System, method, and apparatus for generating, customizing, distributing, and presenting an interactive audio publication

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for generating, customizing, distributing, and presenting an interactive audio publication to a user are provided. A plurality of text-based and/or speech-based content items is converted into voice-navigable interactive audio content items that include segmented audio data, embedded visual content, and accompanying metadata. An audio publication is generated by associating one or more audio content items with one or more audio publication sections, and generating metadata that defines the audio publication structure. Assembled audio publications may be used to generate one or more new custom audio publications for a user by utilizing one or more user-defined custom audio publication templates. Audio publications are delivered to a user for presentation on an enabled presentation system. The user is enabled to navigate and interact with the audio publication, using voice commands and/or a button interface, in a manner similar to browsing visually-oriented content.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An audio publication presentation device, comprising:
 executive logic configured to enable a user to navigate and interact with an interactive audio publication that includes one or more audio content items by enabling the user to enter a plurality of commands;   a user interface configured to receive commands using at least one of voice commands or a physical interface that includes one or more of a keyboard, a touchscreen, or a set of control buttons; and   a speech recognition module coupled to the user interface that is configured to convert speech to text to enable hands-free voice control of the presentation device;   wherein the executive logic enables runtime preferences to be configured for each user of the presentation device.   
     
     
         2 . The presentation device of  claim 1 , wherein the executive logic is configured to enable a user to select an audio publication, to select an audio publication section, to move forward and backward within a selected audio content item by a predetermined portion of the selected audio content item, and to browse one or more associated visual content items manually. 
     
     
         3 . The presentation device of  claim 1 , wherein the presentation device provides a plurality of runtime modes that includes a title mode, a summary mode, and a full story mode, the runtime modes being selectable at runtime by a user interacting with the user interface and being utilized with selected audio content item metadata to determine which of a title segment, a summary segment, and a story body segment of an audio content item to present to the user. 
     
     
         4 . The presentation device of  claim 1 , wherein the presentation device maintains a state of an audio publication, the audio publication state including a state of all audio content items and advertisements associated with the audio publication;
 the presentation device being configured to generate a real-time audio publication status report to a user, and to synchronize with one or more presentation systems to enable the presentation system to be changed during presentation of an audio publication.   
     
     
         5 . The presentation device of  claim 4 , wherein an audio content item state includes at least one of a tagged status or a tracked status. 
     
     
         6 . The presentation device of  claim 4 , wherein an advertisement state includes a tagged status. 
     
     
         7 . The presentation device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one audio publication section is generated locally on the presentation device and is updated dynamically in response to at least one command received from a user. 
     
     
         8 . The presentation device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a text-to-speech engine (TTS) configured to generate at least one of a status report, a list of available audio publications and/or sections within a currently active audio publication, an informational speech prompt, or at least a portion of an audio content item.   
     
     
         9 . The presentation device of  claim 1 , wherein the executive logic is configured to enable a user to perform a search for one or more audio content items that match a keyword search expression, wherein the executive logic is configured to perform the search with a search scope that includes a subset of audio content items available for presentation, a full set of audio content items available for presentation, or all audio content items. 
     
     
         10 . The presentation device of  claim 1 , wherein the speech recognition module includes an acoustic echo canceller and a speech detector, the speech recognition module being configured to enable hands-free voice control of the presentation device. 
     
     
         11 . The presentation device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a communication interface configured to interface with a portable media player (PMP), the PMP enabling audio playback and including a display.   
     
     
         12 . A method in a presentation device for presenting an audio publication, comprising:
 enabling a user to interact with an interactive audio publication that includes one or more audio content items, said enabling including
 enabling the user to enter a plurality of commands, and 
 enabling runtime preferences to be configured for each user of the presentation device; 
   receiving one or more commands at a user interface, the one or more commands including at least one of a voice command or a command manually entered at a physical interface; and   converting received speech to text to enable hands-free voice control of the presentation device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 enabling a user to select an audio publication, to select an audio publication section, to move forward and backward within a selected audio content item by a predetermined portion of the selected audio content item, and to browse one or more associated visual content items.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 enabling a user to interact with the user interface to select a runtime mode from a plurality of runtime modes that includes a title mode, a summary mode, and a full story mode; and   determining which of a title segment, a summary segment, and a story body segment of an audio content item to present to the user based on the selected runtime mode and audio content item metadata.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 maintaining a state of an audio publication, the audio publication state including a state of one or more audio content items and one or more advertisements associated with the audio publication; and   generating a real-time audio publication status report to provide to a user, and to synchronize with one or more presentation systems to enable the presentation system to be changed during presentation of an audio publication.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 generating an audio content item state that includes at least one of a tagged status or a tracked status; and   generating an advertisement state that includes a tagged status.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 generating at least one audio publication section locally on the presentation device; and   dynamically updating the at least one audio publication section in response to at least one command received from a user.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 generating, using a text-to-speech engine (TTS), at least one of a status report, a list of available audio publications and/or sections within a currently active audio publication, an informational speech prompt, or at least a portion of an audio content item.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 enabling a user to perform a search for one or more audio content items that match a keyword search expression, the search performed with a search scope that includes at least one of a subset of audio content items available for presentation, a full set of audio content items available for presentation, or all audio content items.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 enabling the presentation device to communicate with a portable media player (PMP), the PMP enabling audio playback and including a display.