Abstract:
A method, comprises identifying an article embedded within a file stored in a computer-readable memory; extracting content of the article from the file; converting any non-textual portions of the content into a textual format; sending the content to a computing device that is configured to accept the content, parse the content, tokenize the content, pass tokenized content to a voice synthesizer of the mobile computing device, and audibly output the content. Devices to perform the method are also disclosed.

Description:
TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The devices and methods disclosed and described below relate generally to the field of publication of electronically stored information and specifically to conversion and presentment in a speech-based format of electronically stored information to a human user. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    A method can comprise identifying an article embedded within a file stored in a computer-readable memory; extracting content of the article from the file; converting any non-textual portions of the content into a textual format; sending the content to a computing device that is configured to accept the content, parse the content, tokenize the content, pass tokenized content to a voice synthesizer of the mobile computing device, and audibly output the content. The computing device can be further configured to permit selection, by a user of the computing device, of a publication source that includes at least two articles. The publication source can be one of a magazine and a newspaper. 
         [0003]    The computing device can be further configured to permit selection, by a user of the computing device, of an article from the publication source. The computing device can be a mobile computing device. The mobile computing device can be a smartphone or a wearable computing device. The wearable computing device can be a device selected from the group consisting of a watch, an optical device, and an earpiece. The selection of a publication source can be based at least in part upon issuance of a voice command. The publication source can be one of a magazine and a newspaper. The computing device can be further configured to permit selection, by a user of the computing device, of an article from the publication source. The selection of an article from the publication source can be based at least in part upon a voice command. The computing device can be a mobile computing device. The mobile computing device can be a smartphone. Additionally or alternatively, the mobile computing device can be a wearable computing device. The wearable computing device can be a device selected from the group consisting of a watch, an optical device, and an earpiece. 
         [0004]    A method comprises accepting, at a computing device, text-formatted content from a remote content server and extracted from an identified article embedded within a file stored in a computer-readable memory of the remote content server; parsing the content; tokenizing the content; passing tokenized content to a voice synthesizer of the mobile computing device; and audibly outputting the content. The method can further comprise the step of selecting the article and can still further comprise the step of selecting a publication source that includes at least two articles. The publication source can be one of a magazine and a newspaper. The computing device can be a mobile computing device. The mobile computing device can be a smartphone. Additionally or alternatively, the mobile computing device can be a wearable computing device. The wearable computing device can be a device selected from the group consisting of a watch, an optical device, and an earpiece. 
         [0005]    The step of selecting the article can include accepting a voice command. The method can further comprise the step of selecting a publication source that includes at least two articles. The step of selecting a publication can include accepting a voice command. The publication source can be one of a magazine and a newspaper. The computing device can be a mobile computing device. The mobile computing device can be a smartphone. Additionally or alternatively, the mobile computing device can be a wearable computing device. The wearable computing device can be a device selected from the group consisting of a watch, an optical device, and an earpiece. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a system block diagram of a content conversion and distribution system. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a system block diagram of a content converter. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of a method of converting electronic content. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of a method of converting electronic content. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are plan views of a graphical user interface. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram of a method for using voice commands. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of computing devices. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of machine-readable storage devices. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    The following detailed description will illustrate the general principles of the disclosed systems and methods, examples of which are additionally illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. It should be noted that for clarity, brevity, and ease of reading, not every combination or subcombination of components or steps is shown or described. It will be apparent from reading this document that various other combinations, subcombinations, and modifications can be made to what is disclosed and described below without departing from the general principles of the systems and methods disclosed and described here. 
         [0015]    Specifically, it should be noted that some components or steps shown and described as associated with a client or a server can be located on either device with no modifications or with modifications that will be apparent to those having an ordinary level of skill in this area after reading this description. Additionally, lines shown in the drawings connecting components indicate only that a connection exists and do not imply a direct connection or any specific type of connection unless further described in the description below. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a system block diagram of a content conversion and distribution system  100 . The content conversion and distribution system  100  can be used to convert electronically stored information content, such as magazine and newspaper articles, among others, to audio content and to distribute that content to a user of a computing device that is remote from the system that stores the content. A content data store  110  can store an electronically formatted file  115  that can include magazine and newspaper content. The file  115  can be in a standardized or recognized format such as PDF, JPEG, of TIFF, among others. The file  115  can include articles with text-based content, including images of text, as well as advertisements, graphs, charts, and photographs, among others. 
         [0017]    An extractor  120  can identify article content and isolate the article content from among surrounding content. To identify an article, the extractor  120  can use content and context information of the file  115  to determine which portions of the file  115  are part of the article. Such content and context information can include known information about page layouts, color information, text information such as “continued on page . . . ” indicators, and other suitable information that can be used to separate the content of the article from surrounding non-article content. 
         [0018]    The extractor  120  can send the article over a network  130  to a computing device  140 . The network  130  can be a private or public network or internetwork, the Internet, or a combination of these. The computing device  140  can be a stationary or mobile computing device or a wearable device, as described in more detail below with reference to  FIG. 6 . 
         [0019]    An audio command module  150  can serve as a speech-based human-computer interface between a human user and the computing device  140 . Specifically, the audio command module  150  can accept an audio or speech command to perform a function, process the accepted audio input to recognize one or more words that are indicative of one or more commands to initiate execution of a function capable of being performed by the computing device  140 , and initiate execution of the function by the computing device  140 . A function that can be initiated in this manner can include launching or terminating execution of an application, navigating through an application, and directing execution of an application, among others. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a system block diagram of a content converter  200 . The content converter  200  can include a content data store  210  that can store electronically formatted information such as a file  220 . An article identifier  230  can process the file  220  from the content data store  210  to identify portions of the file  220  that comprise an article and extract those portions from surrounding content. The article identifier can also determine whether the extracted portions are in a text format, such as ASCII, UTF-8, or other text encoding, or whether the extracted portions are in another format, such as an image of text. 
         [0021]    In the case where extracted content is an image of text, the article identifier  230  can pass that content to an optical character recognition (OCR) engine  240  for conversion from an image format to text. Specifically, the OCR engine  240  can convert an image of text in an file format such as JPEG or TIFF, among others, to text encoded in a format such as ASCII, UTF-8, or another suitable encoding. 
         [0022]    A parser  250  can accept text from the OCR engine  240  and apply rules of syntax and grammar to isolate and identify words, sentences, and paragraphs, among others, as needed or desired in a specific implementation. The parser  250  can pass parsed text to a tokenizer  260 . The tokenizer  260  can create tokens from the parsed text and pass those tokens to a voice synthesizer  270 . The voice synthesizer  270  can audibly output simulated speech to a user. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of a method of converting content  300 . Execution of the method begins at START block  310  and continues to process block  320  where a publication is selected. The publication can be a magazine, a newspaper, or another suitable type of text-based publication. An article from the selected publication is selected at process block  330 . 
         [0024]    Execution continues at process block  340  where the selected article is extracted from any surrounding content, such as advertisements or even other articles. At decision block  350 , a determination is made whether the article is in a text-based format. If that determination is NO, processing continues to process block  360  where the article is converted to a text format. Processing then continues to process block  370 . 
         [0025]    If the determination made at decision block  350  is YES, processing continues to process block  370 . At process block  370 , the converted text is sent to a computing device. Processing concludes at END block  380   
         [0026]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of a method of converting content  400 . Execution of the method  400  begins at START block  410  and continues to process block  420 . At process block  420 , text content is received by a computing device. Processing continues to process block  430  where the received text content is parsed to identify words and sentences, among other structures. At process block  440 , the parsed text is tokenized to create computer-recognizable tokens. 
         [0027]    Processing continues to process block  450  where tokens are passed to a voice synthesizer. At process block  460 , the voice synthesizer outputs audio created from the tokens. Processing concludes at END block  470 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 5A  is a plan view of a graphical user interface (GUI)  500 . The GUI  500  can include a set of icons  510 . In this example, each icon  510  represents content of a magazine that includes one or more articles. For simplicity of illustration, different magazines are illustrated simply by labeling with subscripts, M 1 , M 2 , M 3 , and M 4 , for example. An ellipsis  530  indicates that more icons can be included and may be accessed by scrolling or swiping, for example. 
         [0029]    The GUI  500  can be activated by a voice command such as “LAUNCH,” “OPEN,” or another suitable command. Within the GUI  500 , an icon can be indicated as selected, such as with highlighting  520 , to indicate where focus resides. Additionally or alternatively, focus can be moved through an appropriate voice command such as “NEXT,” “PREVIOUS,” “LEFT,” “RIGHT,” “UP,” or “DOWN,” among others.  FIG. 5B  depicts the GUI  500  with focus changed from icon  501  labeled M 3  to icon  510  labeled M 4  and indicated as such by highlighting  520 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of examples of computing devices. Each of these devices can include a processor, volatile and non-volatile memory, and visual and audio input and output devices, arranged in a specified architecture to create an operative computing device. Specifics of included components can and likely will vary according to specifics of the computing device used. Among the computing devices with which the systems and methods described above can be used are a smartphone  710 , smart eyeglasses  720 , a smartwatch  750 , a personal computer  730 , a laptop computer  740 , and an earpiece  760 . Each of these devices can run appropriate software to implement portions of the components and methods disclosed and described above. 
         [0031]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of various computer-readable media. Program information for a computer-executable program to perform the methods discussed above can be stored and retrieved using an optical disk  810 , a flash drive  820 , or a hard disk drive  830 . These devices can also be used to store content. 
         [0032]    The examples of the apparatuses and methods shown in the drawings and described above are only some of numerous other examples that may be made within the scope of the appended claims. It is contemplated that numerous other configurations of the apparatuses and methods disclosed and described above can be created taking advantage of the disclosed approach. In short, it is the applicant&#39;s intention that the scope of the patent issuing from this application be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.