Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC

Barnesandnoble.com LLC

Dale J Brewer

Kourtny Minh Hicks

Amir Mesguich Havilio

Michael Wilson

Gerald B Cueto

Andrew Hargreaves

Techniques are disclosed for creating digital flash cards that include links to content from one or more digital content sources, referred to herein as a flash card mode. The mode allows a user to create a digital flash card by selecting a portion of a digital content source and performing a create command. The created flash card includes at least two virtual sides and a first side of the flash card identifies the location of the selected portion of digital content. The location may be identified, for example, by a canonical fragment identifier (CFI). Text can then be entered for a second side of the flash card. Flash cards can be shared with other users, and because the flash cards only identify locations of content within digital content sources, the mode is well-suited to handle sources including digital rights management (DRM) protection, for example.

Digital flash cards including links to digital content

A stylus-based notification system is disclosed. In some embodiments, a stylus configured as described herein is capable of one-way or two-way wireless communication with an electronic device that is paired with the stylus and includes one or more visual features for providing a user with visual notifications and/or feedback. In some cases, for example, a given visual indicator such as an LED ring or other indicator on the stylus that emits light that is visible at any stylus orientation may alert a user that data has been received by the stylus from an associated device and/or sent from the stylus to such device.

Stylus-based notification system

Styluses with active color indicator functionality are disclosed. The styluses are intended for use with a touch sensitive device. The active color generally refers to the color currently in use by the touch sensitive device, such as in a virtual drawing or note taking application. Active colors can be selected using the touch sensitive device and/or the stylus itself. When the active color is selected using the touch sensitive device, the stylus receives the active color information and indicates the color on the stylus (e.g., via a correspondingly colored LED or LCD or a color rotation mechanism). When the active color is selected from the stylus itself, that color is indicated on the stylus and active color information is transmitted to the touch sensitive device. The active color can be displayed such that it is detectable regardless of stylus position (e.g., no blind spots).

Stylus with active color display/select for touch sensitive devices

Techniques for remotely wiping data from a computing device are provided. Instructions for wiping data from the computing device can be sent via an input device such as a stylus associated with the computing device, or a dedicated module. In cases where the computing device is lost or stolen, the user, via the stylus, may remotely activate a data wipe function so as to remove selected or all information from the computing device, ensuring that sensitive information is not extracted from the device. In some cases, a back-up application configured to remotely back-up data of the target computing device is launched before that data is wiped from the device.

Stylus-based remote wipe of lost device

Techniques are disclosed for locking and/or unlocking a touch sensitive device using one or more stylus control features. For example, the stylus control feature may be a twistable top button knob. In some instances, the twistable top button knob may be rotated and/or depressed to lock a related device. In some other instances, the twistable top button knob may be used to unlock a related device using a unique rotation sequence, thereby providing a security mechanism. For example, the unlocking sequence may require a user to rotate the twistable top button knob in a first direction to a first reference point, in a second direction to a second reference point, and back in the first direction to a third reference point. The stylus may also include a feedback indicator, such as a multi-colored light-emitting diode (LED), that indicates the lock status of a related device, for example.

Stylus control feature for locking/unlocking touch sensitive devices

Techniques are disclosed for a swipe based file manager navigation mode in electronic computing devices, such as a touch screen device. Digital files may be organized in a hierarchical or treelike file manager capable of having multiple directory or folder levels. Folders (or directories) may allow a user to group files into separate collections, and folders may be organized within other folders. In some embodiments, the navigation mode may allow a user to navigate through or access the directory levels of the file manager using vertical swipe gestures. In some such embodiments, a vertical gesture performed to access a child (lower) directory level may have to be performed over the directory or folder to be accessed. As the user navigates through the directory levels, the navigation mode may be configured, in some embodiments, to provide animations.

UI techniques for navigating a file manager of an electronic computing device

A multi-page content selection mode is provided for devices and systems having display capability. The content may be any type (e.g., text, images, files, etc). In some cases, the user can engage the mode with a combination of gestures and touch points on a touch screen. The combination may include, for example, one or more initial touch points at a desired starting location of target content, followed by a dragging gesture moving from that location to a desired end location of that content. Content between the starting and end locations is selected. Input devices other than touch screens can be used to engage the selection process. During a multi-page selection process, content of a second page can be previewed in a preview area on a first displayed page. In some such cases, content from the second page scrolls into the preview area and displaces content from the first displayed page.

Multi-page content selection technique

Techniques are disclosed for managing active applications on a mobile computing device, referred to collectively herein as a manage active apps mode. The manage active apps mode may be invoked by shaking the device while pressing the device's power button (or while manipulating one or more other user interface control features). The device may include one or more accelerometers, for example, to detect when (and possibly how) the device is being shaken. When invoked, the manage active apps mode may be configured to perform the function of closing, stopping, force stopping, quitting, or deleting of one or more of the device's active applications, for example. In some cases, the mode function performed may be determined by the direction the device is being shaken, such as if the device is being shaken from side-to-side or up-and-down.

Shake-based functions on a computing device

A user interface is disclosed that is configured to provide a multi-user, multi-application experience for users of a given computing device, where each user account of the device is configurable with applications suitable for that user and each application has a usage timer associated therewith. Thus, each user may have access to applications that are different from another user of that device, and each user can be allocated application usage time independent from other users. The usage timers can be configured to reset once a usage period has lapsed. In some cases, the size of icons displayed for a given user account are automatically sized based on the age range of that user. A reward program may automatically increase the time allotted for given applications/content upon successful usage/consumption of educational applications/content. In a classroom/group setting, multiple computing devices may be simultaneously set into Kid Mode by a master computing device.

Kid mode user interface with application-specific configurability

Techniques are disclosed for providing a navigation mode in electronic touch sensitive devices. The navigation mode can be used to advance forward and backward through displayed pages of content on a page-by-page or multi-page basis, such as pages of an eBook, photos, lists such as search results and files, or other consumable content that can be displayed in a page-like fashion. The user can engage the navigation mode with a particular gesture that includes a combination of contact points that uniquely and/or globally identify that the navigation mode is desired. The combination may include, for example, a press-and-hold activation contact point by one hand of the user, and one or more additional moving gesture contact points that indicate the desired navigation using the other hand of the user. Horizontal and/or vertical paging speeds correspond to the number of moving contact points, which can be effected with swiping or circular gestures.

Multi-touch navigation mode

Techniques are disclosed for providing a concentration mode in electronic touch sensitive devices. The concentration mode can be used to highlight given textual content on a line by line basis, or other consumable content. The user can engage the mode with a particular gesture. Once engaged, a UI feature is displayed that assists the user in viewing the given content. In some cases, the UI feature includes a reading pane that encompasses one to three complete lines of displayed text or other content. Background content outside the reading pane can be faded or otherwise softened. In some cases, the UI feature also includes, or alternatively includes, a straight-edged reading guide. The initial placement of the UI feature can be set, for instance, based on the initial contact point touched by the user. As the contact point moves, the UI feature moves accordingly. Concentration mode disengages when user releases contact point.

Growing community of inventors

San Marcos, CA, United States of America

Dale J Brewer