Electronic book electronic links

• US 7,401,286 B1
• Filed: 01/27/1999
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adrea LLC (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Discovery Communications, Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hendricks, John S., Asmussen, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Quoc A
• Application Number:
  US09/237,828
• Time in Patent Office: 3,457 Days
• Field of Search: 715/501.1, 715/515, 715/513, 715/530
• US Class Current: 715/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/137 Hierarchical processing, e.g. outlines
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

An electronic book selection and delivery system distributes text to subscribers. The system includes the ability to use electronic links as well as a system for creating electronic links between specific electronic books and other electronic files. The links may be used or accessed by a menu system or by operation of a cursor and a select button. The other electronic files could be portions of a specific electronic book, such as a Table of Contents. The other electronic files could also exist external to a specific electronic book. For example, definitions provided in an electronic English-language dictionary could be linked to terms contained in an electronic book. The electronic links may be created by the book publisher or may be subscriber-defined. The links may use standard programming language such as hypertext markup language (HTML). The links may be established through use of a relational database.

Claims

1. An electronic book system tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium, comprising:

an electronic book; and

a menu system, the menu system including;

a help menu, wherein the help menu provides instructions for using the menu system; and

a show links menu, wherein when selected, the show links menu displays a link type menu that includes audio clip links, graphics file links, definition links, language translation links, book order links, book review links, related discussion group links, pronunciation links, data base links, other book links, and book selection links.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each component of actual text on a page of the electronic book may have one or more links to additional components.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein a desired link type is selected by highlighting the desired link type from the link type menu with a cursor and operating a select button, and wherein when the desired link type is selected, all links of the selected type that exist on a displayed page of the electronic book are highlighted.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the links of the selected type are highlighted in a color that is different from other colors the displayed page of the electronic book.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the links of the selected link type are displayed in a font that is different from other fonts on the displayed page of the electronic book.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the links of the selected link type are highlighted by displaying the links in one of a bold typeface, an italics typeface, and an underlined typeface.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein a desired link is activated by selecting a desired highlighted link from the displayed page of the electronic book using the cursor and operating the select button.

8. The electronic book system of claim 1, wherein the components in the links menu are electronically stored at a location where electronic books are orderable and purchasable.

9. A method for linking electronic files to electronic books, comprising:

identifying a selectable text element that is a section of actual text in a first electronic book;

associating an electronic file with the selectable text element, wherein the associating step creates an electronic link;

repeating the identifying and associating steps, thereby creating multiple electronic links, each electronic link having a corresponding selectable text element and a corresponding electronic file; and

providing a links menu, wherein the links menu is capable of displaying all of the available corresponding electronic links associated with a selected one of the selectable text elements in the first electronic book,

wherein the links menu displays all of the available corresponding electronic link types for a displayed page in the first electronic book, and, when a desired electronic link type is selected from the links menu, only the available corresponding electronic links of the selected link type are displayed on the page.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the electronic books are stored in an electronic book unit.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the electronic book unit comprises:

a memory that stores the electronic books and associated electronic files;

a display that displays the electronic books and the electronic files;

a control unit adapted to receive commands from a user; and

a controller that controls operation of the electronic book unit and activation of the electronic links.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the selectable text elements is a location in an index of the first electronic book, wherein activation of the corresponding electronic link displays a page of the first electronic book associated with the location in the index.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the selectable text elements is a location in a table of contents of the first electronic book, and wherein activation of the corresponding electronic link displays a page of the first electronic book associated with the location in the table of contents.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the selectable text elements is one of a word and a phrase in the first electronic book, and wherein the corresponding electronic file is a location in a dictionary that defines the word or phrase.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the electronic book unit includes an audio module, wherein when the corresponding electronic link is activated, the audio module provides an audio presentation giving a pronunciation of the word or phrase.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the dictionary is a foreign language dictionary, and wherein the electronic file is displayed in a foreign language.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the electronic book unit activates a selected foreign language selection feature, and wherein the electronic book unit activates a selected foreign language dictionary based on an input from the foreign language selection feature.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the electronic book unit is connected to a telecommunications network, and wherein the corresponding electronic file is stored in a database in the telecommunications network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the telecommunications network includes one of a telephone system, a cable television system, a wireless telephone system, a digital satellite television system, a fiber optic system, an Ethernet, and a wireless television system.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the database is a part of an Internet web site.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein activating the corresponding electronic link provides access to the Internet web site.

22. The method of claim 9, wherein the corresponding electronic file is a location in a second electronic book.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first and the second electronic books are stored in an electronic book unit.

24. The method of claim 9, wherein, upon selection of one of the selectable text elements, the corresponding electronic file is displayed overlaying a page of the first electronic book having the selected selectable text element.

25. The method of claim 9, wherein, upon selection of one of the selectable text elements, the corresponding electronic file is displayed side by side with a page of the first electronic book having the selected selectable text element.

26. The method of claim 9, wherein the activating step comprises operating a pointing device and a cursor to highlight one of the selectable text element and operating a select button to select one of the selectable text element.

27. The method of claim 9, wherein the corresponding electronic file is an audio presentation.

28. The method of claim 9, wherein the corresponding electronic file is a video presentation.

29. The method of claim 9, wherein the corresponding electronic file is a location where products can be ordered and purchased.

30. The method of claim 9, wherein the corresponding electronic file is a location where books can be ordered and purchased.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the books are electronic books.

32. A method for providing an electronic book, comprising:

displaying a portion of the electronic book including a plurality of selection options;

in response to a selection of one of the selection options from a user, displaying a menu system including one or more links,

the menu system including;

a help menu, wherein the help menu provides instructions for using the menu system; and

a show links menu, wherein when selected, the show links menu displays a link type menu that includes audio clip links, graphics file links, definition links, language translation links, book order links, book review links, related discussion group links, pronunciation links, data base links, other book links, and book selection links, wherein the one or more links provide access to additional content; and

in response to a selection of a link from the links menu from the user, retrieving additional content associated with the selected link and providing the additional content to the user.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

providing additional content that is internal to the electronic book.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

providing additional content that is external to the electronic book.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the additional content is audio content.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the additional content is audio-video content.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the additional content is text content.

38. A method for creating links, comprising:

receiving a selection of content associated with an electronic book from a user, wherein the content is a piece of the actual text of the electronic book;

receiving a selection of additional content from the user;

in response to a request from the user, creating a link between the selected content associated with the electronic book and the selected additional content;

repeating the creating a link step, thereby creating multiple electronic links; and

providing a links menu, wherein the links menu is capable of displaying all of the available corresponding electronic links associated with the selected content of the electronic book,

wherein the links menu displays all of the corresponding electronic link types for a displayed page in the electronic book, and, when a desired electronic link type is selected from the links menu, only the available corresponding electronic links of the selected type are displayed on the page.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

creating a links menu;

inserting the created link in the links menu.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the created link provides access from the selected content associated with the electronic book to the selected additional content.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the created link provides access from the selected additional content to the selected content associated with the electronic book.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein the created link is a two-way link.