ELECTRONIC BOOK ELECTRONIC LINKS

• US 20080229182A1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1993
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Adrea LLC (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Adrea LLC (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hendricks, John S., Asmussen, Michael L.
• Application Number:
  US12/129,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20080229182A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/205
• 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

1-79. -79. (canceled)

80. An electronic book system, comprising:

an electronic book viewer;

an electronic book, the electronic book stored in a computer readable medium in the electronic book viewer; and

links among components of the electronic book;

wherein when the links are activated, a first component is linked to a second component;

wherein the first component is located in the electronic book; and

wherein the second component is located in a data repository at a distant operations center; and

wherein selection of the first component causes the second component to be displayed on the electronic book viewer.

81. An electronic book system, comprising:

an electronic book viewer;

an electronic book, the electronic book stored in a computer readable medium in the electronic book viewer; and

links among components of the electronic book;

wherein, when the links are activated, a first component is linked to a second component;

wherein the first component is located in the electronic book;

wherein the second component is located in a distant data repository accessible by a server on a network; and

wherein selection of the first component causes the second component to be displayed on the electronic book viewer.

83. An electronic book system, comprising:

an electronic book viewer;

an electronic book, the electronic book being stored in a computer readable medium in the electronic book viewer; and

links among components of the electronic book;

wherein when the links are activated, a first component is linked to a second component;

wherein the first component is located in the electronic book;

wherein the second component is located in a distant data repository, the data repository including a list of available books related to the first component, wherein at least one of the books may be ordered for delivery; and

wherein selection of the first component causes the second component to be displayed on the electronic book viewer.

86. An electronic book system, comprising:

an electronic book viewer;

an electronic book, the electronic book stored in a computer readable medium in the electronic book viewer; and

links among components of the electronic book;

wherein, when the links are activated, a first component is linked to a second component;

wherein the first component is located in the electronic book;

wherein the second component is a network site including an address of one or more news groups related to the first component; and

wherein selection of the first component causes the second component to be displayed on the electronic book viewer.

87. An electronic book distribution system, comprising:

a distant operation center, wherein the operation center is configured to store;

a plurality of electronic books stored in a computer-readable medium; and

a plurality of links corresponding to at least one of the plurality of electronic books, wherein each of the plurality of links connects a first component of the corresponding electronic book to a second component;

wherein, when the plurality of links are activated, the first components are linked to the second components; and

wherein the operation center is configured to allow the selection and distribution of the links separate from the electronic book to which it corresponds.

91. A method for using electronic links in an electronic book system, the electronic book system including an electronic book displayable on a display, the method comprising:

displaying a linked first component as a piece of actual text of the electronic book;

selecting the linked first component; and

displaying a second component linked to the first component, wherein the second component is located in one selected from a group consisting of a data repository in a remote operations center and a data repository accessible by a server on a network.

97. A method for using electronic links in an electronic book system, the electronic book system including an electronic book displayable on a display, the method comprising:

displaying a linked first component of the electronic book stored in a computer readable medium in an electronic book viewer;

selecting the first component; and

displaying a second component linked to the first component;

wherein links linking the first and the second components are refreshed by data provided by an external facility.