Method and apparatus for viewing electronic reading materials

• US 5,956,034 A
• Filed: 08/13/1996
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SoftBook Press, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Sachs, James, Pomeroy, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): KATBAB, ABDOLLAH
• Application Number:
  US08/693,678
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 345/339, 345/348, 345/349, 345/350, 345/901, 380/4, 380/49
• US Class Current: 715/776
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0283 for data storage and retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/008 Public Key, Asymmetric Key, Asymmetric Encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An electronic publication publishing and distribution system is provided for dissemination of written materials that can be read on a portable electronic book. A host computer contains an inventory of written materials in electronic form, that can be selected and then downloaded into the portable electronic book'"'"'s memory. The host computer keeps track of the transactions, and encodes the data prior to downloading, using an encryption system involving a security number that is unique to the portable electronic book. The encrypted data cannot be decrypted until it is resident in the memory of the portable electronic book. Upon receipt of the encrypted data, the portable electronic book decrypts the data, and can display the text of the original material on its display screen. The portable electronic book has a central processing unit with an operating system for controlling the functions of the portable electronic book. There is non-volatile electronic memory storage for retaining publications in the portable electronic book. A plurality of electronic keys is provided in the portable electronic book that corresponds to graphical representations such as icons on the portable electronic book display adjacent to each key. These keys are integral to the user interface for controlling the devices.

Claims

1. A portable electronic book for retrieving textual information stored in a remotely located host computer and for displaying the retrieved textual information, the retrieved textual information including graphics and pictures, the portable electronic book comprising:

a housing including a display screen for displaying the retrieved textual information on display pages, the housing having a plurality of function keys corresponding to functions provided by the electronic book in retrieving and displaying the textual information, some of the functions being represented by icons displayed on a display page of the display screen, the icons displayed on the display page varying in accordance to the function selected;

memory for storing the retrieved textual information and information related to the icons for display on a display page, the memory storing a unique code number associated only with the electronic book; and

a processor coupled to the memory and display screen for controlling the retrieval and display of the retrieved textual information, the processor receiving input from the function keys and for controlling the display of the icons on the display screen;

wherein the retrieved textual information is rendered readable by the unique code number, the retrieved textual information being readable only by the corresponding portable electronic book.

2. The portable electronic book of claim 1, further comprising a modem for retrieving textual information stored in the host computer, the modem transmitting to the host computer a request for selected textual information and receiving the selected textual information transmitted by the host computer over a transmission medium.

3. The portable electronic book of claim 2, wherein the icons displayed on the display page includes an icon representing the retrieval of the selected textual information through the modem.

4. The portable electronic book of claim 1, wherein the retrieved textual information is encrypted with a key code, the key code being related to the unique code number of the portable electronic book.

5. The portable electronic book of claim 1, wherein the icons displayed on the display page include a first icon representing the display of a subsequent display page and a second icon representing the display of a previous display page.

6. The portable electronic book of claim 1, wherein the icons displayed on the display page include a first icon representing the marking of the display page, a second icon representing the changing of fonts of text displayed on the display page, a third icon representing the underlining of text displayed on the display page and a fourth icon representing the deletion of selected textual information.

7. The portable electronic book of claim 1, wherein a set of the function keys is located on the display screen, the display screen being touch-sensitive, each function key of said set of the function keys being selected by touching the respective screen location.

8. The portable electronic book of claim 7 further comprises a touch-sensitive pen for selecting a function key or icon displayed on the touch-sensitive display screen.

9. A system for distributing textual information, comprising:

a host computer having a host memory for storing a plurality of textual information units and a list of code numbers, the host computer receiving a request for a selected textual information unit;

a first modem coupled to the host computer for transmitting a copy of the selected textual information unit over a transmission medium;

a second modem for transmitting the request and for receiving the transmitted copy of the selected textual information unit over the transmission medium; and

a portable electronic book coupled to the second modem for generating the request and displaying the received copy of the selected textual information unit, the portable electronic book being remotely located from the host computer, the portable electronic book comprising;

a housing including a display screen for displaying textual information on display pages, the housing having a plurality of function keys corresponding to functions provided by the electronic book in generating the request and displaying the received copy of the selected textual information unit, some of the functions being represented by icons displayed on a display page of the display screen, the icons displayed on the display page varying in accordance to a selected function;

memory for storing the received copy of the selected textual information unit and information related to the icons for display on a display page, the memory including a unique code number related to a key code, the key code being transmitted along with the request for the selected textual information unit; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the display screen for controlling the retrieval and display of the received copy of the selected textual information unit, the processor receiving input from the function keys and for controlling the display of the icons on the display screen;

wherein the host computer transmits a copy of the selected textual information unit to the portable electronic book after validating the identity of the portable electronic book by matching the key code with one code number in the list of code numbers, the transmitted copy of the selected textual information unit being readable only by the portable electronic book.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the icons displayed on the display page of the portable electronic book includes an icon representing the retrieval of the copy of the selected textual information unit through the modem.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the icons displayed on the display page of the portable electronic book include a first icon representing the display of a subsequent display page and a second icon representing the display of a previous display page.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the icons displayed on the display page of the portable electronic book include a first icon representing the marking of the display page, a second icon representing the changing of fonts of text displayed on the display page, a third icon representing the underlining of text displayed on the display page and a fourth icon representing the deletion of selected textual information.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein a set of the function keys is located on the display screen, the display screen being touch-sensitive, each function key of said set of the function keys being selected by touching the respective screen location.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the portable electronic book further comprises a touch-sensitive pen for selecting a function key or icon displayed on the touch-sensitive display screen.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the host computer is a world wide website.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the transmitted copy of the selected textual information unit is encrypted and compressed prior to transmission.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the transmitted copy of the selected textual information is decrypted and decompressed by the portable electronic book.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the display screen is selected from a group consisting of:

a liquid crystal display, a cathode ray tube and an electro-luminescent display.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the second modem is an integral part of the portable electronic book.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of textual information units contains copyrighted material.

21. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to selectively purge a portion of the received copy of the selected textual information unit from the memory.

22. The system of claim 9, wherein the host computer maintains a record of each copy of the textual information unit, said copy being transmitted from the host memory.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said record includes an identification of a recipient of said transmitted copy of the textual information unit.

24. A method for retrieving textual information stored in a remotely located host computer and for displaying the retrieved textual information on a display screen of a portable electronic book, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, over a transmission medium, from a first modem coupled to the portable electronic book, a request for the textual information along with a key code indicating the identity of the portable electronic book, the key code being related to a unique code number associated with the portable electronic book;

receiving the request over the transmission medium using a second modem coupled to the host computer;

validating the identity of the portable electronic book by verifying the key code;

transmitting from the second modem, an encrypted copy of the textual information;

receiving the encrypted copy of the textual information using the first modem;

decrypting the received encrypted copy of the textual information using the unique code number, the received encrypted copy of the textual information being readable only by the portable electronic book;

storing in a memory of the portable electronic book the decrypted textual information and information related to icons for display on a display page, the icons being representative of functions provided by the portable electronic book;

providing a plurality of function keys corresponding to functions provided by the electronic book in retrieving textual information and in displaying the stored textual information;

displaying a portion of the stored textual information and icons on a first display page, the icons displayed on the first and each subsequent display page varying in accordance to the function selected;

selecting a function key corresponding to the icons displayed on the first display page; and

displaying a portion of the stored textual information in response to the selected function key.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of displaying an icon representing the retrieval of the encrypted copy of the textual information through the first modem.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of displaying the icons on the display page includes displaying a first icon representing the display of a subsequent display page and a second icon representing the display of a previous display page.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of displaying the icons displayed on the display page includes displaying a first icon representing the marking of the display page, a second icon representing the changing of fonts of text displayed on the display page, a third icon representing the underlining of text displayed on the display page and a fourth icon representing the deletion of a selected portion of the stored textual information.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of selecting a function key includes selecting the function key by touching a corresponding icon.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of selecting a function key includes selecting the function key by using a touch-sensitive pen.

30. A portable electronic book for retrieving textual information stored in a remotely located host computer and for displaying the retrieved textual information, the portable electronic book comprising:

a housing including a touch-sensitive display screen for displaying the retrieved textual information in a readable form on display pages, the housing having a plurality of function keys corresponding to functions provided by the electronic book in retrieving textual information stored in the host computer and in displaying the retrieved textual information, a set of the function keys being located on the display screen, each function key of said set of the function keys being selected by touching the respective screen location, some of the functions being represented by icons displayed on a display page of the display screen, the icons displayed on the display page varying in accordance to a selected function;

memory for storing the retrieved textual information, the memory including a unique code number associated with the portable electronic book;

a processor coupled to the memory and display screen for controlling the retrieval of textual information stored in the host computer and the display of the retrieved textual information, the processor receiving input from the function keys; and

a modulator and demodulator circuit for transmitting to the host computer a request for the textual information and for receiving the requested textual information transmitted over a transmission medium, the transmitted textual information being encrypted with a key code, the key code being related to the unique code number associated with the portable electronic book.

31. The portable electronic book of claim 30, wherein the display screen is selected from a group consisting of:

a liquid crystal display, a cathode ray tube and an electro-luminescent display.

32. The portable electronic book of claim 30, wherein the housing further comprises a pen and a digitizer screen that is overlaid on the display screen.

33. The portable electronic book of claim 30, wherein the display screen further displays graphics, and wherein the processor further controls the retrieval and display of graphics.

34. The portable electronic book of claim 30, wherein the retrieved textual information contains copyrighted material.

35. The portable electronic book of claim 30, wherein said processor is further configured to selectively purge textual information from said memory.

36. A method for distributing textual information, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of textual information units in a host memory residing in a host computer;

transmitting, over a transmission medium, from a first modem coupled to a portable electronic book, a request for a selected textual information unit along with a key code indicating the identity of the portable electronic book, the key code being related to a unique code number associated with the portable electronic book;

receiving the request over the transmission medium using a second modem coupled to the host computer;

validating the identity of the portable electronic book by verifying the key code;

transmitting from the second modem, an encrypted copy of the selected textual information unit;

receiving the encrypted copy of the selected textual information unit using the first modem;

storing the received textual information unit in the portable electronic book, the portable electronic book comprising;

a housing including a touch-sensitive display screen to display the stored textual information unit on display pages, the housing including a plurality of function keys corresponding to functions provided by the portable electronic book in retrieving the selected textual information unit from the host computer and in displaying the stored textual information unit, a set of the function keys being located on the display screen, each function key of said set of the function keys being selected by touching the respective screen location, some of the functions being represented by icons displayed on a display page of the display screen, the icons displayed on the display page varying in accordance to a selected function;

memory for storing the received textual information unit and the unique code number; and

a processor coupled to the memory and display screen for controlling the retrieval of the selected textual information unit from the host computer and the display of the stored textual information unit, the processor receiving input from the function keys; and

decrypting for display the received encrypted copy of the selected textual information unit using the unique code number, the received encrypted copy of the textual information being readable only by the portable electronic book.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of compressing a copy of the selected textual information unit prior to encryption and transmission.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising the step of decompressing the decrypted textual information unit for display by the portable electronic book.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the portable electronic book housing further comprises a pen and a digitizer screen, the digitizer screen being overlaid on the display screen.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the plurality of textual information units stored in the host memory includes copyrighted material.

41. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of selectively purging a portion of the stored textual information unit from said memory.

42. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of maintaining a record of each copy of each textual information unit, said copy being transmitted from said host memory.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said record of each transmitted copy of each textual information unit includes an identification of a recipient of said transmitted copy.