Abstract:
An exemplary operation method is applied to an architecture having a function of reading. The architecture is selected from one of a hardware architecture and a software architecture. In particular, the operation method includes the step of: adding a function of reading assistance to the architecture by applying at least a reading assistance command to the architecture. The at least a reading assistance command for example includes a TAB command for tab labeling in the architecture.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to edit tools, and more particularly to an edit tool for electronic book (e-book). 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    With the progress of science and technology, it is becoming more and more popular for people to make knowledge and content be digital documents to facilitate the other persons to read such documents by electronic devices. In order to meet different requirements, more and more software are provided. Generally speaking, such software have their particular content formats, a document creator can use an edit function of the software to edit the content into a digital document with particular format, and a reader can use a reading function of the same software to read the digital document with the particular format. However, the edit function of the software generally is focused on how to make the content into a certain format and how to present the content in a best manner, but ignore the convenience of reading for the reader. 
         [0003]    An electronic book (e-book) is taken as an example, the e-book currently uses several types of formats such as TXT, PDF and ePub as its primary storage formats. When the reader uses a personal computer (PC) or a mobile phone for reading, the reader basically uses the software to perform some reading functions such as scroll, page up/down, GOTO (skip several pages or jump to target page) or search. If the reader uses the e-book reader for reading, such functions can be carried on by software or hardware (e.g., functional keys). However, the above reading functions are generic functions and without any difference with respect to different e-books or digital documents, and thus lack of reading convenience for different contents. It is obvious that such limited functions would not satisfy the requirements of users. 
         [0004]    Recently, some e-book readers in the market provide a function that allowing readers to add annotates and search added annotates, however, the annotate add and search function only can be used by the reader, the creator of the document or e-book could not use such function. 
         [0005]    PowerPoint presentation software uses a special way to provide limited functions (e.g., jump to a specific slide), the emphasis is to make presentation, the reader could not make any change to such limited functions. 
         [0006]    Similarly, as to the web browser software, the creator of document can add a hyperlink, and the reader can use the hyperlink to link a reference material designated by the document creator and then return back to the original web page. 
         [0007]    In short, the above software use different ways to unilaterally provide some limited functions, but could not comprehensively and systematically provide the convenience similar to printed material reading for readers. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Therefore, an objective of the present invention is to provide an operation method, so as to satisfy user&#39;s demand. 
         [0009]    In particular, an operation method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is applied to an architecture having a first function. The operation method comprises a step of: adding a second function different from the first function to the architecture. 
         [0010]    In one embodiment, the above mentioned architecture can be a hardware architecture such as a digital document reader, or a software architecture such as a digital file. 
         [0011]    An operation method in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention is applied to an architecture having a function of reading. The architecture is selected from one of a hardware architecture and a software architecture. In particular, the operation method includes the step of: adding a function of reading assistance to the architecture by applying at least a reading assistance command to the architecture. The at least a reading assistance command for example includes a TAB command for tab labeling in the architecture. 
         [0012]    Owing to a new function(s) different from original function of the architecture is added to the architecture, the present invention makes the architecture to be more conveniently used by users. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a diagram that schematically illustrates an operation method in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a system block diagram that schematically depicts a portable electronic device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram that illustrates effects of reading assistance commands issued to the e-book application in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a diagram that schematically illustrates an operation method in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As depicted in  FIG. 1 , in the illustrative embodiment, the architecture  100  originally has a function A  102 , and a function B  104  different from the function B  104  is added to an architecture  100 , so that the architecture  100  of the present invention have more functions to satisfy the requirement of user. 
         [0019]    In an embodiment, the architecture  100  is a hardware architecture such as a portable electronic device.  FIG. 2  is a system block diagram that schematically depicts a portable electronic device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As depicted in  FIG. 2 , the portable electronic device  200  for example a digital document reader comprises a processing module  202 , a panel screen  204  and a storage unit  206 . The processing module  202  is coupled to both the panel screen  204  and the storage unit  206 . The panel screen  204  for example is a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel screen, or a bistable panel screen including an electrophoretic panel screen. In addition, the panel screen  204  can be a touch panel screen instead. 
         [0020]    Still referring to  FIG. 2 , the storage unit  206  can be an internal storage device such as a hard drive, or an external storage device such as a memory card, an USB pen drive, etc. In an embodiment, the portable electronic device  200  may further comprise an operation module  220 . The operation module  220  comprises a control unit  222  and at least one operation unit  224 . The operation unit  224  is coupled to the control unit  222 , and the control unit  222  is further coupled to the processing module  202 . The operation unit  224  can be entity keys, a touch pad, a joystick, a trackball or any combination thereof. As depicted in  FIG. 2 , when a user operates the operation unit  224 , the control unit  222  accordingly issues a corresponding control signal to the processing module  202  based on a status of the operation unit  224 . The processing module  202  then controls the operating/running of the portable electronic device  200  based on the control signal outputted from the control unit  222 . 
         [0021]    In another embodiment, the architecture  100  of  FIG. 1  is a software architecture such as a digital file instead, and the digital file can be installed to the storage unit  206  of  FIG. 2 . Still referring to  FIG. 2 , in the illustrative embodiment, the digital file installed in the storage unit  206  can be an e-book application  208  for displaying multiple image pages. It is understood to the skilled person in the art that the digital file is not limited to the e-book application, and may be a PowerPoint presentation application, a Word application or an Excel application, etc. 
         [0022]    Still referring to  FIG. 2 , when a user triggers a read request RD_REQ by the operation module  220 , the operation module  220  will send the read request RD_REQ to the processing module  202 . The processing module  202  then responds to the read request RD_REQ and runs the e-book application  208  in the storage unit  206  to thereby display an e-book on the panel screen  204 . 
         [0023]    Particularly, in the illustrative embodiment, an edit software  210  is installed to the storage unit  206  as depicted in  FIG. 2 . When the user (e.g., editor or reader of digital file) triggers an edit request ED_REQ by the operation module  220 , the edit software  201  accordingly is run/executed. After the edit software  210  is executed, a reading assistance command RA_CMD can be issued by the edit software  210  to the e-book application  208  based on user&#39;s demand. Such reading assistance command RD_CMD facilitates the e-book application  208  to have other additional function besides some basic functions relevant to reading. 
         [0024]    More specifically, the reading assistance command RA_CMD can be a TAB command. When the TAB command is issued from the edit software  210  to the e-book application  208 , a TAB tool is accordingly displayed on a reading image page displayed by the e-book application  208 . Once the user clicks the TAB tool, a tab can be set at a position marked by a cursor in the reading image page displayed by the e-book application  208  and thereby a tab symbol is displayed at the position marked by the cursor. 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram that illustrates effects of reading assistance commands issued to the e-book application  208  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to both  FIGS. 2 and 3 , in the illustrative embodiment, when one of the image pages displayed by the e-book application  208 , e.g., the image page  306  is set with a tab, which is similar to fold a corner of a page of substantial book, e.g., the folded-corner  302 . Such reading assistance command of TAB only is for labeling and no any execution if the TAB symbol is touched or applied with any other action. 
         [0026]    Moreover, the edit software  210  further may issue another RA_CMD, e.g., a GOTO TAB command according to a corresponding operation of the user. When the e-book application  208  receives the GOTO TAB command, a GOTO TAB tool e.g.,  304  will be displayed on a reading image page  308  displayed by the e-book application  208 . When the user clicks the GOTO TAB tool  304 , the reading image page displayed on the panel screen  204  by the e-book application will be switched to a image page such as the page  306  labeled with a tab symbol. 
         [0027]    The GOTO TAB command can provide several advantages. For example, one of the advantages is that the GOTO TAB command can help the user to jump from a chapter directory directly to corresponding chapter content, and another of the advantages is that the GOTO TAB command can help the user to easily jump to a reference material. 
         [0028]    It is noted that the reading assistance commands such as the above TAB command and GOTO TAB command provided from the edit software to the e-book application  208  are categorized to visible commands due to these commands are related to visible symbols or tools. However, the edit software  210  is not limited to provide visible commands, and can further provide invisible commands. Herein, an invisible command is a type of command relevant to no any visible symbols or tools are necessary to be displayed on the panel screen  204  for the execution of the invisible command. 
         [0029]    Specifically, in an optional embodiment, the edit software  210  not only can provide a new function(s) to the e-book application  208 , but also can provide a new function(s) to the reader device  200 . For instance, the edit software  210  can issue a reading assistance command RA_CMD to the portable electronic device  200 , e.g., a NEXT TAB command (i.e., a type of invisible command). When the edit software  210  issues the NEXT TAB command to the reader device  200 , the operation unit  224  is defined with a new function, e.g., an entity key or virtual key is given a new function. In the illustrative embodiment, when the user is reading an image page with a tab displayed by the e-book application  208 , if the user enables the new function of the operation unit  224 , the image page with the tab displayed on the panel screen  204  by the e-book application  208  will jump to the next image page with a tab. Accordingly, such NEXT TAB command can be used to help the user to quickly jump to the next chapter or the next reference material. In another embodiment, the user can use an invisible-command list to trigger such NEXT TAB command. 
         [0030]    Moreover, the edit software  210  further can issue another reading assistance command RA_CMD to the portable electronic device  200 , e.g., a RETURN command (i.e., another type of invisible command). When the edit software  210  issues the RETURN command, the operation unit  224  is re-defined with another new function. In this situation, when the panel screen  204  displays an image page with a tab by the e-book application  208 , the user can trigger re-defined the operation unit  224  so as to switch back the previous image. Likewise, the user can also use the invisible-command list to trigger the RETURN command. By use of the RETURN command, after executing the above GOTO TAB command, the user can quickly go back to the original image page. 
         [0031]    In the present invention, the above user can be a reader as well as an editor. By implementing the above embodiments, it is easy to allow a user to change from a n edit status to a reading status, vice versa. Once the user adds tabs or annotates in the digital file e.g., the e-book application  208 , the user can make the tabs or annotates combined with the digital file, so that the tabs or annotates have the portable characteristic. 
         [0032]    Although in the above embodiments, the reading assistance commands RA_CMD can be produced from the edit software  210 , in other embodiments, such reading assistance commands RA_CMD can be provided from a hardware system instead. For example, the processing module  202  in the portable electronic device  200  also can be used for providing such reading assistance commands. 
         [0033]    Additionally, although multiple reading assistance commands have been illustrated as examples, it is not to limit the present invention. The skilled person in the art can flexibly set wanted reading assistance command(s) according to actual requirement. 
         [0034]    To sum up, in the present invention, the user is facilitated to add a new function(s) to the hardware or software architecture  100  according to actual requirement, and therefore the operation method in accordance with the present invention can allow the architecture  100  to be endowed with more functions to satisfy user&#39;s needs. 
         [0035]    While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.