IP Library Granted Patent US 9,117,445
Granted Patent B2
US 9,117,445 · App. 13/943,242 · Granted Aug 25, 2015

System and method for audibly presenting selected text

Inventors: Alistair D. Conkie (Morristown, NJ); Horst Schroeter (New Providence, NJ)
Assignee: Interactions LLC
G10L13/08G06F3/0482G06F3/0488G06F3/167G10L15/22H04M2250/22
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,117,445
App. No.
13/943,242
Granted
Aug 25, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods for presenting speech from a selected text that is on a computing device. This method includes presenting text on a touch-sensitive display and having that text size within a threshold level so that the computing device can accurately determine the intent of the user when the user touches the touch screen. Once the user touch has been received, the computing device identifies and interprets the portion of text that is to be selected, and subsequently presents the text audibly to the user.

Claims (43)

1. A method comprising:

displaying, via a processor, text via a touch-sensitive display;

receiving, from the touch-sensitive display, user touch identifying a portion of the text;

determining whether a size of a character of the portion displayed is between an upper threshold and a lower threshold; and

responsive to the determination, audibly presenting the portion of the text.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the user touch further comprises receiving non-contiguous separate touches on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the non-contiguous separate touches indicate a number of paragraphs of the text to be audibly presented as the portion of the text.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user touch comprises data associated with a first tap at a first location and a second tap at a second location, and the portion of the text is identified as text displayed between the first location and the second location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein audibly presenting the portion of the text occurs via a speaker associated with the touch-sensitive display.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the touch-sensitive display is part of a mobile phone.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein audibly presenting the portion of the text comprises communicating pre-recorded phonemes combined together.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user touch identifies an area of the touch-sensitive display.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, result in the processor performing operations comprising:

displaying text via a touch-sensitive display;

receiving, from the touch-sensitive display, user touch identifying a portion of the text;

determining whether a size of a character of the portion displayed is between an upper threshold and a lower threshold; and

responsive to the determination, audibly presenting the portion of the text.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein receiving the user touch further comprises receiving non-contiguous separate touches on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the non-contiguous separate touches indicate a number of paragraphs of the text to be audibly presented as the portion of the text.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the user touch comprises data associated with a first tap at a first location and a second tap at a second location, and the portion of the text is identified as text displayed between the first location and the second location.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein audibly presenting the portion of the text occurs via a speaker associated with the touch-sensitive display.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the touch-sensitive display is part of a mobile phone.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein audibly presenting the portion of the text comprises communicating pre-recorded phonemes combined together.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the user touch further comprises an area of the touch-sensitive display indicated by user touch.

15. A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device, result in the computing device performing operations comprising:

displaying text via a touch-sensitive display;

receiving, from the touch-sensitive display, user touch identifying a portion of the text;

determining whether a size of a character of the portion displayed is between an upper threshold and a lower threshold; and

responsive to the determination, audibly presenting the portion of the text.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein receiving the user touch further comprises receiving non-contiguous separate touches on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the non-contiguous separate touches indicate a number of paragraphs of the text to be audibly presented as the portion of the text.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the user touch comprises data associated with a first tap at a first location and a second tap at a second location, and the portion of the text is identified as text displayed between the first location and the second location.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein audibly presenting the portion of the text comprises communicating pre-recorded phonemes combined together.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the touch-sensitive display is part of a mobile phone.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein audibly presenting comprises communicating pre-recorded phonemes combined together.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether a size of a character of the portion displayed is between an upper threshold and a lower threshold comprises determining whether a font point size of the character is between an upper threshold font point size and a lower threshold font point size.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether a size of a character of the portion displayed is between an upper threshold and a lower threshold comprises determining whether an actual size of the character in inches or meters is between an upper threshold character size and a lower threshold character size.

23. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a set of paragraphs to audibly present based on a number of fingers used in the user touch, the set of paragraphs including the portion; and

audibly presenting the set of paragraphs.

24. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the touch-sensitive display, a plurality of user touches that includes the user touch;

identifying a set of paragraphs to audibly present based on a count of the user touches, the set of paragraphs including the portion; and

audibly presenting the set of paragraphs.

Assignments (18)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 4, 2025
From: RUNWAY GROWTH FINANCE CORP., AS AGENT
To: INTERACTIONS CORPORATION; INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 072802/0931 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE APPLICATION NUMBER PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 060445 FRAME: 0733. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 1, 2023
From: INTERACTIONS LLC; INTERACTIONS CORPORATION
To: RUNWAY GROWTH FINANCE CORP.
Reel/Frame 062919/0063 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME: 036100/0925 Recorded Jul 1, 2022
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 060559/0576 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME: 049388/0082 Recorded Jun 30, 2022
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 060558/0474 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME: 043039/0808 Recorded Jun 30, 2022
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 060557/0636 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 27, 2022
From: INTERACTIONS LLC; INTERACTIONS CORPORATION
To: RUNWAY GROWTH FINANCE CORP.
Reel/Frame 060445/0733 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded May 23, 2022
From: ORIX GROWTH CAPITAL, LLC
To: INTERACTIONS CORPORATION; INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 061749/0825 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 18, 2020
From: BEARCUB ACQUISITIONS LLC
To: ARES VENTURE FINANCE, L.P.
Reel/Frame 052693/0866 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 5, 2019
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 049388/0082 →
ASSIGNMENT OF IP SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 17, 2017
From: ARES VENTURE FINANCE, L.P.
To: BEARCUB ACQUISITIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 044481/0034 →
AMENDED AND RESTATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 29, 2017
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 043039/0808 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CHANGE PATENT 7146987 TO 7149687 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 036009 FRAME 0349. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Nov 17, 2015
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: ARES VENTURE FINANCE, L.P.
Reel/Frame 037134/0712 →
FIRST AMENDMENT TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 13, 2015
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 036100/0925 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2015
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: ARES VENTURE FINANCE, L.P.
Reel/Frame 036009/0349 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 19, 2014
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: ORIX VENTURES, LLC
Reel/Frame 034677/0768 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2014
From: AT&T ALEX HOLDINGS, LLC
To: INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 034642/0640 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 11, 2014
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
To: AT&T ALEX HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 034482/0130 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 20, 2013
From: CONKIE, ALISTAIR D.; SCHROETER, HORST
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 031691/0149 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 13567550 · Aug 6, 2012
Continuation 12257994 · Oct 24, 2008
Provisional Application 61096787 · Sep 13, 2008
Related Publication 20130304474A1 · Nov 14, 2013