Personal electronic book system
First Claim
1. A Personal Electronic Book System wherein a Personal Electronic Book comprising a display, a memory storage means, an identification code, and a communications means;
- said communications means linking said Personal Electronic Book to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and via said PSTN to an on-line bookstore, provides, in combination, for the storage, transmission, reception and display of electronically stored publications, wherein the improvement comprises;
two abutting touch-sensitive display screens wherein each of said display screens can display a full-page of a page composition formatted publication in its original page layout and format;
wherein said abutting touch-sensitive display screens arc mounted on a pair of peripherally framed, book-shaped, rectangular cases, hinged together so as to open and close in the manner of a printed book;
a hinge means to mechanically connect the right side of a front case to the left side of a back case, comprising a plurality of hinges so that when the Personal Electronic Book is opened the left and right touchscreen displays abut and present an appearance similar to that of an open printed book;
wherein said communication means comprises a communications interface;
said communications interface automatically dialing out over the PSTN to access said on-line bookstore;
an electronic processing means to control and monitor the operations of the Personal Electronic Book in accordance with user requests and for downloading page composition formatted publications;
wherein said identification code is a unique security identification code that is embedded in a security circuit;
said security identification code being used to identify a particular Personal Electronic Book unit to said on-line bookstore;
said security identification code being further used to code said memory storage means to a particular Personal Electronic Book unit so that the page composition formatted information downloaded to and stored in said memory storage means can only be accessed by the Personal Electronic Book unit that downloaded the information from the on-line bookstore;
said memory storage means further comprising a removable, updateable ROM installed in a memory card slot;
wherein said updateable ROM is coded so that the information stored in said updateable ROM can only be accessed by the Personal Electronic Book unit that downloaded the information from the on-line bookstore;
said electronic processing means further comprising touchscreen controllers and a display controller;
an internal power unit comprising an internal rechargeable battery and power and charging circuits that interface to an AC adapter/charger unit;
said power and charging circuits controlling the charging of said internal battery when the Personal Electronic Book is connected to an external AC adapter/charger device via the AC adapter/charger jack and controlling switchover between battery power and external AC line power when said AC power is available via the AC adapter/charger unit; and
wherein said Personal Electronic Book (1) is configured into a handheld, portable unit.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The Personal Electronic Book System invention replaces a standard handheld book with an electronic equivalent. The invention is sized and configured to be book size and to open like a book for use. When opened, the user sees two facing page-like touch-sensitive, display screens with black print on white background. Icons represent the electronically stored material, "artwork, audio clips, books, E-mail, faxes, games, magazines, movies, musical compositions, newspapers, photographs, software, video clips, etc.", which are selected by touching the icon. When a book, magazine, newspaper, or the like is selected, its table of contents is displayed and the user can then read page by page or go directly to a particular page by touching the selection listed in the table of contents. Closing the Personal Electronic Book automatically shuts down the device. Touching a page number before closing the Personal Electronic Book inserts a bookmark so that when the Personal Electronic Book is re-opened, the user is returned to the same page. New printed or multimedia material can be downloaded from an remote server, that is, "a bookstore," and old material, books read, etc., can be deleted to make room for the new material.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A Personal Electronic Book System wherein a Personal Electronic Book comprising a display, a memory storage means, an identification code, and a communications means;
- said communications means linking said Personal Electronic Book to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and via said PSTN to an on-line bookstore, provides, in combination, for the storage, transmission, reception and display of electronically stored publications, wherein the improvement comprises;
two abutting touch-sensitive display screens wherein each of said display screens can display a full-page of a page composition formatted publication in its original page layout and format; wherein said abutting touch-sensitive display screens arc mounted on a pair of peripherally framed, book-shaped, rectangular cases, hinged together so as to open and close in the manner of a printed book; a hinge means to mechanically connect the right side of a front case to the left side of a back case, comprising a plurality of hinges so that when the Personal Electronic Book is opened the left and right touchscreen displays abut and present an appearance similar to that of an open printed book; wherein said communication means comprises a communications interface;
said communications interface automatically dialing out over the PSTN to access said on-line bookstore;an electronic processing means to control and monitor the operations of the Personal Electronic Book in accordance with user requests and for downloading page composition formatted publications; wherein said identification code is a unique security identification code that is embedded in a security circuit; said security identification code being used to identify a particular Personal Electronic Book unit to said on-line bookstore; said security identification code being further used to code said memory storage means to a particular Personal Electronic Book unit so that the page composition formatted information downloaded to and stored in said memory storage means can only be accessed by the Personal Electronic Book unit that downloaded the information from the on-line bookstore; said memory storage means further comprising a removable, updateable ROM installed in a memory card slot; wherein said updateable ROM is coded so that the information stored in said updateable ROM can only be accessed by the Personal Electronic Book unit that downloaded the information from the on-line bookstore; said electronic processing means further comprising touchscreen controllers and a display controller; an internal power unit comprising an internal rechargeable battery and power and charging circuits that interface to an AC adapter/charger unit; said power and charging circuits controlling the charging of said internal battery when the Personal Electronic Book is connected to an external AC adapter/charger device via the AC adapter/charger jack and controlling switchover between battery power and external AC line power when said AC power is available via the AC adapter/charger unit; and wherein said Personal Electronic Book (1) is configured into a handheld, portable unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
- said communications means linking said Personal Electronic Book to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and via said PSTN to an on-line bookstore, provides, in combination, for the storage, transmission, reception and display of electronically stored publications, wherein the improvement comprises;
-
11. A method for requesting a publication, downloading said publication and viewing said publication on the abutting touch-sensitive display screens of a Personal Electronic Book, said method comprising:
-
A. opening said Personal Electronic Book in the same fashion as opening a printed book;
said Personal Electronic Book automatically applying power to itself and displaying facing pages of icons;B. touching a bookstore icon to initiate communications with an on-line bookstore; C. entering a user identification code by touching the appropriate characters on a displayed keyboard; D. automatically dialing up said bookstore from said Personal Electronic Book and connecting via a public switched telephone network; E. automatically establishing communications between said Personal Electronic Book and said bookstore; F. using a security circuit in said Personal Electronic Book to automatically transmit a unique Personal Electronic Book security identification code to said bookstore; G. verifying said security identification code by said bookstore H. terminating communications if said security identification code is invalid; I. automatically transmitting a user identification code entered by the user into said Personal Electronic Book to said bookstore; J. verifying said user identification code by said bookstore; K. terminating communications if said user identification code is invalid; L. transmitting a welcome screen from said bookstore to said Personal Electronic Book when said codes are valid; M. displaying said welcome screen comprised of icons representing a public domain library, an English language bookstore, a foreign languages bookstore, a multimedia bookstore, and subscription services on said Personal Electronic Book; N. touching the icon representing the desired category of publications or services desired; O. transmitting information representing the publication and multimedia product selections and services available from said bookstore and said Personal Electronic Book receiving and displaying said information; P. a user'"'"'s search through said publication and multimedia product selections and touching a publication or multimedia product of interest; Q. communicating said selection from said Personal Electronic Book to said bookstore; R. transmitting a description of selected publication or multimedia product and price information from said bookstore to said Personal Electronic Book where said information is displayed; S. ordering said selection by user touching a confirmation icon and said Personal Electronic Book transmitting this confirming request to said bookstore; T. downloading said selection ordered from said bookstore in compressed format and said Personal Electronic Book receiving and storing said selected publication in an updateable ROM storage device wherein the information stored in said updateable ROM is coded so that said information can only be accessed by the Personal Electronic Book unit that downloaded the information from the on-line bookstore; and
automatically terminating communications with said bookstore;U. displaying an icon representing the newly downloaded publication in addition to icons for other publications and products also stored in said updateable ROM storage device; V. touching the icon representing the new publication and the Personal Electronic Book displaying the publication as two facing pages with printed text and graphics being displayed in their original page layout, format and color; W. paging through the publication by user touching a right corner of the touchscreen to page ahead and touching a left corner to page backward; X. placing a bookmark at the current page by user touching the page number and closing said Personal Electronic Book. - View Dependent Claims (12)
-
Specification