Methods and systems for playing an audio corresponding to a text medium

A method for use by a media player device having an audio output, a memory storing an audio book application software, a display and a processor, the method comprising:

• receiving, using the processor executing a playback module of the audio book application software, uniquely identifying a text medium having a plurality of pages each having a plurality of words;
• locating, in response to receiving the text medium ID, using the processor executing a bookmark module of the audio book application software, a bookmark location in the memory associated with a user of a plurality of users associated with the text medium ID;
• detecting, using the processor executing a proximity module of the audio book application software, a proximity of the media player device to the text medium;
• initiating play of an audio, using the processor executing the playback module of the audio book application software only when the media player device is within a predetermined proximity of the text medium, starting from the bookmark location associated with the user, wherein the audio corresponds to the text medium ID and pronounces words corresponding to the plurality of words in a same sequence appearing in the plurality of pages, and wherein the bookmark location corresponds to a location prior to a word last played to avoid playing the audio from a middle of a sentence;
• continuing play of the audio until an end of the audio, whether or not the media player device remains within the predetermined proximity of the text medium during the continued playing of the audio;
• and
• displaying, on the display, a non-numeric graphic of an illustration or a still picture corresponding to a current playback page of the text medium so as to identify a location in the text medium corresponding to the current playback of the audio.

A media player device comprising:

• an audio output;
• a display;
• a memory storing an audio book application software;
• and
• a processor configured to execute the audio book application software to:
• receive, using a playback module of the audio book application software, a text medium ID uniquely identifying a text medium having a plurality of pages each having a plurality of words;
• locate, using a bookmark module of the audio book application software, in response to receiving the text medium ID, a bookmark location in the memory associated with a user of a plurality of users associated with the text medium ID;
• detect, using a proximity module of the audio book application software, a proximity of the media player device to the text medium;
• play, using the playback module of the audio book application software only when the media player device is within a predetermined proximity of the text medium, starting from the bookmark location associated with the user, wherein the audio corresponds to the text medium ID and pronounces words corresponding to the plurality of words in a same sequence appearing in the plurality of pages, and wherein the bookmark location corresponds to a location prior to a word last played to avoid playing the audio from a middle of a sentence;
• and
• display, on the display, a non-numeric graphic of an illustration or a still picture corresponding to a current playback page of the text medium so as to identify a location in the text medium corresponding to the current playback of the audio.