System and Method for Providing an Electronic Literature Club in a Network Environment

• US 20100306122A1
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaffer, Shmuel
• Application Number:
  US12/475,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20100306122A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/319
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving progress data associated with an end user reading an electronic piece of literature and receiving a request from the end user to interact with an additional end user about the electronic piece of literature. The method can further include identifying the additional end user who is also reading the electronic piece of literature in order to form a reading group associated with the electronic piece of literature. In more specific embodiments, the identifying further includes identifying progress data for the additional end user such that the reading group is formed of the end users who are at a similar location in the electronic piece of literature.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a service provider element that includes;

a user-tracking module configured to receive progress data associated with an end user reading an electronic piece of literature using an electronic reading device, wherein the service provider element is configured to;

receive a request from the end user to interact with an additional end user about the electronic piece of literature, and

identify the additional end user who is also reading the electronic piece of literature in order to form a reading group associated with the electronic piece of literature.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the progress data associated with the end user includes a subject associated with the electronic piece of literature and attributes that identify an academic level for the electronic piece of literature.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user-tracking module is further configured to identify progress data for the additional end user such that the reading group is formed of end users who are at a similar location in the electronic piece of literature.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a literary communications module configured to provide a communications platform for the end users to interact based on the electronic piece of literature, wherein the communications platform provides a forum in which the end users can write text to each other about the piece of electronic literature.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the communications platform is associated with a protocol, the protocol being selected from a group of protocols consisting of:

a) instant messaging;

b) e-mail;

c) video conferencing;

d) texting;

e) short message service;

f) Wi-Fi;

g) wireless communications;

h) Internet; and

i) audio communication.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the service provider element is further configured to employ a filtering operation based on input from the end user such that the reading group is narrowed through the filtering operation.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the request is generated by a single trigger from the end user, and wherein the request initiates formation of the reading group associated with the electronic piece of literature and the request is used to subsequently connect end users who are part of the reading group.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the piece of electronic literature is selected from a group of pieces of literature consisting of:

a) books;

b) magazines;

c) articles;

d) journals; and

e) newspapers.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving progress data associated with an end user reading an electronic piece of literature using an electronic reading device;

receiving a request from the end user to interact with an additional end user about the electronic piece of literature; and

identifying the additional end user who is also reading the electronic piece of literature in order to form a reading group associated with the electronic piece of literature.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifying further includes identifying progress data for the additional end user such that the reading group is formed of end users who are at a similar location in the electronic piece of literature.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the progress data associated with the end user includes a subject associated with the electronic piece of literature and attributes that identify an academic level for the electronic piece of literature.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing a communications platform for the end users to interact based on the electronic piece of literature, wherein the communications platform provides a forum in which the end users can write text to each other based on the piece of electronic literature.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifying further includes employing a filtering operation based on input from the end user such that the reading group is narrowed through the filtering operation.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

directing the reading group to converse with each other via an Instant messaging application, an e-mail application, a video conference application, a web-sharing application, or an audio application involving the electronic reading device capable of being used to read the electronic piece of literature.

15. A system, comprising:

means for receiving progress data associated with an end user reading an electronic piece of literature using an electronic reading device;

means for receiving a request from the end user to interact with an additional end user about the electronic piece of literature; and

means for identifying the additional end user who is also reading the electronic piece of literature in order to form a reading group associated with the electronic piece of literature.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for identifying further includes identifying progress data for the additional end user such that the reading group is formed of the end users who are at a similar location in the electronic piece of literature.

17. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution and when executed by a processor is operable to:

receive progress data associated with an end user reading an electronic piece of literature using an electronic reading device;

receive a request from the end user to interact with an additional end user about the electronic piece of literature; and

identify the additional end user who is also reading the electronic piece of literature in order to form a reading group associated with the electronic piece of literature.

18. The logic of claim 17, wherein the identify logic further includes logic to identify progress data for the additional end user such that the reading group is formed of the end users who are at a similar location in the electronic piece of literature.

19. The logic of claim 17, wherein the progress data associated with the end user includes a chapter and a page identification associated with the electronic piece of literature.

20. The logic of claim 17, wherein the logic is further operable to:

provide a communications platform for the end users to interact based on the electronic piece of literature, wherein the communications platform provides a forum in which the end users can write text to each other about the piece of electronic literature.