Computer-aided methods and systems for e-books

• US 20110087955A1
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iplcontent, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ho Chi Fai, Peter P. Tong
• Inventors: Tong, Peter P., Ho, Chi Fai
• Granted Patent: US 9,330,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0291 for reading, e.g. e-books constructional details of portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/114 Pagination
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/123 Storage facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

One embodiment includes a portable e-book reading device for reading a paginated e-book, where each page includes one or more sections, with at least one section including a piece of text linked to an illustration. The device includes a controller, a display and a screen layout module coupled to the controller and the display. The module can be configured to layout the at least one section of the e-book at least by keeping the piece of text with the illustration to be displayed in one screen of the display, and to maintain the pagination if a page is in more than one screen of the display. Another embodiment includes a paginated e-book with a text sub file, an illustration sub file and a logic sub file. The text sub file can store at least one piece of text and an attribute regarding the text. The illustration sub file can store at least an illustration and an attribute regarding the illustration. Either the text sub file or the illustration sub file includes position information linking the illustration to a corresponding piece of text in the text sub file. The logic sub file can include a rule to instruct an e-book reading device on how a section of the e-book should be displayed on a screen of a display at the device. Yet another embodiment includes an e-book with a logic sub file that can analyze an attribute of and provide a response to the reader.

Claims

1. A portable e-book reading device for reading a paginated e-book, where each page includes one or more sections, with at least one section including a piece of text linked to an illustration, the device comprising:

a controller;

a display configured to show a plurality of screens; and

a screen layout module coupled to the controller and the display, the module being configured to layout the at least one section of the e-book at least by keeping the piece of text with the illustration to be displayed in one screen of the display, and to maintain the pagination if a page is in more than one screen of the display.

2. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1,

wherein the illustration is selected from the list of an animation and a video, and

wherein the illustration is configured to be displayed in a screen of the display.

3. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1, wherein the device includes at least two displays.

4. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 3, wherein one of the two displays is for text, and another one of the two displays is for illustration.

5. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 3,

wherein the device includes an input mechanism configured to allow a reader to provide an input into the device;

and

wherein one of the two displays is for reading, and another one of the two displays is for the reader to annotate via the input mechanism.

6. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a note selector configured to retrieve an annotation for the e-book, with position information regarding the annotation,

wherein the screen layout module is configured to assemble the annotation into the e-book for display using the position information.

7. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 6,

wherein the annotation is configured to be linked to a corresponding section of the e-book,

wherein the screen layout module is configured to determine if there is sufficient space in a screen to display the annotation, and

wherein if there is insufficient space, the annotation with the corresponding section are moved to another screen.

8. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a note editor configured to assemble an annotation entered by a reader through an input mechanism at the device,

wherein the editor is configured to link the annotation to a section of the e-book, as specified by the reader.

9. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1, wherein the e-book comprises:

a text sub file to store at least one piece of text, together with at least an attribute regarding the at least one piece of text;

an illustration sub file to store at least an illustration, together with at least an attribute regarding the illustration; and

a logic sub file including at least one rule to instruct the screen layout module on how a section the e-book should be displayed on a screen,

wherein either the text sub file or the illustration sub file includes a piece of position information linking the illustration to a corresponding piece of text in the text sub file.

10. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1, wherein the device is enabled to access information regarding a plurality of annotations for the reader to search for one or more annotations to be added into the e-book.

11. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 10, wherein the searched results depend on an interest of the reader.

12. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a reader monitor configured to monitor an attribute of the reader.

13. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 12, wherein the attribute is related to the reader'"'"'s behavior in reading the e-book via the reading device.

14. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 12, wherein the attribute is related to an image of the reader.

15. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1, wherein the screen layout module is configured to scale an illustration in view of available space in a screen.

16. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1, wherein the screen layout module is configured to assemble contents in a screen for a later part of the e-book as an earlier part of the e-book is currently shown on a screen.

17. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1, wherein the screen layout module layouts contents in a screen for a page with text comprising:

determining the size of the screen of the display;

retrieving a pre-determined font size for the text;

retrieving at least a section of the page to be displayed;

calculating the logical position of the section in the screen;

based on the calculation, determining if the screen has sufficient space to display the section;

if there is sufficient space, displaying the section of text; and

if there is insufficient space, moving the section to another screen.

18. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1,

wherein a screen is separated into at least a first part and a second part,

wherein the first part of the screen is configured to be reserved to display text, and

wherein the second part of the screen is configured to be reserved to display illustration.

19. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a reader analyzer configured to analyze information captured by the device regarding the reader to determine at least one attribute of the reader.

20. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 19, wherein the reader analyzer is configured to determine the reader'"'"'s understanding or interest level regarding at least one area of the e-book.

21. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 19, wherein in determining the attribute, the analyzer is configured to compare an attribute of the reader to an average measurement of the attribute from a plurality of readers.

22. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 19 further comprising a reader responder configured to respond to the reader based on the at least one attribute of the reader.

23. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a reader responder configured to provide additional materials related to an area of the e-book to the reader in view of at least an attribute of the reader.

24. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 23, wherein the additional materials review certain materials in the e-book previously displayed to the reader.

25. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a reader responder configured to restrict the reader from an activity under a pre-determined condition in view of at least an attribute of the reader.

26. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a reader responder configured to guide to the reader a product or a service the reader is interested in.

27. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a speaker, wherein the e-book is configured to be read to the reader via the speaker.

28. A portable e-book reading device as recited in claim 27, wherein the speaker is configured to read the page numbers as the e-book is being read.

29. An e-book comprising:

a text sub file to store at least one piece of text, together with at least an attribute regarding the at least one piece of text;

an illustration sub file to store at least an illustration, together with at least an attribute regarding the illustration; and

a logic sub file including at least one rule to instruct an e-book reading device on how a section the e-book should be displayed on a screen of a display at the device,

wherein either the text sub file or the illustration sub file includes a piece of position information linking the illustration to a corresponding piece of text in the text sub file, and

wherein the e-book is paginated, where each page includes one or more sections, with at least one section including a piece of text linked to an illustration.

30. An e-book as recited in claim 29 further comprising an auxiliary sub file configured to include an annotation with position information related to where the annotation is to be positioned in the e-book.

31. An e-book as recited in claim 29 further comprising a reader analyzer configured to analyze information regarding the reader to determine an attribute of the reader.

32. An e-book as recited in claim 31, wherein the reader analyzer is being downloaded into the e-book reading device to be used by the reading device.

33. An e-book as recited in claim 29 further comprising a reader responder configured to respond to the reader based on at least an attribute of the reader.

34. An e-book as recited in claim 33,

wherein in view of the at least one attribute of the reader, the reader is categorized into one of a plurality of categories, and

wherein the responder is configured to select a section out of a plurality of sections of the e-book to be displayed to the reader depending on the category the reader has been categorized.

35. An e-book as recited in claim 33,

wherein in view of the at least one attribute of the reader, the reader is categorized into one of a plurality of categories, and

wherein the responder is configured to select a meaning out of a plurality of meanings of a word in the e-book depending on the category the reader has been categorized.

36. An e-book as recited in claim 29 further comprising a screen layout module to help layout at least a section of the e-book to be displayed by the e-book reading device.

37. An e-book as recited in claim 29 further comprising:

a functionality for reading the e-book,

wherein the functionality is configured to be downloaded to the e-book reading device to be used by the reading device.

38. An e-book for a reader comprising:

a text sub file to store at least a piece of text, together with at least an attribute regarding the piece of text; and

a logic sub file including a set of instructions to instruct an e-book reading device on a functionality regarding reading the e-book at the device,

wherein the functionality includes analyzing an attribute of the reader regarding reading the e-book, and providing a response to the reader via the device in view of the attribute analyzed.

39. An e-book for a reader as recited in claim 38 further comprising:

an illustration sub file to store at least an illustration, together with at least an attribute regarding the illustration,

wherein either the text sub file or the illustration sub file includes a piece of position information linking the illustration to an area at the at least a piece of text.