Patent Publication Number: US-2010110011-A1

Title: Electronic book with enhanced features

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to electronic books. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Electronic books have been provided in which a person can read electronic book files stored on a storage medium in a compact, hand-held housing. Text is presented on a display of the housing, and more than a single electronic book can be stored on the storage medium. In this way, a person can in effect transport a large number of books for reading at the person&#39;s leisure in a single lightweight electronic book form factor. As recognized herein, such electronic books can be made even more convenient and user-friendly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An electronic book includes a housing, a touch screen display supported on the housing, and one or more stylus holders on the housing for holding an elongated rigid stylus. A digital processor in the housing. A keyboard cord receptacle receives a connector of a cord of a keyboard such that the keyboard may be selectively engaged and disengaged with the housing as desired to enable a person to enter signals to the digital processor. A tangible computer-reader storage medium is in the housing and is accessible to the processor, and electronic book files are stored on the medium for presentation of text represented by the files on the display in a native format under control of the processor. Additionally, the processor selectively presents on the display a list of titles stored on the medium, command input elements to support communication with other electronic books, and an image of a keyboard for providing input to the processor using the display. The processor can access a first electronic book file on the medium in a format other than the native format, and automatically, without requiring user intervention, when the first electronic book file is selected by a user reformat the first electronic book file into the native format and then display the first electronic book file. 
     In another aspect, an electronic book includes a housing and an electronic touch screen display supported on the housing. A digital processor in the housing. Also, a tangible computer-reader storage medium is in the housing and is accessible to the processor, with electronic book files being stored on the medium for presentation of text represented by the files on the display in a native format under control of the processor. The processor accesses a first electronic book file on the medium in a format other than the native format and automatically, without requiring user intervention, when the first electronic book file is selected by a user reformats the first electronic book file into the native format and then displays the first electronic book file. 
     In another aspect, an electronic book includes a housing and an electronic touch screen display supported on the housing. A digital processor in the housing. Also, a tangible computer-reader storage medium is in the housing and is accessible to the processor. Electronic book files are stored on the medium for presentation of text represented by the files on the display in a native format under control of the processor. At least one wireless transceiver is supported by the housing and is controllable by the processor to transmit electronic book files on the medium to other electronic books. The processor presents on the display a list of transmission protocols to use for selection of a protocol by a person for file transmission. 
     The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an example electronic book in the closed configuration; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the electronic book of  FIG. 1  in the open configuration; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an example electronic book with the processor, storage medium, and transceivers shown schematically; 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart of example file format conversion logic; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram illustrating book transfer modalities between cooperating electronic books; and 
         FIG. 6  is a flow chart of example book transfer logic. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring initially to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an example electronic book  10  is shown that can have, in one embodiment, a foldable configuration to mimic opening and closing a paper book. Specifically, the electronic book  10  may have a rigid lightweight plastic “cover” member  12  joined to a rigid lightweight plastic “back” member  14  along a hinge  16  for movement between an open configuration ( FIG. 2 ), wherein an electronic display  18  of the “cover” member  12  is exposed for viewing, and a closed configuration ( FIG. 1 ), wherein the display  18  is not exposed because it lies flush against the inside surface of the “back” member  14 . If desired, an input device  20  such as a keyboard and/or mouse or other cursor control/point and click device may be provided on, e.g., the “back” member  14 . 
       FIG. 3  shows an example electronic book  22  that may not be foldable in contrast to the book  10  in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , it being understood that the book  10  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  may incorporate the features of the electronic book  22  shown in  FIG. 3  in, e.g., the “cover” member  12  of the book  10 . The electronic book  22  includes a lightweight portable plastic housing  24  bearing an electronic display  26  that may be a touch screen display. Accordingly, if desired the housing  24  may include one or more stylus holders  28  such as plastic clips for holding an elongated rigid typically plastic stylus  30 , e.g., vertically on the housing with respect to the “top” and “bottom” of the housing, for use in inputting signals on the display  26  when it is a touch screen display. Without limitation the display  26  may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), light emitting diode display (LED), or other appropriate electronic display technology. 
     If desired, the housing  24  may be formed with a keyboard cord receptacle  32  for receiving a connector of a cord  34  of a keyboard  36 . Thus, the keyboard  36  may be selectively engaged and disengaged with the housing  24  as desired to enable a person to enter signals to a digital processor  38  within the housing  24 . In turn, the processor  38  call access a tangible computer-reader storage medium  40  such as but not limited to disk-based storage and/or solid state storage to execute logic herein. Electronic book files can also be stored on the medium  40 . It is to be understood that the processor  38  controls the display  26  to present user interfaces including a list of titles stored on the medium  40 , command input elements to support the book-to-book communication set forth below, book text from files on the medium  40 , and when the display  26  is a touch screen display, an image of an input device such as a keyboard with which the user can input alpha-numeric signals using, e.g., the stylus  30 . 
     In some embodiments the processor  38  may communicate with one or more wireless transceivers for purposes to be shortly divulged. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the processor  38  communicates with a long-range wireless transceiver  42  and a short-range wireless transceiver  44 . Without limitation the short-range transceiver  44  may be a Bluetooth transceiver or other short-range high bandwidth transceiver technology and the long-range transceiver  42  may be a Wi-Fi transceiver or ultra wideband (UWB) transceiver or wireless telephony transceiver or other appropriate transceiver. 
     Using, e.g., the stylus  30  or other object a person may select a “highlight” selector presented on the display  26  to highlight text that is present on the display. Also, the person may enter handwritten notes in the “margins” of text presented on the display, with the processor  38  executing a handwriting recognition module stored on the medium  40  to generate and store electronic alpha-numeric characters representative of the handwriting in the relevant portion of the electronic book file. In this way, a person can annotate an electronic book with comments at the location in the book file to which the comments pertain. 
     Furthermore, “handedness” selectors may be presented on the display  26  which can be selected by a person to indicate “left handed” or “right handed”. For example, a right-handed person may wish to hold the housing  24  upright as shown, whereas a left-handed user may wish to hold the housing  24  upside-down, in which case a selection of “left handed” would cause the text presented on the display  26  to be turned 180 degrees. The device may also be able to rotate 90 degrees in either direction to easily accommodate left-handed and right-handed users alike. Moreover, a user may be presented with a “negative” selector element on the display  26  which, if selected, causes text to be colored white and to be displayed on a black or other dark background. The user may also be presented with “larger” and “smaller” selector elements which, if selected, respectively cause text, graphics, tables, etc. that are part of an electronic book file to be enlarged and reduced. 
     Turning to  FIG. 4 , as understood herein the processor  38  may be programmed to display electronic book files that are presumed to be in a predetermined “native” format such as, for example, Acrobat™. The present invention also understands that an electronic book file may be stored on the medium  40  in a format other than the native format, but that the non-native file preferably is displayed regardless and without requiring user intervention. 
     Accordingly, at block  46  a document selection is received by, e.g., receiving a selection of an available title on the medium  40  from a list presented on the display  26 . If, at decision diamond  48 , it is determined that the selected document is in the native format, the document is displayed at block  50 . On the other hand, if the document is not in the native format, the processor determines what format the document is in and at block  52  automatically (without user prompt or command) accesses the appropriate conversion module for converting the document from its format into the native format. The conversion module may be stored on the medium  40 . Using the conversion module at block  54 , the processor converts the document into the native format for display at block  50 . 
       FIG. 5  shows that one electronic book  60  such as one of the books  10  or  22  described above can share electronic book files with another electronic book  60  using peer-to-peer (P2P) principles and/or using broadcast transmission principles. Specifically, as shown by the line  62  the electronic books  60  may communicate with each other using a broadband wireless network  64  such as a Wi-Fi network of the Internet. Also, direct P2P file sharing may be undertaken with nearby electronic books without going through a network, as shown by the arrow  66 . In the latter case, Bluetooth or other high˜bandwidth short-range transmission protocol may be used to transfer an electronic book file from one electronic book  60  to another, whereas in the former case P2P or broadcast principles may be employed along with, e.g., Wi-Fi transmission protocol to share electronic book files through the network  64 . 
     P2P file sharing without employing the network  64  may be effected when one electronic book  60  is in close proximity to another compliant device. A person may be presented with a list of protocols to use for selection of a protocol for file transmission. In this way if, for example, WiFi is not available the user might select to use a Bluetooth transceiver and protocol to share files with a nearby electronic book. 
     In the event that it is desired to send files to relatively distant electronic books, an electronic book  60  may broadcast book files using, e.g., a mailing list of recipient device Internet addresses. By selecting transfer using a mailing list, files from one book  60  to another or many books  60  can be sent, addressed to the respective Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, which may be addresses of a PC associated with a recipient and/or addresses of a book  60  that is present in, e.g., an active WiFi hot spot. Thus, each book  60  can have own IP address and if desired a PC IP address as a designated back up address, if the book  60  is not online. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the above principles in further detail. Commencing at block  70 , a user can be selected with a list of titles that are available to be transferred to other books, if desired accounting for digital rights management (DRM) restrictions, along with desired recipients. Also, at block  72  the user may be presented with protocol selector elements to permit the user to select the desired transmission protocol, e.g., “Bluetooth”, “WiFi”, etc. If desired, at block  74  handshake principles may be employed with a desired recipient to ascertain that recipient is appropriately configured, e.g., is within Bluetooth range if Bluetooth is configured, is energized, etc. The selected book files are sent to the selected recipient addresses at block  76 . 
     While the particular ELECTRONIC BOOK WITH ENHANCED FEATURES is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.