to the access computer, retrieving e-mail via the access computer that was sent over the TCP/IP network and addressed to the user, and reading the e-mail to the user of the user telephone utilizing a text-to-speech system.

1 . A computer implemented process for obtaining web page information over a TCP/IP network comprising: 
 implementing a connection of a telephone user to an access system that is coupled to a TCP/IP network;    detecting a selection of at least one navigation command by said telephone user to access a web page accessible over said TCP/IP network; and    navigating over said TCP/IP network to said web page in response to said navigation command, resulting in a verbal communication of at least some information derivable from said web page to said telephone user.    
     
     
         2 . A computer implemented process as recited in  claim 1  further comprising making an initial verbal contact with said telephone user after implementing a connection.  
     
     
         3 . A computer implemented process as recited in  claim 2  wherein said initial verbal contact includes providing a plurality of options to the telephone user.  
     
     
         4 . A computer implemented process as recited in  claim 3  wherein said plurality of options includes navigating the TCP/IP network and the sending or receiving of e-mail.  
     
     
         5 . A computer implemented process as recited in  claim 4  wherein said plurality of options further includes creating a web page on said TCP/IP network.  
     
     
         6 . A computer readable media encoded with the computer implemented process comprising: 
 implementing a connection of a telephone user to an access system that is coupled to a TCP/IP network;    detecting a selection of at least one navigation command by said telephone user to access a web page accessible over said TCP/IP network; and    navigating over said TCP/IP network to said web page in response to said navigation command, resulting in a verbal communication of at least some information derivable from said web page to said telephone user.    
     
     
         7 . A method for retrieving e-mail that was sent over a TCP/IP network comprising: 
 calling from a user telephone to an access computer coupled to a TCP/IP network;    providing user identification to said access computer;    retrieving e-mail via said access computer that was sent over said TCP/IP network and addressed to said user; and    reading said e-mail to said user of said user telephone utilizing a text-to-speech system.    
     
     
         8 . A method for retrieving e-mail as recited in  claim 7  further comprising providing at least one command to said access computer via a DTMF signal developed by said user telephone.  
     
     
         9 . A method for retrieving e-mail as recited in  claim 7  further comprising providing at least one command to said access computer via a voice command from said user telephone.