Patents Assigned to Kobo Inc.
  • Patent number: 9342324
    Abstract: A system and method for displaying a multimedia container. The method includes accessing, within a mobile device, a datastore corresponding to a multimedia container, wherein the multimedia container comprises a plurality of objects and the datastore comprises information about the plurality of objects; determining a plurality of most recently accessed objects of the plurality of objects; determining a respective image corresponding to each of the plurality of most recently used objects; determining an order of each respective image based on a respective access time of a respective object corresponding to the respective image; and displaying a multimedia container image comprising each respective image according to the order, the multimedia container image corresponds to the multimedia container. In one exemplary implementation, a first object of the plurality of objects is a first portion of content and a second object of the plurality of objects is a second portion of content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: RAKUTEN KOBO, INC.
    Inventors: James Wu, Robin Bennett, Daniel Hill, Anya Galkina
  • Patent number: 9323830
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically generating replacement query terms that offer improved search efficiency. Recommended search query terms are generated based on statistic information derived from empirical data recording prior search sessions with respect to searching on a search engine. A query term entered later in a search session is treated as a possible replacement term for a query term entered earlier in the same session. Upon receiving an initial query term in a new search session, the replacement terms of the initial query term are identified from the empirical data and evaluated as candidates for replacing the initial query term in the new search session. The evaluation is based on the respective occurrence rates that the candidates are used as replacement terms for the initial query term in the empirical data, and based on the respective conversion rates of the candidates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: RAKUTEN KOBO INC.
    Inventors: Yingbo Miao, Jordan Christensen, Joshua Sumali
  • Patent number: 9317073
    Abstract: A computing device includes a housing and a display assembly having a screen. The housing at least partially circumvents the screen so that the screen is viewable. A touch sensor is provided with a portion of the housing having a different planar orientation than a remainder of the housing. For example, the touch sensor may be provided with a portion of the housing that is off-plane with the screen of the display assembly. A processor is provided within the housing to detect a first user interaction with the touch sensor, and to interpret the first user interaction as a first user input. The processor further executes one or more instructions in response to the first user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Rakuten Kobo Inc.
    Inventor: Juan Ernesto Salas Imana
  • Patent number: 9305313
    Abstract: A system and method for rendering a graphical user interface having recommendations. The method includes accessing, within a mobile device, a data store corresponding to a multimedia container. The multimedia container comprises a first object and a second object and the multimedia container is operable to comprise one or more applications, widgets, pieces of content, and other multimedia containers. The data store comprises metadata associated with the first object and the second object. The method further includes displaying a plurality of images each corresponding to a respective recommendation based at least on the metadata associated with the first object and receiving an input. The plurality of items is displayed within a first portion of a display device. The method further includes in response to the input, displaying the plurality of images within a second portion of the display device. The second portion of the display device is greater in size than the first portion of the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: RAKUTEN KOBO INC.
    Inventors: James Wu, Robin Bennett, Daniel Hill
  • Publication number: 20160085391
    Abstract: Examples described herein enable a user to organize and manage e-books on a computing device that utilizes a network-based e-book service. According to some examples, a user e-book collection can be organized so that it can be displayed when archived, as well as in accordance with user-defined lists.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Applicant: Kobo Inc.
    Inventors: Tony O'Donoghue, Sneha Patel, Charles Joseph
  • Patent number: 9294793
    Abstract: A computing system and/or network environment in which users can transfer (or initiate transfer of) digital content items to other users in accordance with a variety of transaction parameters that are specified by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Kobo Inc.
    Inventors: Robert MacArthur, James Wu
  • Patent number: 9292053
    Abstract: A computing device includes a housing and a display assembly having a screen. The housing at least partially circumvents the screen so that the screen is viewable. A first touch sensor is provided with a first portion of the housing. For example, the first touch sensor may be provided on a sidewall, a front surface, or a back surface of the housing. A processor is provided within the housing to detect a first user interaction and a second user interaction with the first touch sensor. The first user interaction corresponds with a user making contact with the first touch sensor, and the second user interaction corresponds with the user releasing contact with the first touch sensor. The processor further executes a first set of instructions in response to detecting the second user interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Kobo Inc.
    Inventors: Juan Ernesto Salas Imana, Damian Lewis
  • Patent number: 9285959
    Abstract: A given page of an e-book is displayed when an input is detected that is sustained for an amount of time that exceeds a threshold. After the amount of time exceeding the threshold, the pages of the e-book are transitioned by clusters or chapters. The transitioning by clusters or chapters can be sustained for some duration that is determined by, for example, the duration of time during which the input is sustained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Kobo Inc.
    Inventors: Tony O'Donoghue, Charles Joseph
  • Patent number: 9229620
    Abstract: Examples described herein enable a user to organize and manage e-books on a computing device that utilizes a network-based e-book service. According to some examples, a user e-book collection can be organized so that it can be displayed when archived, as well as in accordance with user-defined lists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Kobo Inc.
    Inventors: Tony O'Donoghue, Sneha Patel, Charles Joseph
  • Patent number: 9232017
    Abstract: Methods and systems for managing profiles for electronic content. The methods and systems may involve profiles for a plurality of electronic content items. If a user interaction with an electronic content item of the plurality of electronic content items meets an event definition, the user interaction may be identified as an event associated with the electronic content and recorded in the profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Kobo, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Leibu, Jason Gambien, James Wu, Michael Serbinis, Pamela Hilborn, Richard Penner, Tai Toh, Dan Galperin, Tony O'Donoghue
  • Publication number: 20150346928
    Abstract: A method and system for providing e-book content is described. A position in a content of an e-book is determined. The position can indicate when a user stopped consuming the content on a first computing device associated with the user. At least a remaining portion of the content subsequent to the position can be divided into multiple portions. A first portion of the multiple portions can be provided to a second computing device associated with the user using one of multiple formats.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: Kobo Inc.
    Inventor: Robert MacArthur
  • Publication number: 20150347403
    Abstract: A computing device operates to detect a gesture input while displaying text content. The gesture input is interpreted as correlating to a summarization command. A summary of the text content is displayed based on the summarization command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: Kobo Inc.
    Inventor: Robert MacArthur
  • Publication number: 20150346894
    Abstract: A computing device includes a housing and a display assembly having a screen. The housing at least partially circumvents the screen so that the screen is viewable and a set of touch sensors are provided with the display assembly. A processor is provided within the housing to detect a user interaction with the set of touch sensors. The processor further determines, based on the user interaction, that at least a threshold percentage of the screen of the display assembly is covered and executes one or more instructions based, at least in part, upon determining that the at least threshold percentage of the screen is covered. For example, the one or more instructions may include instructions for powering off the computing device, displaying a screen saver on the screen, placing the computing device in a sleep mode, and/or changing a state of the screen of the display assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: Kobo Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin Landau
  • Publication number: 20150317050
    Abstract: A computing device displays a user activatable trigger along with a content portion of the e-book when the e-book is rendered for reading. The computing device detects activation of the trigger by user input. The computing device generates communication for a network service from which the e-book is available for download. The generated communication can include an identifier for each of the e-book, the user, and a recipient. According to some embodiments, at least a portion of the communication corresponding to the identifier of the e-book is identified and automatically provided as part of the communication. The communication can then be transmitted the network service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicant: Kobo Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin Landau
  • Publication number: 20150304387
    Abstract: A computing device can establish a wireless connection with at least one other computing device using a shared network. The computing device can display a portion of content of an e-book and receive user input for interacting with the displayed portion of content. In response to receiving the user input, the computing device performs an e-book activity with respect to the displayed portion based on the user input, and concurrently transmits, to the at least one other computing device using the wireless connection, a control signal that causes the at least one other computing device to perform an identical corresponding e-book activity on a corresponding portion of content displayed on the at least one other computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: Kobo Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin Landau
  • Publication number: 20150301988
    Abstract: A computing device operates to receive a current issue of an electronic periodical. In response to receiving the current issue, the computing device performs one or more actions to remove at least the content portion of at least one prior issue of the electronic periodical that was download on the computing device. Metadata content is displayed to represent a collection of issues for the electronic periodical that were acquired for download for an account associated with the computing device. The collection of issues includes the current issue and at least one prior issue the electronic periodical. The metadata content that is displayed to represent the collection can be based at least in part on a metadata portion of the current issue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: Kobo Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony O'Donoghue, Sneha Patel
  • Publication number: 20150286342
    Abstract: A computing device operates to associate each of multiple applications with a corresponding tile object. Each of the multiple applications are executed to generate application data, which is displayed in the corresponding tile object. The tile object for each of multiple applications is displayed at one time. A size of a first tile object for a first application can be increased in response to user input while the tile objects for at least some of the other applications is displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: Kobo Inc.
    Inventors: Robert MacArthur, Nina Rehula, Ralph Sobanski
  • Publication number: 20150282277
    Abstract: A computing device that includes a programmatically controlled front light. The front light cast light onto a display surface and/or other region of the computing device, for purpose of providing illumination and/or lighting effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: Kobo Inc.
    Inventor: Damian Lewis
  • Publication number: 20150277495
    Abstract: A computing device that includes a programmatically controlled front light. The front light cast light onto a display surface and/or other region of the computing device, for purpose of providing illumination and/or lighting effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: Kobo Inc.
    Inventor: Damian Lewis
  • Publication number: 20150234786
    Abstract: An e-reader application is executed on a computing device in order to display a content from a first e-book. The e-reader application includes a first set of features for use with the first e-book. While displaying the content from the first e-book, a partition is implemented that segments a display area of a display into a first segment and a second segment. The partition is further implemented by providing the content and the set of features on only the first segment, and enabling selection of another resource from a plurality of possible resources using the e-reader application. In response to selection of the other resource, content is displayed based on the selected other resource on only the second segment of the display area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Applicant: Kobo Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin Landau