Navigation interfaces for ebooks

• US 9,921,721 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Beavers, Adeline, Johnston, Chorong, Paglia, Marco, Armstrong, Brian, Streu, Nathan Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIUSANO, ANDREW TSUTOMU
• Application Number:
  US14/455,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20160041700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An ebook is represented as a plurality of ebook pages associated with a plurality of segments. A navigation command is received from a user, the navigation command requesting a navigation graphical user interface (GUI) in a particular navigation mode of a plurality of navigation modes. One or more ebook pages, of the plurality of ebook pages, are identified for page thumbnail generation, and page thumbnails are generated for each of the identified one or more ebook pages. The generated page thumbnails are grouped by segment, using the plurality of segments. The navigation GUI is generated in the requested navigation mode using the grouped page thumbnails, the navigation GUI listing at least one segment, of the plurality of segments, and horizontally listing at least one page thumbnail associated with the at least one segment, and the navigation GUI is displayed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating navigation interfaces that facilitate navigation of ebooks, comprising:

representing an ebook as a plurality of ebook pages associated with a plurality of segments;

displaying a page, of the plurality of ebook pages;

receiving a navigation command from a user, the navigation command requesting a particular mode of a navigation graphical user interface (GUI) of a predefined set of modes including an intermediate navigation mode and a table of contents (TOC) mode;

identifying one or more ebook pages, of the plurality of ebook pages, for page thumbnail generation;

generating page thumbnails for each of the identified one or more ebook pages, wherein a page thumbnail is associated with a same segment as an associated ebook page, and wherein a size of the thumbnail is determined responsive to the requested mode of navigation;

responsive to the intermediate navigation mode being requested;

grouping the generated page thumbnails by segment, using the plurality of segments,

generating the navigation GUI in the intermediate navigation mode using the grouped page thumbnails, the navigation GUI listing at least one segment, of the plurality of segments, and horizontally listing at least one page thumbnail associated with the at least one segment, and

displaying the navigation GUI in the intermediate navigation mode, wherein the displayed navigation mode replaces the page being displayed with a single thumbnail and at least one partial thumbnail that is adjacent to the single thumbnail, wherein the single thumbnail is a scaled reproduction of the page and the at least one partial thumbnail is a scaled reproduction of a portion of a page adjacent to the page, and wherein the at least one partial thumbnail is smaller than the single thumbnail and sizes of the single thumbnail and at least one partial thumbnail are based in part on the requested navigation mode; and

responsive to determining that the navigation command is a pinching gesture requesting the TOC mode;

generating the navigation GUI in the TOC mode, the navigation GUI vertically listing a portion of the plurality of segments, and horizontally listing page thumbnails associated with the listed segments; and

displaying the navigation GUI in the TOC, wherein the displayed navigation GUI includes a plurality of thumbnails, wherein sizes of plurality of thumbnails are based on the TOC mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein responsive to the TOC mode being requested, further comprises:

identifying one or more segments within the ebook that are associated with the generated page thumbnails; and

grouping the generated page thumbnails by identified segment, such that each of the one or more identified segments are associated with at least one generated page thumbnail.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation GUI in the intermediate navigation mode horizontally lists the single thumbnail and the partial thumbnail.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a reference distance value associated with an original distance between two locations on a touch-screen interface of the user device associated with an initiation of the pinching gesture;

monitoring an active distance value associated with a shrinking distance between the two touched locations of the pinching gesture; and

responsive to the active distance value being less than a first percentage of the reference distance, determining that the particular navigation mode is the intermediate navigation mode.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

responsive to the active distance being less than a second percentage of the reference distance and the second percentage is smaller than the first percentage, determining that the particular navigation mode is the TOC mode.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the single thumbnail associated with the ebook page being presented by the user device when the navigation command was received; and

emphasizing the identified single thumbnail.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one partial thumbnail is a displayed portion of a thumbnail of the scaled reproduction of the page adjacent to the page corresponding to the single thumbnail.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a size of a thumbnail displayed in the navigation GUI in the intermediate navigation mode is larger than a size of a thumbnail displayed in the navigation GUI in the TOC mode.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer program instructions for generating navigation interfaces that facilitate navigation of ebooks, the instructions executable by one or more processors of a computing device to:

represent an ebook as a plurality of ebook pages associated with a plurality of segments;

display a page, of the plurality of ebook pages;

receive a navigation command from a user, the navigation command requesting a particular mode of a navigation graphical user interface (GUI) of a predefined set of modes including an intermediate navigation mode and a table of contents (TOC) mode;

identify one or more ebook pages, of the plurality of ebook pages, for page thumbnail generation;

generate page thumbnails for each of the identified one or more ebook pages, wherein a page thumbnail is associated with a same segment as an associated ebook page, and wherein a size of the thumbnail is determined responsive to the requested mode of navigation;

responsive to the intermediate navigation mode being requested;

group the generated page thumbnails by segment, using the plurality of segments,

generate the navigation GUI in the intermediate navigation mode using the grouped page thumbnails, the navigation GUI listing at least one segment, of the plurality of segments, and horizontally listing at least one page thumbnail associated with the at least one segment, and

display the navigation GUI in the intermediate navigation mode, wherein the displayed navigation mode replaces the page being displayed with a single thumbnail and at least one partial thumbnail that is adjacent to the single thumbnail, wherein the single thumbnail is a scaled reproduction of the page and the at least one partial thumbnail is a scaled reproduction of a portion of a page adjacent to the page, and wherein the at least one partial thumbnail is smaller than the single thumbnail and sizes of the single thumbnail and at least one partial thumbnail are based in part on the requested navigation mode; and

responsive to determining that the navigation command is a pinching gesture requesting the TOC mode;

generate the navigation GUI in the TOC mode, the navigation GUI vertically listing a portion of the plurality of segments, and horizontally listing page thumbnails associated with the listed segments; and

display the navigation GUI in the TOC mode, wherein the displayed navigation mode includes a plurality of thumbnails, wherein sizes of plurality of thumbnails are based on the TOC mode, and wherein the navigation GUI vertically lists the identified one or more segments, and horizontally lists page thumbnails associated with the listed segments.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to:

responsive to the TOC mode being requested;

identify one or more segments within the ebook that are associated with the generated page thumbnails; and

group the generated page thumbnails by identified segment, such that each of the one or more identified segments are associated with at least one generated page thumbnail.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the navigation GUI in the intermediate navigation mode horizontally lists the single thumbnail and the partial thumbnail.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to:

determine a reference distance value associated with an original distance between two locations on a touch-screen interface of the user device associated with an initiation of the pinching gesture;

monitor an active distance value associated with a shrinking distance between the two touched locations of the pinching gesture; and

responsive to the active distance value being less than a first percentage of the reference distance, determine that the particular navigation mode is the intermediate navigation mode.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to:

responsive to the active distance being less than a second percentage of the reference distance and the second percentage is smaller than the first percentage, determine that the particular navigation mode is the TOC mode.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to:

identify the single thumbnail associated with the ebook page being presented by the user device when the navigation command was received; and

emphasize the identified single thumbnail.

15. A device for generating navigation interfaces that facilitate navigation of ebooks, comprising:

a processor configured to execute modules; and

a memory storing the modules, the modules executable by the processor to;

represent an ebook as a plurality of ebook pages associated with a plurality of segments;

display a page, of the plurality of ebook pages;

receive a navigation command from a user, the navigation command requesting a particular mode of a navigation graphical user interface (GUI) of a predefined set of modes including an intermediate navigation mode and a table of contents (TOC) mode;

identify one or more ebook pages, of the plurality of ebook pages, for page thumbnail generation;

generate page thumbnails for each of the identified one or more ebook pages, wherein a page thumbnail is associated with a same segment as an associated ebook page, and wherein a size of the thumbnail is determined responsive to the requested mode of navigation;

responsive to the intermediate navigation mode being requested;

group the generated page thumbnails by segment, using the plurality of segments,

generate the navigation GUI in the intermediate navigation mode using the grouped page thumbnails, the navigation GUI listing at least one segment, of the plurality of segments, and horizontally listing at least one page thumbnail associated with the at least one segment, and

display the navigation GUI in the intermediate navigation mode, wherein the displayed navigation mode replaces the page being displayed with a single thumbnail and at least one partial thumbnail that is adjacent to the single thumbnail, wherein the single thumbnail is a scaled reproduction of the page and the at least one partial thumbnail is a scaled reproduction of a portion of a page adjacent to the page, and wherein the at least one partial thumbnail is smaller than the single thumbnail and sizes of the single thumbnail and at least one partial thumbnail are based in part on the requested navigation mode; and

responsive to determining that the navigation command is a pinching gesture requesting the TOC mode;

generate the navigation GUI in the TOC mode, the navigation GUI vertically listing a portion of the plurality of segments, and horizontally listing page thumbnails associated with the listed segments; and

display the navigation GUI in the TOC, wherein the displayed navigation GUI includes a plurality of thumbnails, wherein sizes of plurality of thumbnails are based on the TOC mode.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the modules are further executable by the processor to:

identify one or more segments within the ebook that are associated with the generated page thumbnails; and

group the generated page thumbnails by identified segment, such that each of the one or more identified segments are associated with at least one generated page thumbnail.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the navigation GUI in the intermediate navigation mode horizontally lists the single thumbnail and the partial thumbnail.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the modules are further executable by the processor to:

determine a reference distance value associated with an original distance between two locations on a touch-screen interface of the user device associated with an initiation of the pinching gesture;

monitor an active distance value associated with a shrinking distance between the two touched locations of the pinching gesture; and

responsive to the active distance value being less than a first percentage of the reference distance, determine that the particular navigation mode is the intermediate navigation mode.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the modules are further executable by the processor to:

responsive to the active distance being less than a second percentage of the reference distance and the second percentage is smaller than the first percentage, determine that the particular navigation mode is the TOC mode.