Electric display device providing emphasis and retrieval of designated information

• US 5,475,398 A
• Filed: 05/18/1994
• Issued: 12/12/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hamatani, Toshiji, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US08/245,536
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 345/104, 345/121, 345/901, 345/87, 345/98
• US Class Current: 345/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/06 combined with other apparatus having a different main function
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/10 Indicating arrangements; Warning arrangements G11B15/04, G11B19/04, G11B27/34, G11B27/36 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/121 the apparatus comprising a single recording/reproducing device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/901 Electronic book with display

Abstract

An electric device, such as an electronic book, retrieves information from a memory and displays the information. A matrix array of sensors associated with the display can be actuated by a user to designate particular portions of a displayed page. In response to the designations, flags are stored identifying the designated portions, and the appearance of the portions on the display is modified to visually highlight the portions. The page including the designation information can be immediately retrieved and displayed at a later time in response to a user instruction.

Claims

1. An electric device comprising:

a reproducing device for reading information from a first memory;

a display means for visualizing said information;

a temporary memory for temporarily storing data supplied thereto from said first memory where the amount of data which can be stored in the temporary memory is greater than the amount of data which can be displayed by said display means;

a matrix array of sensors associated with said display means which can be actuated by a user to designate particular portions of a displayed page;

emphasizing means connected to said temporary memory and said display means for receiving said user designations, for storing flags identifying the designated portions, and for modifying the appearance of said portions to visually highlight said portions during display on the display means; and

reference retrieving means connected to the display means for receiving a user instruction to recall a selected page of text containing said designated portion and for causing immediate retrieval and display on the display means of the previously designated information.

2. The electric device of claim 1 wherein said first memory is an optical disc.

3. The electric device of claim 1 further comprising a solar cell.

4. The electric device of claim 1 further comprising a lid provided with a solar cell.

5. An electric device comprising:

a reading means for reading information from a first memory;

a liquid crystal display means for visualizing said information;

a temporary memory for temporarily storing data supplied thereto from said reading means where the amount of data which can be stored in the temporary memory is greater than the amount of data which can be displayed by said display means;

a matrix array of sensors associated with said display means which can be actuated by a user to designate particular portions of a displayed page;

emphasizing means connected to said temporary memory and said display means for receiving said user designations, for storing flags identifying the designated portions, and for modifying the appearance of said portions to visually highlight said portions during display on the display means; and

reference retrieving means connected to the display means for receiving a user instruction to recall a selected page of text containing said designated portion and for causing immediate retrieval and display on the display means of the previously designated information.

6. The electric device of claim 5 further comprising a solar cell.

7. The electric device of claim 5 further comprising a lid provided with a solar cell.

8. The electric device of claim 5 wherein said reading means includes a terminal through which said information is supplied from an external memory.