Method of displaying comic books and similar publications on a computer

• US 20040021673A1
• Filed: 01/14/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Whited, Hl Courtland, Alessi, Mark A., Mendoza Padial, Alberto Gabriel
• Granted Patent: US 8,643,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

In a method for displaying an illustrated book on a computer screen, a graphics image, corresponding to a page in the illustrated book, is displayed on the computer screen. A text detail image is displayed on the computer screen, the text detail image is displayed as a layer on the top of the graphics image. A cursor rolling over the text detail image is detected. A magnified image of the text detail image is displayed when the cursor has rolled over the text detail image.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an illustrated book on a computer screen, the method comprising the steps of:

a. displaying a graphics image, corresponding to a page in the illustrated book, on the computer screen;

b. displaying a text detail image on the computer screen, the text detail image being displayed as a layer on the top of the graphics image;

c. detecting a cursor rolling over the text detail image; and

d. displaying a magnified image of the text detail image when the cursor has rolled over the text detail image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphics book comprises a comic book.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the text detail image comprises a voice balloon.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

a. receiving an indication of a selected language in which a user desires to read the illustrated book; and

b. displaying the text detail image in the selected language.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of

a. receiving a selected size selection for the text detail image;

and

b. magnifying the text detail image to the selected size when the cursor has rolled over the text detail image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the graphics image further comprises the steps of:

a. displaying a black and white image corresponding to the graphics image; and

b. displaying a color image as a layer on top of the black and white image.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

a. receiving an indication that the user desires to view the graphics image in black and white; and

b. ceasing to display the color image upon receiving the indication.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of

a. receiving a selected image resolution selection from a user;

and

b. displaying the graphics image in the selected image resolution.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

a. receiving a selected zooming selection from a user; and

b. displaying the graphics image in the selected zooming selection.

10. A method for displaying a book on a computer screen, comprising the steps of:

a. displaying a first graphics image, corresponding to a first page in the book, on the computer screen;

b. displaying a text detail image on the computer screen, the text detail image being displayed as a layer on the top of the first graphics image; and

c. playing, on an audio device, a portion of an audio file corresponding to the text detail image in the first page of the book, in which the audio file is a narrative of the book.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

a. advancing to a second page of the book when the audio device has finished playing a portion of the audio file corresponding to the text detail image in the first page of the book; and

b. playing a portion of the audio file corresponding to the text detail image in the second page of the book.

12. A method for displaying a serial comic book on a computer screen, the method comprising the steps of:

a. displaying a comics image about the comics story on the computer screen;

b. displaying a summary feature button along the comics image on the computer screen;

c. detecting the summary feature button being activated; and

d. displaying a summary of the comics story up to the comics image upon detecting activation of the summary feature button.

13. A method for displaying a comic book on a computer screen, the method comprising the steps of:

a. displaying a comics image about the comics story on the computer screen;

b. displaying a biography feature button along the comics image on the computer screen;

c. detecting the biography feature button being activated; and

d. displaying a biography of a character in the comics story when the biography feature button is activated.

14. A method for displaying a comic book, including a predetermined number of pages, on a computer that is in communication with a global computer network that is in communication with a server, comprising the steps of:

a. downloading from the server a first selected number of pages, having a first page and a last page, of the predetermined number of pages to the computer, the first selected number being less than the predetermined number;

b. displaying the first selected number of pages in sequence from the first page to the last page;

c. downloading from the server a second selected number of pages of the predetermined number of pages when a page of the first selected number of pages within a predetermined range of the last page of the first selected number of pages has been displayed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of pages comprises:

a. a graphics layer; and

b. a dialog balloon layer displayed on top of the graphics layer.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step magnifying a selected dialog balloon when the a user'"'"'s mouse has passed over the selected dialog balloon in the dialog balloon layer

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

a. receiving an indication of a selected language in which a user desires to read the illustrated book; and

b. displaying the text detail image in the selected language.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of displaying the graphics image further comprises the steps of:

a. displaying a black and white image corresponding to the graphics image; and

b. displaying a color image as a layer on top of the black and white image.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

a. receiving an indication that the user desires to view the graphics image in black and white; and

b. ceasing to display the color image upon receiving the indication.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of

a. receiving a selected image resolution selection from a user;

and

b. displaying the graphics image in the selected image resolution.