Cryptography – Video cryptography – Video electric signal modification
Reexamination Certificate
1997-08-04
2002-08-20
Barron, Jr., Gilberto (Department: 2131)
Cryptography
Video cryptography
Video electric signal modification
C380S278000, C707S793000, C705S014270, C705S051000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06438233
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for presenting data in an image of a book, and more particularly, to a book data service system in which the book data can be delivered by the broadcasting, only the necessary book data can be selectively stored, the service can be charged according to the accesses to the book data actually made, and the feedback from the user to a data center can be supported.
2. Description of the Background Art
In conjunction with the wide spread use of computers, various schemes for making it easier for a user to utilize the computer have been developed, including the so called Book-Metaphor which is an example of a system generally called electronic book in which the data are presented in an image of a book. The Book-Metaphor is a scheme for displaying the data on a computer in an image imitating a visual appearance of a usual book, in which various operation functions associated with the usual book such as jumping from the table of contents to a desired page, turning pages one by one, etc. are also supported. The software for this Book-Metaphor comprises book data produced in accordance with the prescribed format, and a program for the display of the book data along with the operation functions of a book.
An exemplary book data display image in the Book-Metaphor is shown in
FIG. 1
, which incorporates a number of navigation buttons for selectively activating the operation functions of a book supported in the Book-Metaphor arranged below the image of the book. Here, as summarized in
FIG. 2
, the navigation buttons include (a) a button for commanding a display of the front cover, (b) a button for commanding a display of the back cover, (c) a button for commanding a display of a next page (one page forward shift), (d) a button for commanding the display of a previous page (one page backward shift), (e) a button for commanding a continuously forward shift, (f) a button for commanding a continuously backward shift, (g) a button for commanding an attaching/removing of a slip, (h) a button for commanding a rest or ing of an original state be fore the previous operation (undo), and (i) a button for commanding an end of the use of the Book-Metaphor. It is noted that the types and shapes of the navigation buttons are not necessarily limited to those shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
and described here, but the buttons for shifting one page forward and backward are indispensable. In addition, the Book-Metaphor also incorporates a basic function for displaying a page having a table of contents on which any desired chapter or section can be specified, and displaying a page corresponding to the desired chapter or section specified.
In the exemplary display shown in
FIG. 1
, the image of the book incorporates a number of tags attached on a side edge of the book, which are shifted when the pages are shifted, and a number of slips attached on an upper edge of the book which can be attached or removed by the navigation button (g) mentioned above. When any of these tags or slips is specified, the page at which the specified tag or slip is attached is opened immediately.
Using this Book-Metaphor as described, it becomes possible for a user to read a series of data quickly in a manner similar to that of reading a usual book, in addition to the ordinary manners of utilizing the computer such as the processing of the entered data, the retrieval of a desired data from the database, etc. In particular, as the size and weight of the computer are progressively reduced, it is feasible for this Book-Metaphor to replace the conventional books in the future. In addition, in this Book-Metaphor, the manner of data access is so intuitive that practically anyone can understand it immediately, so that it is particularly suitable for a case requiring a continuous access to a series of very large data, in contrast to the conventional data access scheme in which it is necessary to narrow down the range of data to be displayed minutely by interactive operations, which is not necessarily intuitive for anyone.
Conventionally, the available means for entering the book data in such a Book-Metaphor system included the exchangeable memory medium such as floppy disks, CD-ROMs, and IC memory cards. Namely, the data provider must outputs the produced book data to the exchangeable medium once and then offers the exchangeable medium to the user, while the user must use the book data by displaying the stored book data using a book data display program, either directly from the exchangeable medium or by copying them to a large capacity file memory.
In such a conventional scheme using the exchangeable medium for entering the book data into the system, the medium storing the book data must be sold just as the books or video tapes are sold today. However, except for a case of buying the widely distributed materials such as magazines, the user still have to suffer from the tedious inconvenience of finding an appropriate bookstore first, and then finding a desired book in the bookstore. Also, the data provider may also suffer from the problems of the excessive returned copies or the shortage of the stock copies unless the sales of the book is properly judged beforehand. Moreover, as a physical medium for carrying the data is required for each copy, there is also a problem concerning the waste of resources.
As for the management of the electronic books, as the medium storing the data of the electronic book has conventionally been sold at the bookstore in a manner similar to the usual book, a large number of such media must be managed by the user in a manner similar to the usual books. In addition, even when the user terminal is equipped with a large capacity files capable of storing a plurality of electronic books, it has been difficult to manage a number of independently acquired book data efficiently. Thus, in the conventional electronic books, only the manner of data access and display on the computer have been changed, without changing the manner of providing data and managing data.
Also, when the book data of the electronic book contain the questionnaire or the advertisement for the mail-order, the feedback from the user has been relying on the mail or the telephone just as in a case of the usual books.
As such, compared with the conventional book in paper, the electronic book has advantages related to the possibility of multi-media expression, the powerful data retrieval operation, and the data storage requiring less storage area, but it is still unable to come even close to the conventional book in terms of the beauty of the visual appearance and the easiness of the visual comprehension. Consequently, in order to expect the full-scale spread of the electronic books, it appears necessary to take more advantages of their electronic nature in the aspects related to the manners of providing data, managing data, and supporting the user feedback.
On the other hand, there has been a system in which the database can be remotely inspected from a data center interactively, or a system which broadcasts the mainly text data repeatedly in short cycles, such that the user at the user terminal can selectively acquire and display the broadcasted data as if the user has interactively communicated with the data center. However, it has been impossible to make accesses to a variety of data freely in such a conventional system because of the severe conditions required for the communication cost and the amount of data that can be delivered within one cycle of the broadcast. In particular, it has been impossible in such a conventional data access scheme to make a continuous access to the very lengthy data without minutely specifying the range of the desired data, as required in dealing with the contents of the books.
As for the method of access to the data stored in the database, the conventionally available methods included a method using the command or the keyword entered by the user, and a method for selecting from a menu. However, in the method using the user's c
Asano Yoko
Hanabe Kenichi
Kato Syuichi
Kurihara Sadami
Minei Masayoshi
Banner & Witcoff , Ltd.
Barron Jr. Gilberto
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
Seal James
LandOfFree
Book data service system with data delivery by broadcasting does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Book data service system with data delivery by broadcasting, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Book data service system with data delivery by broadcasting will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2933011