Multi-modal Content Presentation Synchronization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing multi-modal content presentation systems require multiple source documents and lack efficient synchronization of visual and audio modalities, leading to suboptimal user experience and increased complexity.

Innovation Solution

A single source document that includes content and presentation information for multiple formats, allowing iterative generation of HTML and VXML documents to synchronize paginated output across modalities using equal identifiers for user interface elements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple source documents are used for different modalities, then content can be presented in multiple formats, but system complexity increases and synchronization becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-modal content presentationVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple modality-specific source documents into a single multi-modal source document that contains content elements with modality-specific presentation information. This single document structure integrates what were previously separate HTML and VXML documents, reducing system complexity while maintaining the ability to present content in multiple modalities concurrently through a unified document interface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The multi-modal source document serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both an HTML source document for visual presentation and a VXML source document for audio presentation. The document contains universal content elements that can be rendered in different modalities, eliminating the need for separate specialized documents for each modality type.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple source documents are used for different modalities, then content can be presented in multiple formats, but synchronization between modalities becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-modal content presentationVSAvoidsynchronization reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By merging modality-specific documents into a single multi-modal source document, the patent ensures that all content elements share a common structure and timing information. This unified structure enables automatic synchronization between different modalities during presentation, as the content elements are inherently aligned through their shared source document origin.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Device complexity

If a single source document is used, then system complexity is reduced, but generating modality-specific instructions becomes more challenging

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidinstruction generation difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the single multi-modal source document into content elements, each with embedded modality-specific presentation information. This segmentation allows the system to easily extract and generate modality-specific instructions (HTML or VXML) from the unified document structure, reducing the complexity of instruction generation while maintaining multi-modal capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP1837779B1Multi-modal content presentation
Publication Date: 2012.09.26 SAP SE
  • EP1837779B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1837779B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1837779B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

A method is provided that includes receiving a user input, the user input having been input in a user interface in one of multiple modalities. The method also includes accessing, in response to receiving the user input, a multi-modality content document including content information and presentation information, the presentation information supporting presentation of the content information in each of the multiple modalities. In addition, the method includes accessing, in response to receiving the user input, metadata for the user interface, the metadata indicating that the user interface provides a first modality and a second modality for interfacing with a user. First-modality instructions are generated based on the accessed multi-modality content document and the accessed metadata, the first-modality instructions providing instructions for presenting the content information on the user interface using the first modality. Second-modality instructions are generated based on the accessed multi-modality content document and the accessed metadata, the second-modality instructions providing instructions for presenting the content information on the user interface using the second modality.