Patent Publication Number: US-2016239161-A1

Title: Method and system for term-occurrence-based navigation of apportioned e-book content

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Examples described herein relate to a system and method for operating a computing device to provide term-occurrence-based navigation of content apportionments of an e-book for digital reading (e-reading). 
     BACKGROUND 
     An electronic personal display is a mobile computing device that displays information to a user. While an electronic personal display may be capable of many of the functions of a personal computer, a user can typically interact directly with an electronic personal display without the use of a keyboard that is separate from, or coupled to, but distinct from the electronic personal display itself. Some examples of electronic personal displays include mobile digital devices/tablet computers and electronic readers (e-readers) such (e.g., Apple iPad®, Microsoft® Surface™, Samsung Galaxy Tab® and the like), handheld multimedia smartphones (e.g., Apple iPhone®, Samsung Galaxy S®, and the like), and handheld electronic readers (e.g., Amazon Kindle®, Barnes and Noble Nook®, Kobo Aura HD, Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo GLO and the like). 
     Some electronic personal display devices are purpose built devices designed to perform especially well at displaying digitally stored content for reading or viewing thereon. For example, a purpose build device may include a display that reduces glare, performs well in high lighting conditions, and/or mimics the look of text as presented via actual discrete pages of paper. While such purpose built devices may excel at displaying content for a user to read, they may also perform other functions, such as displaying images, emitting audio, recording audio, and web surfing, among others. 
     Electronic personal displays are among numerous kinds of consumer devices that can receive services and utilize resources across a network service. Such devices can operate applications or provide other functionality that links a device to a particular account of a specific service. For example, the electronic reader (e-reader) devices typically link to an online bookstore, and media playback devices often include applications that enable the user to access an online media electronic library (or e-library). In this context, the user accounts can enable the user to receive the full benefit and functionality of the device. 
     Yet further, such devices may incorporate a touch screen display having integrated touch sensors and touch sensing functionality, whereby user input commands via touch-based gestures are received thereon. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate various embodiments and, together with the Description of Embodiments, serve to explain principles discussed below. The drawings referred to in this brief description of the drawings should not be understood as being drawn to scale unless specifically noted. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a system utilizing applications and providing e-book services on a computing device configured for operation of a term-occurrence-based navigation of content apportionments of an e-book, in an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a schematic architecture and configuration of a computing device configured for term-occurrence-based navigation of content apportionments of an e-book displayed on a touchscreen display of the computing device, according to an embodiment. 
         FIGS. 3A-3E  illustrate example configurations of a term-occurrence-based navigation of content apportionments of an e-book, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a method for providing term-occurrence-based navigation of content apportionments of an e-book, according to an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     “E-books” are a form of electronic publication content stored in digital format in a computer non-transitory memory, viewable on a computing device having display functionality. An e-book can correspond to, or mimic, the paginated format of a printed publication for viewing, such as provided by printed literary works (e.g., novels) and periodicals (e.g., magazines, comic books, journals, etc.). Optionally, some e-books may have chapter designations, as well as content that corresponds to graphics or images (e.g., such as in the case of magazines or comic books). Multi-function devices, such as cellular-telephony or messaging devices, can utilize specialized applications (e.g., specialized e-reading application software) to view e-books in a format that mimics the paginated printed publication. Still further, some devices (sometimes labeled as “e-readers”) can display digitally-stored content in a more reading-centric manner, while also providing, via a user input interface, the ability to manipulate that content for viewing, such as via discrete pages arranged sequentially (that is, pagination) corresponding to an intended or natural reading progression, or flow, of the content therein. 
     An “e-reading device”, variously referred to herein as an electronic personal display or mobile computing device, can refer to any computing device that can display or otherwise render an e-book. By way of example, an e-reading device can include a mobile computing device on which an e-reading application can be executed to render content that includes e-books (e.g., comic books, magazines, etc.). Such mobile computing devices can include, tier example, a multi-functional computing device for cellular telephony/messaging (e.g., feature phone or smart phone), a tablet computer device, an ultra-mobile computing device, or a wearable computing device with a form factor of a wearable accessory device (e.g., smart watch or bracelet, glass-wear integrated with a computing device, etc.). As another example, an e-reading device can include an e-reader device, such as a purpose-built device that is optimized for an e-reading experience (e.g., with E-ink displays). 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a system  100  for utilizing applications and providing e-book services on a computing device, according to an embodiment. In an example of  FIG. 1 , system  100  includes an electronic personal display device, shown by way of example as an e-reading device  110 , and a network service  121 . The network service  121  can include multiple servers and other computing resources that provide various services in connection with one or more applications that are installed on thee-reading device  110 . By way of example, in one implementation, the network service  121  can provide e-book services that communicate with the e-reading device  110 . The e-book services provided through network service  121  can, for example, include services in which e-books are sold, shared, downloaded and/or stored. More generally, the network service  121  can provide various other content services, including content rendering services (e.g., streaming media) or other network-application environments or services. 
     The e-reading device  110  can correspond to any electronic personal display device on which applications and application resources (e.g., e-books, media files, documents) can be rendered and consumed. For example, the e-reading device  110  can correspond to a tablet or a telephony/messaging device (e.g., smart phone). In one implementation, for example, e-reading device  110  can run an e-reader application that links the device to the network service  121  and enables e-books provided through the service to be viewed and consumed. In another implementation, the e-reading device  110  can run a media playback or streaming application that receives files or streaming data from the network service  121 . By way of example, the e-reading device  110  can be equipped with hardware and software to optimize certain application activities, such as reading electronic content (e.g., e-books). For example, the e-reading device  110  can have a tablet-like form factor, although variations are possible. In some cases, the e-reading device  110  can also have an E-ink display. 
     In additional detail, the network service  121  can include a device interface  128 , a content store  122  and a user account store  124 . The user account store  124  can associate the e-reading device  110  with a user and with an account  125 . The account  125  can also be associated with one or more application resources (e.g., e-books), which can be stored in the content store  122 . The device interface  128  can handle requests from the e-reading device  110 , and further also requests of e-reading device  110  with regard to services and functionality of the network service  121 . The device interface  128  can utilize information provided with a user account  125  in order to enable services, such as purchasing downloads or determining what e-books and content items are associated with e-reading device  110 . Additionally, the device interface  128  can provide the e-reading device  110  with access to the content store  122 , which can include, for example, an online store. The device interface  128  can handle input to identify content items e.g., e-books), and further to link content items to the account  125  of the user. 
     Yet further, the user account store  124  can retain metadata for individual accounts  125  to identify resources that have been purchased or made available for consumption for a given account. The e-reading device  110  may be associated with the user account  125 , and multiple devices may be associated with the same account. As described in greater detail below, the e-reading device  110  can store resources e.g., e-books) that are purchased or otherwise made available to the user of the e-reading device  110 , as well as to archive e-books and other digital content items that have been purchased for the user account  125 , but are not stored on a particular computing device. 
     With reference to an example of  FIG. 1 , e-reading device  110  can include a display screen  116 . In an embodiment, the display screen  116  is touch-sensitive, to process touch inputs including gestures (e.g., swipes). For example, the display screen  116  may be integrated with one or more touch sensors  138  to provide a touch-sensing region on a surface of the display screen  116 . For some embodiments, the one or more touch sensors  138  may include capacitive sensors that can sense or detect a human body&#39;s capacitance as input. In the example of  FIG. 1 , the touch-sensing region coincides with a substantial surface area, if not all, of the display screen  116 . Additionally, the housing can be integrated with touch sensors to provide one or more touch sensing regions, for example, on the bezel and/or back surface of the housing. 
     In some embodiments, the e-reading device  110  includes features for providing functionality related to displaying paginated content, including paginated content for an e-book, or in variations of an e-book including an e-magazine or e-comic book. The e-reading device  110  can include page transition logic  115 , which enables the user to transition through paginated content. The e-reading device  110  can display pages of e-books, e-magazines and e-comics, and enable the user to transition from one page state to another. In particular, an e-book can provide content that is rendered sequentially in pages, and the e-book can display page states in the form of single pages, multiple pages or portions thereof. Accordingly, a given page state can coincide with, for example, a single page, or two or more pages displayed at once. The page transitioning logic  115  can operate to enable the user to transition from a given page state to another page state. In the specific example embodiment where a given page state coincides with a single page, for instance, each page state corresponding to one page of the digitally constructed series of pages paginated to comprise, in one embodiment, an e-book. In some implementations, the page transitioning logic  115  enables single page transitions, chapter transitions, or cluster transitions (multiple pages at one time). 
     The page transitioning logic  115  can be responsive to various kinds of interfaces and actions in order to enable page transitioning. In one implementation, the user can signal a page transition event to transition page states by, for example, interacting with the touch-sensing region of the display screen  116 . For example, the user may swipe the surface of the display screen  116  in a particular direction (e.g., up, down, left, or right) to indicate a backward or forward direction of page transition. In variations, the user can specify different kinds of page transitioning input (e.g., single page turns, multiple page turns, chapter turns, etc.) through different kinds of input. Additionally, a page turn input of the user can be provided according to a magnitude of the input action indicate a corresponding magnitude (number of pages) for the transition of the page state. For example, a user can touch and hold the surface of the display screen  116  in order to cause a cluster or chapter page state transition, while a tap in the same region can only effect a single page state transition (e.g., from one page to the next in sequence). In another example, a user can specify page turns of different kinds or magnitudes through single taps, sequenced taps or patterned taps on the touch sensing region of the display screen  116 . Although discussed in context of “taps” herein, it is contemplated that a gesture action provided in sufficient proximity to touch sensors of display screen  116 , without physically touching thereon, may also register as a “contact” with display screen  116 , to accomplish a similar effect as a tap, and such embodiments are also encompassed by the description herein. 
     According to some embodiments, the e-reading device  110  includes display sensor logic  135  to detect and interpret user input or user input commands made through interaction with the touch sensors  138 . By way of example, display sensor logic  135  can detect a user making contact with the touch-sensing region of the display screen  116 , otherwise known as a touch event. More specifically, display sensor logic  135  can detect a touch events also referred to herein as a tap, an initial tap held in contact with display screen  116  for longer than some pre-defined threshold duration of time (otherwise known as a “long press” or a “long touch”), multiple taps performed either sequentially or generally simultaneously, swiping gesture actions made through user interaction with the touch sensing region of the display screen  116 , or any combination of these gesture actions. Although referred to herein as a “touch” or a tap, it should be appreciated that in some design implementations, sufficient proximity to the screen surface, even without actual physical contact, may register a “contact” or a “touch event”. Furthermore, display sensor logic  135  can interpret such interactions in a variety of ways. For example, each such interaction may be interpreted as a particular type of user input associated with a respective input command, execution of which may trigger a change in state of display  116 . 
     In one implementation, display sensor logic  135  implements operations to monitor for the user contacting or superimposing upon, using a finger, thumb or stylus, a surface of display  116  coinciding with a placement of one or more touch sensor components  138 , that is, a touch event, and also detects and correlates a particular gesture (e.g., pinching, swiping, tapping, etc.) as a particular type of input or user action. Display sensor logic  135  may also sense directionality of a user gesture action so as to distinguish between, for example, leftward, rightward, upward, downward and diagonal swipes along a surface portion of display screen  116  for the purpose of associating respective input commands therewith. 
     Term occurrence logic module  120  can be implemented as a software module comprising instructions stored in a memory of mobile computing device  110 , as described in further detail below with regard to  FIG. 2 . 
     One or more embodiments of term occurrence logic module  120 , display sensor logic  135  and page transition logic  115  described herein may be implemented using programmatic modules or components. A programmatic module or component may include a program, a subroutine, a portion of a program, or a software or a hardware component capable of performing one or more stated tasks or functions in conjunction with one or more processors. As used herein, a module or component can exist on a hardware component independently of other modules or components. Alternatively, a module or component can be a shared element or process of other modules, programs and hardware components. 
     Furthermore, the one or more embodiments of term occurrence logic module  120 , display sensor logic  135  and page transition logic  115  described herein may be implemented through instructions that are executable by one or more processors. These instructions may be stored on a computer-readable non-transitory medium. In particular, the numerous computing and communication devices shown with embodiments of the invention include processor(s) and various forms of computer memory, including volatile and non-volatile forms, storing data and instructions. Examples of computer-readable mediums include permanent memory storage devices, such as hard drives on personal computers or servers. Other examples of computer storage mediums include portable storage units, flash or solid-state memory (such as included on many cell phones and consumer electronic devices) and magnetic memory. Computers, terminals, network enabled devices (e.g., mobile devices such as cell phones and wearable computers) are all examples of machines and devices that utilize processors, memory, and instructions stored on computer-readable mediums. Additionally, embodiments may be implemented in the form of computer-programs, or a computer usable storage medium capable of storing such a program. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a schematic architecture and configuration of a computing device configured for providing term-occurrence-based navigation of content apportionments of an e-book on a touchsereen display of the computing device, according to an embodiment. 
     E-reading device  110  further includes processor  210 , a memory  250  storing instructions and logic pertaining at least to display sensor logic  135 , term occurrence logic module  120 , and page transition logic  115 . 
     Processor  210  can implement functionality using the logic and instructions stored in memory  250 . Additionally, in some implementations, processor  210  communicates with the network service  121  (see  FIG. 1 ). More specifically, the e-reading device  110  can access the network service  121  to receive various kinds of resources (e.g., digital content items such as e-books, configuration files, account information), as well as to provide information (e.g., user account information, service requests etc.). For example, e-reading device  110  can receive application resources, such as e-books or media files, that the user elects to purchase or otherwise download via the network service  121 . The application resources that are downloaded onto the e-reading device  110  can be stored in memory  250 . 
     In some implementations, display  116  can correspond to, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or light emitting diode (LED) display that illuminates in order to provide content generated from processor  210 . In some implementations, display  116  can be touch-sensitive. For example, in some embodiments, one or more of the touch sensor components  138  may be integrated with display  116 . In other embodiments, the touch sensor components  138  may be provided (e.g., as a layer) above or below display  116  such that individual touch sensor components  138  track different regions of display  116 . Further, in some variations, display  116  can correspond to an electronic paper type display, which mimics conventional paper in the manner in which content is displayed. Examples of such display technologies include electrophoretic displays, electro-wetting displays, and electro-fluidic displays. 
     Processor  210  can receive input from various sources, including touch sensor components  138 , display  116 , keystroke input  209  such as from a virtual or rendered keyboard, and other input mechanisms  299  (e.g., buttons, mouse, microphone, etc.). With reference to examples described herein, processor  210  can respond to input detected at the touch sensor components  138 . In some embodiments, processor  210  responds to inputs from the touch sensor components  138  in order to facilitate or enhance e-book activities such as generating e-book content on display  116 , performing page transitions of the displayed e-book content, powering off e-reading device  110  and/or display  116 , activating a screen saver, launching or closing an application, and/or otherwise altering a state of display  116 . 
     In some embodiments, memory  250  may store display sensor logic  135  that monitors for user interactions detected through the touch sensor components  138 , and further processes the user interactions as a particular input or type of input. In an alternative embodiment, display sensor logic module  135  may be integrated with the touch sensor components  138 . For example, the touch sensor components  138  can be provided as a modular component that includes integrated circuits or other hardware logic, and such resources can provide some or all of display sensor logic  135 . In variations, some or all of display sensor logic  135  may be implemented with processor  210  (which utilizes instructions stored in memory  250 ), or with an alternative processing resource. 
     E-reading device  110  further includes wireless connectivity subsystem  213 , comprising a wireless communication receiver, a transmitter, and associated components, such as one or more embedded or internal antenna elements, local oscillators, and a processing module such as a digital signal processor (DSP) (not shown). As will be apparent to those skilled in the field of communications, the particular design of wireless connectivity subsystem  213  depends on the communication network in which computing device  110  is intended to operate, such as in accordance with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC) communication protocols, and the like. 
     Term occurrence logic module  120 , in one embodiment, enables a user to locate occurrences of any given term in the digital content comprising the e-book, among other functions as described below. A corresponding term search operation with regard to a conventional paper book or textbook may be initiated at an index section, typically located towards the end of the work, whereupon a user searches terms alphabetically, notes the term occurrence page numbers, then flips pages to view each page individually. The digital structure of an e-book, wherein pages are constructed of digitally stored text, may allow manipulation of e-book text terms comprising the content in other ways, however. 
     Term occurrence logic module  120  can be implemented as a software module, comprising instructions stored in memory  250 , on mobile computing device  110 . One or more embodiments of logic module  120  described herein may be implemented using programmatic modules or components, a portion of a program, or software in conjunction with one or more hardware component(s) capable of performing one or more stated tasks or functions. As used herein, such module or component can exist on a hardware component independently of other modules or components. Alternatively, a module or component can be a shared element or process of other modules, programs or machines. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an example embodiment for a term-occurrence-based navigation of content apportionments of an e-book on a computer device having a touchscreen display, particularly in regard to operation of term occurrence logic module  120 . 
     in prelude to the depiction of  FIG. 3 , and with regard to content of a page in the ordered sequence of pages comprising an e-book, a search request may be initiated by selection of any text term at any given page, including but not limited to an index page. In one embodiment, a touch action or gesture may be received at the term, such as a long press, a term highlight action followed by a menu option icon selection or command. 
       FIG. 3A  shows current page content  301 , by way of illustration, with a term “love”  302  occurring within the page. The term “love”  302  is selectable for a comprehensive search across the paginated content of the e-book for occurrences therein. Pages of the e-book may be clustered or apportioned according to chapter designations, book part or book segment designations, and the like. 
     Now with reference to  313 , the searched term “love”  302  may be selected for searching via a touch action or gesture received at the term, such as a long press, or by a term highlighting action followed by a menu option icon selection  303  or like command. The searched term “love”  302  may be rendered within term occurrence page content  301  in a visually distinct manner from other content therein, such as bold or italics typeface, color, or via highlighting or variation in illumination, in some embodiments. In another embodiment, a user may specify a threshold number of term occurrences upon which the search may be based, whereby only e-book chapters that include the threshold number or more occurrences of the term “love” will be located for display. 
     Next with reference to  FIG. 3C , term occurrence logic module  120  may identify and determine a frequency of occurrences  305  of searched term “love”  302  across all pages of the e-book, then render results for frequency of occurrences  305  via a frequency indicator according to a respective chapter, or alternate content apportionment  306  of the e-book, within occurrence frequency interface  304  at display screen  116  of computing device  110 . In one embodiment, the frequency indicator may be a number of occurrences  305  of the searched term “love”  302  in a respective chapter of the e-book. In other embodiments, the frequency indicator may be a qualitative indicator, such as various colors, representing a high, medium and low number of occurrences, for example. 
     Next as depicted in  FIG. 3D , in response to a navigation request enacted upon frequency indicator interface  304 , a user may transition to a view showing term occurrence content excerpts  310 - 313  of content apportionment  306  (“Chapter 13”), for presentation on display screen  116 . In the example depiction of  FIG. 3D , since term occurrence content excerpts  310 - 313  represent only a first few of term occurrence content portions within Chapter 13, it is contemplated that the remaining content excerpts therein may be viewed, in order of their occurrences within Chapter 13 by scrolling downwards, such as by applying scroll indicator  309 . 
     Notably, and now with reference to  FIG. 3E , a user may choose to navigate to a larger amount of e-book content immediately surrounding any of a selected one of term occurrence content excerpts  310 - 313 . In an example depiction of  FIG. 3E , selecting term occurrence content excerpt  313  for navigation results in a display of e-book display page  315  including content immediately surrounding content excerpt  313 . In one embodiment, content excerpt  313  may be arranged on display page  315  with content immediately preceding and following, with content excerpt  313  generally centered therebetween and shown in a visually distinct manner from surrounding content of display page  315 . 
     Next with reference to FIG,  4 , illustrated is a method for providing a term-occurrence-based navigation of content apportionments of an e-book on computer device  110  having touchscreen display  116 , according to an embodiment. In describing the example of  FIG. 4 , reference will be made to components such as described with regard to  FIG. 1  through  FIGS. 3A-3E  for purposes of illustrating components for performing a step or sub-step as described. 
     At step  401 , receiving a term occurrence search request at a text portion  302  of the e-book content, the text portion comprising the term, the content of the e-book being apportioned according to a plurality of content apportionments, the text portion comprising the term “love”  302 , In the case of an e-book, the content apportionments may be according to chapter designations of content of the e-book. For an e-magazine, the content apportionments may be according to individual or discrete article sections or topics comprising content of the e-book. 
     At step  402 , determining a frequency of occurrence  305  of the term within respective ones of the content apportionments of the e-book. 
     At step  403 , rendering a frequency indicator of the frequency of occurrence  305  associated with the respective ones of the content apportionments at the display screen  116 . 
     At step  404 , receiving, at the display screen  116 , a navigation request for transitioning to a selected one of the content apportionments  306  of e-book content. 
     At step  405 , displaying a summary list  308  of term occurrence content excerpts  310 - 313  from the selected content apportionment  306 . 
     Although illustrative embodiments have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, variations to specific embodiments and details are contemplated and encompassed by this disclosure. It is intended that the scope of embodiments described herein be defined by claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, it is contemplated that a particular feature described, either individually or as part of an embodiment, can be combined with other individually described features, or parts of other embodiments. Thus, absence of describing combinations should not preclude the inventor from claiming rights to such combinations.