Patent ID: 7835989

Claim:
A method for providing electronic books to a subscriber, comprising: receiving, via a processor of a library unit, a request for an electronic book from an electronic book ordering site, wherein the library unit has a library ID, and wherein the electronic book ordering site includes an electronic book viewer that has a electronic book viewer ID; requesting the electronic book from an operation center; determining that a status of an account associated with the electronic book viewer is current, determining that the electronic book viewer is an authorized viewer; transmitting a data signal and a local authorization code from the operation center to the library unit, wherein the data signal comprises an encrypted content of the requested electronic book, and at least two unique ID numbers, receiving, at the library unit, the data signal and the local authorization code; storing the received authorization code; matching by the library unit the at least two unique ID numbers with the library ID and the electronic book viewer ID, transmitting based upon the matching the data signal and the local authorization code to the electronic book viewer, and at the electronic book viewer, prior to viewing decrypting the encrypted content of the electronic book using the local authorization code; displaying pages of the electronic book; storing the electronic book in a memory, and controlling viewing of the electronic book via a control panel of the electronic book viewer, wherein the electronic viewer is separate from the library unit and communicates with library unit via a wired or wireless interface.