Interactive Electronic Book Operating Systems And Methods

• US 20080222552A1
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation Inc. (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation Inc. (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Batarseh, Issa, Oreifej, Rashad, Al-Haddad, Rawad, Haddad, Ghaith
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/776
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0291 for reading, e.g. e-books constructional details of portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/582 Pseudo-random number generators
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/185 for building block systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/186 for digital electronics; for computers, e.g. microprocessors
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/125 the stations being mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/073 all student stations being capable of presenting the same questions simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/077 different stations being capable of presenting different questions simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/901 Electronic book with display

Abstract

Interactive electronic book operating systems and methods for displaying and allowing customization of content of scientific, engineering and other technical and professional digital books. The systems and methods allow for a single screen for displaying digital books covering scientific and technical topics having a classical look and feel on operating platforms(such as portable laptops, desktops, and small handheld displays) that are capable of running the Java Virtual Machine. The display screen can include icon toolbars about the screen and/or directly on the screen to manipulate the pages and content of the digital book. The icons can allow for forward and backward page turning, generating of dynamic indexing and tables of contents, bookmarking, color themes, floating pages, highlighting, adding sticky notes, hiding selected content on the pages, quizzing the reader, lecturing the reader, tutoring the reader, showing the reader additional designs and practical relevance, and allowing the instructor to generate uniform seed numbers for problems and designs and/or allowing the instructor to generate random seed values for problems and designs.

Claims

1. An interactive electronic operating system for science, engineering and other technical and professional books, comprising:

a computer platform having a single viewing screen, the single viewing screen for displaying pages of an open book;

a digital book having contents selected from the group consisting solely of a scientific topic and a technical topic stored in the computer platform;

at least one image on the viewing screen for replicating a complete open page of the digital book;

an icon menu on the viewing screen including;

a page flipping icon on the viewing screen for allowing backward flipping of pages of the digital book, and forward flipping of pages of the digital book.

2. The interactive electronic operating system of claim 1, wherein the computer platform includes:

a portable laptop computer.

3. The interactive electronic operating system of claim 1, wherein the computer platform includes:

a desktop computer.

4. The interactive electronic operating system of claim 1, wherein the single screen includes:

a left image display for displaying a left page of an open book,

a left page flipping icon for flipping to preceding pages of the book;

a right image display for displaying a right page of the open book;

a right page flipping icon for flipping to forward pages of the open book.

5. The interactive electronic operating system of claim 1, wherein each page of the open book further comprises:

a search control for inserting at least one selected term to be found in the digital book;

a location display for displaying the location of the at least one selected searched term in the digital book; and

a detail display for displaying a phrase portion of the at least one selected searched term; and

a go to control for allowing the image on the screen to go to a page with the at least one selected term.

6. The interactive electronic operating system of claim 1, further comprising:

overlapping exposed layered page edge images on the screen that allow the user to flip forward and backward to different sections and chapters of the open book.

7. The interactive electronic operating system of claim 1, further comprising:

a dynamic index icon on the screen that allows the user to customize an index of selected words and terms, and definitions of those words and terms to an index list for the open book.

8. The interactive electronic operating system of claim 1, further comprising:

a dynamic table of contents icon on the screen that allows the user to customize a table of content of sections and chapters and parts of the open book.

9. The interactive electronic operating system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sticky notes icon on the screen for allowing the user to customize note pages with material selected from the group consisting of text, images, equations and designs, on any selected page of the open book.

10. The interactive electronic operating system of claim 1, further comprising:

a hiding icon on the screen that allows the user to selectively block out portions of words, phrases, paragraphs, details of any page of the open book at any time.

11. The interactive electronic operating system of claim 1, further comprising:

a quiz me icon on the screen that allows the user to selectively take interactive tests on any section and chapter of the open book.

12. The interactive electronic operating system of claim 1, further comprising:

a tutor me icon on the screen that allows the user to be interactively tutored with additional teaching materials on any section and chapter of the open book.

13. The interactive electronic operating System of claim 1, further comprising:

a lecture me icon on the screen that allows the user to be lectured with additional teaching materials on any section and chapter of the open book.

14. The interactive electronic operating system of claim 1, further comprising:

a show me design icon on the screen that allows the user to selectively be shown additional designs in any page and any section and chapter of the open book.

15. The interactive electronic operating system of claim 1, further comprising:

a seed generator icon on the screen that allows an instructor to selectively insert a different selected value for at least one problem or design in the open book.

16. The interactive electronic operating system of claim 1, further comprising:

a seed generator icon on the screen that allows an instructor to selectively insert a random generated value for at least one problem or design in the open book.

17. The interactive electronic operating system of claim 1, wherein the computer platform runs the Java Virtual Machine program.

18. An interactive electronic book operating method, comprising the steps of:

providing a computer platform with a single display screen;

downloading a complete digital book from the group consisting solely of a science book topic and a technical book topic onto the computer platform;

opening the complete book on the single display screen;

displaying at least one page of the open book on the single display screen; and

flipping to forward pages of the book; and

flipping to previous pages of the book.

19. The interactive electronic book operating method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

providing a forward and backward frame icon on the screen that allow the user to flip forward and backward to different sections and chapters of the open book;

providing a dynamic indexing icon on the screen, that allows the user to customize an index of selected words and terms, and definitions of those words and terms to an index list for the open book;

providing a dynamic table of contents icon on the screen that allows the user to customize a table of content of sections and chapters and parts of the open book; and

providing a sticky notes icon on the screen for allowing the user to customize note pages with material on any selected page of the open book.

20. The interactive electronic book operating method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

providing a hiding icon on the screen that allows the user to selectively block out portions of words, phrases, paragraphs, details of any page of the open book at any time.

21. The interactive electronic book operating method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

providing a quiz me icon on the screen that allows the user to selectively take interactive tests on any section and chapter of the open book; and

providing a tutor me icon on the screen that allows the user to be interactively tutored with additional teaching materials on any section and chapter of the open book.

22. The interactive electronic book operating method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

providing a lecture me icon on the screen that allows the user to be lectured with additional teaching materials on any section and chapter of the open book; and

providing a show me design icon on the screen that allows the user to selectively be shown additional designs in any page and any section and chapter of the open book.

23. The interactive electronic book operating method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

providing a seed generator icon on the screen that allows an instructor to selectively insert a different value for at least one problem or design in the open book.

24. The interactive electronic book operating method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

providing a seed generator icon on the screen that allows an instructor to selectively insert, a random generated value for at least one problem or design in the open book.

25. The interactive electronic book operating method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

running the computer platform on a Java Virtual Machine program.