Table of contents menu over electronic book content on an electronic paper display

• US 8,621,390 B1
• Filed: 10/21/2008
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Findley, Sean J., Gayles, Edward J., Grner, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): VARGA, WILSON V
• Application Number:
  US12/255,551
• Time in Patent Office: 1,897 Days
• Field of Search: 715/277, 715/764, 715/766, 715/776, 715/810, 715/818, 715/819, 715/820, 345/901, 345/902, 345/87, 345173-176, 382/181, 382/312, 358/1.18
• US Class Current: 715/818
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0291 for reading, e.g. e-books constructional details of portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

A method for providing table-of-contents extensions for items displayed on an electronic device may include displaying contents of the item other than a table of contents for the item. The method may also include receiving user selection of a navigation option while the contents of the item are being displayed. The navigation option may correspond to a part of the item that is listed in the table of contents for the item. The method may also include navigating to the part of the item corresponding to the navigation option in response to the user'"'"'s selection of the navigation option.

Claims

1. An electronic book (e-book) reader, comprising:

an electronic paper display to display contents of an electronic book other than a table of contents for the electronic book, the electronic paper display being configured to maintain display of content without drawing electricity and to allow the content that is displayed to be changed;

a processor; and

memory in electronic communication with the processor, the memory including instructions stored therein, the instructions executable to;

determine a portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently being displayed on the electronic paper display;

determine an entry, from the table of contents for the electronic book, that matches a preceding or subsequent portion of the contents of the electronic book with respect to the portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently being displayed;

provide for display on the electronic paper display, without navigating to the table of contents, a menu that covers at least a segment of the portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently being displayed, the menu displayed with a navigation option that includes matching text of the entry from the table of contents for the electronic book;

receive user selection of the navigation option while the portion of contents of the electronic book is displayed;

in response to receiving the user selection of the navigation option, access a table of contents table stored on the e-book reader, the table of contents table matching a table of contents definition that includes a plurality of navigation points defined therein; and

navigate to the preceding or subsequent portion of the contents of the electronic book based on information that is contained within the table of contents table.

2. A method, comprising:

providing for display, on an electronic paper display that is configured to maintain display of content without drawing electricity and to allow the content that is displayed to be changed, contents of an electronic book other than a table of contents for the electronic book;

determining a portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently being provided for display on the electronic paper display;

determining an entry, from the table of contents for the electronic book, that matches a preceding or subsequent portion of the contents of the electronic book with respect to the portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently being provided for display;

providing for display, on the electronic paper display and without navigating to the table of contents, a menu that partially covers the portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently being provided for display, the menu displayed with a navigation option that includes text matching the entry from the table of contents for the electronic book;

receiving user selection of the navigation option while the portion of the contents of the electronic book is displayed; and

navigating to the preceding or subsequent portion of the contents of the electronic book in response to receiving the user selection of the navigation option.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the navigation option corresponds to a chapter of the electronic book.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the navigation option corresponds to an article within the electronic book.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the navigation option corresponds to a section within the electronic book.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the menu is a navigation menu and the user selection of the navigation option is received via the navigation menu.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the user selection of the navigation option is received via a keyboard shortcut.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying information about the user'"'"'s progress within the electronic book.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the method is implemented with an electronic device, and the method further comprising:

accessing a table of contents table stored on the electronic device, the table of contents table matching a table of contents definition that includes a plurality of navigation points defined therein.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the table of contents definition further includes at least one property defined therein.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the method is implemented with an electronic book (e-book) reader.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

upon determining the portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently being provided for display, determining a progress within the electronic book based at least in part on a position field within the table of contents for the portion of the contents of the electronic device that is currently being provided for display; and

providing for display, on the electronic paper display, the progress within the electronic book.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

an electronic paper display to display contents of an electronic book other than a table of contents for the electronic book, the electronic paper display being configured to maintain display of content without drawing electricity and to allow the content that is displayed to be changed;

a processor; and

memory in electronic communication with the processor, the memory including instructions stored therein, the instructions executable to;

determine a portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently being displayed on the electronic paper display;

determine an entry, from the table of contents for the electronic book, that matches a preceding or subsequent portion of the contents of the electronic book with respect to the portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently being displayed;

provide for display, on the electronic paper display and without navigating to the table of contents, a menu over at least a segment of the portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently being displayed while the portion of the contents of the electronic book is displayed, the menu displayed with a navigation option that matches information of the entry from the table of contents for the electronic book;

receive user selection of the navigation option while the portion of the contents of the electronic book is displayed; and

navigate to the preceding or subsequent portion of the contents of the electronic book in response to receiving the user selection of the navigation option.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the menu is a navigation menu, and wherein the user selection of the navigation option is received via the navigation menu.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the instructions are also executable to access a table of contents table stored on the electronic device, and wherein the table of contents table matches a table of contents definition that includes a plurality of navigation points defined therein.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the electronic device is an electronic book (e-book) reader.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions for:

providing for display, on an electronic paper display configured to maintain display of content without drawing electricity and to allow the content that is displayed to be changed, contents of an electronic book other than a table of contents for the electronic book;

determining a portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently displayed on the electronic paper display;

providing for display, on the electronic paper display, a menu over at least part of the portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently displayed while the portion of the contents of the electronic book is displayed, the menu displayed with information of an entry from the table of contents for the electronic book, the entry matching a next or previous portion of the electronic book relative to the portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently displayed;

receiving user selection of the information of the entry included in the menu while the portion of the contents of the electronic book is displayed; and

navigating to the next or previous portion of the electronic book in response to receiving the user selection of the information of the entry.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the menu is a navigation menu, and wherein the user selection is received via the navigation menu.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the executable instructions are executed on an electronic device, and the computer-readable medium further comprises executable instructions for:

accessing a table of contents table stored on the electronic device, the table of contents table corresponding to a table of contents definition that includes a plurality of navigation points defined therein.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the executable instructions are executed on an electronic book (e-book) reader.

21. A method, comprising:

providing for display, on an electronic paper display configured to maintain display of content without drawing electricity and to allow the content that is displayed to be changed, contents of an electronic book other than a table of contents for the electronic book;

determining a portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently displayed on the electronic paper display;

providing for display, on the electronic paper display and without navigating to the table of contents, a menu over at least a segment of the portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently displayed while the portion of the contents of the electronic book is displayed, the menu displayed with text associated with an entry from the table of contents for the electronic book, the entry matching a next or previous portion of the contents of the electronic book relative to the portion of the contents of the electronic book that is currently displayed;

receiving user selection of the text associated with the entry while the portion of the contents of the electronic book is displayed; and

navigating to the next or previous portion of the contents of the electronic book in response to receiving the user selection of the text associated with the entry.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the method is implemented with an electronic book (e-book) reader.