Foldable electronic book

• US 20060109243A1
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Granted Patent: US 7,548,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/901 Electronic book with display

Abstract

An electronic book includes a first housing portion and a second housing portion. Microprocessor circuitry is positioned in the housing portions to control operation of the electronic book. A cylindrical spine is interposed between the first and second housing portions, which are pivotally connected to the spine to be pivoted between an open condition for reading and a closed condition. A flexible display screen is fast with inner faces of the first and second housings and spans the spine. The spine defines a recess to accommodate a curvature of the screen intermediate the first and second portions, when the portions are in a closed condition.

Claims

1. An electronic book that comprises

a first housing portion;

a second housing portion;

microprocessor circuitry positioned in the housing portions to control operation of the electronic book;

a cylindrical spine interposed between the first and second housing portions, which are pivotally connected to the spine to be pivoted between an open condition for reading and a closed condition; and

a flexible display screen fast with inner faces of the first and second housings and spanning the spine, the spine defining a recess to accommodate a curvature of the screen intermediate the first and second portions, when the portions are in a closed condition.

2. An electronic book as claimed in claim 1, in which one of the housing portions defines a card slot and a card scanner is mounted in the housing and is configured to scan a card inserted into the card slot and to convert a two-dimensional pattern on the card into data signals, the card scanner being connected to the microprocessor circuitry, which is configured to convert the data signals into image data to be viewed on the screen display.

3. An electronic book, as claimed in claim 2, in which a roller mechanism is positioned in the housing proximate the card slot and is arranged to retract the card into the housing, the roller mechanism being actuated when a card is inserted into the slot.

4. An electronic book, as claimed in claim 3, in which a card insertion sensor is positioned in the housing proximate the slot to detect the insertion of the card into the slot and to generate a signal received by the microprocessor circuitry to activate the roller mechanism.

5. An electronic book as claimed in claim 1, in which the microprocessor circuitry includes a printed circuit board mounted in each housing portion and loaded with processing modules including a central processor unit, a BIOS memory integrated circuit and a RAM.

6. An electronic book, as claimed in claim 5, in which each printed circuit board is connected to the flexible display screen with conductive traces terminating in peripheral contact regions of the display.

7. An electronic book as claimed in claim 5, in which a battery compartment is positioned in the spine, the battery compartment being connected to each printed circuit board to supply power to each printed circuit board.