Foldable electronic book

• US 7,548,220 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang; Regina
• Application Number:
  US11/329,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20060109243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.1, 345/1.3, 345/87, 345156-157, 345/173, 345901-903, 345/905, 382/313, 382/315, 382/321
• US Class Current: 345/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/901 Electronic book with display

Abstract

An electronic book includes a first housing portion and a second housing portion. Microprocessor circuitry is positioned in the housing portions to control operation of the electronic book. A cylindrical spine is interposed between the first and second housing portions, which are pivotally connected to the spine to be pivoted between an open condition for reading and a closed condition. A flexible display screen is fast with inner faces of the first and second housings and spans the spine. The spine defines a recess to accommodate a curvature of the screen intermediate the first and second portions, when the portions are in a closed condition.

Claims

1. An electronic book comprising:

a first housing portion;

a second housing portion;

a cylindrical spine interposed between the first and second housing portions and pivotally connecting the first housing portion to the second housing portion;

a flexible display screen fast with inner faces of the first and second housings and spanning the spine;

first and second microprocessor circuitry respectively positioned in the first and second housing portions behind the flexible display screen; and

a scan head provided on the first microprocessor circuitry on a surface opposite the flexible display screen, the scan head facing away from the flexible display screen,

wherein the spine defines a recess to accommodate a curvature of the screen when the first and second housing portions are pivoted about the spine in a closed condition.

2. An electronic book as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first housing portion defines a card slot, the card slot being defined on an outer face of the first housing opposite the inner face to which the flexible display screen is fast.

3. An electronic book, as claimed in claim 2, in which a roller mechanism is positioned in the first housing proximate the card slot and is arranged to retract a card inserted into the card slot into the first housing pass the scan head, the roller mechanism being actuated when the card is inserted into the slot.

4. An electronic book, as claimed in claim 3, in which a card insertion sensor is positioned in the first housing proximate the slot to detect the insertion of the card into the slot and to generate a signal received by the microprocessor circuitry to activate the roller mechanism.

5. An electronic book as claimed in claim 1, in which the first and second microprocessor circuitry each include a printed circuit board mounted in each housing portion and loaded with processing modules including a central processor unit, a BIOS memory integrated circuit and a RAM.

6. An electronic book, as claimed in claim 5, in which each printed circuit board is connected to the flexible display screen with conductive traces terminating in peripheral contact regions of the display.

7. An electronic book as claimed in claim 5, in which a battery compartment is positioned in the spine, the battery compartment being connected to each printed circuit board to supply power to each printed circuit board.