US6356287B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Citation selection and routing feature for hand-held content display device
Assignee: Networks eBook LLC
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Filing: 1998-05-28
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Granted: 2002-03-12
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Expires: 2018-05-28
Abstract
Abstract An electronic reading system is disclosed which allows users to download books and other types of content to a hand-held reader device for viewing. Using software which runs on a personal computer (PC), the user can download titles from Internet sites to the PC. Titles are then automatically transferred to the device when the device is placed in a cradle which is connected to the PC. Using the device's touch-sensitive display and graphical user interface, the user can access various software-implemented features associated with the display and management of the content. One feature is a user-definable hotkey that can be "dragged and dropped" onto a menu item to create a shortcut to that item. Another feature allows the user to tap twice on a displayed word to cause the device to look the word up in a pre-specified or default reference title, such as a dictionary or an encyclopedia. Another feature allows the user to block a passage on the touch-sensitive display and then specify one or more destinations (email addresses, file folders, fax numbers, printers, etc.) for routing the passage; when the device is subsequently placed in the cradle, the passage is automatically retrieved by the PC and routed to the specified destination(s). The device also implements a user interface feature for allowing the user to rapidly and conveniently adjust the orientation of the displayed title.
Inventors
- 👤 Mary Ruberry
- 👤 Martin F. Eberhard
- 👤 Marc E. Tarpenning
- 👤 Lance Uyehara
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 18:12
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0487; G06F3/0488; G06F1/00; G06F1/16; G06F1/1613; G06F1/1626; G06F1/1632; G06F1/1633; G06F1/1656; G06F15/00; G06F15/02; G06F15/025; G06F15/0283; G06F3/0484; G06F3/0485; G06F40/00; G06F40/10; G06F40/166
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
In a hand-held computing device, a method of routing a citation of one or more passages to a destination, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: (a) displaying a literary title to a user on a touch-sensitive display of the hand-held computing device, the literary title being stored in the memory of the device in digital form; (b) in response to user selection of a citation of one or more passages from the literary title and at least one routing address, storing a data record within the memory, the data record representing the citation of the one or more passages and the routing address; and (c) transferring the citation of the one or more passages and the routing address to a general purpose computer that is programmed to route the citation of the one or more passages based on the routing address.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
In a hand-held computing device, a method of routing a citation of one or more passages to a destination, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: (a) displaying a literary title to a user on a touch-sensitive display of the hand-held computing device, the literary title being stored in the memory of the device in digital form; (b) in response to user selection of a citation of one or more passages from the literary title and at least one routing address, storing a data record within the memory, the data record representing the citation of the one or more passages and the routing address; and (c) transferring the citation of the one or more passages and the routing address to a general purpose computer that is programmed to route the citation of the one or more passages based on the routing address.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) is performed automatically when a communications link is established between the hand-held device and the general purpose computer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) is performed automatically when the hand-held device is placed in a cradle that is connected to the general purpose computer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 3 , wherein step (c) comprises transferring a plurality of citations and a plurality of routing addresses to the general purpose computer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises routing the citation to at least one of an email address, a facsimile number, a printer, and a file folder.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprises displaying a dialog box on the display, the dialog box prompting a user to select one or more destinations.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of displaying the dialog box is performed in response to the user selecting the citation on the display and then tapping once on the selected citation.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) further comprises adding an annotation entered by the user to the data record, and step (c) comprises transferring the annotation to the general purpose computer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) further comprises: adding beginning and ending markup language tags to the data record; and adding markup language formatting tags in effect at the start of the citation to the data record.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) further comprises automatically adding to the data record a tag that identifies the title.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of storing comprises storing pointers to a start and end of the citation in the data record.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises displaying a book title on the touch-sensitive display, the book title stored in the memory in an encrypted form.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
110 words
A method of using a hand-held computing device in combination with a general purpose computer to route a citation of one or more passages of a literary work, the method comprising the steps of: blocking the citation of one or more passages from the work on a touch-sensitive display of the hand-held device; selecting at least one destination for routing the citation of one or more passages using the touch-sensitive display; and initiating a communications session between the hand-held device and the general purpose computer to cause the citation of one or more passages to be automatically transferred to the general purpose computer and routed to at least one destination.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
110 words
A method of using a hand-held computing device in combination with a general purpose computer to route a citation of one or more passages of a literary work, the method comprising the steps of: blocking the citation of one or more passages from the work on a touch-sensitive display of the hand-held device; selecting at least one destination for routing the citation of one or more passages using the touch-sensitive display; and initiating a communications session between the hand-held device and the general purpose computer to cause the citation of one or more passages to be automatically transferred to the general purpose computer and routed to at least one destination.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the step of initiating a communications session comprises placing the hand-held device in a cradle that is connected to the general purpose computer to cause the communications session to commence automatically.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the step of selecting at least one destination comprises tapping once on the passage following said step of blocking to cause the device to display a list of destinations.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the step of selecting at least one destination comprises selecting an email address.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the step of selecting at least one destination comprises selecting a printer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the step of selecting at least one destination comprises selecting a file folder of the general purpose computer.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the step of selecting at least one destination comprises selecting a facsimile number.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 13 further comprising entering on the touch-sensitive display an annotation to be routed with the passage.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the step of blocking the passage comprises tapping once on a sentence to cause the sentence to become blocked.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the step of blocking the passage comprises tapping once on a paragraph to cause the paragraph to become blocked.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
163 words
A hand-held computing device that is adapted to be used to read literary works, comprising: a housing which supports a processor, memory, and a touch-sensitive display; and at least one literary title stored within the memory, the literary title adapted to be viewed by a user on the touch-sensitive display; wherein the processor is programmed to respond to user selection of a citation of one or more passages from the literary title for routing by performing at least the following steps: (a) prompting the user to specify at least one destination address for routing the citation of the one or more passages; (b) storing in the memory representations of a destination address selected in step (a) and of the citation of the one or more passages; and (c) transferring the citation of the one or more passages and the destination address to a second computing device that is programmed to route the citation of the one or more passages using the destination address.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
163 words
A hand-held computing device that is adapted to be used to read literary works, comprising: a housing which supports a processor, memory, and a touch-sensitive display; and at least one literary title stored within the memory, the literary title adapted to be viewed by a user on the touch-sensitive display; wherein the processor is programmed to respond to user selection of a citation of one or more passages from the literary title for routing by performing at least the following steps: (a) prompting the user to specify at least one destination address for routing the citation of the one or more passages; (b) storing in the memory representations of a destination address selected in step (a) and of the citation of the one or more passages; and (c) transferring the citation of the one or more passages and the destination address to a second computing device that is programmed to route the citation of the one or more passages using the destination address.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
23 words
The hand-held computing device of claim 23 , wherein step (b) comprises storing multiple destination addresses selected by the user in step (a).
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
35 words
The hand-held computing device of claim 23 , wherein the processor is programmed to perform step (a) in response to the user tapping once on a citation that is marked on the display as selected.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
70 words
The hand-held computing device of claim 23 in combination with: a cradle which connects to a general purpose computer, the cradle adapted to receive and electronically connect to the hand-held computing device; and a program which runs on the general purpose computer, the program adapted to receive the citation and the destination address from the hand-held computing device via the cradle and to route the citation to the destination address.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
24 words
The hand-held computing device of claim 26 , wherein step (c) is performed automatically in response to placement of the device in the cradle.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
41 words
The hand-held computing device according to claim 23 , wherein step (a) comprises prompting the user to select at least one of the following types of destination address options: an email address, a facsimile number, a printer, and a file folder.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
48 words
The hand-held computing device according to claim 23 , wherein the processor implements a user interface which includes a menu option for allowing a user to add an annotation to the data record, and is programmed to transfer the annotation to the second computing device with the citation.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
56 words
The hand-held computing device according to claim 23 , wherein step (b) comprises generating and storing a data record for subsequent transfer to the second computing device within the memory, the data record comprising: beginning and ending markup language tags; and markup language formatting tags in effect at the start of the citation within the title.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
21 words
The hand-held computing device according to claim 30 , wherein the data record further comprises a tag that identifies the title.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
48 words
The hand-held computing device according to claim 30 , wherein the data record further comprises pointers to the start and end of the citation within the title, and step (c) comprises using the pointers to copying the citation into the data record upon initiation of a transfer operation.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
113 words
A general purpose computer having a cradle connected thereto, the cradle adapted to receive a hand-held computing device, the general purpose computer having a processor programmed to receive and route citations of one or more passages of one or more literary works stored within a memory of the hand-held device by performing at least the following steps: (a) detecting the presence of the hand-held computing device in the cradle; (b) automatically receiving a plurality of citations of one or more passages and a plurality of destination addresses from the hand-held computing device via the cradle; and (c) automatically routing the citations of one or more passages to destinations specified by the destination addresses.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
113 words
A general purpose computer having a cradle connected thereto, the cradle adapted to receive a hand-held computing device, the general purpose computer having a processor programmed to receive and route citations of one or more passages of one or more literary works stored within a memory of the hand-held device by performing at least the following steps: (a) detecting the presence of the hand-held computing device in the cradle; (b) automatically receiving a plurality of citations of one or more passages and a plurality of destination addresses from the hand-held computing device via the cradle; and (c) automatically routing the citations of one or more passages to destinations specified by the destination addresses.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-03-11 | 2005-09-10 | 2006-03-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-03-11 | 2009-09-10 | 2010-03-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-03-11 | 2013-09-10 | 2014-03-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |