Electronic book reader

• US 20120233539A1
• Filed: 03/12/2012
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael J. Reed
• Original Assignee: Michael J. Reed
• Inventors: Reed, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,918,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/137 Hierarchical processing, e.g. outlines

Abstract

An electronic book reader has an electronic book loaded in memory. The electronic book includes text, as well as markup tags around certain text portions. The markup tags indicate the availability of and link to supplemental content. A touch screen display allows a user to select a category of supplemental content or linked text. The display will show links for the category of content selected by the user, or will show categories of content for the linked text selected by the user.

Claims

1. An electronic book reader comprising:

a processor;

an input device for receiving input from a user;

an output device for providing output to a user;

a memory having stored therein;

electronic book data, the electronic book data including primary content divided into primary content units, and markup tags identifying primary content units having associated therewith supplementary content;

the markup tags comprising a supplementary content species and a supplementary content pointer;

software instructions that when executed instruct the processor to;

format the electronic book data for display on the output device;

display a portion of the formatted data on the output device;

receive an input command from the user, the input command specifying a species of supplementary content the user has selected for viewing;

locate markup tags having a content species matching the content species specified by the user;

highlight primary content units associated with the located markup tags;

receive from the user a selection command selecting a highlighted primary content unit;

read the markup tag associated with the selected primary content unit; and

display the supplementary content identified by the supplementary content pointer of the read markup tag.

2. The electronic book reader of claim 1 further comprising a network interface communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to provide communication with a remote electronic book service.