METHODS, DEVICES, AND SYSTEMS FOR VIDEO GAMING
A game console having a CPU; a computer readable medium; an operating system stored on the computer readable medium; a video interface port for transmitting a video signal to a display; a system bus interconnecting the computer readable medium, the CPU, and the video port; a video game application stored on the computer readable medium; ebook content stored on the computer readable medium; and a set of computer readable instructions.
Multiplayer gaming has become very popular over the last 8 to 10 years, particularly since the introduction of the Microsoft Xbox and Xbox 360 game consoles, the Sony Playstation 3 game console, and the Nintendo WII game console. By some accounts, the Xbox Live gaining service associated with the Xbox line of gaming consoles has over 20 million members worldwide. These members have a paid account with the Xbox Live gaming service and select a gamer tag (and/or email address) and password that allows them to access features of the Xbox Live gaming community by logging into the gaming service. The gaming service can be accessed using a computer (using an email address and password to log on) or via a game console.
Recently, game services have expanded to include some multimedia content, such as music and videos. However, there is a continuing need for methods, devices and systems that can provide new functionality for sharing and discussing digital book content in addition to gaming, video, music, and other multimedia content
The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similar or identical items.
The detailed description provided below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of some examples of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed, utilized or practiced. For example, specific details may be omitted, rearranged, or equivalent or other features or steps substituted as is known in the art. All publications and documents referenced in the specification are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
As used herein, the term “server” is intended to refer broadly to a one or more computer-related entities, either hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution that link other computers or electronic devices together across a network. Some, but not all, servers may have dedicated functionality, such as web servers, file servers, backup servers, and database servers. In one embodiment, a service may be implemented using one or more of a monitoring server(s), a presence server(s), a notification server(s), a match server(s), and a statistic server(s) which may be interconnected by a private network, such as a LAN, behind a security gateway, one arrangement being described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,650,495. Enterprise servers are servers that are used in a business context. A dedicated server may contain features making it suitable for high speed network services, such as fast CPUs, high performance RAM, faster and larger data storage capacities (for example, possibly a RAID array some examples of which are described in USPN 2010/0011162), network hardware such as routers, modems and switches. Since servers are usually accessed over a network, they may run in headless mode without a monitor or input device, and a server may not have a graphical user interface (GUI), or audio and USB interfaces. A server may incorporate larger computer fans or water cooling to help remove heat, and uninterruptible power supplies that ensure the servers continue to function in the event of a power failure. Hardware redundancy may be provided, e g., installing more than one instance of modules such as power supplies and hard disks so that if one fails another is automatically available. Servers may be rack mounted (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,804,690) and situated in server rooms for convenience and to restrict physical access for security. As will be appreciated, the structure and functionality of a server may vary widely.
As used herein, the terms “component” and “application” refer to software or software in execution, wherein the software comprises a set of computer or machine readable instructions or “code” stored on one or more computer readable mediums. For example, components and applications may be, but are not limited to being, one or more processes running on a processor, objects, executables, code, threads of execution, computer programs, and combinations thereof and may be localized on one computing device and/or distributed between two or more computing devices. Also, they can execute from various computer readable media having various data structures or instructions stored thereon. The set of instructions can be implemented in any programming or scripting language including, but not limited to, Microsoft Visual Basic, Assembly, Java, C, C++, Delphi, Perl, and combinations thereof. Any data or information used, processed, or manipulated by a component, application, code or device herein may be, but need not be, stored in one or more of a variety structures such as an array, lookup table, string or other structure as is known in the art. Pointers may be used to refer directly to another value stored elsewhere in the computer memory using its address. A pointer references a location in memory. Pointers are also used to hold the addresses of entry points for called subroutines in procedural programming and for run-time linking to dynamic link libraries. It will be understood that the various functionalities, data/information management, data/information storage, data/information processing, data/information transmission, and any other action implemented by or described in this specification with respect to a computing device (e.g., any server, game console, network, mobile phone, smart phone, smart tablet, game controller, headset, etc.) can be performed or implemented by computer readable instructions that are stored on one or more computer readable mediums, as is known in the art.
As used herein, the phrase “game play” refers to the live action presented or controlled in a video game, including, but not limited to, one or more of manipulating a character or vehicle, interacting with a video game environment, interacting with an artificial intelligence (AI) character or object, interacting with a character or object representing another gamer, and providing inputs to a game controller to accomplish any of the foregoing. “Game play” can also include one or more of AI movement of characters or objects in a game environment as well graphical and/or audio rendering of the foregoing.
As used herein, the phrase “operating system” refers to one or more applications for a computing device that regulates the ways software programs use the computer hardware and the ways that users control the computer. Operating systems may be found on many computing devices—from smart phones/tablets and video game consoles to servers.
As used herein, the phrase “computer readable medium” refers to any electronic storage medium and may include both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data and data structures, applications or components or other information. Computer readable media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can accessed by computer.
The articles “a” and “an” should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.
The term “user” generally refers to a human entity that uses a computing device such as a game console, a smart phone, an ebook device or ereader, a smart tablet or a mobile phone for any purpose. A user may also be a gamer or player.
The term “member” generally refers to a user that is associated or affiliated with a gaming community, an ebook community, or a combination thereof.
The terms “gamer” or “player” generally refers to a user of a computer-implemented video game via one or more of a computer-related communication infrastructure, a computer-related system, electronic devices (portable or otherwise), or any combination thereof. A variety of non-limiting examples of systems and devices that can be used by a gamer or player are described throughout the specification and can comprise various combinations of game consoles, smart phones/mobile phones, smart tablets, ebook devices, ereaders, cellular networks, networks, and servers.
The term “service” refers to one or more components, applications, or code distributed across one or more servers or other computing devices that affords or enables, in a broad sense, engaging in any multimedia related activities, such as messaging, ebook club sessions, game play, movie sessions over a communication network between distributed computing devices. A service may reside on one more networked servers. A game service is a more specialized service that enables users to play video games between multiple distributed computing devices, such as a game console, a smart phone, or a smart tablet. Some features that can be implemented in a game service are described in WO 2009/086221 as well as in other patents referenced in this specification. Some examples of gaming services include Xbox Live! by Microsoft, Inc. and. Sony Network, by Sony, Inc.
The phrase “gaming community” refers to an affiliated collection of garners that are associated with a game service. The garners may become affiliated with the gaming community by payment of fee to the owner/operator of the game service or mere registration without payment of a fee.
The phrase “ebook community” refers to an affiliated collection of ebook users that are associated with an ebook service. The ebook users may become affiliated with the ebook community by payment of a fee to the owner/operator of the ebook service or mere registration without payment of a fee.
The phrase “semi-permanent” refers to data or a functionality that exists after a after a user has logged out of service, and after a computing device is powered off. Once established, semi-permanent data or functionalities exist independent of whether an user is logged into a service. Semi-permanent data and functionalities may be accessible when a member of a community (ebook or gaming) first logs into a service. Semi-permanent data and functionalities can be modified and deleted. One example of a semi-permanent functionality is a semi-permanent ebook club.
The phrase “game console” refers to a special purpose interactive computing device adapted for playing video games. The game console can comprise one or more of a CPU, a network interface port, a video interface port, a system bus, an operating system, a memory controller for accessing a variety of types of memory, a 3D graphics processing unit and a video encoder for high speed, high resolution graphics processing. A video signal output from the game console can be transmitted to a separate display to display the video game and other images (e.g., movies, ebook sessions, etc.). A camera may be connected to the game console to transmit live video data of the user of the game console to the game server/service. A console identification (ID) or security key can be stored in ROM memory to identify the game console to a service. A game console is typically connected to one or more game controllers via a wired or wireless interface. A game controller can be any hand-held device comprising a plurality of inputs to a game console, some examples of which are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,753,788; 7,753,787; 2010/0222146; 2007/021205; D581,422; U.S. Pat. No. 6,429,849; 2006/0154725; 2006/0161445; 2004/0222970; 2005/0221895; and 2004/0222970, or a motion detecting device, one example of which is described in USPN 2010/0199228. The game console can also be connected to a keyboard. A game console is designed for consumers to buy and use for playing video games and other video or audio entertainment purposes (such as downloading and playing a movie, other video, audio, pictures, accessing the internet, etc.). A game console may have a hard drive or some other memory storage device for storing a game application downloaded from a disk or via a network connection. A game console is different from a general purpose computer which can perform or execute computer programs for a variety of other functions, such as word processing, video editing, accounting, spreadsheet development, etc. Many game consoles can be connected by a video cable, such as an HDMI cable, an S video cable, a component video cable, a fiber optic cable, and a DVI cable, to the separate display. Some examples of displays include a plasma television, an LED television, an LCD television, and a combination of a video projector and a screen. Some examples of game consoles include the Xbox and Xbox 360 game consoles by Microsoft, the Playstation 2 and Playstation 3 game consoles by Sony, Inc., and the WII game console by Nintendo. Some examples of an Xbox brand game console are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,496,202; 6,862,027; 6,935,959; 7,496,200; 2005/0164795; 2005/0245317; 2008/0113789; 2008/0311997; 2005/0221895 and WO 2009/154831. The configuration of game consoles can be varied as is known in the art.
The phrase “game server” refers to a remotely run server or appliance which can be accessed by a plurality of game consoles to, at a minimum, play a variety of multiplayer video games. A game server is configured so that it is capable of receiving information from, and transmitting information to, a plurality of remote gaming devices, such as a game console. A game server may also be capable of communicating with other game servers, wherein the servers may have differing dedicated functionality (e.g., a match server v. a statistics server). A game server is any combination of hardware and software designed to provide these services to the members of the gaming community, although other services, such as an ebook service, may also be provided. A game service may be supported by a plurality of networked game servers. In one embodiment, the game console, game server, and game service are all provided by a single company (or affiliated collection of companies) such as Microsoft, Inc. or Sony, Inc. in order to minimize compatibility issues between the game server, game service, and game console. Some examples of networked server/service and game console systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,337,147; 7,370,194; 7,218,739; 7,455,590; 7,464,272; 7,650,495; 7,512,235; 7,288,028; 7,203,835; 2007/0288647; 2007/0005704; 2003/0216181; 2006/0121989; 2006/0287096; 2006/0287099; 2008/0242405; 2008/0171600, and U.S. Ser. No. 61/401,061 entitled Methods, Devices, and Systems for Video Gaming, filed Aug. 6, 2010.
The term “ebook club” refers to a group of associated members of an ebook community that desire to periodically read and/or discuss one more ebooks as a group. Ebook club members may have a common affiliation or characteristic, such as gender, age, or interest in a particular literary category. The frequency of discussion can vary widely, from at least once a day to at least once a week to at least once a month. An ebook club represents just a portion of an ebook community affiliated with a service, which can also contain millions of members many of whom may not be affiliated or associated with an ebook club.
The phrase “ebook distributer” refers to a company that publishes or distributes ebooks. Some examples of ebook distributers include Barnes & Noble, Inc., Amazon, Inc.; and Apple, Inc. An ebook distributer may distribute the ebooks from one or more servers across a network. An ebook distributer may also distribute other multimedia content, such as movies and music.
The phrase “ebook” refers to an electronic or digital book or magazine/periodical that is a digital media equivalent of a conventional printed book or magazine. An ebook may be read via a computer, a game console, a hand-held ebook device (e.g., an ereader), or other device capable of providing this purpose. Ebooks may be categorized in one or more genres, some examples of which include fiction, non-fiction, action & adventure, biographical, memoir, mystery, drama, historical, myth/mythology, poetry, science fiction, short story, science and technology, “how to”, self improvement, etc.
The phrase “ebook content” refers to the digital data of an ebook. The ebook content may comprise digital text. The digital text may be arranged to include one or more of an introduction, an acknowledgement, a plurality of chapters, an epilogue, and index, and notes. The digital text may describe a story or a plurality of distinct stories. The ebook content can be provided in a variety of digital file formats, including plain text, Postscript, HTML, AZW (Kindle), OPF (Open Electronic Package), AEH (Arghos Diffusion), DAISY, Fiction Book, TEI Lite (Text Encoding Initiative), CHM (Microsoft Compression HTML), Flip Book, PDF (Portable Document Format), DjVu, LIT, Palm Digital Media, Tome Reader, Newton, Desktop Author, APABI, LIBRIS, MobiPocket, EPub, Sony Media, SSReader, Teal Doc, IEC 62448, Eveda, etc. Some of the respective file format extensions include .txt, .html, .azw, .opf, .tr2, .tr3, .aeh, .fb2, .xml, .chm, .pdf, .djvu, .lit, .pdb, .dnl, .pkg, .xeb, .ceb, .lbr, .bin, .prc, .mobi, .epub, .lrf, .lrx, and .db. As will be appreciated, this is just a partial list of suitable file formats and other file formats are within the scope of the present invention. Ebook content may refer to the digital data, including digital text and audio/visual content, for a single ebook or a plurality of ebooks. Ebook content may also include digital content that is related to the ebook but which is not part of the ebook text, such as author interviews, alternate endings to the ebook, historical information associated with the selling or characters in the ebook, etc.
The phrase “ebook session” refers to an interactive computer implemented dialogue/data transfer across a network between two or more remote users of a computing device to engage a discourse concerning one or more ebooks. The number of users can be between greater than 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, or 80 and/or less than 1000, 500, 250, 125, 60, 30, or 15.
The phrase “ebook session data” refers to data that is transmitted to or from a computing device, such as a game console, an ebook device, a server, an ereader, etc., during an ebook session. Ebook session data may include, but is not limited to, ebook content, audio data, and video data
The term “custodian” refers to a user who is the purchaser, owner, or a principal user of a particular computing device. There can be more than one custodian of a computing device.
The phrase “ebook device” refers to any device that is capable of displaying an ebook. Examples include game consoles, smart phones, smart tablets, and dedicated ebook readers. An ereader is a device whose primary functionality is the display of ebook content. Examples of dedicated ebook readers include, but are not limited to, the Kindle by Amazon.com, the Reader PRS-500 and the Librie by Sony, Inc., and the Nook by Barnes & Noble, Inc. Some examples of ebook devices are also described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,748,634; 7,724,696; 6,886,036; 7,694,874; 7,304,635; 6,064,384; 2009/0300539; 2006/0282797; 2009/0241054; and WO 2008/121586.
The phrase “smart device” refers to a smart phone, smart tablet, or any other device providing similar functionality.
The phrase “smart phone” refers to any mobile device capable of transmitting data to and receiving data from a cellular network. Smart phones may have an operating system that provides a platform for development of applications that can be run on the smart phone. A smart phone can manage data, typically via keyboard, and can provide some functionalities that are more typically found on a general purpose computer. Some operating systems used on smart phones include Symbian (including S60), iOS, Palm WebOS, BlackBerry OS, Samsung phones running Linux, Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless, Windows Mobile, Android and Maemo. WebOS, Android and Maemo are built on top of Linux, and the iOS is derived from the BSD and NeXTSTEP operating systems, which all are related to Unix. A smart phone may comprise one or more of a microphone, speaker, battery, keyboard, display, antenna, microprocessor, memory, RF amplifier, transceiver, and Subscriber Identity Module or SIM card. Smart phones can provide digital voice service as well as any combination of text messaging, e-mail, Web browsing, still camera, video camera, MP3 player, video player, television and organizer. Smart phones can be provided in a variety of shapes and sizes, including smart tablet sized devices such as the iPad by Apple, Inc. Some examples of smart phones and/or cellular networks suitable for use in the present invention are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,395,051; 2009/0253457; 2009/0061840; 2009/0286549; and 2009/0215497. The smart phone may have an IP address assigned to it that is associated with a cellular base station that is in communication with the smart phone. Data transmitted by the smart phone to a cellular network may be converted to Internet Protocol (IP) data packets for transmission across a wide area network to a server.
The phrase “smart tablet” refers to a mobile device that falls between a smart phone and a netbook, delivering one or more features typically found in smart phones (e.g., data management, 3G connectivity, GPS in a slightly larger device with a full keyboard). Smart tablets may have displays that are larger than a smart phone. In some embodiments, the display of a smart tablet may a width between 4 and 12 inches and length between 6 and 15 inches. Some examples of smart tablets are described in USPNs 2009/0228842 and 2008/0168404;
The phrases “video game” and “multiplayer video game” refer to an electronic video game that involves interaction between a user and a user interface (e.g., a game controller) to generate visual feedback and/or game play on a display. A multiplayer game is a video game that can be played simultaneously (either cooperatively or competitively) with a plurality of players. A single player video game is a video game that is played by a single player. A video game application can include both a single player and a multiplayer video game. Video games that can be utilized with the present invention are quite varied and can include simulation, action, adventure, action-adventure, role-playing shooter, strategy, and so forth. The video game can be graphic intensive (such as Halo 2®, Red Dead Redemption®; Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2®, Grand Theft Auto®; etc.) and/or text intensive. The video game may be downloaded from a disk onto a gaming device or downloaded to a gaming device from a server. The video game may be implemented by a game application or component comprising a set of computer readable instructions using any one of a variety of programming or scripting languages, such as Microsoft® Visual Basic, Assembly, Java, Smalitalk, C, C++, Delphi, Perl, and combinations thereof. The set of instructions can include APIs and/or libraries, which can handle sound processing, input, graphics rendering, and artificial intelligence tasks. The video game application can be executed by a single computing device, such as a game console, or distributed across a plurality of computing devices, such as one or more game servers and a game console, and executed by the plurality of computing devices, wherein each computing device executes a different portion of the video game application.
Referring now to
A local area network (LAN) 140 can be interconnected between the game console 125 and the network 135. The network 140, which may be distributed within single building such as a residence or home, can also be connected to a computer 145, such a personal computer, and a dedicated ebook reader 150, which is shown as wirelessly connected in
The communication networks 135, 140 can comprise a fiber optic network, a twisted-pair network, a T1/E1 line-based network or other links of the T-carrier/E carrier protocol, or a wireless local area or wide area network (operating through multiple protocols such as ultra-mobile band (UMB), long term evolution (LTE), etc.). The Internet is a common communication network by which the computing devices can communicate with the service 110. Additionally, communication networks 135, 140 can comprise base stations for wireless communications, which include transceivers, associated electronic devices for modulation/demodulation, and switches and ports to connect to a backbone network for backhaul communication such as in the case of packet-switched communications.
The game console 125 can be connected to one or more of a game controller 155, a headset 160, an alpha-numeric keyboard 165, a camera 170, and a display 175. The game controller can comprise one or more surface buttons, thumb sticks, triggers, and D-pads for providing inputs to the game console 125. The game controller 155 can be connected in either a wired or wireless manner to the game console 125 for transmitting data there between. The headset 160, which comprises a plurality of earphones 162 and a microphone 163, can be connected in a wired or wireless manner to one of the game controller 155 or the game console 125 for transmitting audio data there between. The keypad or keyboard 165 may be connected to the game console 125 for providing alpha-numeric and other inputs to the game console 125. The keyboard 165 may be connected in a wired or wireless manner to the game console 125. The camera 170 captures video images in close proximity (1 meters to 10 meters) to the game console 125 and can provide live video data to the game console 125. One example of a suitable camera is the Microsoft Xbox Live Vision Web Camera, p/n B4M-00005. The display 175 may be provided in a variety forms as is known in the art. The camera 170 may be connected in wired or wireless manner to the game console 125. The game system 180 comprises one or more of the game console 125, game controller 155, headset 160, camera 170, display 175, and keypad 165. It will be appreciated that a plurality of game systems 180 may be connected to the network 135 and transmit data to and from the game server 105.
The game console 125 can comprise computer readable instructions for transmitting audio data between the game console and headset 160 either directly or via the game controller 155. The audio data can include game or ebook session audio data, such as music or sound effects audio, or voice data from other ebook club members who are connected to the session. For example, the ebook club members may have an interactive, live conversation with each other where the audio data is transmitted from the microphone 163 to one game console 125 and then via the network 135, 140 to the game server 105 and then to a second game console 130 having a headset connected thereto (not shown). The camera 170 is connected to the game console and is preferably positioned to capture a video image of a member of the book club during an ebook session.
Referring to
The service 110 may also include a login component 220. The login component 220 is used to authenticate or validate a member upon connection to the service 110 when the game console 235 is powered on. The member is authenticated via login data, such as the identifier (e.g., a gamer tag or screen name or security key) and password, that is transmitted by the game console 235 to the gamer server 110. The identifier and password can be compared to the identifiers and passwords for members of the gaming community and/or ebook community stored on the medium 215. The identifier and password are authenticated if a match is found. Login data can comprise any data that uniquely identifies the member and/or game console or authenticates the member/game console to the service. For example, when a member connects with game service 110, the login component 215 may prompt the member for the identifier and password. Alternatively, the identifier and password may be automatically transmitted by the game console 235 to the login component 220 when the game console 235 is powered on thereby automatically connecting the member to the service 110. The login component 220 may also obtain a game device identifier that uniquely identifies the game device that the member is using and a network path to the service 110. The identifier and password, or other member data, transmitted to the login component 220 by the game console 235 are then authenticated.
Assuming proper authentication, the member gains access to his or her member profile 240 stored with the service 110, and the game device identifier and the network path for the member's gaming session may be stored in the member profile or elsewhere so that messages and information may be sent to the game device.
The member profile can comprise the member data and/or other descriptive information about the member such as for example where a user lives and the time zone thereof, age, gender, native language, a listing of games available for play (either purchased or downloaded), a listing of ebooks that have been read, etc. This information is available to a member upon login to gaming service 110 as described above. The member profile can also include additional information about the member such as game records/statistics and a friends list. Game records can comprise statistics for a particular game, rewards acquired for a particular game and/or other game specific information as desired. As the member participates in the video games, the game statistics are updated to reflect the member's progress within the video game. A friends list is a listing of friends of the member that are also members of the gaming community 115 and/or the ebook community 120. Friends may be added to/removed from friends list when using service 110. Portions of a member's profile may also be maintained locally on a game device. In such instance, the locally stored profile may be synchronized periodically with the member profile stored on the medium 215. A further description of friends and friends lists is set forth in US 2009/0111576.
The service 110 can also include message component 225, which permits the game device, such as a game console, to send a message to another game device such as another game console via the network 155. Messages may be sent from, and received by, any game device, when the game device is connected to service 110. The message component mutes the messages between the game devices in part by tracking the network addresses of the game devices. Messages can include text messages, voice messages, live video and audio, and specialized invite messages. Game and ebook session invites allow a member using one game device to invite one or more members on another game device to play in the same game or join an ebook session using network and/or game service 110 to pass data between the two game devices. The friends list can also be used in conjunction with message component 225.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention and with further reference to
The ebook club data 245 can comprise a wide variety of data/information about the ebook club and/or one or more members of the ebook club. The game server and/or game console can comprise computer readable instructions for storing the ebook club data 245 on the computer readable medium 215 and for providing accessibility to the ebook club data by a plurality of the game consoles (and ebook applications disposed thereon) associated with the members of the ebook club. The game server can also comprise computer readable instructions for transmitting the ebook club data to a plurality of game consoles, smart phones, smart tablets, or ebook devices, wherein the game consoles, smart phones, smart tablets, and ebook devices are each associated with members of the ebook club. Similarly, the game consoles can comprise computer readable instructions for transmitting the ebook club data 245 from a game console to a game server. The ebook club data 245 may also be associated with the member profile of each member of a ebook club such that accessing a member profile provides accessibility to the ebook club data. Accessibility and transmissibility of the ebook club data between the game consoles, game servers, and other computing devices provides for easy updating of the ebook club data between devices as the data changes.
The ebook club data 245 can comprise an identifier (e.g., screen name) for each member of the ebook club, a telephone number for each member of the ebook club, an email address for each member of the ebook club, an ebook club identifier (e.g., name or avatar), one or more ebook club classes, a time zone for each member of the ebook club, the native language for each member of the ebook club, a list of ebooks common to each member of the ebook club, data associated with a virtual currency account, and combinations thereof. The ebook club name may be provided to the service 110 by the ebook club leader. Member data of one or more members of the ebook club, such as an email address or telephone number for sending text and/or audio messages, may also form part of the ebook club data 245.
Ebook clubs may be characterized by one or more ebook club classes, wherein the class is defined by a characteristic. An ebook club class can stored as ebook club data 245 on a computer readable medium. Ebook club classes can be used by the service 110 and/or a game console 235 (and likewise the ebook application 250) for pairing ebook clubs for ebook discussions or sessions; and assisting, individual, non-ebook club members in a search for an ebook club to join. The ebook club class can be determined by algorithms associated with the ebook club component 230, or assigned by the ebook club leader, or a combination thereof. The algorithms may analyze member data 245 associated with each member of the ebook club and assign an ebook club class based on a representative characteristic shared by the members of the ebook club. Representative characteristics can include a representative age, a literary category or genre (e.g., fiction, non-fiction, action & adventure, biography, memoir, mystery, drama, myth/mythology, poetry, science fiction, short story, historical fiction, etc.), a representative time zone, a representative native language, and a representative gender. In some embodiments, the value of the representative characteristic may be based on what the majority (or the largest percentage or some other statistical value (e.g., median or mean)) of ebook club members have as an individual value for the characteristic (which may be stored as member data in a member profile). For instance, the representative gender can be selected based upon whether the majority of ebook club members are male or female. The representative time zone can be based upon the time zone in which the largest percentage of ebook club members reside. The representative native language can be based upon the native language associated with the largest percentage of ebook club members. The representative age can be selected based upon the median or mean age of the ebook club members or a weighted average of the age distribution of the members of the ebook club. Some age ranges that might be used are 10 to 20 yo, 20 to 30 yo, 30 to 45 yo, and older than 45 years of age. An ebook club class may also be established according to the genre of ebooks the ebook club typically reads and discusses during an ebook session.
The ebook club data 245 can also include a list or log of each ebook of each ebook club member that has been downloaded/transmitted by the ebook club member to a computing device, such as a game console. A subset of the list may be maintained by the ebook club component 230 that tracks the ebooks that are common between all the members of the ebook club. For example, a set of computer readable instructions associated with the server 105 can identify, compile, and store a list of ebooks that are common between a plurality of ebook club members of the ebook community.
Referring again to
Referring to
As discussed more fully hereafter, the ebook club leader may be automatically authorized to take certain actions within the game service 110 on behalf of each member of the ebook club. Some of these actions can include, but are not limited to, conducting transactions (e.g., purchasing, selling, swapping ebook content) in the ebook club marketplace, administering a ebook club calendar, initiating intra and inter ebook club sessions, and administering (e.g., inputting, modifying, deleting) ebook club data. The ebook club component 230 may automatically rotate the ebook club leader designation between ebook club members according to a pre-determined schedule. For instance, a different ebook club member may become the ebook club leader every 2, 4, or 6 months. These functions can be implemented by computer readable instructions associated with game server and/or the game console.
Referring to
A scheduled ebook club session is one that has been selected in advance by the ebook club leader and stored in the ebook club calendar. One example of a visual representation of an ebook club calendar 400 is shown in
One embodiment of a messaging methodology for use with the ebook club calendar 400 will now be described with reference to
As the session date draws near, the ebook club component 230 may automatically generate an email or text message to the ebook club leader or other moderator of the ebook session using the email address and phone number stored on a computer readable medium associated with the game server, as shown in block 530. Alternatively, the ebook club leader can login to the game service 110 from a game console or computing device to access, display, and accept or reject a session date of the ebook club calendar 400 on the game console or smart device in place of the automatic email generation now described. The session date email sent to the ebook club leader or other moderator sets forth the data previously entered into the ebook club calendar 400 that is associated with the session date. If the ebook club leader plans to participate on the session date, then he or she merely replies to the game service 110 from the computing device by accepting the session date (meaning the ebook club leader or moderator confirms that he/she will participate on the session date according to what has been entered into the calendar). If the ebook club leader or moderator is unavailable for the session date, the ebook club leader can designate a temporary alternate moderator to manage the session date. Alternatively, the ebook club leader or moderator can reject the session date, thereby indicating that the ebook club leader or moderator will not be joining on the session date. The acceptance or rejection of the session date can be transmitted from the computing device to the game server via one or more networks.
An example of a session date email to an ebook club leader is shown in
After the game server receives a reply from the ebook club leader or moderator to the session date email, the ebook club component 230 then sends a session date email to each of the other members of the ebook club (shown as step 540). The session date email to the other ebook club members may contain the same data as previously described for the email 600. Each ebook club member then replies to the session date email by either accepting or rejecting it meaning the ebook club member plans to participate or not participate in the session date. The session date email 600 comprises a session date field 610 (e.g., displaying the calendar date, start time, and end time for the session), an ebook title field, and an acceptance field 615.
The ebook club component 230 then compiles a list of acceptances and rejections and distributes a session confirmation email (or other message/text message) to one or more of the game consoles and/or computing devices associated with each of the member of the ebook club (shown as step 550). If the acceptance rate is low for the session date (this threshold can be set by the ebook club leader and stored as ebook club data), then the session confirmation email can notify the ebook club members that the session date is canceled. If the acceptance rate is satisfactory, then the session date status email can notify the ebook club members that the session date is confirmed and provide a list of which members (by identifier) will be participating (i.e., who accepted the session date email) in the session date and/or a list those ebook club members who declined the session date and/or a list of those ebook club members who failed to respond.
The ebook club calendar 400 may be synched with conventional calendar applications of the ebook club members stored on their respective computing devices or game console, such as Microsoft Outlook, so that session dates are placed on their personal calendars. In addition, vacations and other commitments of individual members may be synched generically (showing as merely blocked without details) with the ebook club calendar 400 to help facilitate selection of session dates by the ebook club leader or moderator. This data can be transmitted between computing devices and the game server and stored on computer readable mediums associated with each. Proposed session dates can also be identified by the ebook club component 230 by examining open dates and using filters established by each member of the ebook club for when they are available for session dates. For example, one ebook club member might set a filter that would permit session dates only on weekends between specified times.
In addition, the ebook calendar 400 can be synched with a service calendar 257 associated with the server 105 and stored on the medium 215. The service calendar 257 can store dates/times when educational commentary may be available by the service for one or more ebook clubs to access. The commentary may be for one or more ebooks and/or eperiodicals. For example, these commentaries may be categorized according to subject matter or title. In one embodiment, the categories overlap with the ebook club classes (e.g., fiction, short story, etc.) so that only those dates/times associated with commentaries in the same category as an ebook club class are place on the ebook club calendar for consideration.
The ebook calendar 400 may be available as part of an ebook home page 700 that can be accessed when a member of the ebook club logs into the service 110. The home page 700 may also contain the status of the reading progress of an ebook by members of the ebook club as well as notes input to the an ebook device made by the member as he or she reads the ebook/periodical. The notes can include observations made while reading the ebook as well as potential agenda topics for discussion at an ebook session. The status and notes may be transmitted from the ereader (e.g., 150) to a game console 125 and then to a server 110 via the network 135, as discussed hereafter. One example of an ebook club home page is shown in
Ebook session dates involving another ebook club can also be facilitated using the ebook club component 230. This can be an automated, semi-automated, or manual process. For example, the ebook club component 230 can search the ebook club data of the ebook community for ebook clubs having the same ebook club classes and/or their ebook club calendars for the same session date/times and automatically pair the ebook clubs for a session date. In another embodiment, the ebook club component 230 can suggest to each ebook club leader/moderator the pairing of the ebook clubs for a session date, wherein the pairing can be accepted or rejected by the ebook club leaders/moderators. The suggestion can be transmitted to one or more of the computing devices associated with the ebook club leader/moderator.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, methods, devices and systems for providing an ebook session will now be described with reference to
Upon associating an ebook club member with the ebook session, video and audio data captured by the camera 170 and microphone 163, respectively, connected to the game console 125 of the member may transmitted by IP data packets to each of the other members associated with the ebook session. One or more of the data packets may also contain an identifier associated with the game console 125 (such as a console id or security key) or the ebook club member (such as a screen name) The video and audio data is muted by the server 105 to each of the game consoles using the network path established when the member logged into the service 110. The ebook application stored on each game console 125 comprises computer readable instructions for displaying the video data as images on the display 175 connected to the game console 125 and transmitting the audio data to speakers 162. The audio data and the video data may be synchronized, meaning the audio data and video data are related (e.g., audio of a person speaking and video of that spoken audio).
In one embodiment, the game console displays an image containing a plurality of fields, one example of which is shown in
The ebook club leader or moderator for the ebook session may select one of the secondary fields as the active field, meaning the audio data associated with the video data displayed in the selected field will be sent to the speakers 162 connected to each game console 125 of each member so that all members of the ebook club associated with the ebook session may hear the audio from the selected member. When the moderator selects a secondary field, an identifier (such as a screen name or game console id) for the member associated with the video stream displayed in the selected field may be transmitted by the game console 125 to the server 105 via the networks 135, 140, and the server 105 may then transmit the identifier to each of the game consoles by one or more IP data packets. A field may be selected using a game controller or other input device. Upon receipt of the IP data packet containing the identifier, the ebook application 250 may transmit the audio data associated with the identifier to the speaker(s) connected to the game console. In this way, the moderator of the ebook session may direct the discussion of the ebook content by selecting which member of the ebook club is addressing the other members at any one time. The moderator may also designate the ebook session as an “open mic”, meaning all the audio data transmitted between the game consoles will be simultaneously transmitted to the speakers of each game console without any selectivity or precedence. The moderator may also mute all incoming audio data associated with the secondary fields 820. An identifier, such as a screen name, associated with the member whose video stream is displayed in a secondary field may be displayed in field 830 adjacent to or within the secondary field to aid identification of the member. In an alternate embodiment, an avatar associated with the member may be displayed in a secondary field in place of the video stream from the game console.
The primary field 810 may be used to display ebook content 835 and other visual content. For example, the ebook content (e.g., a page, pages, or passage of text) may be displayed in the primary field and the moderator may scroll through or jump to specific portions of the ebook content (e.g., a particular chapter or page), wherein the displayed content is used to facilitate an interactive dialogue about that portion of the ebook. The content (or a locator such as line and page number for the content) that is displayed in the primary field is transmitted by the moderator's game console 125 to the server 105 and then to other game consoles of the members who are associated with the ebook session so that the same ebook content is displayed in the primary fields 810 displayed by those game consoles. In this away, each of the ebook club members can view the same ebook content simultaneously and interactively converse in a live group dialogue about the subject matter of the ebook. In alternate embodiment, an ereader 150 may be wirelessly paired to the moderator's game console, wherein the ereader has the ebook content stored on a computer readable medium 151 thereof. An application stored on the ereader 150 can display the ebook content on the ereader's display and comprises computer readable instructions to transmit the displayed content to the game console 125 for simultaneous display in the primary field 810 displayed by the game console 125 and transmission to the server 105 for transmission to the game consoles.
Other visual content may be displayed in the primary field 810. For example, a video stream from a non-ebook club member, such as the author of the ebook content, can be transmitted to each game console 125 from the server 105 and displayed in the primary field 810 displayed by each game console 125. The author may provide additional perspective about the subject matter of the ebook, which may be educational for the members of the ebook club. In the case of an eperiodical, a commentator may provide a video/audio stream from a remote location via the server 105 and network 135, wherein the commentator provides a commentary about one or more topics contained in the eperiodical. For example, if the eperiodical is Maclife, the commentary may be provided by an expert on iMac applications about a particular application that is discussed or reviewed in eperiodical. Or if the eperiodical comprises historical content, a historian may provide interactive commentary about the subject matter of recent article in the eperiodical. Or if the eperiodical comprises “how to” information, a craftsman may provide interactive commentary about the subject matter of a recent article in the eperiodical. The moderator may arrange for an interactive dialogue between the author and the ebook club members in the same manner as described previously for managing the interactive dialogue among the members in an ebook session. The primary field 810 may be used to display a list of topics or other text prepared by the moderator to facilitate the ebook session. The topics for the agenda may be selected by the moderator from among the topics/notes submitted by the members and displayed on the ebook club home page 700 (e.g., displayed in field 720) and otherwise stored on a computer readable medium 215 of the server 105.
A tertiary field 840 may be displayed at the bottom of the image 800. The tertiary field 840 may be used to display text (e.g., questions or commentary) from one or members of the ebook club. The text 845 may include the identifier, e.g., screen name 850, of the ebook member who submitted the text. The identifier may either precede or trail the text. The text can be input by a keyboard connected to the game console and transmitted to the server 105 over the network 135. The sever 105 may route the text data to either the moderator's game console 125 for display or to all the game consoles associated with the ebook session. The moderator may use the incoming text to decide which member of the ebook club should be provided audio precedence in the dialogue. The text 845 may be provided in a scrolling manner in the tertiary field 840.
A plurality of ebook clubs may be joined in an ebook session, wherein each club as a plurality of ebook members associated with the session. In one embodiment, an interactive or non-interactive commentary from a non-ebook member (e.g., an ebook author) may be provided for the edification of the collective members. The commentary may be displayed in the primary field of the image displayed by each of the game consoles logged into the ebook session. In another embodiment, a plurality of ebook clubs may be logged into the same ebook session for an interactive dialogue concerning an ebook title. An agenda and/or ebook content (e.g., textual portions of an ebook) may be displayed in the primary field. Each ebook club may be represented by an ebook club name or avatar displayed in one of the secondary fields. The active secondary field, which may be selected by a designated moderator or which may automatically rotate after a predetermined amount of time, has audio/visual precedence, meaning the audio/visual data streams from the game consoles associated with that ebook club will be muted to all the other game consoles logged into that ebook session.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the game console 125 can comprise computer readable instructions for pairing an ereader 150 with the game console 125 and for controlling the ereader 150 and/or transmitting/receiving data between the ereader 150 and the game console 125. The ereader 150 can be paired wirelessly, e.g., by a blutooth connection, or in a wired manner, e.g., by a USB connection. In one embodiment, the computer readable instructions can enable the ereader 150 to sync data with the game console 125 when paired to the console. For example, the ereader 150 may transmit notes or other text entered by the user of the ereader 150 that is associated with an ebook title to the the game console, which may in turn transmit the notes or other text data to the server 105. The notes or text data can be entered by the user of the ereader 150 as he or she reads the ebook content. The notes may include observations, questions, or agenda topics for discussion in a later ebook session associated with the ebook. The text data may be transmitted to the server 105 with one or more identifiers, such as an ebook member screen name, game console id, ebook club identifier, etc., so that the text data can be matched to an ebook club and posted to the ebook club home page 700 of the service 110. In addition, the ereader may track the progress of the user through the ebook content, for example by tracking which chapters have been completed. The completion data (e.g., which chapters or stories or how many pages) may be also transmitted from the ereader 150 to the game console 125 and then to the server 105 for display on the home page 700. Alternatively, if the ereader 150 has a WIFI or cellular capabilities, the completion data and text data may be transmitted directly to the network 135 and to the server 105 by an application on the ereader.
Referring now to
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an ebook club marketplace and virtual currency account, will now be described. The ebook club component 230 of the service 110 may further comprise computer readable instructions enabling a marketplace that provides a forum for the sale, purchase, and/or swapping of ebook content between members of the ebook community and/or groups of members, such as an ebook club. The ebook content may be stored on one or more computer readable medium associated with the server 105. In addition, audio/visual data, such as an ebook commentary, may be available for purchase in the marketplace. A yearly subscription fee, which may be charged against the ebook club account, may allow unlimited access to the some or all of the digital content of the marketplace. The marketplace can be accessed via the ebook application 250, 187 associated with the game console 125 and the smart phone 190 (or smart tablet), respectively. Members of the ebook club can purchase virtual currency (i.e., currency that may only be used within the service 110) individually and then transfer some or all the currency to the ebook club account. Monthly dues can be set up where a set amount of virtual currency is transferred automatically to the ebook club account each month from each ebook club member.
The ebook club leader may be authorized to spend the virtual currency of the ebook club account for downloadable/transferable ebook content that is then available for use/download to members of the ebook club. Unique avatars may be available from the service 110 for ebook clubs, and the ebook club leader can purchase an ebook club avatar, avatar apparel, etc. for the benefit of the ebook club. Unique ebook content may be available for purchase by an ebook club only, such as author interviews, alternate endings to the ebook, historical information associated with the setting or characters in the ebook, etc. A set of computer readable instructions associated with the server 105 can transmit content that is purchased or swapped in the marketplace from the server 105 to one or more game consoles 125 or ereader 150.
New content purchased or swapped in the ebook marketplace by the ebook club leader can be placed in a download queue for download to the game consoles of each ebook club member when the respective game console (or ereader) is powered on (block 1275). The game consoles can comprise computer readable instructions for then storing the content on a computer readable medium associated with the game console. The service 110 can also update ebook club data in the event that ebook content is sold by the ebook club leader.
Referring again to
In an alternate arrangement, any ebook club member who logins into the service 110 during an ebook session can automatically receive a session invite from the ebook club component 230 irrespective whether the ebook club member had previously accepted or rejected the session date. Whether a ebook club member receives these automatic invites can be controlled as a preference in the member profile or the ebook club profile. In another embodiment, the ebook club component 230 can automatically send session invites to the ebook club members who both accepted the session date and who are logged into the service 110 when the ebook club leader initiates the session.
While various embodiments of the systems, devices, and methods of the present invention have been described herein with respect to a game console for simplicity, it will be appreciated that the functionalities described herein can be implemented in whole or part by other computing devices, such as an ereader or personal computer directly with a server and service unrelated to a game server and game service. One such embodiment is illustrated in
Various computing devices (e.g., servers, smart phones, smart tablets, ebook devices, game consoles, game controllers, etc) have been described herein as suitable for use with the present invention. While these devices can provided in a variety of forms,
The system bus 1015 can be any of several types of bus structures that may further interconnect to a memory bus (with or without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of commercially available bus architectures. The system memory 1010 can include non-volatile memory 1020 (e.g., read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), etc.) and/or volatile memory 1025 (e.g., random access memory (RAM)). A basic input/output system (BIOS) 1030 can be stored in the non-volatile memory 1020, and can include the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computing device 1000. The volatile memory 1025 can also include a high-speed RAM such as static RAM for caching data
The computing device 1000 may further include a storage 1035, which may comprise, for example, an internal hard disk drive (HDD) (e.g., enhanced integrated drive electronics (EIDE) or serial advanced technology attachment (SATA)) for storage. The computing device 1000 may further include an optical disk drive 1050 (e.g., for reading a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM 1055). The drives and associated computer-readable media provide non-volatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executable instructions, and so forth. For the computing device 1000, the drives and media accommodate the storage of any data in a suitable digital format. Although the description of computer-readable media above refers to an HDD and optical media such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other types of media which are readable by a computer, such as Zip disks, magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, cartridges, and the like, may also be used in the exemplary operating environment, and further, that any such media may contain computer-executable instructions for performing novel methods of the disclosed architecture.
A number of applications can be stored in the drives 1035 and volatile memory 1025, including an operating system 1060 and one or more applications 1065, which implement the functionality described herein, including, for example, functionality associated with an ebook application, a game application, ebook club component, etc. and associated processing and functionality described herein. It is to be appreciated that the embodiments can be implemented with various commercially available operating systems or combinations of operating systems. The central processing unit 1005, in conjunction with the applications 1065 in the volatile memory 1025, may serve as a control system for the computing device 1000 that is configured to, or adapted to, implement the functionality described herein.
A user may be able to enter commands and information into the computing device 1000 through one or more wired or wireless input devices 1470, for example, a keyboard, a game controller, and a pointing device, such as a mouse (not illustrated), or a touch screen. Other input devices may include a microphone, an infrared (IR) remote control, a joystick, a game pad, a stylus pen, or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to the central processing unit 1005 through an input device interface 1075 that is coupled to the system bus 1015 but can be connected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port, an IEEE 1394 serial port, a game port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, an IR interface, etc. In the case of computing device intended to access a wireless network, an antenna 1095 and/or transceiver can be provided.
The computing device 1000 may drive a separate or integral display device 1080, which may also be connected to the system bus 1015 via an interface, such as a video port 1080. The computing device 1000 may also drive one or more speakers via the audio port 1090. In some instances, the video and audio ports may be combined, as is the case with an HDMI interface. The computing device 1000 operates in a networked environment using a wired and/or wireless network communications interface 1085. The network interface port 1085 can facilitate wired and/or wireless communications to the network 135. The network interface port can be part of a network interface card, network interface controller (NIC), network adapter, or LAN adapter.
The foregoing detailed description of the inventive systems, devices, and methods have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings, and it will be appreciated that various devices, elements, functions, attributes, or steps from one embodiment may be substituted, deleted, and/or combined with those of another embodiment. The described embodiments were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.
Claims
1. A game console, comprising:
- a CPU;
- a computer readable medium;
- an operating system stored on the computer readable medium;
- a video interface port for transmitting a video signal to a display;
- a system bus interconnecting the computer readable medium, the CPU, and the video port;
- a video game application stored on the computer readable medium;
- ebook content stored on the computer readable medium; and
- a set of computer readable instructions for: a) transmitting login data to at least one game server, wherein the at least one game server is associated with a service for a gaming community and an ebook community; b) displaying at least a portion of the ebook content on the display; c) transmitting ebook session data to or receiving ebook session data from the at least one game server.
2. The game console of claim 1, wherein the ebook content comprises digital text, wherein the digital text is associated with a genre and wherein the genre is selected from the group consisting of non-fiction, action and adventure, biography, memoir, mystery, drama, myth/mythology, poetry, science fiction, short story, science and technology, historical fiction, and combinations thereof.
3. The game console of claim 1, wherein the ebook session data comprises video data transmitted from a camera connected to the game console.
4. The game console of claim 1, further comprising instructions for initiating an ebook session with a plurality of members of an ebook club, wherein the ebook session is associated with ebook content stored on the computer readable medium, wherein the ebook club has club data associated therewith that is stored on the computer readable medium, wherein the club data is selected from the group consisting of an identifier for each member of the ebook club, a telephone number for each member of the ebook club, an email address for each member of the ebook club, an ebook club identifier, one or more ebook club classes, a time zone for each member of the ebook club, the native language for each member of the ebook club, a list of ebooks common to each member of the ebook club, data associated with a virtual currency account, and combinations thereof.
5. The game console of claim 1, further comprising instructions for receiving the ebook content from the at least one game server.
6. The game console of claim 1, further comprising instructions for receiving the ebook content from an ereader that is connected to a local area network that is in data communication with the game console.
7. The game console of claim 1, further comprising instructions for displaying a primary field and plurality of secondary fields within an image.
8. The game console of claim 1, wherein the video game application comprises a set of computer readable instructions enabling a multiplayer video game and a single player video game.
9. The game console of claim 1, wherein the game console further comprises a set of computer readable instructions for accessing data associated with one or more club classes stored on the computer readable medium, wherein the one or more club classes are associated with an ebook club and wherein each club class comprises a characteristic, wherein the characteristic is selected from the group consisting of member age, a literary genie, a representative time zone, a representative native language, and a representative gender.
10. The game console 1, further comprising a set of computer readable instructions for transmitting ebook club data to or receiving ebook club data from the at least one game server, wherein the ebook club data is selected from the group consisting of an identifier for each member of the ebook club, a telephone number for each member of the ebook club, an email address for each member of the ebook club, a club identifier, club class data, a time zone for each member of the ebook club, a native language for each member of the ebook club, a list of ebooks common to each member of the ebook club, a list of associated ebook clubs, and combinations thereof.
11. The game console of claim 1, further comprising a set of computer readable instructions enabling a user of the game console to select an identifier of a first member of the ebook community and an identifier of a second member of the ebook community to associate the first member and the second member with the ebook club.
12. A hand-held smart tablet, comprising:
- a CPU;
- a computer readable medium;
- an operating system stored on the computer readable medium;
- a display;
- a front facing camera;
- a microphone;
- a speaker,
- a system bus interconnecting the computer readable medium, the CPU, and the front facing camera;
- a set of computer readable instructions stored on the computer readable medium for a) transmitting login data to at least one server, wherein the at least one server is associated with an ebook community; b) displaying ebook content on the display; c) transmitting ebook session data to or receiving ebook session data from the at least one server.
13. The smart tablet of claim 12, wherein the ebook content comprises digital text, wherein the digital text is associated with a genre and wherein the genre is selected from the group consisting of non-fiction, action and adventure, biography, memoir, mystery, drama, myth/mythology, poetry, science fiction, short story, science and technology, historical fiction, and combinations thereof.
14. The smart tablet of claim 12, wherein the ebook session data comprises video data transmitted by the front facing camera.
15. The smart tablet of claim 13, wherein the ebook session data further comprises audio data received from the at least one server, wherein the audio data is synchronized with the video data.
16. The smart tablet of claim 12, wherein the video data is displayed on the display and wherein the video data is associated with an identifier of a member of an ebook club.
17. The smart tablet of claim 12, further comprising instructions for initiating an ebook session with a plurality of members of an ebook club, wherein the ebook session is associated with at least a portion of ebook content stored on the computer readable medium.
18. The smart tablet of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of members of the ebook club have an identifier associated therewith that is stored on the computer readable medium.
19. The smart tablet of claim 16, wherein the ebook club has club data associated therewith that is stored on the computer readable medium, wherein the club data is selected from the group consisting of an identifier for each member of the ebook club, a telephone number for each member of the ebook club, an email address for each member of the ebook club, a club identifier, club class data, a time zone for each member of the ebook club, a native language for each member of the ebook club, a list of ebooks common to each member of the ebook club, a list of associated ebook clubs, and combinations thereof.
20. The smart tablet of claim 12, further comprising an ebook application comprising an ereader component and an ebook session component.
21. The smart tablet of claim 12, wherein the smart tablet further comprises a set of computer readable instructions for accessing data associated with one or more club classes stored on the computer readable medium, wherein the one or more club classes are associated with an ebook club and wherein each club class comprises a characteristic, wherein the characteristic is selected from the group consisting of member age, a literary genre, a representative time zone, a representative native language, and a representative gender.
22. The smart tablet of claim 19, further comprising a set of computer readable instructions for transmitting ebook club data to or receiving ebook club data from the at least one game server, wherein the ebook club data is selected from the group consisting of an identifier for each member of the ebook club, a telephone number for each member of the ebook club, an email address for each member of the ebook club, a club identifier, club class data, a time zone for each member of the ebook club, a native language for each member of the ebook club, a list of ebooks common to each member of the ebook club, a list of associated ebook clubs, and combinations thereof.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 14, 2011
Publication Date: Aug 1, 2013
Inventors: James Charles Vago (Cincinnati, OH), Mark Anthony Charles (Cincinnati, OH)
Application Number: 13/879,512