Virtual on-demand electronic book

• US 7,865,567 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1999
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Discovery Patent Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Discovery Patent Holdings LLC
• Inventors: McCoskey, John S., Hendricks, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): WINDER, PATRICE L
• Application Number:
  US09/427,938
• Time in Patent Office: 4,087 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/214, 709217-219, 710/54, 705/26
• US Class Current: 709/214
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2396 characterized by admission policies admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for network security using user profiles for access control H04L63/102; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/025 Systems for the transmission of digital non-picture data, e.g. of text during the active part of a television frame transmission of digital non-picture data during the vertical blanking interval only H04N7/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An electronic book selection and delivery system distributes text to subscribers. The system provides for on-demand and virtual on-demand delivery of electronic books. Specified electronic books may be broadcast to a set of subscribers. Alternatively, a first section of the specified electronic books may be broadcast. A second section of each of the electronic books is then available for later delivery, upon order by a subscriber. The second sections, as well as first sections, and true on-demand electronic books may be loaded into one or more queues. The queues may then be emptied based on a priority model. Electronic books in an on-demand queue may be given priority for delivery over electronic books in other queues.

Claims

1. A virtual on-demand electronic book system, comprising:

a main memory located at a local library that stores electronic books for delivery to electronic book viewers of subscribers in the system via at least one of an internet network, a cable telephone network, and a broadcasting network, wherein the electronic books are received from at least one remote provider, and each of the electronic book viewers of the subscribers includes a local memory;

a queuing processor coupled to the main memory that receives electronic book orders from the subscribers and determines a queue location for an ordered electronic book, wherein each electronic book is divided into a plurality of sections;

first queues that temporarily store first sections of electronic books; and

second queues that temporarily store second sections of electronic books,

wherein the electronic books include order-on-demand electronic books and predetermined popular electronic books selected based on one of a request rate and a promotion level, the order-on-demand electronic books are received from the at least one remote provider upon requests from the subscribers and the popular electronic books are pre-loaded into at least one of the main memory and the local memory of the electronic book viewers of the subscribers,

wherein the first sections of electronic books are delivered to the subscribers without charge and the second sections of electronic books are delivered when an order for the electronic books is made by a subscriber,

wherein the first sections of the electronic books stored in the local memory of the electronic book viewer are deleted if the second sections of the electronic books are not requested by the subscriber after a predetermined period of time,

wherein the first queues further include a true on-demand first sections queue, a popular content first sections queue; and

wherein the second queues further include a true on-demand second sections queue and a popular content second sections queue, in which the true on-demand first section queue has a highest priority,

and wherein the virtual on-demand electronic book system further comprises a priority queue server coupled to the first and the second queues, wherein the priority queue server empties the first and the second queues based on a priority model.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the priority model comprises instructions to

empty the on-demand first section queue and the popular content first section queue, the on-demand second sections queue and the popular content second sections queue in a round robin manner.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the priority model includes a timing module, wherein the timing module determines a time an electronic book is stored in the first and the second queues and wherein when a maximum time is exceeded, the priority queue server transmits the electronic book out of order.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the priority model comprises instructions to

determine a length of each queue;

and

transmit an electronic book from a queue having a longest length.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the priority model comprises instructions to

search queues for electronic book orders of a same electronic book or a same section of the ordered electronic book;

and

broadcast completed electronic book orders simultaneously to the subscribers in the system.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an Internet web site;

a web server coupled to the Internet web site;

a delivery server coupled to the web server; and

a transaction server coupled to the web server, wherein the queuing processor receives electronic book orders from the transaction server and the delivery server receives ordered electronic books from the queue priority server.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a service time guarantee; and

a network coupling the processor to an associated data processing system, wherein the processor determines a pending service time, wherein if the pending service time exceeds the guarantee, the processor establishes a connection with the associated data processing system, and wherein the associated data processing system processes electronic book orders.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic book viewer comprising;

a receiver that receives electronic books,

a transmitter that transmits electronic book orders, and

a memory coupled to the receiver that stores the electronic books; and

a processor coupled to the receiver and the memory that controls processing on the electronic book viewer, wherein the receiver receives broadcasts of first sections of electronic books and stores the first sections in the memory.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein when a first section stored in the memory is accessed, the processor generates an order for a corresponding second section, and the transmitter transmits the order.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein a first section of the electronic book includes a link, wherein when the link is accessed, the processor generates an order for a corresponding second section of the electronic book.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic books comprise an electronic version of one or more of a printed book, a magazine, a catalog, a periodical and a newspaper.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein specified electronic books are broadcast on a cyclical basis.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein first sections of specified electronic books are broadcast on a cyclical basis.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first sections to be broadcast are determined by reference to one of electronic books read data, demographic data, and subscriber preferences.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a virtual on-demand menu, the virtual on-demand menu broadcast with a broadcast of one of an electronic book and a first section of an electronic book, wherein the virtual on-demand menu lists electronic books available on the virtual on-demand electronic book system.