INSTRUCTOR-CURATED ELECTRONIC TEXTBOOK SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20120221436A1
• Filed: 04/18/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Patterson, James, Moody, Nathan
• Granted Patent: US 9,645,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/60 Rotation of whole images or parts thereof

Abstract

An electronic textbook system allows instructors to create custom coursebooks by integrating various materials from disparate sources. Instructors can arrange the materials, format them, provide tables of contents and indices. Payment mechanisms as well as policies for the components are integrated automatically so that the final book satisfies policy requirements for each of its component parts.

Claims

1. An electronic book system, comprising:

a publisher processing subsystem configured to permit publisher supply of book components and one or more policies, the book components being stored in a book components database, the one or more policies being stored in a policy database;

a curator processing subsystem configured to permit curator selection of a subset of the book components from the book components database, responsive to the policies, for synthesis into an electronic book, the curator processing subsystem further configured to store the electronic book in a book database; and

a distribution subsystem configured to retrieve the electronic book from the book database, provide the electronic book for purchase, and collect payment for such purchase, wherein the electronic book system is further configured to aggregate the payment with other payments for disbursement to select publishers, responsive to the select publishers having provided at least one of the subset of the book components.

2. The electronic book system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a manner in which the book components may be used individually and in combination.

3. The electronic book system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a manner in which the book components are priced.

4. The electronic book system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a manner in which the book components are distributed.

5. The electronic book system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a manner in which rights to the book components are provided to users.

6. The electronic book system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a limitation on how the book components may be accessed.

7. The electronic book system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a limitation on how the book components may be ordered.

8. The electronic book system of claim 1, wherein the curator processing subsystem is further configured to provide an interface for specifying a cover page for the electronic book.

9. The electronic book system of claim 1, wherein the curator processing subsystem is further configured to provide an interface for specifying a style for the electronic book.

10. The electronic book system of claim 1, wherein the curator processing subsystem is further configured to provide an interface for arranging the subset for presentation in the electronic book.

11. The electronic book system of claim 1, wherein the curator processing subsystem is further configured to provide an interface for specifying a table of contents for the electronic book.

12. The electronic book system of claim 1, wherein the curator processing subsystem is further configured to provide an interface for specifying an index for the electronic book.

13. The electronic book system of claim 1, wherein the curator processing subsystem is further configured to synthesize an umbrella policy for the electronic book responsive to policies applicable to the subset.

14. The electronic book system of claim 1, wherein the distribution subsystem is further configured to determine a price for the electronic book responsive to prices corresponding to the subset and a pricing model.

15. The electronic book system of claim 1, wherein the distribution subsystem is further configured to make the disbursement by establishing a payment schedule for publishers corresponding to the subset.

16. A computer-implemented method of providing an electronic book, comprising:

storing book components in a book components database;

storing one or more policies corresponding to the book components in a policy database;

selecting a subset of the book components, responsive to the one or more policies, for inclusion in the electronic book;

synthesizing the electronic book as a file capable of being accessed by a computer-implemented electronic book reader;

storing the file in a book database; and

distributing the file to customers.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a manner in which the book components may be used individually and in combination.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a manner in which the book components are priced.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a manner in which the book components are distributed.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a manner in which rights to the book components are provided to users.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a limitation on how the book components may be accessed.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a limitation on how the book components may be ordered.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing an interface for specifying a cover page for the electronic book.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing an interface for specifying a style for the electronic book.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing an interface for arranging the subset for presentation in the electronic book.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing an interface for specifying a table of contents for the electronic book.

27. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing an interface for specifying an index for the electronic book.

28. The method of claim 16, further comprising synthesizing an umbrella policy for the electronic book responsive to policies applicable to the subset, and wherein said distributing is according to said umbrella policy.

29. The method of claim 16, further comprising automatically determining, by a processor, a price for the electronic book responsive to prices corresponding to the subset and a pricing model.

30. The method of claim 16, further comprising automatically establishing a payment schedule for publishers corresponding to the subset.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing executable computer program instructions for providing an electronic book, the computer program instructions comprising:

instructions to store book components in a book components database;

instructions to store one or more policies corresponding to the book components in a policy database;

instructions to select a subset of the book components, responsive to the one or more policies, for inclusion in the electronic book;

instructions to synthesize the book as a file capable of being accessed by a computer-implemented electronic book reader;

instructions to store the file in a book database; and

instructions to distribute the file to customers.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a manner in which the book components may be used individually and in combination.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a manner in which the book components are priced.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a manner in which the book components are distributed.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a manner in which rights to the book components are provided to users.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a limitation on how the book components may be accessed.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein at least one of the policies specifies a limitation on how the book components may be ordered.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to provide an interface for specifying a cover page for the electronic book.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to provide an interface for specifying a style for the electronic book.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to provide an interface for arranging the subset for presentation in the electronic book.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to provide an interface for specifying a table of contents for the electronic book.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to provide an interface for specifying an index for the electronic book.

43. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to synthesize an umbrella policy for the electronic book responsive to policies applicable to the subset.

44. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to determine a price for the electronic book responsive to prices corresponding to the subset and a pricing model.

45. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to establish a payment schedule for publishers corresponding to the subset.