Methods and systems for eBook storage and presentation

• US 20050193330A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MBS Service Company, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Exit 33 Education Incorporated
• Inventors: Peters, Keith
• Application Number:
  US11/068,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20050193330A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191

Abstract

The methods and systems described herein can efficiently store electronic documents as a plurality of files, and can provide an interface for presenting electronic documents for viewing. Each page of the document can be stored as a separate Flash file. The interface or reader can itself be a Flash file that presents tools for choosing pages to be displayed. The interface can display the Flash file corresponding to the chosen page.

Claims

1. A method of presenting at least one content page of a document, comprising:

storing the document as a plurality of flash files, each flash file including a different content page of the document for presentation,

providing a flash reader file including tools for choosing content pages and displaying flash files,

receiving input to the flash reader file indicating a chosen content page from the document, and

executing the flash reader file to display a flash file corresponding to the chosen content page to present the chosen content page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the document comprises:

identifying content pages in the document to obtain identified content pages,

translating each of the identified content pages as a flash file for storage as one of the plurality of flash files,

creating a manifest of the plurality of flash files, and

identifying in the manifest each of the plurality of flash files as a being a part of the document, an order of the plurality of flash files corresponding to an order of the content pages in the document, and a storage location for each of the plurality of flash files.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein creating the manifest comprises generating an XML file, the flash reader file reading the XML file to determine the flash file corresponding to the chosen content page for display.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein translating comprises generating a key in each of the plurality of flash files to prevent displaying the flash file without executing the flash reader file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the key comprises password protection.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein executing the flash reader file comprises:

receiving login information, and

authorizing execution of the flash file reader based on the login information.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein translating comprises embedding, in each of the plurality of flash files, processing information including at least one of a processing date and a processing time, and embedding document information including at least one of document name, author name, chapter name, chapter number, section name and copyright information.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the document is formatted as an XML file and wherein identifying content pages comprises defining an amount of content for a flash file, so that each identified page contains no more than the amount of content defined.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the document is formatted as a PDF file and identifying content pages comprises corresponding the content pages with page breaks of the PDF file.

10. An interface for reading an electronically stored document, wherein the document is stored as a plurality of flash files, each flash file corresponding to a content page of the document, the interface stored on computer-readable medium and comprising instructions for controlling a processor to:

display a flash movie, the movie including tools for choosing content pages of the document and displaying flash files,

receive input through the tools indicating a chosen content page from the document, and

display a flash file corresponding to the chosen content page for reading of the chosen content page.

11. The interface of claim 10, wherein the instructions for controlling the processor to receive input further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to:

highlight at least one portion of the chosen content page to provide a highlighted portion for differentiating the highlighted portion from other portions of the display, and

associate highlighting information for the highlighted portion with the flash file corresponding to the chosen content page.

12. The interface of claim 11, wherein the instructions for controlling the processor to receive input further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to, at least one of:

delete the highlighted portion,

add a link from the highlighted portion to at least one of another portion of the chosen content page and another one of the content pages,

associate a media file with the highlighted portion,

display at least one media file associated with the highlighted portion,

associate a URL with the highlighted portion,

open a browser window and load a web page corresponding to a URL associated with the highlighted portion, and

attach a note to the highlighted portion.

13. The interface of claim 11, further comprising instructions for controlling the processor to store the highlighting information on computer-readable medium of at least one of a local processor executing the instructions for the interface and a server connected to the local processor, wherein the server transmits the flash files to the local processor for display.

14. The interface of claim 10, wherein the instructions for controlling the processor to receive input further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to:

display a text input field on the chosen content page,

receive text input into the text input field, and

display the text input in a note field on the chosen content page when the chosen content page is displayed.

15. The interface of claim 14, further comprising instructions for controlling the processor to store note field data on computer-readable medium of at least one of a local processor executing the instructions for the interface and a server connected to the local processor, wherein the server transmits the flash files to the local processor for display.

16. The interface of claim 14, further comprising instructions for controlling the processor to, at least one of:

associate the note field with the chosen content page, wherein the note field is displayed only on the chosen content page, and

associate the note field with the document, wherein the note field is displayed on each content page chosen.

17. The interface of claim 10, wherein the instructions for controlling the processor to display a flash movie further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to:

display a listing of tab functions, the listing including a search function, a bookmark function and tab functions for displaying a table of contents for the document, a glossary for the document and an index for the document,

receive input indicating a chosen tab function, and

execute the chosen tab function.

18. The interface of claim 17, wherein the instructions for controlling the processor to execute the chosen tab function when the chosen function is the search function further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to:

receive text input,

in response to the text input, display a listing of instances of the text input in the document, the listing including, for each instance, text adjacent to the text input,

receive input indicating a chosen instance, and

in response to the input indicating a chosen instance, display a flash file corresponding to a content page having the chosen instance thereon, the chosen instance being differentially displayed from other portions of the content page.

19. The interface of claim 17, wherein the instructions for controlling the processor to execute the chosen tab function when the chosen function is the bookmark function further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to:

display a listing of bookmarks,

display text associated with a bookmark when an indicator is located on the bookmark,

in response to input indicating a chosen bookmark, display a flash file corresponding to a content page associated with the chosen bookmark, and

in response to input indicating adding a new bookmark,

display a text input field,

receive text input into the text input field,

associate the text with the new bookmark, and

add the new bookmark to the listing of bookmarks.

20. The interface of claim 17, wherein the instructions for controlling the processor to execute the chosen tab function when the chosen function is the tab function for displaying the table of contents further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to:

display the table of contents for the document, and

in response to input indicating an item in the table of contents, display a flash file corresponding to a content page associated with the item.

21. The interface of claim 17, wherein the instructions for controlling the processor to execute the chosen tab function when the chosen function is the tab function for displaying the glossary further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to:

display the glossary for the document, and

in response to input indicating a term in the glossary, display a definition of the term.

22. The interface of claim 17, wherein the instructions for controlling the processor to execute the chosen tab function when the chosen function is the tab function for displaying the index further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to:

display the index for the document, the index including hierarchical listings of terms and corresponding indications of content pages associated with each of the terms, and

in response to input denoting an indication, display a flash file corresponding to a content page associated with the term that the indication corresponds with.

23. The interface of claim 10, further comprising instructions for controlling the processor to:

link to a file containing an activity associated with the chosen content page,

display the activity, and

store results of the activity in response to input denoting completion of the activity.

24. The interface of claim 23, wherein the instructions for controlling the processor to link to a file containing the activity further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to, prior to linking:

display a notice that an activity is associated with the chosen content page, and

receive input denoting acceptance of the activity.

25. A method of converting an electronic document, comprising:

identifying content pages in the document to obtain identified content pages,

translating each of the identified content pages as a flash file for storage as one of a plurality of flash files,

creating a manifest of the plurality of flash files,

identifying in the manifest each of the plurality of flash files as a being a part of the document, an order of the plurality of flash files corresponding to an order of the content pages in the document, and

identifying in the manifest a storage location for each of the plurality of flash files.