Triggering actions in response to optically or acoustically capturing keywords from a rendered document
A system for processing text captured from rendered documents is described. The system receives a sequence of one or more words optically or acoustically captured from a rendered document by a user. The system identifies among words of the sequence a word with which an action has been associated. The system then performs the associated action with respect to the user.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a server device, a sequence of characters optically or acoustically captured from a rendered document by a capture device remote from the server device;
identifying, using the server device, a document that includes a sequence of characters that matches the captured sequence of characters;
identifying, using the server device, a position, within the identified document, of the sequence of characters that matches the captured sequence of characters; and
identifying, using the server device, a word, phrase or symbol that is within the sequence of characters at the identified position within the identified document and that is associated with an action.
2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein identifying a word, phrase or symbol comprises identifying a word that is within the sequence of characters at the identified position within the identified document and that is associated with the action, and
wherein the identified word is associated with the action as a result of the identified word being a synonym of another word that is associated with the action.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing, at the server device, a keyword action table from which the server device identifies the word, phrase or symbol that is within the sequence of characters at the identified position within the identified document and that is associated with the action.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein storing the keyword action table comprises storing a character range, an action verb, and an action object as being associated with the identified word, phrase, or symbol that is within the sequence of characters at the identified position within the identified document.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
using the server device to perform the action associated with the identified word, phrase or symbol,
wherein performing the action associated with the identified word, phrase or symbol comprises the server device translating the identified word, phrase or symbol from a first spoken language to a second spoken language.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
using the server device to perform the action associated with the identified word, phrase or symbol,
wherein performing the action associated with the identified word, phrase or symbol comprises the server device retrieving, from a web site of the World Wide Web, a web page associated with the identified word, phrase or symbol.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rendered document comprises a printed document.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rendered document comprises a document shown on a transitory display.
9. The method of claim 1 ,
identifying, using the server, the associated action specified in a digital counterpart of the rendered document.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, using the server, the associated action specified in a markup data document separate from the rendered document.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, using the server, a condition associated with the identified word, phrase or symbol; and
using the server device to determine that capture of the identified word, phrase or symbol occurred while the condition was met and then to perform the action associated with the identified word, phrase or symbol.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the condition is a particular time of day.
13. A server device, comprising:
a processor;
a computer-readable memory device including a document identification index and a document action map; and
a network connection that receives from a network a sequence of characters optically or acoustically captured from a rendered document by a capture device and transmitted to the network connection via the network,
wherein the processor identifies, from the document identification index, a document that that includes a sequence of characters that matches the captured sequence of characters,
wherein the processor identifies, from the document identification index, a position, within the identified document, of the sequence of characters that matches the captured sequence of characters, and
wherein the processor identifies, from the document action map, a word, phrase or symbol that is within the sequence of characters at the identified position within the identified document and that is associated with an action.
14. The server device of claim 13 ,
wherein the processor identifying the word, phrase or symbol comprises the processor identifying a word that is within the sequence of characters at the identified position within the identified document and that is associated with an action, and
wherein the identified word is associated with the action as a result of the identified word being a synonym of another word that is associated with the action.
15. The server device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a user profile stored in the computer-readable memory device,
wherein the user profile comprises data about a person,
wherein the processor uses the user profile to select between alternative actions that are available to be performed for the identified word, phrase or symbol, and
wherein the processor performs an alternative action selected by the processor.
16. The server device of claim 13 ,
wherein the processor performs the action identified from the document action map, and
wherein the action identified from the document action map comprises transmission of an e-mail including the identified word, phrase or symbol.
17. The server device of claim 13 ,
wherein the document action map comprises data that identifies multiple character ranges within the identified document,
wherein each identified character range is associated with data that identifies a keyword, an action object, and an action verb, and
wherein the action verb identifies an action to be taken on the action object associated with the identified character range.
18. The server device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a search engine that searches for a web page from a web site of the World Wide Web.
19. The server device of claim 13 ,
wherein the processor performs the action, and
wherein performance of the action comprises the processor translating the identified word, phrase or symbol from a first spoken language to a second spoken language.
20. The server device of claim 13 ,
wherein the processor performs the action, and
wherein performance of the action comprises the processor providing notice when the identified document becomes available online.