Customizable media player with online/offline capabilities

An information dissemination system comprises an Internet-connected server adapted for gathering information from plural sources, and sorting the information according to subscriber preferences. The sorted information is transmitted via the Internet to a subscriber's Internet Applicance (IA) as electronic documents, where the documents are downloaded to a connected playback device. The playback device may be disconnected from the PC, and the information electronic documents rendered as speech to a speaker in the playback device by a text-to-speech system. In a preferred embodiment annotation is added at the Internet-connected server to control speech characteristics, such as inflection, upon playback. In some embodiments updates may be made by radio with the playback device disconnected from the IA.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is in the area of delivery of data and information, 
such as news updates and information clipping services, and has particular 
application to apparatus and methods adapted for presenting such data and 
information to subscribers. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Broadcasting organizations such as television broadcast companies and radio 
broadcast companies provide an enormous amount of data available to the 
public. For example, television broadcasts the news into millions of 
households several times a day. Radio stations broadcast throughout the 
day and night on a continuous basis. Anyone owning a television or radio 
receiver can tune into a wide variety of pre-planned programming at any 
time of day or night. In addition to these more traditional sources, the 
world-wide computer network known as the Internet now provides a new and 
expanding source of information for public access. 
There are, however, several drawbacks to these sources for many people. One 
of the drawbacks of broadcast sources is related to the commercial nature 
of such sources. These systems are supported by advertising, and there is 
typically repeated interruption of information and data dissemination for 
advertising by the sponsors that support the programming.. Although some 
stations have become specialized such as offering only the news or 
offering only financial programming, most stations rely heavily on 
advertising sponsors. Most broadcast sporting events are also interrupted 
repeatedly in the same manner. 
Another problem with conventional broadcasting is that generally content is 
designed to appeal to a large cross-section of people, and in and content 
may also change with events within an organization, such as change of 
ownership, and so forth. Also, some content may be entirely absent in some 
areas. 
Still another limitation inherent to broadcasting has to do with range or 
reach of broadcast. For example, a typical radio station transmission 
range is limited to a purchased and localized territory with the 
transmitted information carried on a certain frequency or channel that is 
local to the community being serviced. When one travels beyond the 
boundary the frequency begins to carry the transmissions of another radio 
station that has license to broadcast on that frequency in that area, and 
so on. Similar boundaries exist with satellite services although on a much 
larger geographic scale. 
The Internet, although quite different from broadcast sources, also has 
potential problems for many users. For example, a user has to know where 
to go on the Internet for specific sorts of information, and also must act 
with a PC or other computer appliance that is capable of connecting to and 
searching for information on the Internet 
There are Internet-based sources at the time of the present patent 
application that compile information and allow subscribers to specify 
categories and types of information desired, and then deliver the 
information on demand to the subscriber. In these systems data is 
typically delivered as readable text, and the sources are typically quite 
limited. The biggest drawback to these sources is the limitation to using 
computer appliances that are capable of dealing with the Internet. 
What is clearly needed is an Internet-based system and method wherein 
customized (filtered per individual) digital information can be obtained 
from a wide variety of media sources, including sources local to 
subscribers, and delivered to a subscriber in a way that would eliminate 
traditional boundaries and limitations associated with conventional media 
services such as interruptions due to advertisement, geographic location 
of source media, and current state of the user (i.e. whether or not the 
user is traveling, using a stationary Internet-connected PC, etc.). 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention an information delivery 
system is provided, comprising an Internet-connected host server adapted 
to compile information from information sources and to deliver the 
information as text documents via the Internet; a subscriber's computer 
connected to the Internet and adapted to download the text documents from 
the Internet-connected server; and a playback unit connectable to the 
subscriber's computer by a data link. The playback unit is adapted to 
receive and store the text documents while connected to the subscriber's 
computer, and to render the text documents as speech on demand when not 
connected to the subscriber's computer. 
In some embodiments the information is sent to the host server from the 
information sources as text over one or more data links. The text 
documents may be delivered from the information sources to the host server 
over the Internet. Also in preferred embodiments the host server is 
adapted to store subscriber preferences and to sort information for 
delivery to subscribers according to the preferences. The host server may 
also code text documents delivered to a subscriber in a manner to control 
audio characteristics including inflection as the text documents are 
rendered as speech in the playback unit. In still other embodiments there 
may be a radio broadcast system coupled to the host server and a radio 
receiving unit in the playback unit, the broadcast system and receiving 
unit adapted to update information according to subscriber preferences in 
the playback unit with the playback unit disconnected from the 
subscriber's computer. Dynamic preference updates are provided in some 
embodiments. 
The playback unit in a preferred embodiment comprises a data port for 
connecting to a PC; a memory for storing text documents downloaded from 
the PC via the data port; a speaker; and a text-to-speech system adapted 
to open text documents downloaded from the PC, and to render the text 
documents as speech via the speaker. User inputs are provided for 
controlling selection of documents for playback, and start and stop 
functions for playback. In some embodiments the playback unit further 
comprises an LCD display adapted to display control functions for 
operating the playback unit. In addition the playback unit may have a 
display for displaying key information and for selection of control 
functions. The portable playback unit is preferably battery-powered and 
rechargeable.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 is an overview diagram of an Internet-based information gathering 
and delivery system 107 according to an embodiment of the present 
invention. In system 107 a playback device 10 is connected to a 
subscriber's PC 123 for the purpose of collecting information from the PC 
while connected. The PC shall be deemed only as an example of an Internet 
Appliance. Any other such device could be substituted for the PC. The same 
device may be disconnected from the PC and used for playing back to a 
subscriber the information collected from the PC while connected. The 
connection may be by any one of several methods, such as by a serial port 
cable 111 to PC 123, infrared, wireless etc.. Playback device 110 may also 
be adapted to reside in a cradle that can be part of PC 123 or connected 
to PC 123. The cradle (not shown) may also serve to recharge playback 
device 110 as well as to provide for downloading information to playback 
device 110. Playback device 110 plays back data that is downloaded, in 
this case from the Internet, and may be engaged at PC 123 or removed and 
carried away. 
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, PC 123 is a subscriber's PC and has 
connection via a link 101 to the Internet represented by cloud 100. Line 
101 may be plain old telephone service (POTS) or Internet Services Digital 
Network (ISDN), or any other link capable of Internet connection known in 
the art, including wireless connections. 
Three media sources represented here as radio stations 109a, 109b, and 109c 
are connected to a host server 120 via a digital network 108. Sources of 
information in embodiments of the present invention may be quite varied, 
including TV as well as radio stations, and are limited only in that the 
sources need to be capable of providing information to server 120 in a 
form that the server may use. Digital network 108 is representative of any 
digital link by which suitable information may be transferred to server 
120. For example each media source may have it's own Internet dial-up 
connection. Digital network 108 may be replicated along with host server 
120 and provided or distributed to varying geographic regions to 
facilitate connection of smaller more localized media sources. It will be 
apparent to one with skill in the art that a wide variety of media sources 
may be used. In this embodiment radio stations are shown because of a wide 
variety of content available and because they are largely an untapped 
source for transmission of data over the Internet. Further, radio stations 
can provide local content not typically available with other services. 
Following the example of radio stations as information sources for 
embodiments of the invention, in this case the service provider, operating 
host 120 contracts with the radio stations for provision of useful data. 
In most cases, a radio station receives information from their own sources 
(wire services, programming sources, and the like) in text form. This 
information is read by announcers. After the radio station uses the 
information, there is typically no further use for the information. The 
present invention provides a new and valuable use for such information; 
specifically, to be sold to the service provider in the present invention, 
sorted, and downloaded to subscriber's PCs to be loaded onto a device 110 
to be later related to a subscriber. 
In the embodiment shown each source 109a-c sends text information to server 
120. Host server 120 is capable of organizing and sorting the information 
based on individual subscriber preferences stored in a database (not 
shown) accessible to host server 120. Each subscriber to the host's 
service provides preferences to the host to be used as filters for sorting 
information for the particular subscriber. The software filters are used 
by the service to decide what types or categories of information will be 
compiled for each individual subscriber. Filters in a preferred embodiment 
can be pre-set by each subscriber at the time of subscription and modified 
by the subscriber thereafter. For example, a subscriber that receives 
information from radio station 109a may elect to receive only certain 
portions of offered content such as stories pertaining to political 
events, but not stories pertaining to entertainment, and so on. 
Media sources may include regional sources as well as local sources, as 
described above, as long as they have a network or Internet connection and 
a means to provide the data to a host server such as server 120. For 
example, if a subscriber resides on the west coast, then a list of sources 
that are near him could be provided for local content. Regional sources, 
as well as local sources in other locations or geographical points of 
interest to the subscriber, would also be available. By adding server 
capability to many strategic locations, a great number of media sources 
could be brought into play and made accessible to each subscriber. In 
fact, many hundreds of media sources covering many different locations 
could be made available for a subscriber's choice. Media sources providing 
content of a special interest can also be utilized. For example, local 
police activity and perhaps weather information normally available on a 
citizen-band radio can be offered, etc. 
While playback device 110 is engaged in subscriber's PC 123, on a periodic 
basis filtered information from server 120 is transferred to the 
subscriber's PC via the Internet and downloaded to playback device 110. In 
a preferred embodiment this is set up to operate semi-transparently to the 
subscriber each time the subscriber connects to the Internet for any 
purpose. Such Internet connection schemes are known in the art and may be 
implemented by those with skill in the art without undue experimentation. 
The primary purpose of playback device 110 is to store the filtered 
information provided by server 120, and to play this information to the 
subscriber at opportune times. 
A subscriber will not typically monitor the downloaded information while 
the playback device is connected to his PC, although this "in-place" made 
may be used if desired. In a preferred use, a subscriber, when leaving his 
or her PC for a period of time will unplug the playback device a take it 
along. The subscriber may leave work and have a long drive home, or may 
just go to lunch, and so forth. The present invention in the embodiment 
described makes valuable use of this otherwise wasted transit time. 
A playback device 110 is shown in FIG. 1 in the "unplugged" state, 
indicating a device that a subscriber has disengaged from the PC and 
carried away. The playback device has a speaker (or speakers) 113, and a 
text-to-speech system for converting stored text to speech. In one 
embodiment the device has a headphone jack so a subscriber may listen to 
the downloaded information without disturbing others or without being 
disturbed by outside noise sources. There is also a start-stop control 
interface so the subscriber may start and stop the playback at will. Now 
the subscriber may listen to the filtered and compiled information 
provided by the subscription service, transmitted to the subscriber's PC, 
and downloaded to the playback device while connected to the PC. The 
subscriber thus may make valuable use of transit time (or any other time 
the subscriber wishes to devote to the process). 
As a very simple example, a subscriber may provide preferences for local 
weather, weather at a second location, and road and traffic conditions 
between the two points, including accident reports. The subscriber stores 
this information during the day, newer information replacing older 
information during passage of time, and then takes the playback device 
when starting home. The playback information is very useful to maximize 
travel efficiency and safety for the trip home. It will readily be seen 
that there are a multitude of similar uses for such a system. 
Text to speech synthesizers are well known in the art, and may implemented 
in such a device as playback unit 110 without undue experimentation. The 
text to speech capability also provides a convenience not available to a 
person who simply tunes his radio to a local station. That is that the 
user of the playback device may replay information not fully understood at 
the first pass. 
In a unique improvement to the text to speech capability, in one embodiment 
coding is provided with the text indicating inflection and other speech 
enhancement to improve the otherwise monotone quality of most text to 
speech renditions. Such coding enhancement may be provided at server 120 
and software in the playback device recognizes the code and provides 
suitable alteration of the audio renditions. Other types of electronic 
files may also be sent, that are suitable for playing an extended 
multimedia device. There may also be a combination of voice/data or 
video/data files, for example. 
In a further enhancement of the system and the playback device, there is an 
antenna 114 associated with playback device 110. In a preferred embodiment 
the antenna is removable. Now in a removed state, playback device 110b can 
be used in the field and further has the capability of receiving updates 
from a wireless transmitter 122 via a broadcast signal 106. Broadcast 
signal 106 may be customized or tailored to the individual subscriber via 
methods known in the art of wireless transmission such as addressing 
techniques, encryption keys and so on, including logging on of the 
wireless device. For example, to provide the subscriber with a level of 
privacy, an encryption key may be downloaded to playback device 110a in 
anticipation of receiving the updates in the field after it is removed 
from the subscriber's computer. 
Wireless transmitter 122 is connected to an update server 121 via a digital 
connection 105. Update server 121 is dedicated to providing updates of 
information to those subscribers who are out in the field. This 
arrangement assumes that when a subscriber is using playback device 110 in 
the field, a method for the determination of that particular state is 
known to host server 120. This may be accomplished, in one embodiment, by 
a signal sent to host server 120 from playback device 110 via wireless 
transmitter 122 through digital connection 105 to update server 121, and 
through digital connection 104. In another embodiment, playback device 110 
has the capability of connecting to the Internet in much the same way as 
an Internet-capable cellular phone using wireless technology. In yet 
another embodiment, a brief connection to the Internet is made from PC 123 
when playback device 110 disengaged and a code is sent to host server 120 
indicating that the subscriber is now in the field. Similarly, a code 
could be sent again when the subscriber reconnects playback device 110 to 
PC 123 indicating that playback device 110a is no longer in the field. In 
still another embodiment, up-dates may be sent simultaneously via the 
Internet and wireless transmission to subscribers regardless of whether or 
not they are in the field. It will be apparent to one with skill in the 
art that there are many different possibilities regarding the receiving of 
updated information to playback device 110 without departing from the 
spirit and scope of the present invention, many of which have already been 
described. 
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of playback device 110 of FIG. 1 according to an 
embodiment of the present invention. A port 200 is provided for the 
purpose of connecting playback device 110 to PC 123 of FIG. 1. Any 
suitable connection method may be used such as a serial port connection as 
described with reference to FIG. 1. 
An integrated microcontroller 210 is connected via internal bus 204 to a 
headset port 202 and an antenna port 201. Microcontroller 210 includes all 
of the CODEC and radio circuitry necessary to communicate with these 
ports, and such circuitry is well-known in the art. Ports 202 and 201 are 
input-output (I/O) ports commonly used in the art. Flash memory modules 
211 and 212 are connected to internal bus 204. Flash memory modules 211 
and 212 may be permanently installed modules or removable modules such as 
well-known memory cards. In a preferred embodiment flash memory is used, 
however, other types of non-volatile memory may be substituted or used in 
combination with flash memory. 
Playback device 110 may be powered in a number of different ways known in 
the art. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a 
rechargeable battery is used. In another embodiment, a cradle or station 
(not shown) may be provided for stationing and connecting playback device 
110 to PC 123 with power provided from the host. A combination of power 
source may also be used with power coming from the host while playback 
device 110a is stationed and battery power taking over when removed from 
PC 123, etc. There are many methods known in the art for providing power 
to computer peripherals. 
A cradle adapted for stationing playback device 110, as described above, in 
various embodiments serves several purposes. For example, a battery 
charging unit may be installed in such a cradle so that playback device 
110 may be charged while not in use. In one embodiment, the cradle could 
be removable with an attachment adapted to being plugged into another 
power source such as a car cigarette lighter jack, or a car stereo 
cassette player, etc. In yet another embodiment, a stationary cradle may 
have it's own memory and circuitry allowing it to interact with host 
server 120 of FIG. 1 so that information can be downloaded independent of 
playback device 110 and then transferred to playback device 110a when 
interfaced. 
A button panel 203 comprises four buttons and is connected by I/O circuitry 
to internal bus 204. These four buttons from top to bottom are marked SK 
(skip), MK (mark), CH (channel), and T (topic). Buttons on panel 203 are 
used to control media presentation and to send filter modifications to 
host server 120 of FIG. 1. For example, button SK is used to send a filter 
indicating that the particular content presented was skipped by the 
subscriber so that similar content should not be included in future 
presentations. Button MK is used to send a filter indicating that the 
particular content presented was marked by the subscriber so that similar 
content should be included in future presentations. In a preferred 
embodiment of the present invention, more detailed filter editing can be 
performed by a subscriber at a web site designed for that purpose. Button 
CH is a channel selector button and button T is a topic selector button to 
be used within a channel. The purpose of providing selector buttons to 
player device 110 serves to allow a subscriber to select which content 
will be played first and so on. It will be apparent to one with skill in 
the art that additional buttons providing more features can be added 
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention such 
as a button that would allow a subscriber to skip content without sending 
a filter modification, and so on, and controls for replaying portions of 
presentations 
In one embodiment a liquid crystal display (LCD) 213 is provided and 
connected to internal bus 204 through a display driver for the purpose of 
allowing a subscriber to view content such as the channel selected, status 
information regarding wireless updates and so on, as well as multimedia 
files. It will be apparent to one with skill in the art that other display 
technologies can be substituted, without departing from the spirit of the 
invention. In one embodiment, certain material may be displayed 
graphically. In another embodiment, financial information, sports scores 
and the like may be flashed on LCD 213 while playback device 110 is in 
use. It will be apparent to one with skill in the art that various 
features and capabilities could be added to playback device 110 without 
departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, 
in one embodiment, an E-mail client could be used to download E-mail from 
the Internet while in the field. In another embodiment, a video client 
could be used to view video clips on LCD 213, and so on. 
It will be apparent to one with skill in the art that software control 
routines written for various embodiments of the present invention may be 
proprietary applications created by a hosting company or similar 
application standards known in the art without departing from the spirit 
and scope of the present invention. It will also be apparent to one with 
skill in the art that the method and apparatus of the present invention 
can be practiced on any wide area network (WAN) such as an X.25 
proprietary data network, etc. 
There are many possible embodiments in which the method and apparatus of 
the present invention may be practiced such as the application of FIG. 1 
wherein playback device 110 is used in conjunction with the Internet. In 
another embodiment, playback device 110 could be adapted for use on a 
corporate network or a local area network. Similarly, features and 
capabilities may be added to playback device 110 without departing from 
the spirit and scope of the present invention such as e-mail capacity and 
the like. The spirit and scope of the present invention is limited only by 
the claims that follow.