System and apparatus for dynamically generating audible notices from an information network

Abstract

An apparatus and method for converting information from a text format to an audio format using distributed processing. A first set of computer readable program instructions receive information from a data source, convert the information from the text format to an intermediate format, and transmit the information in the intermediate format to a second data processor. A second set of program instructions, executable on the second data processor, are also included to convert the information from the intermediate format to the audio format. The first set of program instructions are executed on a remote, or server side, data processor, while the second set of program instructions are executed on a client side data processor. The first set of program instructions expand the information in the text format into phonemes using a grapheme to phoneme dictionary. The second set of program instructions convert the phonemes to audio output signals.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for converting information from a text format to an audio format, the system comprising:
 at least one data source; 
 a server side data processor; 
 a client side data processor; 
 a first set of program instructions executable on the server side data processor, the first set of program instructions including:
 first program instructions being operable to receive information from the at least one data source; 
 second program instructions being operable to convert the information from the text format to an intermediate phonemic representation; 
 third program instructions being operable to transmit the information in the intermediate phonemic representation to the client side data processor; and 
 
 a second set of program instructions executable on the client side data processor, the second set of program instructions including:
 fourth program instructions being operable to convert the information from the intermediate phonemic representation to the audio format. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the second set of program instructions convert the information in the text format into phonemes. 
     
     
       3. The system, as set forth in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a dictionary for translating the text to phonemes, wherein the dictionary is stored in a location that is accessible by the first server side data processor. 
 
     
     
       4. The system, as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the fourth program instructions convert the phonemes to audio output signals. 
     
     
       5. The computer program product, as set forth in claim  4  7, further comprising:
 a dictionary for translating graphemes to phonemes, wherein the dictionary is stored in a location that is accessible by the first function. 
 
     
     
       6. A computer program product for dynamically generating audible notices from an information network, the information network including a client processor and a remote processor, the computer program product comprising:
 first program instructions being operable to allow a user to preselect at least one data source, wherein the at least one data source is accessible from the information network; 
 second program instructions being operable to receive information from the at least one preselected data source; and 
 third program instructions being operable to convert the information from a text format to an audio format, wherein the third program instructions perform a first function for generating an intermediate phonemic representation of the information and a second function for generating an audio representation of the information based on the intermediate phonemic representation of the information, wherein the first function is performed in the remote processor and the second function is performed in the client processor. 
 
     
     
       7. The computer program product, as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the first function converts the information in the text format into phonemes. 
     
     
       8. The computer program product, as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the second function generates a representation of sounds based on the phonemes. 
     
     
       9. The computer program product of  claim 6 , wherein said second program instructions are operable to receive information from the at least one preselected data source as information becomes available from the data source, and wherein said third program instructions are operable to automatically convert the information from a text format to an audio format. 
     
     
       10. A method for dynamically generating audible notices from an information network, the method comprising:
 preselecting at least one data source, wherein the at least one data source is accessible from the information network; 
 receiving information from the at least one preselected data source; 
 converting the information from a text format to an intermediate phonemic representation in a remote processor; 
 converting the information from the intermediate phonemic representation to an audio format in a client processor; and 
 transmitting audio signals representative of the information in audio format. 
 
     
     
       11. The method, as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the first function converts said converting the information from a text format to an intermediate phonemic representation comprises converting the information in the text format into phonemes. 
     
     
       12. The method, as set forth in  claim 11 , further comprising: wherein said converting the information in the text format into phonemes comprises accessing a dictionary for translating graphemes to phonemes, wherein the dictionary is stored in a location that is accessible by the remote processor. 
     
     
       13. The method, as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the second function generates said converting the information from the intermediate phonemic representation to an audio format comprises generating a representation of sounds based on the phonemes. 
     
     
       14. The method, as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the remote processor is a server side processor. 
     
     
       15. The system, as set forth in claim  14  18, wherein the second remote program instructions convert the information in the text format into phonemes. 
     
     
       16. The system, as set forth in claim  14  18, wherein the remote computer system is a server computer system. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 10 , wherein said information is received from the at least one preselected data source as information becomes available, and said transmitting of audio signals representative of the information in audio format occurs automatically. 
     
     
       18. A system for dynamically generating audible notices from an information network, the method system comprising:
 at least one data source; 
 a client computer system; 
 a remote computer system; 
 a set of remote program instructions executable on the remote computer system, the remote program instructions including:
 first remote program instructions being operable to receive information from a data source; 
 second remote program instructions being operable to convert the information from a text format to an intermediate phonemic representation; 
 third remote program instructions being operable to transmit the information in intermediate phonemic representation to the client computer system; and 
 
 a set of client program instructions executable on the client computer system, the client program instructions including:
 first client program instructions being operable to convert the information from the intermediate phonemic representation to an audio format. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The system, as set forth in  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a dictionary for translating the text to phonemes, wherein the dictionary is stored in a location that is accessible by the remote processor computer system. 
 
     
     
       20. The system, as set forth in claim  18  15, wherein the first client program instructions convert the phonemes to audio output signals. 
     
     
       21. A client system, comprising:
 a processor; and
 a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the client system to:
 receive, over an information network from a remote system, information in an intermediate phonemic representation, wherein the intermediate phonemic representation is derived from a text format of the information; and 
 convert the information from the intermediate phonemic representation to an audio format. 
 
   
     
     
       22. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the information network comprises a wide-area network (WAN) and wherein the remote system comprises a web server. 
     
     
       23. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein to convert the information from the intermediate phonemic representation to an audio format, the program instructions are executable to convert the phonemes to audio output signals. 
     
     
       24. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the program instructions are executable to convert the phonemes to the audio output signals automatically in response to receiving the information from the remote system. 
     
     
       25. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the program instructions are executable to select a data source for the information prior to receiving the information in the phonemic representation. 
     
     
       26. A method, comprising:
 a client device receiving, over a wide-area network (WAN) from a server, information in an intermediate phonemic representation, wherein the intermediate phonemic representation is derived from a text format of the information; and   the client device converting the information from the intermediate phonemic representation to an audio format.   
     
     
       27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the server comprises a web server and wherein the WAN comprises the Internet. 
     
     
       28. The method as recited in claim 27, said converting comprises converting the phonemes to audio output signals. 
     
     
       29. The method as recited in claim 28, said converting the phonemes to the audio output signals is performed automatically in response to the receiving of the information from the web server. 
     
     
       30. The method as recited in claim 27, further comprising selecting a data source for the information prior to said receiving. 
     
     
       31. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a client computer system, cause the client computer system to perform operations including:
 receiving, over an information network from a remote server computer system, information in an intermediate phonemic representation, wherein the intermediate phonemic representation is derived from a text format of the information; and   converting the information from the intermediate phonemic representation to an audio format.   
     
     
       32. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein the information network comprises a wide-area network (WAN) and wherein the remote server computer system comprises a web server. 
     
     
       33. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein converting the information from the intermediate phonemic representation to an audio format further comprises converting the phonemes to audio output signals. 
     
     
       34. The article of manufacture of claim 33, the operations further comprising converting the phonemes to the audio output signals automatically in response to receiving the information from the remote server computer system. 
     
     
       35. The article of manufacture of claim 31, the operations further comprising selecting a data source for the information prior to receiving the information in the phonemic representation.