Dynamic audio playback of soundtracks for electronic visual works

Abstract

An electronic book is provided with a soundtrack, to which a reader can listen while reading the electronic book. Playback of the soundtrack is synchronized with the visual display of the electronic book. Audio cues are associated with different points in the text and these cues are dynamically played back in synchronization with the visual display of the electronic book based on the interaction of the user with the electronic book. The dynamic playback involves editing and playing an audio cue so that it has a duration that is based on a prediction of the duration of the portion of the electronic book with which the cue is synchronized. When the system starts playing an audio cue, it predicts when the next audio cue should start. The current cue is played for predicted duration and a transition to the next audio cue is initiated at an appropriate time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented process for dynamic playback of audio, comprising
 receiving data about user interaction with a portion of an electronic visual work; and   dynamically adjusting a duration of playback of audio associated with the portion of the electronic visual work according to the user interaction.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented process of  claim 1 , further comprising;
 estimating a duration for visual display of the portion of the electronic visual work according to the received data about user interaction with the portion of the electronic visual work; and   selecting a sequence of mixes of stems of audio associated with the portion of the electronic visual work so as to provide audio with the estimated duration.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented process of  claim 2 , wherein the duration is estimated using a history of reading speeds. 
     
     
         4 . A computer-implemented process for playing a soundtrack in synchronization with display of an electronic visual work, comprising:
 receiving into memory the electronic visual work;   receiving into memory information associating portions of the electronic visual work with tags;   displaying portions of the electronic visual work in response to user interaction;   accessing audio files with tags;   selecting, using the processor, audio files to be associated with portions of the electronic visual work according to the tags associated with the portions of the electronic visual work.   receiving data about user interaction with the portion of an electronic visual work; and   dynamically adjusting a duration of playback of audio associated with the portion of the electronic visual work according to the user interaction.   
     
     
         5 . A computer-implemented process for generating a soundtrack for an electronic visual work, comprising:
 receiving the electronic visual work into memory;   processing, by a processor, the electronic visual work in the memory, to mark portions of the electronic visual work by associating, in memory, tags with portions of the electronic visual work;   accessing audio files with tags;   selecting, using the processor, audio files for portions of the electronic visual work according to the tags associated with the portions of the electronic visual work.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented process of  claim 5 , wherein the electronic visual work includes text and the processing includes processing the text. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented process of  claim 6 , wherein the tags include emotional descriptors. 
     
     
         8 . A digital information product, comprising:
 a computer readable medium;   computer readable data stored on the computer readable medium that, when processed by a computer, is interpreted by the computer to define a computer readable file including a cue list, including, for each portion of an electronic visual work, an emotional descriptor, wherein the emotional descriptors correspond to emotional descriptors also associated with audio data.   
     
     
         9 . A digital information product, comprising:
 a computer readable medium;   computer readable data stored on the computer readable medium that, when processed by a computer, is interpreted by the computer to define a computer readable file including data defining an audio cue, including audio data for a plurality of stems that can be mixed to provide audio data and information indicative of how the stems can be repeated and combined.