Web Text Aggregation for Audio Playback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face challenges in accessing web content due to environmental constraints, device limitations, and bandwidth issues, particularly when visual presentation is unavailable or undesirable, highlighting the need for text-based content to be provided in an audible format.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that aggregates text-based web content, extracts and filters it, categorizes, and stores it for later retrieval and encoding into a format suitable for generating a speech audio signal, allowing for transmission and playback on devices without the need for visual browsers or high bandwidth.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If web content is delivered in visual format (HTML, images, video), then content quality and completeness are improved, but bandwidth consumption increases and device compatibility decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent qualityVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential text content from web pages, separating it from images, videos, and other media elements. This extraction process delivers the core information with minimal bandwidth consumption while maintaining content quality for users with limited connectivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the format parameter of web content from rich media (HTML, images, video) to plain text. This parameter change significantly reduces bandwidth requirements while preserving the essential information, making content accessible to users with limited network resources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of information

If web content is delivered in visual format, then content presentation quality is improved, but accessibility in constrained environments deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent presentation qualityVSAvoidenvironmental adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent delivers universal text-based content that can be consumed across multiple environments and devices. Text content can be accessed visually on screens, audibly through text-to-speech conversion, or in print format, making it universally adaptable to constrained environments like moving vehicles or areas with poor display visibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces text-to-speech conversion as an intermediary process that transforms static text into audible speech. This mediator enables content consumption in environments where visual display is impractical or unsafe, such as when driving or operating heavy machinery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If web content includes rich media (images, video, audio), then user engagement is improved, but device requirements and processing power increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser engagementVSAvoiddevice requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates simplified text-based copies of web content that can be processed by basic devices without requiring sophisticated media playback capabilities. These text copies maintain the essential information and can be rendered on simple displays or converted to speech, enabling access on low-complexity devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces complex media playback mechanisms with simpler text rendering or text-to-speech synthesis. Instead of requiring devices to handle images, video, and audio files, the patent substitutes these with text-based representation that can be processed by minimal hardware, reducing device complexity requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Adaptability or versatility

If text content is provided in audible format through client-side processing, then accessibility is improved, but client device processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveaccessibilityVSAvoidclient processing power

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs text extraction, filtering, and categorization as preliminary actions on the server side before delivering content to clients. This preliminary processing reduces the computational burden on client devices, allowing them to simply receive and play back pre-processed text or audio without requiring sophisticated processing capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces server-side text-to-speech conversion as an intermediary process that transforms text into audible speech before delivery. This mediator shifts the processing burden from client to server, enabling users with basic audio playback capability to access content in audible format without requiring their devices to perform complex speech synthesis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9754045B2System and method for web text content aggregation and presentation

Publication Date: 2017.09.05 HARMAN INT CHINA HLDG

AI summary

A system and method for aggregating text-based content and presenting the text-based content as spoken audio is described herein, where a server module retrieves and aggregates web content from web content providers that may include text-based web content that is then extracted, filtered and categorizes for a client module to retrieve and play as spoken audio.