Method for sharing notes of an electronic book and electronic reader thereof, computer readable storage medium

• US 9,098,173 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2013
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Hui-Ju, Chen, Chin-Hua, Chen, Yi-Chun, Dai, Hsih-Bin, Cheng, Yi-Hsuan, Guo, Meng-Jia, Chang, Randy Lu-Hung, Lai, Cheng-Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDUL-ALI, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US13/749,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20130318465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 715/776, 715/790, 715/794
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services

Abstract

A method for sharing notes of an electronic book (E-book) is illustrated. The method includes steps of: comparing an identification information of a note file with a book information of the electronic book for determining whether the note file corresponds to the electronic book; receiving and transferring the note file to an electronic reader displaying the electronic book when the note file corresponds to the electronic book; stacking and displaying at least one note layer included in the note file above an electronic page of electronic book displayed on a user interface of the electronic reader, wherein the note layer includes an auxiliary annotation associated with content of the electronic page and the note layer is independent of the electronic page. Therefore, reader may read the E-book and review related annotations on the user interface at the same time, and share the note file independently to other readers.

Claims

1. A method for sharing notes of an electronic book, comprising:

comparing an identification information of a note file so as to determine whether the note file corresponds to the electronic book according to a book information of the electronic book;

receiving the note file and transferring the note file to an electronic reader displaying the electronic book when the note file corresponds to the electronic book; and

stacking at least one note layer included in the note file above an electronic page of the electronic book which is displayed on a user interface of the electronic reader, and displaying the stacked note layer on the user interface,

wherein the note layer includes at least one auxiliary annotation associated with content of the electronic page and the note layer is independent of the electronic page;

wherein the step of stacking at least one note layer included in the note file and displaying the note layer above the electronic page of the electronic book comprises;

stacking a plurality of not layers above the electronic page sequentially when having the plurality of note layers displayed on the electronic reader,

wherein each of the plurality of the note layers is independent of the electronic page and each of the plurality of the note layers is independent of each other.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein after receiving the note file to the electronic reader further comprises:

displaying a note list when the note file includes the plurality of note layers, wherein the note list includes an identification name of each of the plurality of note layers;

indentifying at least one of the identification name selected from the note list and displaying the note layer corresponding to the selected identification name; and

hiding the note list.

3. The method according to claim 1, after stacking at least one note layer included in the note file and displaying the note layer above the electronic page of the electronic book further comprising:

controlling a display mode of the note layer stacking on the top of the plurality of the note layers.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein controlling the display mode Of the note layer stacking on the top of the plurality of the note layers comprises scaling a display size of the note layer, moving a display position of the auxiliary annotation in the note layer;

adding a new auxiliary annotation in the note layer, or hiding the note layer.

5. The method according to claim 1, before stacking at least one note layer included in the note file and displaying the note layer above the electronic page of the electronic book further comprising:

reading a size information of the note layer and a display configuration information of the electronic page; and

proportionally adjusting the note layer according to a result of the comparison between the size information and the display configuration so as to make the display size of the note layer fit in with the display configuration information.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the size information includes an aspect proportion and a resolution of the note layer and the display configuration information includes an aspect proportion and a resolution of the electronic reader.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of adjusting the note layer on the basis of proportion so as to make the display size of the note layer fit in with the display configuration information according to the size information comprises:

acquiring endpoint coordinates of a plurality of endpoints of the note layer according to the size information;

acquiring endpoint coordinates of a plurality of endpoints of the electronic page according to the display configuration information; and

calculating proportion for scaling the note layer so that the note layer fits in with the display configuration information according to the endpoint coordinates of the plurality of endpoints of the note layer and the endpoint coordinates of the plurality of endpoints of the electronic page.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of adjusting the note layer on the basis of proportion so as to make the display size of the note layer fit in with the display configuration information according to the size information comprises:

acquiring endpoint coordinates of a plurality of endpoints of the note layer according to the size information;

acquiring endpoint coordinates of a plurality of endpoints of the electronic page according to the display configuration information; and

calculating proportion for scaling the note layer so that the note layer fits in with the display configuration information according to the endpoint coordinates of the plurality of endpoints of the note layer and the endpoint coordinates of the plurality of endpoints of the electronic page.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of comparing the identification information of the note file according to the book information of the electronic book comprises:

comparing a plurality of book items with a first amount included in the book information with a plurality of identification items included in the identification information; and

determining that the note file corresponds to the electronic book when the plurality of identification items with a second amount fit in with the book items included in the book information,

wherein both the first amount and the second amount are larger than one and the first amount is larger than or equal to the second amount.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the note file corresponds to the electronic book, receiving the note file from far-end through a network communication unit or receiving the note file from another electronic reader through a short-range communication unit.

19. A computer readable storage medium, storing a set of code, wherein when the set of code is read by the processing unit, the processing unit executes with the method according to claim 1.

11. An electronic reader for sharing notes of an electronic book, comprising:

a storage unit, for storing the electronic book, wherein the electronic book includes a book information;

a user interface, for displaying an electronic page of the electronic book;

a processing unit, reading the electronic book and outputting the electronic page to the user interface according to a display configuration information; and

a communication unit, connected to the processing unit, for outputting or receiving a note file corresponding to the electronic book, wherein the note file includes at least one note layer and the note layer includes at least one auxiliary annotation associated with content of the electronic page;

wherein the processing unit compares an identification information of the note file according to the book information, so as to determine whether the note file corresponds to the electronic book, and outputs the note layer of the note file received from the communication unit to the user interface and stacks the note layer above the electronic page, wherein the note layer is independent of the electronic page;

wherein the processing unit stacks a plurality of note layers above the electronic page sequentially when having the plurality of note layers displayed on the electronic reader, each of the plurality of the note layers is independent of the electronic page and each of the plurality of the note layers is independent of each other.

12. The electronic reader according to claim 11, wherein when the note file includes the plurality of note layers, the processing unit generates and outputs a note list to the user interface according to an identification name of each of the plurality of note layers.

13. The electronic reader according to claim 12, wherein the processing unit identifies at least one of the identification name selected from the note list, and displays the note layer corresponding to the selected identification name on the user interface and stacks the note layer above the electronic page.

14. The electronic reader according to claim 13, wherein the processing unit reads a size information of the note layer which is going to be displayed on the user interface for comparing the display configuration information and adjusts the note layer in proportion so that a display size of the not layer fits in with the display configuration information.

15. The electronic reader according to claim 11, further comprises:

an input unit, connected to the processing unit and the user interface, wherein the input unit receives an input command for controlling a display mode of the note layer displaying on a top-level of the user interface;

wherein the processing unit scales a display size of the note layer, moves a display position of the auxiliary annotation on the note layer, adds a new auxiliary annotation, or hides the note layer according to the input command.

16. The electronic reader according to claim 11, wherein the book information includes a plurality of book items with a first amount and the identification information includes a plurality of identification items, and the processing unit compares the plurality of book items with the plurality of identification items, wherein when a second amount of the identification items included in the identification information fits in with the plurality of book items and the first amount and the second amount are both larger than one and the first amount is larger than or equal to the second amount, the processing unit determines the note file corresponds to the electronic book.

17. The electronic reader according to claim 11, wherein the communication unit is a network communication unit or a short-range communication unit.

18. The electronic reader according to claim 13, wherein when the same content of the electronic page is associated with respective auxiliary annotations in different note layers displaying on the user interface, the processing unit adjusts a displaying position of the auxiliary;

annotations associated with the same content.