Electronic newspaper and electronic publishing medium

Claim 2

An electronic newspaper comprising: a portable outer casing; a touch sensitive display panel fixed to said portable outer casing; a computer system contained within said portable outer casing for receiving data indicative of an electronic publication, and for causing the electronic publication to be displayed on said display panel; a wireless stylus detachably connected to said portable outer casing; a menu button located on said portable outer casing for causing said computer system to activate a menu for display on said display panel, said menu being selectable by the user using said wireless stylus; a first scroll button for causing a displayed publication to advance in a forward or backward direction one page at a time; a second scroll button for causing the displayed publication to advance forward to backward one section at a time; and a base station having an insertion slot for inserting said portable outer casing therein, and for downloading electronic publication data to the computer system contained within said portable outer casing via an infrared interface.

Claim 3

A distribution system for distributing electronic media, for use with a high speed fiber optic network and a communication link, said distribution system comprising: a publication apparatus to be operably linked to the high speed fiber optic network, operable to transmit, via the high speed fiber optic network, electronic media in a data burst during a time period uniquely assigned to said publication apparatus; a local distribution service provider apparatus to be operably linked to the high speed fiber optic network, operable to receive locally desired electronic media via the high speed fiber optic network and to assign a time code to each locally desired electronic media; a central data exchange to be operably linked to the high speed fiber optic network, operable to receive the electronic media from said publication apparatus, via the high speed fiber optic network, and to transmit the locally desired electronic media to said local distribution service provider apparatus via the high speed fiber optic network; and a plurality of user stations to be operably linked to said local distribution service provider apparatus via the communication link; wherein said local distribution service provider apparatus is operable to transmit the locally desired electronic media, via the communication link, to said plurality of user stations according to the time code assigned to each of the locally desired electronic media, and each of said plurality of user stations is operable to selectively receive, via the communication link, particular user desired electronic media from the locally desired electronic media based on the time code of the locally desired electronic media and a particular time code of the particular user desired electronic media.

Claim 4

A distribution system for distributing electronic media, for use with a high speed fiber optic network and a communication link, said distribution system comprising: a publication apparatus to be operably linked to the high speed fiber optic network, operable to transmit, via the high speed fiber optic network, electronic media in a data burst during a time period uniquely assigned to said publication apparatus; a local distribution service provider apparatus to be operably linked to the high speed fiber optic network, operable to receive locally desired electronic media via the high speed fiber optic network and to assign a time code to each locally desired electronic media; a central data exchange to be operably linked to the high speed fiber optic network, operable to receive the electronic media from said publication apparatus, via the high speed fiber optic network, and to transmit the locally desired electronic media to said local distribution service provider apparatus via the high speed fiber optic network; and a plurality of user stations to be operably linked to said local distribution service provider apparatus via the communication link; wherein said local distribution service provider apparatus is operable to transmit the locally desired electronic media, via the communication link, to said plurality of user stations according to the time code assigned to each of the locally desired electronic media, and each of said plurality of user stations is operable to selectively receive, via the communication link, particular user desired electronic media from the locally desired electronic media based on the time code of the locally desired electronic media and a particular time code of the particular user desired electronic media.

Claim 5

A distribution system as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of said plurality of user stations comprises a base station operable to transfer the particular user desired electronic media to a portable electronic media device.

Claim 6

A distribution system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said base station includes an insertion slot for inserting said portable electronic media device therein, and said base station and said portable electronic media device include an infrared interface operable to facilitate the transfer of the particular user desired electronic media to said portable electronic media device.

Claim 7

A distribution system as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of said plurality of user stations comprises a plurality of docking stations each operable to transfer the particular user desired electronic media to a respective portable electronic media device.

Claim 8

A distribution system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said docking stations include an insertion slot for inserting said respective portable electronic media device therein, and said docking stations and said respective portable electronic media devices include an infrared interface operable to facilitate the transfer of the particular user desired electronic media to said respective portable electronic media devices.

Claim 9

A distribution system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the high speed fiber optic network and the communication link.

Claim 10

A distribution system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said high speed fiber optic network comprises a high speed asynchronous transfer mode format fiber optic data network.

Claim 11

A distribution system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said high speed fiber optic network comprises at least one regional branch exchange.

Claim 12

A distribution system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a plurality of said publication apparatus, wherein said central data exchange is operable to receive respective electronic media from said publication apparatuses and to transmit the locally desired electronic media, including electronic media from any of said publication apparatuses, to said local distribution service provider apparatus via the high speed fiber optic network.

Claim 13

A distribution system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a plurality of said local distribution service provider apparatus, wherein said central data exchange is operable to transmit respective locally desired electronic media to said plurality of local distribution service provider apparatuses via the high speed fiber optic network.

Claim 14

A distribution system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a plurality of said communication link such that each of said communication links is operably connected to at least one local distribution service provider apparatuses and to at least one of said user stations, wherein at least one of said communication links comprises a fiber-optic/coaxial-cable network.

Claim 15

A distribution system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a plurality of said communication link such that each of said communication links is operably connected to at least one local distribution service provider apparatuses and to at least one of said user stations, wherein at least one of said communication links comprises a microwave transmitter and a microwave receiver.

Claim 16

A distribution system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a plurality of said communication link such that each of said communication links is operably connected to at least one local distribution service provider apparatuses and to at least one of said user stations, wherein at least one of said communication links comprises a satellite transmitter and a satellite receiver.

Claim 17

A distribution system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a plurality of said communication link such that each of said communication links is operably connected to at least one local distribution service provider apparatuses and to at least one of said user stations, wherein at least one of said communication links comprises a cellular telephone transmitter and a cellular telephone receiver.

Claim 18

A distribution system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a plurality of said publication apparatus and a plurality of said local distribution service provider apparatus, wherein said central data exchange is operable to receive respective electronic media from said publication apparatuses and to transmit respective locally desired electronic media, including electronic media from any of said publication apparatuses, to said plurality of local distribution service provider apparatuses via the high speed fiber optic network.

Claim 21

A method of distributing electronic media as claimed in claim 17, for use with a plurality of media providers, said method further comprising: transmitting respective electronic media, via the high speed fiber optic network, in a data burst from the plurality of media providers during a time period uniquely assigned to each of the media providers; receiving the respective electronic media from the media providers at the central data exchange; and transmitting the locally desired electronic media, including electronic media from any of the media providers, from the central data exchange to the local service provider via the high speed fiber optic network.

Claim 22

A method of distributing electronic media as claimed in claim 17, for use with a plurality of local service providers, said method further comprising: transmitting respective locally desired electronic media from the central data exchange to the plurality of local service providers; and receiving the respective locally desired electronic media at the plurality of local service providers via the high speed fiber optic network.

Claim 23

A distribution system as claimed in claim 17, for use with a plurality of media providers and a plurality of local service providers, further comprising: transmitting respective electronic media, via the high speed fiber optic network, in a data burst from the plurality of media providers during a time period uniquely assigned to each of the media providers; receiving the respective electronic media from the media providers at the central data exchange; transmitting respective locally desired electronic media, including electronic media from any of the media providers, from the central data exchange to the plurality of local service providers; and receiving the respective locally desired electronic media at the plurality of local service providers via the high speed fiber optic network.