Reader device content indexing

• US 8,352,449 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parekh, Jateen P., Zehr, Gregg E., Narasimhan, Subram
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Kuen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mitiku, Berhanu
• Application Number:
  US11/277,894
• Time in Patent Office: 2,477 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip

Abstract

A reader device and method for operating a reader device include content indexing features designed to make the use of a reader device more satisfying. A plurality of indexes is stored on a reader device. One of the indexes stored in the reader device is also stored at a remote site. Several indexes stored at the remote site may be substantially similar to one or more of the indexes stored on a reader device. The indexes stored at the remote site may be used to update one or more indexes stored on a reader device. In one implementation, the reader device is an electronic book (“eBook”) reader device.

Claims

1. A method of accessing content for an electronic reader device, comprising:

displaying on the electronic reader device, user-selectable categories each associated with a respective index of a set of indexes stored on the electronic reader device, the set of indexes comprising;

a title only index comprising index entries related to titles of electronic books that are offered on a remote content repository; and

a search index comprising one or more or;

a recent search index comprising keyword searches recently performed by the electronic reader device;

a common search index comprising keyword searches commonly performed by the electronic reader device; and

a user saved search index comprising keyword searches performed by electronic reader device and saved by user request;

receiving a selection of one of the user-selectable categories and, in response, accessing the associated index including an index entry also stored in the remote content repository;

sending information regarding the search index stored on the electronic reader device to the remote content repository; and

receiving an update to an index of the set of indexes stored on the electronic reader device at least partly in response to the sending, the update being generated for the electronic reader device based at least in part on the information regarding the search index.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving index entries from the remote content repository, the index entries augmenting an index stored in the electronic reader device.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the received index entries are a subset of index entries stored in an index held by the remote content repository.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is divided into sections corresponding to the selected content storage locations, and the mapped search results are displayed in different individual sections of the user interface that correspond to individual selected content storage locations from which the mapped search results are received.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the identified titles relate to both electronic content and printed content.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one index stored in the electronic reader device includes index entries that are comprised of metadata.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the metadata includes a category and associated value related to content.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the category includes at least one of title, contributor, publisher, publishing data, International Standard Book Number, page count, abstract and file size.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving an update for an index stored in the electronic reader device through communication with the remote content repository.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving an update for an index stored in the electronic reader device, the update including a title index entry for inclusion in the title only index.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising sending search related information to the remote content repository.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the search related information is a set of content information assembled from one or more searches of an index stored on the electronic reader device.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the set of content information includes content titles.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving multiple indexes from the remote content repository, wherein each of the multiple indexes is substantially unique when compared to another of the received multiple indexes.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein one of the received multiple indexes includes title entries and another of the received multiple indexes includes content metadata.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein one of the received multiple indexes includes index entries that result from a keyword search performed using the electronic reader device.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein one of the received multiple indexes includes index entries related to a plurality of keyword searches performed using the electronic reader device.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving from the remote content repository an electronic book summary that is readable using the electronic reader device.

19. An article of manufacture for use in programming a processor, the article of manufacture comprising at least one computer readable storage device including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the processor to perform the method of claim 1.

20. A non-transitory computer-usable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by one or more processors to perform the method of claim 1.

21. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic reader device is an electronic book reader device.

33. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving an update to an index comprises receiving an update to the title only index stored on the electronic reader device, the update comprising a title of an electronic book associated with the information regarding the search index.

34. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving a promotional offer for an electronic book offered by the remote content repository at least partly in response to the sending of the information regarding the search index.

35. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving a recommendation for an electronic book offered by the remote content repository at least partly in response to the sending of the information regarding the search index.

22. An electronic book reader device, comprising:

one or more memories;

a display capable of displaying content stored in the one or more memories; and

one or more processors capable of accessing content stored in the one or more memories;

wherein the one or more memories store computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

displaying, on the electronic book reader device, user-selectable categories each associated with a respective index of a set of indexes stored on the electronic book reader device, the set of indexes comprising;

a title only index comprising index entries related to titles of content that are offered on a remote content repository;

a search index comprising one or more of;

a recent search index comprising keyword searches recently performed by the electronic book reader device;

a common search index comprising keyword searches commonly performed by the electronic book reader device; and

a user saved search index comprising keyword searches performed by the electronic book reader device and saved by user request;

receiving a selection of one of the user-selectable categories and, in response, accessing the associated index of the set of indexes stored in the electronic book reader device, the associated index including an index entry also stored in the remote content repository;

sending information regarding the search index stored on the electronic book reader device to the remote content repository; and

receiving an update to an index of the set of indexes stored on the electronic book reader device at least partly in response to the sending, the update being generated for the electronic book reader device based at least in part on the information regarding the search index.

23. The electronic book reader device as recited in claim 22, wherein the recent search index, the common search index and the user saved search index are accessible using user logon credentials stored in the electronic book reader device.

24. The electronic book reader device as recited in claim 22, further comprising a user access module implemented in the one or more memories, the user access module maintaining and facilitating use of user logon credentials and the recent search index, the common search index and the user saved search index associated with the user logon credentials.

25. The electronic book reader device as recited in claim 24, wherein the user logon credentials each include a username and an associated password.

26. The electronic book reader device as recited in claim 24, wherein the user logon credentials each include biometric information associated with a user of the electronic book reader device.

27. The electronic book reader device as recited in claim 22, further comprising wireless capability capable of communicating with a remote content repository containing at least electronic books available for retrieval.

28. The electronic book reader device as recited in claim 22, wherein at least one index stored in the electronic book reader device includes index entries that are comprised of metadata, and wherein the metadata includes categories and associated values related to books.

29. The electronic book reader device as recited in claim 28, wherein the categories include at least title, contributor, and abstract.

30. The electronic book reader device as recited in claim 22, wherein the one or more memories include one or more electronic books stored therein.

31. The electronic book reader device as recited in claim 22, wherein the one or more memories are non-volatile or volatile memory, or a combination of both non-volatile and volatile memory.

32. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

displaying, on an electronic reader device, user-selectable categories each associated with a respective index of a set of indexes stored on the electronic reader device, the set of indexes comprising;

a title only index comprising index entries related to titles of content that are offered on a remote content repository;

a search index comprising one or more of;

a recent search index comprising keyword searches recently performed by the electronic reader device;

a common search index comprising keyword searches commonly performed by the electronic reader device; and

a user saved search index comprising keyword searches performed by the electronic reader device and saved by user request;

receiving a selection of one of the user-selectable categories and, in response, accessing the associated index of the set of indexes stored in the electronic reader device, the associated index including an index entry also stored in the remote content repository;

sending information regarding the search index stored on the electronic reader device to the remote content repository; and

receiving an update to an index of the set of indexes stored on the electronic reader device at least partly in response to the sending, the update being generated for the electronic reader device based at least in part on the information regarding the search index.