Patent Application
20160092471
Examples described herein relate to a system and method for using book recognition to provide content for a user's social networking profile.
An electronic personal display is a mobile computing device that displays information to a user. While an electronic personal display may be capable of many of the functions of a personal computer, a user can typically interact directly with an electronic personal display without the use of a keyboard that is separate from or coupled to but distinct from the electronic personal display itself. Some examples of electronic personal displays include mobile digital devices/tablet computers such (e.g., Apple iPad®, Microsoft® Surface™, Samsung Galaxy Tab® and the like), handheld multimedia smartphones (e.g., Apple iPhone®, Samsung Galaxy S®, and the like), and handheld electronic readers (e.g., Amazon Kindle®, Barnes and Noble Nook®, Kobo Aura HD, and the like).
Some electronic personal display devices are purpose built devices that are designed to perform especially well at displaying readable content. For example, a purpose built device may include a display that reduces glare, performs well in high lighting conditions, and/or mimics the look of text on actual paper. While such purpose built devices may excel at displaying content for a user to read, they may also perform other functions, such as displaying images, emitting audio, recording audio, and web surfing, among others.
There also exists numerous kinds of consumer devices that can receive services and resources from a network service. Such devices can operate applications or provide other functionality that links a device to a particular account of a specific service. For example, e-reader devices typically link to an online bookstore, and media playback devices often include applications which enable the user to access an online media library. In this context, the user accounts can enable the user to receive the full benefit and functionality of the device.
Examples described herein enable a user of an e-reading device to capture an image of a physical book environment in which one or more physical or real-world books are placed. The physical book environment can correspond to a physical bookshelf, table setting, or other environment in which books are placed. The image of the physical book environment can be used to determine content for a user's social networking profile. More specifically, the image of the physical book environment is analyzed to determine the book titles that are depicted in the image. The book titles that are determined from the image can be represented in the user's social networking profile in a variety of formats.
According to an embodiment, an image of a physical book environment is obtained, and the image is associated with a user. The image is processed to detect one or more books in the physical book environment. A title is determined for each of the detected books. The social network profile of the user is determined based on the title of each book in the multiple books.
Among other benefits, examples such as described herein enable a user to build a social networking profile that displays personality-representative content. For example, the user can reflect their preference or taste to literature by capturing an image of their own bookshelf (e.g., with hardback versions of their favorite novels). Embodiments such as described recognize the titles of the books depicted in the image, and then generate content for the user's profile based on the book titles.
The term “physical book environment” means a physical or real-world environment in which books are placed. An example of a physical book environment is a bookshelf, on which books (including magazines and journals) can be placed in a vertical, horizontal or tilted orientation, with their spines or book jackets facing outward.
“E-books” are a form of an electronic publication that can be viewed on computing devices with suitable functionality. An e-book can correspond to a literary work having a pagination format, such as provided by literary works (e.g., novels) and periodicals (e.g., magazines, comic books, journals, etc.). Optionally, some e-books may have chapter designations, as well as content that corresponds to graphics or images (e.g., such as in the case of magazines or comic books). Multi-function devices, such as cellular-telephony or messaging devices, can utilize specialized applications (e.g., e-reading 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.
An “e-reading device” can refer to any computing device that can display or otherwise render an e-book. By way of example, an e-reading device can include a mobile computing device on which an e-reading application can be executed to render content that includes e-books (e.g., comic books, magazines etc.). Such mobile computing devices can include, for example, a mufti-functional computing device for cellular telephony/messaging (e.g., feature phone or smart phone), a tablet device, an ultramobile computing device, or a wearable computing device with a form factor of a wearable accessory device (e.g., smart watch or bracelet, glasswear integrated with computing device, etc.). As another example, an e-reading device can include an e-reader device, such as a purpose-built device that is optimized for e-reading experience (e.g., with E-ink displays etc.).
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.
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.
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.
System Overview
The e-reading device 110 can correspond to any electronic personal display device on which applications and application resources (e.g., e-books, media files, documents) can be rendered and consumed. For example, the e-reading device 110 can correspond to a tablet or a telephony/messaging device (e.g., smart phone). In one implementation, for example, e-reading device 110 can correspond to a mobile computing device (e.g., tablet) that runs an e-reading application to link the device to the network service 120 in order to enable e-books provided through the service to be viewed and consumed. Still further, by way of example, the e-reading device 110 can be equipped with hardware and software to optimize certain application activities, such as rendering of electronic content (e.g., e-books). For example, the e-reading device 110 can have a tablet like form factor, although variations are possible. In some cases, the e-reading device 110 can also have an E-ink display.
In additional detail, the network service 120 can include a device manager 128, a book recognition component 150, a profile content creation component 160, a social network interface 162, a transaction manager 170, a content store 122 and a user account store 124. The user account store 124 can associate the e-reading device 110 with a user and with an account 125. The account 125 can also be associated with one or more application resources (e.g., content item such as an e-books), which can be stored in the content store 122. As described further, the user account store 124 can retain metadata for individual accounts 125 to identify resources that have been purchased or made available for consumption for a given account. The e-reading 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 e-reading device 110 can store resources (e.g., e-books) that are purchased or otherwise made available to the user of the e-reading device 110, as well as to archive e-books and other digital content items that have been purchased for the user account 125, but are not stored on the particular computing device.
The device manager 128 can provide an interface to the e-reading device 110. In one implementation, the content store 122 can include an online store which can be accessed by the e-reading device 110 through the device manager 128. In one implementation, the user can purchase or otherwise obtain an e-book and associate the e-book with the account 125 through interaction handled by the device manager 128. The e-reading device 110 can signal a request 117 and then receive a download 129 of a copy of a particular e-book. As another example, the request 117 can also specify archived copy of an existing e-book.
The e-reading device 110 can include a service interface 108, a physical book environment interface 112, an e-reading component 114 and a library view component 116. The e-reading device 110 can execute the service interface 108 to receive resources and data from the network service 120. The service interface 108 can signal the network service 120 an identifier 123 for the user and/or user account. The service interface 108 can interface with the network service 120 to receive resources such as applications and content items (e.g., e-books, music files, etc.) from the network service. Optionally, the e-reading device 110 can communicate with multiple services in order to receive resources.
The e-reading device 110 can execute the e-reading component 114 to enable e-reading activities. In particular, the e-reading component 114 can render paginated content from e-books (e.g., electronically formatted literary works, including periodicals).
The library view component 116 can include a user interface that provides a presentation of the content items (e.g., e-books, including magazines and periodicals) in a defined library. The library can include the user's entire collection of e-books, as well as e-books that are being promoted or otherwise displayed through metadata content on the user device. For example, a library can include e-books in a user collection and/or e-books that network service 120 is promoting and/or making available for purchase or download. The presentation of the content items can be based on metadata content associated with the individual content items. For example, in the case of e-books, the metadata content used to display representations of the e-books in the user library can include images provided by the publisher (e.g., icons or graphic objects) which represent or appear as a book cover or jacket. Likewise, in the case of music or movies, representations of the content items in the user's library can be based on icons or graphic objects that represent album art (music) or box cover art (movies).
The library view component 116 can generate presentation of e-books or other content items of the user's library using a variety of paradigms. For e-books in particular, the library view component 116 can display the metadata content of the e-books (e.g., icons representing book or magazine covers) in the form of lists, or on a virtual bookshelf that is personalized for the user library (e.g., a book shelf displaying portions of icons representing book covers, magazine covers and/or comic book covers which are in the user library).
According to an embodiment, the physical book environment interface 112 includes an interface to a camera of the e-reading device 110. The physical book environment interface 112 can also include programming for enabling the user to interact with displayed content provided through a photo application or camera viewer. The physical book environment interface 112 enables the user to operate the camera in order to capture an image of a bookshelf, tabletop or other environment in which one or more physical, real-world books are provided. In operation, the physical book environment interface 112 can be used to capture a physical book environment image 111, depicting a bookshelf or other physical book environment on which books are provided. The physical book environment interface 112 can include functionality to enhance the image for purpose of book recognition. Among other features, the user can crop or center the image that is to be captured so that the image is primarily of the environment in which books are actually located. Other settings or features can be implemented to reduce glare or improve shading, so as to facilitate subsequent character recognition. In one variation, the physical book environment interface 112 can also enable the user to enter tags or other metadata information in association with specific items depicted in image, to facilitate a subsequent book recognition processes.
In a variation, the physical book environment interface 112 can interface with stored images, which the device can receive by way of, for example, a messaging program or browser download. The physical book environment interface 112 can also include implementations in which stored images can be tagged or manipulated by the user to facilitate a subsequent book recognition processes.
In one implementation, the physical book environment interface 112 communicates the image 111 to the service interface 108. The service interface 108 communicates the physical book environment image 111 to the network service 120, along with identification information 123 that correlates the communication(s) from the e-reading device 110 to a specific account 125. The device manager 128 of the network service can receive the physical book environment image 111, along with the identifier associated with image.
The device manager 128 can forward the physical book environment image 111 to a book recognition component 150. The book recognition component 150 includes processes to (i) detect individual books in the image 111, and (ii) determine titles for the detected books based on text content and/or image content appearing on the jacket or spine of the detected book. In this way, the book recognition component 150 can detect and recognize multiple physical books in a given setting. Further, as described with other examples, the books recognition component 150 can detect and recognize books that have different orientations (e.g., vertical, tilted, horizontal, etc.) in the depicted environment. An example of book recognition component 150 is provided with
The book recognition component 150 can communicate the titles 151 that are recognized from the physical book environment image 111 to the profile content creation component 160. The profile content creation component 160 can use the submitted book titles 151 as input in performing operations to create, modify or augment a user's social networking profile. In particular, the profile content creation component 160 can generate content that identifies or includes the titles 151. In one implementation, the profile content creation component 160 generates a text list based on the determined titles 151. The text list can identify titles, author, and/or other information relating to the e-book versions of such titles (e.g., price, user review, editorial content etc.).
In a variation, the profile content creation component 160 generates profile content 165 to depict a virtual environment for the book titles 151. In particular, a virtual or graphic book shelf or bookcase can be generated that displays virtual book jackets or spines corresponding to the titles 151 determined from the image 111. Still further, the profile content 165 can be generated to include metadata content that is derived from the e-book versions for the titles. The metadata content can include, for example, thumbnail or iconic images of the book cover, information about the author, reviews and summarizations of the e-book. In one implementation, titles 151 can be represented by metadata content (e.g., icon of book cover) in a panel, list or other aggregation.
In generating the profile content 165, the profile content creation component 160 can specify the individual recognized titles as criteria 161 for content store 122. The profile content creation component 160 can receive metadata content 163, which can be used to generate the profile content 165.
The profile content 165 can be communicated to a social network interface 162, which can then access a social networking environment to publish the profile content. The social network interface 162 can maintain or store account information for one or more social networking profiles of the user. The published profile content 165 can correspond to, for example, information that the user wishes to display as part of their profile on a selected social networking medium. The social networking medium can correspond to an online book club. In variations, the social networking medium can correspond to a generic or nonspecific platform provided by, for example, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and GOOGLE PLUS. The social networking profile can also correspond to content that the user shares in any shared network environment. While the profile content can be provided in a designated profile region, examples described herein contemplate that content generated can be provided in any section of the user's social networking account.
In some embodiments, the published profile content 165 of the user can be provided in an interactive form that enables the viewer to readily access the network service 120 in order to obtain an e-book version of the depicted book title. For example, book titles can be represented in the profile content 165 as a text list with embedded or associated links that enables the viewer to select and access the network service 120 in order to view the specific e-book title. Likewise, the graphic representation of an e-book on a virtual bookshelf, or the depiction of metadata content from an e-book, can each include embedded or associated links that enable the viewer to access the network service 120 in order to obtain the e-book.
In one implementation, social network interface 162 receives viewer input 167, which identifies a particular e-book title. The transaction manager 170 responds to the viewer input 167 by providing an interface for further interaction with the viewer. The viewer can specify input or actions resulting in the transaction manager 170 executing a transaction 171 which provides a right of possession for the viewer to the identified e-book.
In one implementation, the transaction 171 can be a transfer between the user and the viewer. The transaction manager 170 can implement the transfer 171 so that a right of possession to an e-book title previously held by the user is transferred to the viewer. Under one example, in implementing the transfer 171, (i) the account of the viewer can be debited for a “used” e-book title, and (ii) optionally the account of the user can be credited with some or all of the funds debited from the viewer's account.
In a variation, the transaction can be implemented as between the viewer and the network service 120. For example, the viewer can obtain the right of possession from the network service 120 in exchange for funds, which can be accessed from the account of the viewer.
In variations, any of the transactions described above can be temporary or permanent. A temporary transaction can be considered a rental (e.g., as between viewer and network service 120) or loan (e.g., as between the viewer and user). The temporary transaction can thus result in the right of possession returning to the user, and being taken from the viewer. The transaction manager 170 can implement a temporary transfer by associating the right of possession for the particular e-book using the account store 124. Once the account store 124 reflects that the particular user or viewer has the right of possession, the devices for the respective accounts can access and/or download that particular e-book. When the user loses the right of possession to an e-book that the user previously held possession to, some variations provide that the content portion of the e-book is removed from the user device, so that the user is unable to access the content portion until the right of possession returns.
While an example of
Hardware Description
With reference to
In some implementations, the display 230 can correspond to, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or light emitting diode (LED) display that illuminates in order to provide content generated from processor 210. In some variations, the display 230 can correspond to an electronic paper type display, which mimics conventional paper in the manner in which they display content. Examples of such display technologies include electrophoretic displays, electrowetting displays, and electrofluidic displays.
In some implementations, the display 230 can be touch-sensitive. For example, the display 230 can be integrated with a sensor layer that is comprised of capacitive touch sensors which trigger with contact to human skin. Alternatively, the display 230 can include alternative sensor layers, such as resistive sensors which can detect applied pressure from, for example, a human finger or stylus.
The processor 210 can receive input from various sources, including from input mechanisms 240 (e.g., buttons or switches, microphone, keyboard), the display 230 (e.g., soft buttons or virtual keyboard) or other input mechanisms (accessory devices). In one implementation, the processor 210 can process multi-touch input detected by the sensor layer provided on the display 230. Additionally, as described below and with other examples, the processor 210 can receive input from the camera 260 (e.g., physical book environment image 223).
In one aspect, memory 250 stores instructions 225 (“e-reading instructions 225”) for operating an e-reading application (e.g., see e-reading component 114 in
Still further, in some variations, the memory 250 stores instructions for implementing some or all of the book recognition component 150 (see
In one implementation, the processor 210 can execute the PBE instructions 231 to enable the camera 260 to capture and provide the PBE image 223. The input device 240 can be used to specify control input 241, which is used by the processor 210 to control 247 the operation of the camera 260 in capturing the image. The processor 210 communicates the PBE image 223 to the network service 120 in order to generate profile content 265 for the user's social networking profile. In this way, the profile content 265 can reflect the user's personalized preferences for the hobby of reading.
Device System
In an example of
The service interface 340 includes application logic which enables the e-reading device 110 to use, for example, a wireless Internet connection, to connect to the network service 120 (see
In identifying the e-reading device of system 300, the network service 120 can identify what e-books belong to the account associated with the particular device. The e-books that are transmitted to the e-reading device of system 300 can include, for example, those e-books that are purchased from the device, or those e-books that the user requested to download. In variations, e-books can be automatically downloaded to the device in response to 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 e-reading device 110 to automatically receive their previously purchased e-book. As another example, network service 120 can be configured to push e-books to the e-reading device 110 of system 300, based on, for example, user account settings, subscription plans and rules, and various other business logic considerations.
Additionally, the service interface 340 can include processes for automatically receiving updates from a network service 120. The update can include programmatic updates, including updates to software components on the e-reading device 110, as well as updates to lists, download of 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/or various other data that can be either generally provided to the user of the network service or specifically provided for to the particular account or user.
According to some embodiments, the local memory 330 stores each e-book as a record 326 that includes metadata 327 and content 329 (e.g., page content). The management module 320 can retrieve portions of the content 329 for individual e-books for purpose of rendering e-books via the user interface 310. Additionally, the management module 320 can retrieve metadata 327 to render metadata content (e.g., representations of e-books or lists of e-books) with the user interface 310.
In an example of
The library view 314 can display objects and metadata that represent individual e-books and content items of the user library. In one implementation, the library view 314 can display metadata content based on the metadata portion 327 of individual e-books that are in the user library. The e-books that are in the user library can correspond to e-books stored with local memory 330, as well as archived e-books that are provided remotely (e.g., provided on network service 120).
More specifically, in some implementations, the memory management module 320 can be triggered into archiving e-books. In archiving an e-book, the content portion 329 of the e-book can be removed from the local memory 330, while the metadata portion 327 of the record 326 remains stored in the local memory 330. The trigger for archiving e-books can be based on the user input, or generated programmatically in response to events such as memory management processes (e.g., process to archive e-books that have been read; process to detect when free memory is below threshold, etc.). The library view component 314 can display the representation of the archived e-books using the metadata content 327.
In one implementation, the physical book environment interface 316 can be used to capture or otherwise select the physical book environment image (“PBE image 311”). As described with other examples, physical book environment interface 316 can enable software-based control of a camera to facilitate the user capturing an image of a book environment, such as a bookshelf or tabletop. In some variations, the physical book environment interface 316 includes functionality to enhance the captured image based on known characteristics of captured images for bookshelves or tabletops. For example, the physical book environment interface 316 can implement functionality to reduce glare or enhance focus to capture text appearing on the jacket cover or spine of the physical book. Additionally, the physical book environment interface 316 can enable the user to focus the captured image on a specific region of the scene where the books of interest are present. For example, the user can provide input to maximize the relative size of a particular bookshelf in the image, as compared to other bookshelves that could also appear in the image.
The physical book environment interface 316 can provide the PBE image 311 in a communication 341 to network service 120 via the service interface 340. In some implementations, the e-book system 300 can receive viewer input 347 indicating interest in the user's list. In some variations, the viewer input 327 can also include transactional information or input for facilitating a transaction for an e-book between the user and the viewer.
Book Recognition Component
With reference to
The processed image 415 is communicated to a book detector 420, which operates to identify the presence of book shapes in the foreground of the image. The book detector 420 can utilize a library of book shape templates 425 in order to identify whether and where books are located in the image 415. The book shape templates 425 can include spine shapes for books of different sizes, such as hard back books, paperback novels, thick magazines, journals, etc. The book shape templates 425 can also include templates for the spines of various different types of books in alternative orientations. Such alternative orientations can include a vertical orientation (e.g., book is positioned upright between other books on a bookshelf), a horizontal orientation (e.g., book is laid flat on a bookshelf), a right tilt orientation (e.g., book is vertical, with top of book leaning rightward against another book or wall, at an angle of 45°, or between 30 to 60°) or a left tilt orientation (e.g., opposite of right tilt orientation). Still further, the book shape templates 425 can include shapes for the front or back cover of books of the different types (e.g., hardback, paperback, journal, magazine, etc.). The front or back cover templates can be used to detect when physical books are displayed frontally in the environment, such as in the case when a picture book is positioned on a bookshelf with the entire front cover facing outward, rather than the spine. In this way, multiple books in varying orientations (e.g., vertical spine outward, front cover facing etc.) can be detected from an image of a physical environment.
The book detector 420 can obtain a book image 429 from the processed image 415. The book image 429 includes (i) an image representation (based on the actual image input 401) of either a physical book spine, front cover, back cover or hybrid orientation, and (ii) content depicted on the spine and/or cover of the depicted books and image. The content depicted on the spine and/or cover of a given book depicted in the book image 429 can include text content, photographic image content or imagery (e.g., illustrations), or coded image content.
When the book image 429 is determined for a given book, it can be communicated to the content recognition component 430. However, examples recognize that the book image 429 can have alternative orientations (e.g., vertical, tilted etc.) based on the orientation of the book and also on the orientation of the content relative to the depicted book jacket or spine. In one implementation, the book detector 420 uses the one or more normalization processes 410 to normalize the book image 429 so that the appearance of text characters are normalized in a common orientation (e.g., left to right). For example, normalization process 410 can operate to make text appearing in the spine of a book horizontal, when the characters are originally vertical or tilted as a result of the vertical orientation of the book.
The normalized book image 431 is communicated to the content recognition component 430. The content recognition component 430 can include text recognition logic 432 and/or image recognition logic 434. The text recognition logic 432 scans the book image 431 for the appearance of alphanumeric characters, and then generates text data representing the detected characters. The image recognition logic 434 can detect a book cover image provided on the spine, front or back of a given book. The image recognition logic 434 can generate a signature representation of a detected image. In this way, the content recognition component 430 generates a search criteria 441 that can include recognized text characters and/or an image signature.
The book search component 440 utilizes the search criteria 441 to search a library 450 of book identifiers. The library of book identifiers 450 can enable searching by book title. In some variations, the library of book identifies 450 can also enable searching by author and/or book cover image.
In some cases, the search criteria 441 can only provide a partial title (e.g., such as when there is glare or occlusion of the spine). Additionally, the text recognition performed on the book image 431 can be incorrect on occasion. With a sufficient number of correctly recognized words, the search component 440 can identify the book title 445 for a given book, even in instances when words or characters are missing or are incorrectly recognized.
In some variations, the book search component 440 can perform an image comparison process in order to utilize an image signature from a book spine or cover. Specifically, the book search component 440 can compare the signature of a book cover image to signatures of other book cover images in order to determine the book title 445. The performance of the search by book cover image can validate the text-based search, or provide an alternative search to when the text-based search is not possible.
Methodology
With reference to
The image of the physical book environment can be associated with the user (520). For example, the e-reading device 200 can establish a socket or other connection with the network service 120 that specifies an account identifier. The image of the physical book environment can be communicated during that session, so that the network service 120 can associate the account identifier with the image.
Book recognition can then be performed on the image by the book recognition component 150 (530). The book recognition process can include detecting the presence of books in the physical book environment (532). For example, the book recognition component 150 can scan an image of the bookshelf to detect one or multiple book spines or jackets depicted in the image. Additionally, the book recognition includes performing recognition of the content appearing on the jackets or covers of individually detected books (534). As described with an example of
From the recognized content, a book title can be determined for individual books depicted in the image (540). As described with an example of
Once the determined book titles are determined, a user profile is created and/or updated to include content and other information about the identified book titles (550). Other information that can be included with the profile content 165 include the date in which the image was taken, as well as any other information which the user may want to supply, such as the location or event associated with the image capture. For example, the user can take an image of a bookshelf during a vacation and label (e.g., using the physical book environment interface 112) the image as “vacation reading”. The metadata associated with the physical book environment image 111, for example, can include the date and time the image was captured, as well as the label provided by the user. The metadata associated with the physical book environment image 111 can optionally be incorporated into the content of the user's profile.
The information included in the profile content regarding identified book titles can have different formats. In one implementation, a text list is generated representing the book titles identified from the physical book environment image 111 (552).
In another variation, a virtual bookshelf or environment is depicted as part of the profile (554). The virtual representation can also render virtualized representation of e-books for book titles that are recognized from the image. The virtual image can be based on metadata content associated with the e-book versions of the identified titles.
As still another variation, a list or panel or other interface can be used to display metadata content from the e-book version of each of the identified titles (556). The metadata content can include (i) icons or other graphics representing a book cover or jacket, and/or (ii) text content corresponding to the title, author or other publisher-provided information.
In one implementation, the profile content is communicated to a social networking environment where it can be published (560). As an addition or variation, the e-book versions of the identified titles are shared with a group of viewers (e.g., connections to the user in a particular social network) (570).
With reference to
Features for enabling sharing can be provided with the profile content (620). In one embodiment, links are embedded or otherwise included with the profile content 165. The links can be provided in connection with representations of the book titles of interest (622).
When the profile is published, the embedded or integrated links of the profile content 165 can be active, so that viewers can generate input for the network service 120 (630). In one implementation, a viewer of the profile content 165 can make selection of a link associated with desired one of the titles in the particular user's profile content (632). The link selection can enable a transaction interface between the viewer and the network service 120. In one implementation, the transaction interface can identify the viewer, identify the user and also the book title of interest.
With viewer input, a transaction can be implemented to provide the viewer with an e-book version of the desired title (640). The transaction can be either permanent or temporary (642). For example, the transaction manager 170 can grant the viewer a right of possession to the e-book title on a temporary basis as a means for enabling a preview of an e-book. Alternatively, the transaction manager 170 can implement a book loan as between the user and the viewer, where the user loses the right of possession to the e-book, and the viewer temporarily gains the right of possession.
As still another variation, the transfer can provide the user with the right to possession for the entire e-book. Alternatively, the transfer can provide the user with the right to just a preview portion of the desired e-book (644). For example, the viewer can request the preview portion of an e-book published on the user's social networking content.
As mentioned, the transactions described (e.g., permanent versus temporary, full versus preview) can be implemented as between the viewer of the user profile and the network service 120 (650) (e.g., service transaction), or as between the user and the viewer of the user's profile (660) (e.g., peer-based transaction).
In an implementation when the viewer's transaction is with the network service, the network service 120 can provide the right of possession to the viewer (652). The transaction manager 170 can implement controls, such as a duration for the right of possession (e.g., when the transaction is temporary), as well as the amount of content that the user is able to view (e.g., when the transaction is only a preview). The viewer's account can also be debited based on the fee the network service 120 charges for the transfer type that is being implemented (654).
In an implementation when the viewer's transaction is with the user, the right of possession can be transferred from the user to the viewer (662). The transaction manager 170 can implement the controls for transferring right of possession. For temporary transfers, the transaction manager 170 can assign the right of possession to the viewer for a duration of time, then revert the right position back to the user in response to the passage of time or some other condition (e.g., the viewer purchases own e-book copy from the network service 120).
The transaction manager 170 can also debit and credit the accounts of the user and viewer, respectively. For example, the user's account can be credited when the right of possession is transferred to the viewer, and the viewer's account with the network service can be debited when he or she receives the right of possession (664). The amount charged with respect to the transaction can depend on the transaction type (e.g., temporary versus full).
An example of
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.
