U.S. patent application number 14/954337 was filed with the patent office on 2016-03-24 for system and method for managing user e-book collections.
This patent application is currently assigned to Kobo Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Kobo Inc.. Invention is credited to Charles Joseph, Tony O'Donoghue, Sneha Patel.
Application Number | 20160085391 14/954337 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51865780 |
Filed Date | 2016-03-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160085391 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
O'Donoghue; Tony ; et
al. |
March 24, 2016 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING USER E-BOOK COLLECTIONS
Abstract
Examples described herein enable a user to organize and manage
e-books on a computing device that utilizes a network-based e-book
service. According to some examples, a user e-book collection can
be organized so that it can be displayed when archived, as well as
in accordance with user-defined lists.
Inventors: |
O'Donoghue; Tony; (Toronto,
CA) ; Patel; Sneha; (Mississauga, CA) ;
Joseph; Charles; (Toronto, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Kobo Inc. |
Toronto |
|
CA |
|
|
Assignee: |
Kobo Inc.
Toronto
CA
|
Family ID: |
51865780 |
Appl. No.: |
14/954337 |
Filed: |
November 30, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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13889114 |
May 7, 2013 |
9229620 |
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14954337 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
715/835 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/0483 20130101;
G06F 3/0482 20130101; G06F 3/0484 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/0482 20060101
G06F003/0482; G06F 3/0483 20060101 G06F003/0483 |
Claims
1. A method for organizing e-books on a computing device, the
method comprising: identifying a collection of e-books that are
associated with the computing device, including multiple e-books
that are stored in a local memory of the computing device;
identifying a graphic representation of each e-book in the
collection; identifying a user-defined list of e-books from the
collection; displaying a library representation of the collection,
the library representation including the graphic representation of
each e-book in the collection; enabling the user to specify an
input that corresponds to the user-defined list; in response to
detecting the input, filtering the library representation to
include only the e-books that are part of the corresponding
user-defined list; archiving a selected e-book from the multiple
e-books of the collection by removing the selected e-book from the
local memory, wherein an entirety of the selected e-book had been
previously downloaded to the local memory; and for each archived
e-book, altering the graphic representation of the e-book in the
library representation to indicate that the e-book is archived with
respect to the computing device.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to
create the user-defined list, and to include one or more archived
e-books in the user defined list.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying the
user-defined list to include a first set of graphic representations
and a second set of graphic representations, each graphic
representation of the first set corresponding to an e-book that is
locally stored on the computing device, and each graphic
representation of the second set corresponding to an e-book that is
archived on the computing device.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising signaling the
user-defined list to a service which associates the user-defined
list with an account of the user.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the graphic
representation of the e-book includes altering a shading, a
coloring or a portion of a content of that graphic
representation.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the graphic
representation of the e-book includes altering a position of the
graphic representation within the library representation.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the graphic
representation of each e-book in the collection includes:
determining, for each e-book, imagery used to package a media on
which that e-book is provided from a corresponding publishing
source; and for each of the multiple e-books, generating a graphic
representation that replicates the imagery of that e-book.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the imagery includes
determining a jacket cover used to package a book corresponding to
each of the multiple e-books.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the jacket cover
includes accessing, for a literary work corresponding to each
e-book, a publisher resource in order to determine the jacket cover
for a book that carries the literary work.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to
detecting the input, archiving the selected e-book from multiple
devices of the user by removing the selected e-book from a local
memory of each of the multiple devices.
11. A method for organizing e-books of a user, the method
comprising: identifying a collection of e-books that are associated
with an account of a user; identifying a graphic representation of
each e-book in the collection; identifying a user-defined list of
e-books from the collection; making the collection available for
display on any of multiple computing devices of a user as a library
representation, the library representation including the graphic
representation of each e-book in the collection; enabling the user
to specify, on any of the multiple computing devices, an input that
corresponds to the user-defined list; communicating the
user-defined list to each of the multiple computing devices of the
user; and enabling the user to separately archive each item that is
locally stored on any of the multiple computing devices, so that
each device can include a different set of locally stored e-books,
wherein an entirety of each said item had been previously
downloaded to a local memory of a respective one of the multiple
computing devices.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: enabling the
collection of e-books to be displayed as a library representation,
the library representation including the graphic representation of
each e-book in the collection; and enabling each user-defined list
to be displayed as a filtered version of the library representation
that includes the graphic representation of each e-book in the
user-defined list.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising altering the graphic
representation of each e-book in the user-defined list that is
archived to communicate that the e-book is not locally stored, but
available through a cloud service.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein enabling an appearance of the
user-defined list to differ on each of the multiple computing
devices based on the e-books of the user-defined list that are
archived on individual computing devices of the user.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores
instructions for managing e-books on a computing device, the
computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed
by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to
perform operations comprising: identifying a collection of e-books
that are associated with the computing device, including multiple
e-books that are stored in a local memory of the computing device;
identifying a graphic representation of each e-book in the
collection; identifying a user-defined list of e-books from the
collection; displaying a library representation of the collection,
the library representation including the graphic representation of
each e-book in the collection; enabling the user to specify an
input that corresponds to the user-defined list; in response to
detecting the input, filtering the library representation to
include only the e-books that are part of the corresponding
user-defined list; archiving a selected e-book from the multiple
e-books of the collection by removing the selected e-book from the
local memory, wherein an entirety of the selected e-book had been
previously downloaded to the local memory; and for each archived
e-book, altering the graphic representation of the e-book in the
library representation to indicate that the e-book is archived with
respect to the computing device.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15,
further comprising instructions for enabling the user to create the
user-defined list, and to include one or more archived e-books in
the user defined list.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16,
further comprising instructions for displaying the user-defined
list to include a first set of graphic representations and a second
set of graphic representations, each graphic representation of the
first set corresponding to an e-book that is locally stored on that
computing device, and each graphic representation of the second set
corresponding to an e-book that is archived on the computing
device.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15,
further comprising instructions for signaling the user-defined list
to a service which associates the user-defined list with an account
of the user.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15,
wherein the instructions for altering the graphic representation of
the e-book includes instructions for altering a shading, a coloring
or a portion of a content of that graphic representation.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15,
wherein the instructions for altering the graphic representation of
the e-book includes instructions for altering a position of the
graphic representation within the library representation.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/889,114, filed May 7, 2013, the entire
contents of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] Examples described herein relate to a system and method for
managing user e-book collections.
BACKGROUND
[0003] "E-books" are a form of an electronic publication that can
be viewed on computing devices with suitable functionality.
Multi-function devices, such as cellular-telephony or messaging
devices, can utilize specialized applications (E.g., e-reader apps)
to view e-books. Still further, some devices (sometimes labeled as
"e-readers") can be centric towards content viewing, and e-book
viewing in particular.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 illustrates an example system for organizing an
e-book collection.
[0005] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a mobile computing
device.
[0006] FIG. 3 illustrates an example device system for managing an
e-book collection associated with a given mobile computing
device.
[0007] FIG. 4 illustrates an example method for presenting list
content for a collection of e-books associated with the user
account on a mobile computing device.
[0008] FIG. 5 illustrates an example method for enabling the user
to organize a collection of e-books using user-defined lists.
[0009] FIG. 6A illustrates an example interface for displaying a
library representation for a user's collection of e-books.
[0010] FIG. 6B illustrates an interface for enabling the user to
create a new user-defined list.
[0011] FIG. 6C illustrates an interface for enabling the user to
specify entries for a newly created list.
[0012] FIG. 6D illustrates an interface for enabling the user to
view list content for a newly user-defined list.
[0013] FIG. 6E illustrates an interface for displaying list content
in the form of a bookcase and/or bookshelf
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] Examples described herein provide for a system and method
for managing a user's e-book collection. In particular, examples
described herein enable a user to organize and manage e-books on a
computing device that utilizes a network-based e-book service.
According to some examples, a user e-book collection can be
organized so that it can be displayed when archived, as well as in
accordance with user-defined lists.
[0015] In one example, a graphic representation of each e-book in a
collection is identified. A user-defined list of e-books is also
identified from the collection. A library representation of the
collection is displayed on the computing device, where the library
representation includes the graphic representation of each e-book
in the collection. The user can specify an input that corresponds
to the user-defined list. In response to detecting the input, the
library representation is filtered to include only the e-books that
are part of the corresponding user-defined list. A selected e-book
from the collection can be archived by removing the selected e-book
from local memory. Additionally, for each archived e-book, the
graphic representation of the e-book is altered in the library
representation to indicate that the e-book is archived with respect
to that computing device.
[0016] According to another example, a collection of e-books are
identified that are associated with an account of a user. A graphic
representation of each e-book in the collection may also be
identified. A user-defined list of e-books is defined from the
collection. The collection is made available for display on any of
multiple computing devices of a user as a library representation.
The library representation includes the graphic representation of
each e-book in the collection. The user can specify, on any of
multiple computing devices, an input that corresponds to the
user-defined list. The user-defined list is communicated to each of
the multiple computing devices of the user. The user to can
separately archive each item that is locally stored on any of the
multiple computing devices, so that each device can include a
different set of locally stored e-books.
[0017] One or more embodiments described herein provide that
methods, techniques and actions performed by a computing device are
performed programmatically, or as a computer-implemented method.
Programmatically means through the use of code, or
computer-executable instructions. A programmatically performed step
may or may not be automatic.
[0018] One or more embodiments 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. 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 or machines.
[0019] Furthermore, one or more embodiments described herein may be
implemented through instructions that are executable by one or more
processors. These instructions may be carried on a
computer-readable medium. Machines shown or described with figures
below provide examples of processing resources and
computer-readable mediums on which instructions for implementing
embodiments of the invention can be carried and/or executed. In
particular, the numerous machines shown with embodiments of the
invention include processor(s) and various forms of memory for
holding 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, such as CD or DVD
units, flash or solid state memory (such as carried on many cell
phones and consumer electronic devices) and magnetic memory.
Computers, terminals, network enabled devices (e.g., mobile devices
such as cell phones) 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
carrier medium capable of carrying such a program.
[0020] System Overview
[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates a system for organizing an e-book
collection, according to an embodiment. A system 100 includes a
mobile computing device 110 and a network service 120. The network
service 120 may include multiple servers and other computing
resources that provide various e-book services, including services
in which e-books are sold, shared, downloaded and/or stored. The
mobile computing device 110 can correspond to any computing device
on which an e-book can be rendered and consumed. For example, the
mobile computing device 110 can correspond to a tablet,
telephony/messaging device (e.g., smart phone) or portable
computing device. The mobile computing device 110 can run an
e-reader application that links the device to the service 120 and
enables e-books provided through the service to be viewed and
consumed.
[0022] In some implementations, the mobile computing device 110 is
equipped with hardware and software to optimize reading electronic
content, including e-books. For example, the mobile computing
device 110 can have a tablet like form factor, although variations
are possible. In some cases, the mobile computing device 110 can
also have an E-ink display.
[0023] The network service 120 can include a device interface 128,
which communicates with individual devices that access the service.
Among other resources, the network service 120 can include an
e-book store 122 and a user account store 124. The user account
store 124 can associate mobile computing device 110 with a user and
an account 125. The account 125 can also be associated with one or
more e-books, which can be stored in the e-book store 122. As
described further, the user account store 124 can retain metadata
for individual accounts 125 to identify e-books that have been
purchased or made available for consumption for a given account.
The metadata can include lists that are specific to the user
account 125, as well as to one or more devices that are associated
with the user account. The mobile computing 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 mobile computing device 110 can store e-books that are
purchased or otherwise made available to the user of the mobile
computing device 110, as well as archive e-books that have been
purchased for the user account 125, but are not stored on the
particular mobile computing device.
[0024] In some embodiments, mobile computing device 110 includes
list logic 112. The list logic 112 enables the user to select
e-books that can be archived with a network service 120. When
archived, the local copy on the mobile computing device 110 is
deleted, but the network service 120 maintains the association of
the archived e-book with the account of the mobile computing device
110. As a result, the archived e-book is available to the user of
the mobile computing device 110 for download at a later time. If an
archived e-book is one that the user has previously purchased, then
the e-book can be made available for download to the mobile
computing device 110 at no charge, so that the user maintains
ownership of the e-book. The list logic 112 enables the user of the
mobile computing device 110 to view their entire collection of
e-books, including archived e-books which are not stored on the
mobile computing device 110.
[0025] Additionally, the list logic 112 can be implemented to
enable the user to generate specific user-defined lists. For
example, separate lists can be defined for different users that
share the same account and/or the mobile computing device 110.
Lists provide both archived e-books and downloaded e-books in a
manner that enables the user to view his collection or
sub-collection, and the individual e-books identified in the
particular list can be either locally stored on the device or
provided by or with the cloud service.
[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a mobile computing device,
according to an embodiment. The mobile computing device 110 can
include a processor 210, a network interface 220, a display 230,
one or more input mechanisms 240, and a memory 250. The processor
210 can utilize the network interface 220 to communicate with a
network service 120 (see FIG. 1). In communicating with the network
service 120, the mobile computing device 110 can receive e-books
221 that the user has purchased or otherwise selected to download
from the network service. The account of the mobile computing
device 110 may have also been previously associated with one or
more library lists 223, including user-defined lists. For example,
a given account of the mobile computing device 110 can be
associated with multiple devices, and a user-defined list may have
been created on another one of the devices and then communicated to
the network service 120. The mobile computing device 110 may
receive lists 223 on other devices created for the account, as well
as default or service generated lists (e.g., "Books you purchased
recently").
[0027] The e-books 221 that are downloaded onto the mobile
computing device 110 may be stored in the memory 250. The library
list 223 may also be stored in the memory 250.
[0028] In some embodiments, the user may operate the mobile
computing device 110 to create user-defined lists. For example, the
user may operate input mechanism 240 in order to provide user list
input 225. The processor 210 implements logic to generate one or
more additional user-defined lists from the user input 225. For
example, the user list input 225 can include input to define a new
list or input to augment items to an existing list. The input
mechanism 240 can correspond to, for example, a touch interface,
such as one integrated with the display 230 (e.g., touchscreen). As
an addition or alternative, the input mechanism 240 can correspond
to a microphone, for which speech recognition logic (e.g.,
application running on processor 210) can interpret as text input.
Still further, the input mechanism 240 can correspond to a set of
buttons or switches, including a keyboard or button set, that the
user can operate to define a new list, as well as to select items
for either a new or existing list.
[0029] The display 230 can correspond to, for example, a liquid
crystal display (LCD) that illuminates in order to provide content
generated from processor 210. In alternative variations, for
example, the display 230 can be an E-ink display with a white-paper
appearance to enhance readability.
[0030] The processor 210 can synchronize the contents of various
library list 223 with information maintained in the account
associated with the mobile computing device 110. Thus, when a new
user-defined list is created on the mobile computing device 110,
the processor 210 can communicate, through the network interface
220, the newly created list to the network service 120 (see FIG.
1). The newly created list is associated with the user account, and
made available to other devices of that account. Likewise, when the
user alters the contents of an existing list, such as augmenting a
previously created user-defined list with additional items (e.g.,
adding new e-books to the bookshelf), the processor 210 can
communicate the updated user-defined list 231 to the network
service 120, where the list is maintained and distributed to other
devices of the same account.
[0031] In addition to synchronizing lists, the processor 210 can
also perform archival actions 233. For example, when the user
selects to archive an e-book, the e-book may be removed from memory
250, and the user's selection to archive the particular e-book is
communicated to the network service 120. In some variations, the
network service 120 may automatically instruct other devices of the
same account to archive the e-book, so that the archived e-book no
longer exist in the memory of any of the devices of the particular
account.
[0032] In some embodiments, the memory 250 can also store graphic
representations 229 (e.g. publisher imagery) for each e-book
associated with the user account. As described below, the graphic
representations 229 may be displayed with the various lists.
Moreover, the graphic representations 229 can be modified (e.g.,
provided indicia) to signify that the user has purchased or
otherwise has rights to a particular e-book, even when the e-book
has been archived. Thus, for example, a user can, by looking at a
virtual bookshelf on his mobile computing device 110, see what
books are in his collection, regardless of whether those books are
stored locally or archived through network service 120.
Additionally, as described below, the graphic representations 229
can be linked to programmatic actions, so as to, for example,
trigger an automatic download of a corresponding e-book.
[0033] FIG. 3 illustrates an example device system for organizing
an e-book collection associated with a given mobile computing
device, according to an embodiment. In reference to FIG. 3, a
mobile computing system 300 can implement programmatic components
for communicating with an e-book service (such as network service
120, shown in FIG. 1), as well as for enabling organization of
e-books utilized by an account of the mobile computing system 300.
In some implementations, the mobile computing system 300 can be
implemented as an application that runs on a mobile computing
device (e.g., such as shown by FIG. 1 or FIG. 2).
[0034] In an example of FIG. 3, the mobile computing system 300
includes a user interface 310, a memory management module 320, a
local memory 330, and a service interface 340. The programmatic
components shown with the computing system 300 can be provided as
part of an application that runs on the computing system 300. For
example, the user can download an application onto a mobile
computing device in order to obtain functionality such as described
herein, as well as to communicate with a network service 120.
Alternatively, the application can be embedded or otherwise
preinstalled with other programmatic elements for providing such
functionality on a computing device.
[0035] The service interface 340 includes application and logic
which enables the device to use, for example, a wireless Internet
connection, to connect to the network service 120 (see FIG. 1). In
connecting with the service, the service interface 340 can transmit
data that enables the network service 120 to identify mobile
computing system 300 (or alternatively the user) so that the
network service 120 can determine the account associated with the
mobile computing device. The service interface 340 can be used to
retrieve e-books 325 from the network service 120. For example, in
identifying the mobile computing system 300 with the network
service 120, the network service may be able to procure payment
information (e.g., stored credit card) that can be used to charge
users account when purchasing a new e-book. Each e-book can
correspond to a literary work, having pagination, chapter
designations and optionally graphics and formatting. Individual
e-books 325 can also include graphic representations 327, such as
icons, that provide imagery for marketing the e-book similar to the
manner in which a conventional hardbound book would be marketed in
a retail store. In one implementation, the network service 120 can
retrieve or otherwise identify the graphic representations 327 of
individual e-books from publisher sources.
[0036] In identifying the mobile computing system 300, the network
service 120 can identify what e-books belong to the account of that
device. E-books that are transmitted to the mobile computing system
300 include those that are purchased from the device, or those that
the user requested to download. In variations, e-books can
automatically be downloaded to the device in response to the
occurrence of certain conditions. For example, the user can
purchase an e-book on another device, and then subsequently connect
to the network service 120 via the mobile computing system 300 to
automatically receive their previously purchased e-book.
Alternatively, network service 120 can be configured to push
e-books to the mobile computing system 300, based on, for example,
user account settings, subscription rules, and various other
business logic consideration.
[0037] Additionally, the service interface 340 can include
processes for automatically receiving updates from a network
service 120. The updates can include programmatic updates,
including updates to existing components on the device, as well as
updates to lists, e-books that the user may have purchased on
another device of the same account, recommendations from the
network as to what a given user may want to purchase or view, and
various other data that can be either generally provided to users
of the network service 120 and/or specifically provided for the
particular account or user.
[0038] Among other functionality, the user interface 310 can
include an e-reader 312, list logic 314, and a library
representation 316. The e-reader 312 can correspond to a program
that renders e-books for the user. The e-reader 312 can, for
example, display paginated content such as e-books, as well as
other content such as electronic magazines and web pages. The
e-reader 312 can also provide interface features that enable the
user to flip through electronic pages or chapters of an e-book.
[0039] The list logic 314 includes functionality for enabling the
user to create and modify lists of e-books. In one implementation,
service interface 340 can automatically retrieve existing library
lists 341 and user-defined lists 343 from the network service 120.
The memory management module 320 can store the retrieved lists 341,
343 with the local memory 330. The list logic 314 can display list
content based on the retrieved list 341, 343. Additionally, the
list logic 314 can enable the user to augment existing list 341,
343, and to also create new user-defined list 345. The new
user-defined list 345 can be stored via memory management module
120 in the local memory 330, and also transmitted via the service
interface 340 to the network service 120. In turn, the network
service 120 can update the user account to reflect changes or
additions to the various lists associated with the user account,
including to add new user-defined lists generated on the mobile
computing system 300, and to update or otherwise augment existing
lists that are changed with input made through the user interface
310.
[0040] The library representation 316 of the user interface 310 can
enable the display of list content, corresponding to the various
lists that are associated with the particular user account. In one
implementation, the list content includes the entries of each list,
displayed in any one of a variety of formats. The individual
entries can each include some information about a corresponding
e-book, such as title, author, user rating, some textual
characterization (e.g. tags re-summary), and status information as
to whether the user has read the book or spent time viewing the
book. Additionally, each entry of the various lists can include the
graphic representation 327 of the corresponding e-book 325. In one
implementation, list content can be structured as a vertical list
that includes the graphic representation 327 of each e-book 325
identified in the list. In another implementation, some or all of
the lists that are maintained for the user can be rendered
graphically in the form of a shelf or bookcase. For example, a
bookcase can be used to represent the entire collection of the
user, and each shelf in the bookcase can correspond to an existing
list, such as a user-defined lists Numerous such variations are
possible.
[0041] The user interface 310 can include various other interactive
elements as well. By way of example, user interface 310 can include
a store interface, where the user can purchase e-books and browse
recommendations etc. The user interface 310 can also include a
community interface, where users can share thoughts on books,
provide commentary and feedback and/or engage in social networking
activity.
[0042] According to some embodiments, the user can also operate the
user interface 310 to selectively archive e-books that are stored
on the device. In particular, downloaded e-books can be locally
stored in the memory 330. A user can enter input, or designate
settings (e.g., archive after completing reading) by which e-books
are selectively removed from local memory 330. The user interface
310 can communicate the archival input 311 to memory management
module 320. The memory management 320 can then implement memory
operations 333 to delete or otherwise remove the contents of the
e-book from memory 330.
[0043] According to some embodiments, the local memory 330 stores
each e-book 325 as a record 326 that includes content 328 (e.g.,
page content). The memory operations 333 of the memory management
module 320 can archive e-books 325 by maintaining the record 326 of
each archived e-book in the local memory 330. However, the memory
operation 333 can delete or otherwise remove from memory the
contents 328 of an e-book that is archived, corresponding to, for
example, some or all of the pages of the e-book that have been
selected for removal from the device. The record 326 of each e-book
(including archived e-books) can include the data used to represent
that e-book in any one of the list maintained for the user on the
mobile computing system 300. In one implementation, the data
includes the graphic representation 327 for each e-book 325, as
well as other metadata that is used to represent the e-book as an
entry in one of the lists.
[0044] In some implementations, when an e-book 325 is archived on
the mobile computing system 300, the entry representing that e-book
in the various lists can be altered in some form to indicate the
archive status of that e-book. Additionally, the entry of the
archive e-book can be linked to some programmatic action 355 that
can be selected by the user in order to transfer the e-book from
the archives state back to the locally stored state. For example,
the record 326 of an archived e-book can be provided additional
archival indicia 353 (e.g., by the memory management module 120).
When the entry 326 is rendered in the one of the lists, the indicia
can communicate that the user needs to "tap to download" the
e-book. If the user taps the entry, the linked programmatic action
355 is initiated, which retrieves the e-book from the network
service 120. For example, the memory management module 320 may
signal via the service interface 340 to procure the specific
archived e-book. This functionality enables the user to view the
entire e-book library, while selectively archiving e-book titles in
a manner that enables the e-book title to be instantly available if
requested.
[0045] In some variations, the memory management module 320 signals
an archival action 347 to the network service 120 via the service
interface 340. The archival action 347 can identify the particular
e-book that was identified by the archive input 311. In response to
the memory operation 333, the network service 120 can mark the
particular e-book that is being archived, and communicate the
archival status of that particular e-book to other devices
associated with the account.
[0046] Methodology
[0047] FIG. 4 illustrates an example method for presenting list
content for a collection of e-books associated with the user
account on a mobile computing device. FIG. 5 illustrates an example
method for enabling the user to organize a collection of e-books
using user-defined lists. Examples such as described by FIG. 4 or
FIG. 5 may be implemented using components such as described with
FIG. 1, FIG. 2, or FIG. 3. Accordingly, reference may be made to
elements of other figures for purpose of illustrating suitable
elements or components for performing a step or sub-step being
described.
[0048] With reference to FIG. 4, a collection of e-books that are
associated with an account of the user are identified on a given
computing device (410). For example, the user can register for an
account with an e-book service. Alternatively, the user can use an
e-book service application of the mobile computing device to
provide login and password information, and the device can
subsequently use the information to login to the network service
120 on behalf of the user via the service interface 340. With use
of the account, the user can purchase e-books and over time develop
a collection of e-books. Furthermore, the user can utilize multiple
devices for a given account, so that purchases made on one device
can be downloaded on other devices. Over time, the e-books that
comprise the user collection are identified on each device.
[0049] Each e-book in the collection may also be associated with a
graphic representation (420). The graphic representation may
originate, for example, from the publisher source. For example, the
graphic representation can correspond to the imagery provided by a
publisher source used to market the e-book. In variations, the
graphic representation can correspond to imagery used by a
publisher source to market a hard copy of the same literary work.
In one implementation, the graphic representation can be in the
form of an icon. Alternatively, the graphic representation can
represent the jacket or binder of the literary work. For example,
an e-book may be provided a graphic book jacket that corresponds to
the hardbound edition of the same literary work. The graphic book
jacket can include, for example, one or more of a front cover, an
inside jacket, a spine illustration, and/or back cover.
[0050] A suitably configured computing device can be configured to
enable the user to perform device-oriented organizational
activities (430). Among such activities, the user can define one or
more lists (432). For example, the user can define a list of
favorite e-books, e-books that are associated with the particular
user of the mobile computing device, e-books that are pertinent to
a particular topic that the user is interested in, or e-books that
are saved for later reading. Each list can include a name and one
or more entries corresponding to e-books of the user. Furthermore,
individual entries can comprise entries for multiple lists.
[0051] As an addition or alternative, the user can archive e-books
(434). When archived, the user deletes the content portion of the
e-book from local memory. However, the user's account notes the
e-book belongs to the user, and enables the user to download the
e-book at a later date. In this way, for example, the user can
manually or automatically trigger archival of an e-book when, for
example, the user has completed reading the e-book.
[0052] The user can operate the computing device to display the
user's collection of e-books in the form of a library
representation (440). The library representation can correspond to,
or be comprised of various lists that are maintained for the
particular account of the user. According to examples described
herein, the library representation can include both locally stored
e-books and those e-books that are archived (442). In one
implementation, each e-book of the user's account is provided a
record that includes (i) e-book metadata, including title, author,
graphic representations or imagery, reviews etc., and (ii) content.
When archived, the portion of the e-book that corresponds to the
content can be removed from the local memory of the device. The
record itself may remain on the device, so that data such as the
graphic representation of the archive e-book can be used to
represent that e-book in one or more of the lists that comprise the
library representation of the user's collection.
[0053] Furthermore, when an archived e-book is displayed in the
library representation, the graphic representation of that e-book
can be altered, or otherwise provided additional indicia to
indicate that the e-book has been archived (444). As an alternative
to indicia, the e-book with the archived status can be provided a
relative position or orientation, such as with respect to a
midline, or oriented sideways versus by spine. Furthermore, the
indicia or record of archived book may be linked to a programmatic
trigger that can be selected by the user in order to have that
e-book downloaded once again on the computing device (446). For
example, the user may tap the entry of an archived e-book in order
to initiate a download of that e-book.
[0054] According to some examples, the user can elect to view only
a portion of the user's collection corresponding to, for example a
user-defined list (450). For example, the user may select to view
one of the user defined list by entering selection input through
interaction with the user interface 310.
[0055] In response to the user selecting to view a user-defined
list, the library representation may be filtered to include entries
for e-books that are specified by the selected list (460). For
example, the entries of a user-defined list may be provided in a
vertically scrollable manner, or as part of a bookshelf in which
other shelves are graphically hidden or made less of focus (e.g.,
the selected shelf is made the center of the screen while other
shelves or move the side).
[0056] When the user selects a user-defined list, those e-books of
the list which are archived may also be identified in the list in
the manner described (462). For example, archived e-books in a
user-defined list can be provided indicia indicating the archive
status of the book, as well as the programmatic link by which the
user can trigger an automatic download of the contents of the
book.
[0057] With reference to FIG. 5, network service 120 can be
operated in a manner that enables a user's collection of e-books to
be made available for use on any of multiple computing devices of
the user (510). For example, the network service 120 can maintain
account information for each user, and the account information can
identify each e-book in the given user's collection. Furthermore,
the account information can identify lists of the user (including
user-defined lists), as well as those e-books which have been
archived on any of the users computing devices.
[0058] The service can further enable functionality that enables
the user to create user-defined lists on any of multiple user
devices associated with the particular user account. For example,
the service can be linked to an application or other programmatic
resource on each of the user's computing devices. The various
applications can be implemented on different computing
environments, such as different operating systems. The user can
operate each application in order to access the network service 120
through any one of the user's devices. In one implementation, the
user can operate the application on any of the users associated
computing devices in order to obtain functionality corresponding to
user interface 310.
[0059] In one implementation, the user can interact with the user
interface 310 for purpose of specifying list information for their
e-book collection (520). The list information can include newly
created lists (522) and edits to existing lists (524).
[0060] The list information can be received by the network service
120 from any computing device associated with the user account, and
then communicated to the other computing devices that are
associated with the same account (530). For example, the user can
specify a new list, and the service 120 can communicate the new
list to other computing devices of the user. Alternatively, the
user can edit or update an existing list (e.g., add an entry to an
existing list), and the edit to the list can be communicated to the
other computing devices associated with the user's account.
[0061] Additionally, the user can elect to archive an e-book on a
given computing device associated with the user's account (540).
When the user archives an e-book on one computing device, the
network service 120 can automatically communicate the archive
status of the e-book to other computing devices of the same account
(541). In turn, the other computing devices can remove the content
of the e-book from their respective memory, while maintaining the
record and graphic representation for the e-book.
EXAMPLES
[0062] FIG. 6A through FIG. 6E illustrate various examples of
interfaces for providing graphic representations of an e-book
collection based on list content. Examples such as provided with
FIG. 6A through FIG. 6E may be implemented using embodiments such
as described with FIG. 1 through FIG. 5. For purpose of
description, references made to elements of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 is to
illustrate content and components for implementing interfaces and
functionality such as described.
[0063] FIG. 6A illustrates an example interface for displaying a
library representation for a user's collection of e-books. An
interface 601 displays a library representation, corresponding to a
user's entire e-book collection with network service 120. In an
example shown, the library representation can be displayed in the
form of a list 610 that the user can vertically scroll downward
using scroll features 618. Individual entries 612 in the list
correspond to e-books that the user owns, or alternatively has
rights to view or download. Each entry 612 can include a graphic
representation 613 of the corresponding e-book, as well as other
information, such as the title of the book, author, rating, genre
or other information (for simplicity, not shown).
[0064] Furthermore, select e-books 614 in the collection can be
archived, so as to not be locally stored. The archived e-books 614
can be provided with additional indicia 615 that indicates the
archive status of the e-book. Furthermore, the indicia 615 can be
linked to a programmatic action or process (e.g., download specific
title of entry) for purpose of enabling the user to seamlessly
download the archived e-book.
[0065] FIG. 6B illustrates an interface for enabling the user to
create a new user-defined list. In an example of FIG. 6B, interface
621 includes a feature 622 for enabling the user to define a new
user-defined list. The user can define a new list by providing the
list with a label, and then specifying one or more local and/or
archived e-books to include in the list. In some variations, the
various lists, such as user-defined lists, can be represented as
shelves in a bookcase. The interface 621 can also identify other
user-defined lists, created on either the computing device, or on
another computing device. As another variation, the user-defined
lists can be created by the user directly interfacing with the
network service 120.
[0066] FIG. 6C illustrates an interface for enabling the user to
specify entries for a newly created list. When the user creates a
new list, an interface 631 enables the user to browse e-books in
his or her collection for purpose of identifying specific e-books
for the collection. A selection mechanism 633 can be provided to
enable the user to select an e-book for a given list. The user can
browse from his or her entire collection of e-books in making
selections for the particular the particular list. In an example of
FIG. 6C, the user can select both locally stored e-books 635 and
archived e-books 637 for a given user-defined list.
[0067] FIG. 6D illustrates an interface for enabling the user to
view list content for a newly user-defined list. An interface 641
displays list content corresponding to a user-defined list 640. The
user-defined list 640 includes a list name 642, with each entry of
the list corresponding to an e-book that the user has identified
for the particular list. The entries for the user-defined list can
include both locally stored e-books 644 and archived e-books (e.g.,
stored with network service 120 and not on the device). Each entry
can display a graphic representation 647 of the individual e-books
in the user-defined list. Additionally, other information
associated with the records of the e-books can be displayed. Such
additional information can include the title, author, rating, genre
or other descriptive information associated with the individual
e-books.
[0068] FIG. 6E illustrates an interface 651 for displaying list
content in the form of a bookcase and/or bookshelf. Various graphic
representations can be used to display both individual lists and
the user's collection as a whole. In one implementation, for
example, each list can represent a shelf 652 on a bookcase 654, and
the user's collection of e-books as a whole can be represented by
the bookcase. When the user creates a new user-defined list, the
user-defined list can be provided as a new shelf in the bookcase.
The bookshelf 652 can display graphic representations of each
e-book in the corresponding list. In one implementation, each
e-book is represented iconically. In a variation such as shown, the
graphic representation 656 of some or all e-books is from the
perspective of its spine, so as to mimic a real life bookshelf. In
such an implementation, the graphic representation for each e-book
may be selected or otherwise formatted so that it has the shape or
form of a book spine. For example, the publisher's resource can be
accessed to determine actual imagery used to market a hard back
version of the same literary work, and that imagery may be used as
a graphic representation when displaying an e-book by its
spine.
[0069] In a variation such as shown by FIG. 6E, an archive list 660
can be provided its own shelf. Items in the archive list can also
be included in other lists/shelves. The entire user library can be
displayed as a bookshelf 652 where each shelf is its own list, and
the bookcase can be scrolled up or down to view list content
corresponding to the entries of the various lists.
[0070] Although illustrative embodiments have been described in
detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings,
variations to specific embodiments and details are 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(s) from claiming rights to such
combinations.
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