Electronic book
AssigneeCylark Development LLC
InventorBruce W. Schwab
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a hand-held digital data reader which functions as an electronic book, a hinged housing for two displays and display controls opens and closes in the manner of a printed book. In the open position, the two displays are presented as facing pages of a book. Each display is mounted between a rounded spine end emulating the rounded page surface of an open printed book, and a tapered thumb pad emulating the tapered page ends of an open book. Thumb operated display controls are on the thumb pads. The hinge has a traveling pivot point for maintaining contact between the surfaces of the two spine ends when the book is opened and closed.
Claims16
In an electronic book comprising a left housing and a right housing connected by a hinge means for opening and closing in the manner of a printed book, a left display on said left housing and right display on said right housing disposed in the manner of facing pages of a printed book for displaying contents of printed material, data input means for inputting data representing the contents of printed material, data processing means for processing said data, control means for operation by a reader to control presentation of said data on said displays, and a power source, the improvement comprising:
- a left thumb pad extending the full length of the free outer end of said left housing;
- and
- a right thumb pad extending the full length of the free outer end of said right housing;
- both of said thumb pads being disposed for placement of the thumbs on said thumb pads by said reader in the positions commonly used by readers of printed books while reading printed books;
- said left housing having an inner spine end portion opposite said left thumb pad;
- said right housing having an inner spine end portion opposite said right thumb pad;
- said left portion and said right end portion being rounded in the manner of the rounded pages of an open printed book;
- and
- said hinge means has a traveling pivot point and maintains contact between the rounded inner spine end portions of said left housing and said right housing throughout said opening and closing in the manner of a book.
A method for presenting digital data representing the contents of a printed book on a pair of displays mounted on a hinged pair of housings connected with hinge means in a manner simulating the facing pages of a printed book in an electronic book, each of said housings having an inner spine end portion rounded in the manner of the rounded pages of an open printed book and said housings having a free outer end portion said hinge means having a traveling pivot point for maintaining contact between the rounded inner spine end portions throughout opening and closing of said electronic book, said electronic book having input means for said data, data processing means for creating the effects of turning pages and leafing through pages at different speeds on said displays, and control means operable by a reader for controlling presentation of said data, comprising the steps of:
- placing the thumbs of both hands on the free outer ends of said housings and opening said electronic book by opening said housings relative to each other while maintaining contact between said rounded inner spine portions at said traveling pivot point throughout said opening;
- placing the thumb of one hand on an area of said control means located at the free outer end portion of one of said housings in a position commonly used for holding an open printed book;
- and
- applying pressure with the thumb in said position to cause presentation of the effect of turning one page on said displays.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.