Patent ID: 7506246
Filing Date: 2009-03-17
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for creating a custom book, the method comprising: storing original content on one or more servers; displaying the original content on a web page to a plurality of users; receiving annotations to the original content from a plurality of users accessing the original content through remote client devices via a web browser, the annotations associated with annotation indicators, wherein the annotation indicators are embedded within the original content by inserting start tags and stop tags directly into the original content to identify the portion of the original content associated with the annotation indicators, wherein the start tags and stop tags are hypertext markup language compatible such that the annotation indicators continue to be displayed in association with the original content when users vary the size of the web page, add to the original content, or zoom in on portions of the original content, the annotations further comprising annotation content; assigning annotation identifiers to the annotations and wherein the annotation indicators comprise the annotation identifiers assigned to the annotations; storing the annotations, annotation identifiers, and annotation indicators in association with the original content on the one or more servers; allowing a first user to create a first custom book by allowing the first user to select at least a portion of the original content to be printed in a first custom book; determining the start tags and stop tags within the portion of original content selected by the first user; identifying the annotation identifiers associated with the start tags and stop tags within the portion of original content selected by the first user; using the annotation identifiers to identify a first group of annotations associated with the start tags and stop tags within the original content selected by the first user, wherein the first group of annotations contains annotations submitted by other users; allowing the first user to view the annotations in the first group of annotations associated with the original content selected by the first user; allowing the first user to select and deselect via a web browser, the annotations in the first group of annotations to create a first list of preferred annotations from the first group of annotations, wherein the first list of preferred annotations and the portion of the original content selected by the first user are stored at the one or more servers in association with a first user's account; maintaining the first list of preferred annotations and the portion of content selected by the first user at the one or more servers when the first user ceases accessing the original content; allowing a second user to create a second custom book by allowing the second user to select at least a portion of the original content to be printed in the second custom book, wherein the portion of the original content selected by the second user is different than the portion of the original content selected by the frst user; determining the start tags and stop tags within the portion of original content selected by the second user; identifying the annotation identifiers associated with the start tags and stop tags within the portion of original content selected by the second user; using the annotation identifiers to identify a second group of annotations associated with the start tags and stop tags within the original content selected by the second user, wherein the second group of annotations contains annotations submitted by other users; allowing the second user to view the annotations in the second group of annotations associated with the original content selected by the second user; allowing the second user to select and deselect via a web browser, the annotations in the second group of annotations to create a second list of preferred annotations from the second group of annotations, wherein the second list of preferred annotations and the portion of the original content selected by the second user are stored at the one or more servers in association with a second user's account; and maintaining the second list of preferred annotations and the portion of the original content selected by the second user at the one or more servers when the second user ceases accessing the original content; allowing the first user to view the portion of original content selected by the first user and the first list of preferred annotations maintained at the one or more servers when the first user accesses the original content another time; and at the first user's request, printing and binding at least the portion of the original content selected by the first user along with the first list of preferred annotations stored in association with the first user's account to create the first custom book.