Enhanced e-reader experience

• US 10,387,570 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: VanBlon, Russell Speight, Hunt, James Anthony, Li, Scott Wentao
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yongjia
• Application Number:
  US14/837,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20170060365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis

Abstract

For supplementing digital text with multimedia effects, systems, apparatus, and methods are disclosed. The apparatus includes a processor and a memory that stores code executable by the processor. The code includes code that determines a current reading position, determines a narrative context based on the current reading position, selects a multimedia effect based on the narrative context, and presents the multimedia effect to a user. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes an image sensor that receives image data and determines the current reading position based on the image data. In other embodiments, the apparatus may determine the current reading position based on biometric position data.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an image sensor that captures image data of text on a remote object being read by a user, the remote object being one of;

print media and an electronic reader separate from the apparatus;

a processor; and

a memory that stores code executable by the processor to;

determine whether external multimedia equipment is coupled to the apparatus;

determine a genre of the text;

identify one or more allowable types of multimedia effects based on the genre and whether external multimedia equipment is coupled to the apparatus, wherein the one or more allowable types of multimedia effects is further based on a type of external multimedia equipment coupled to the apparatus in response to external multimedia equipment being coupled to the apparatus;

determine a current reading position of the user, wherein the text is not presented by the apparatus;

determine a narrative context based on the current reading position, wherein the narrative context is one of an action described in the text, an event described in the text, a setting described in the text, and a location described in the text;

select a multimedia effect from the one or more allowable types of multimedia effects based on the narrative context; and

present the selected multimedia effect to a user, the selected multimedia effect being at least one of;

a background image, an animation, a color scheme, a sound effect corresponding to an action or event described in the text, and an avatar representative of a character associated with the narrative context.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a network interface that communicates with a remote database, wherein selecting a multimedia effect based on the narrative context comprises querying the remote database for a multimedia effect corresponding to the narrative context.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further identifies a device capability, wherein selecting a multimedia effect based on the narrative context comprises selecting a multimedia effect based on the device capability.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further identifies an illustration in a presented e-book near the current reading position, wherein identifying the narrative context at the current reading position comprises associating the illustration in the presented e-book with at least one keyword and wherein selecting a multimedia effect based on the narrative context comprises selecting a multimedia effect corresponding to the at least one keyword.

5. A method comprising:

capturing, by use of an image sensor of a wearable electronic device, image data of text on a remote object being read by a user, the remote object being one of an electronic reader separate from the wearable electronic device and print media;

determining whether external multimedia equipment is coupled to the apparatus;

determining a genre of the text;

identifying one or more allowable types of multimedia effects based on the genre and whether external multimedia equipment is coupled to the apparatus, wherein the one or more allowable types of multimedia effects is further based on a type of external multimedia equipment coupled to the apparatus in response to external multimedia equipment being coupled to the apparatus;

determining a current reading position of the user, wherein the text is not presented by the apparatus;

determining a narrative context from the current reading position, wherein the narrative context is one of an action described in the text, an event described in the text, a setting described in the text, and a location described in the text;

selecting a multimedia effect from the one or more allowable types of multimedia effects based on the narrative context; and

presenting the selected multimedia effect, the selected multimedia effect being at least one of;

a background image, an animation, a color scheme, a sound effect corresponding to an action or event described in the text, and an avatar representative of a character associated with the narrative context.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining a current reading position of the user comprises:

receiving biometric position data;

determining a reading speed based on the biometric position data;

determining an elapsed time from the user reaching a reference position in the text; and

determining the current reading position based on the reading speed and on the elapsed time.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising identifying a location of the current reading position with respect to a chapter end, wherein selecting the multimedia effect is further based on the location of the current reading position with respect to a chapter end.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein determining a narrative context from the current reading position comprises identifying one of:

a theme and an emotion associated with the current reading position.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein presenting the multimedia effect comprises:

monitoring for a triggering event; and

presenting the multimedia effect in response to detecting the triggering event, wherein the triggering event is one of;

the user selecting an icon, the user selecting a link, the user selecting a button, the user reaching a specific location within the text, and the user reaching a last word in a sentence that includes the current reading position.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein presenting the multimedia effect comprises:

monitoring for a stop condition; and

ceasing to present the multimedia effect in response to detecting the stop condition.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein presenting the multimedia effect comprises:

displaying a notification near the current reading position; and

presenting the multimedia effect in response to a user selecting the notification.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein determining a narrative context of the current reading position comprises performing natural language analysis on text at the current reading position.

13. A program product comprising a computer readable storage medium that is not a transitory signal and that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to perform:

capturing, by use of an image sensor of a wearable electronic device, image data of text on a remote object being read by a user, the remote object being one of an electronic display not coupled to the wearable electronic device and a print medium;

determining whether external multimedia equipment is coupled to the apparatus;

determining a genre of the text;

identifying one or more allowable formats of multimedia effects based on the genre and whether external multimedia equipment is coupled to the apparatus, wherein the one or more allowable formats of multimedia effects is further based on a type of external multimedia equipment coupled to the apparatus in response to external multimedia equipment being coupled to the apparatus;

determining a current reading position of the user, wherein the text is not presented by the apparatus;

determining a narrative context of the current reading position, wherein the narrative context is one of an action described in the text, an event described in the text, a setting described in the text, and a location described in the text;

selecting a multimedia effect from the one or more allowable formats of multimedia effects based on the narrative context; and

presenting the selected multimedia effect, the selected multimedia effect being at least one of;

a background image, an animation, a color scheme, a sound effect corresponding to an action or event described in the text, and an avatar representative of a character associated with the narrative context.

14. The program product of claim 13, the code to further perform:

identifying a user multimedia preference, wherein identifying one or more allowable formats of multimedia effects comprises selecting a multimedia format based on the user multimedia preference.

15. The program product of claim 13, the code to further perform:

determining a reading speed; and

determining a presentation time based on the reading speed and on the current reading position, the current reading position being selected from the group consisting of;

a current chapter, a page, and a paragraph,

wherein presenting the multimedia effect comprises presenting the multimedia effect at the presentation time.

16. The program product of claim 13, wherein presenting the selected multimedia effect comprises presenting the selected multimedia effect in response to a triggering event.