SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING AN ELECTRONIC READER HAVING INTERACTIVE AND EDUCATIONAL FEATURES

• US 20090239202A1
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyce S. Stone
• Original Assignee: Joyce S. Stone
• Inventors: Stone, Joyce S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,355,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/178
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic reader. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for providing an electronic reader having interactive and educational features. Generally, the electronic reader allows a user to view text on a visually perceptible output device (e.g., a screen) and to interact with the electronic reader through a tactile input device (e.g., a mouse). The user selects and, thereby, visually and/or audibly emphasizes words in the text through the use of the tactile input device. In some cases, the electronic reader records and reports the words that the user selects. Additionally, in some cases, pages of text displayed on the visually perceptible output device can be peeled back to reveal additional pages of text.

Claims

1. A method for electronic reading, the method comprising:

providing a text disposed for digital access within a computer system that has a tactile input device and a visually perceptible output device;

displaying a first page of the text on the visually perceptible output device; and

turning the first page to reveal a second page of the text by peeling a first perimeter of the first page away from its original position.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising peeling the first perimeter of the first page over to a corresponding and opposite perimeter of the first page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first perimeter of the first page is selected from an upper-right-hand corner, a lower-right-hand corner, an upper-left-hand-corner, a lower-left hand corner, an upper edge, a lower edge, a right-hand edge, and a left-hand edge.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the first perimeter to curl back from its original position when a user soft selects the perimeter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the turning of the first page is caused by hard selecting the first perimeter.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising emphasizing a word of the text when the word is selected through the use of the tactile input device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the word is visually emphasized when selected through a soft select from the tactile input device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the word is audibly emphasized when selected through a hard select received through the tactile input device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the hard select comprises passing a pointer over the word from the left.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the word is audibly emphasized without being selected.

11. A method for electronic reading, the method comprising:

providing a text disposed for digital access within a computer system that has a tactile input device and a visually perceptible output device;

displaying a first page of the text on the visually perceptible output device; and

emphasizing a word of the text when the word is selected through the use of the tactile input device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the word is visually emphasized when selected through a soft select from the tactile input device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the word is audibly emphasized when selected through a hard select received through the tactile input device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the hard select comprises passing a pointer over the word from the left.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the hard select requires more than passing a pointer over the word from a direction.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the word is automatically audibly emphasized without being selected.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing a report containing information selected from information associated with a user and information associated with the text.

18. A computer program product for implementing within a computer system a method for electronic reading, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium for providing computer program code means utilized to implement the method, wherein the computer program code means is comprised of executable code for implementing the steps for;

providing a text disposed for digital access within a computer system that has a tactile input device and a visually perceptible output device;

displaying a first page of the text on the visually perceptible output device; and

emphasizing a word of the text when the word is selected through the use of the tactile input device.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising executable code for turning the first page to reveal a second page of the text by peeling a first perimeter of the first page away from its original position.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising executable code for visually emphasizing the word when the word is selected through a soft select from the tactile input device.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising executable code for audibly emphasizing the word when the word is selected through a hard select from the tactile input device.