Earlier this year, we reported about a job listing from Microsoft Xbox team that Microsoft is working on a groundbreaking Reading app for Windows devices, which incorporates books, magazines, and comics. I recently came across three new patents from Microsoft related to Story Reading. Some of them could be part of the new Reading experience Microsoft Xbox team is building right now. These patent involves visual content modification for distributed Story Reading, speech modification for distributed Story Reading and location based augmentation for Story Reading.
Abstract:
Various embodiments provide an interactive, shared, story-reading experience in which stories can be experienced from remote locations. Various embodiments enable augmentation or modification of audio and/or video associated with the story-reading experience. This can include augmentation and modification of a reader’s voice, face, and/or other content associated with the story as the story is read.
Overview:
Various embodiments provide an interactive, shared, story-reading experience in which stories can be experienced from remote locations. Various embodiments enable augmentation or modification of audio and/or video associated with the story-reading experience. This can include augmentation and modification of a reader’s voice, face, and/or other content associated with the story as the story is read. The described embodiments can be utilized in connection with electronic or digital content such as electronic books, termed “e-books”. An e-book is a book-length publication in digital form including text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. E-books are usually red on dedicated e-book readers or general-purpose tablet computers. Personal computers and mobile phones can also be used to read e-books.
In this manner, two or more remote participants can communicate and interact with story-based shared, interactive content in real-time. Alternately or additionally, story-based shared, interactive content can be augmented or modified and recorded and/or archived for subsequent playback. In various embodiments, participants can enjoy a shared view that also includes user interactions with story content, e.g., if one user touches a picture or traces along words in the content, those actions can be visible to the other participants.
Source: USPTO(20140192140)