MXPA98004331A - Personal electron book system - Google Patents

Abstract

The Personal Electronic Book System of invention replaces the standard portable book with an electronic equivalent. The invention has a dimension and configuration to be of the size and abrise as a book for its use. When it opens, the user sees two display screens, touch-sensitive, page-type, facing each other, with black printing on a white background, icons representing the graphic design of electronically stored material, audio clips (selected audio), books, E mail, faxes, games, magazines, movies, musical compositions, newspapers, photographic software (programs), video clips (selected video), etc. which are selected by touching icon. When a book, magazine, newspaper or similar is selected, it displays its table of contents and the user can read page by page or go directly to a particular page, touching the selection listed in the table of contents. When closing the Personal Electronic Book, the device is automatically interrupted. By touching a page number before closing the Personal Electronic Book, a book mark is inserted, so that when this Personal Electronic Book is reopened, the user returns to the same page. The new printed or multimedia material can be copied from a remote server, that is to say a "library", and the old material, reading of books, etc. can be deleted to have space for a new material

Description

f > ELECTRONIC PERSONAL BOOK SYSTEM TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the information and storage of multimedia (multiple media) and to visualization systems and specifically to paperless books, personal e-books, personal-electronic communicators and readers, personal electronic message communicators, communicators. personal electronic facsimile, 10 online computer database communicators, and computer database products, which can be copied, such as graphic arts, audio clips (selected audio), books, email (E mail) , faxes, games, magazines, movies, musical compositions, 15 newspapers, photographs, software (programs) and video clips (selected videos). PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE Enormous quantities of printed material are widely distributed in the form of printed books, magazines and 20 newspapers. These traditional media are printed on paper with a printed page on each side of the paper, so when reading a book, magazine or newspaper, two pages of printed material are exposed to the reader. These printed materials consume large amounts of paper and also take 25 resources for transport to bookstores or stalls - \ of newspapers for sale to the final consumer, to libraries or warehouses for storage. In recent years, virtually all commercial print media is printed from computer databases, but these same 5 databases only become available slowly to the users of personal computers (PCs). Even with the availability of book-type material, exhibited in a page format on the PC, consumers have shown a very low level of acceptance to reading from a computer screen. Readers want to keep and support the product they are reading, see whole pages at once, and look down on the reading material. Newspapers and magazines spend around 100 million dollars a year to produce electronic editions of their publications. More than 120 newspapers currently offer electronic editions. Dozens of journals, covering a variety of subjects, are available in electronic editions- The Wall Street Journal magazine reported that The April 1995 investigation of 650 newspapers indicated that 12 percent of them already offer electronic editions online and that 40 more newspapers hope to offer electronic editions by the end of 1995. A greater deficiency of the electronic editions of newspapers and , ^ P Magazines are that these issues typically bear little resemblance to printed publications, especially in terms of graphics, page layout and typography. With the ability to access and easy availability of PCs, access to information stored in computer databases and multimedia formats has transcended the mainframe of the computer and has become popular in several media now available to the public. PC Even so, this information and explosion of multimedia has failed in deliver a dedicated personal electronic device that is easy to use or even convenient to use as a common book, printed on paper and bound with a soft or hard cover. The present invention provides a personal, electronic and portable book, which overcomes these deficiencies. The prior art, which may be pertinent to this invention, is described below. The patent of E. TJ. A :, No. 3,718,906 by Lightner discloses a method and apparatus for a computer-controlled guest, to transmit sound recordings (or video) selected to a customer, stored in endless master tapes that operate constantly, over phone lines of AT &T sound images, to sell, remotely, machines where sound recordings are recorded on cassettes and delivered to the client. This revelation describes dial in a remote storage facility, controlled by computer, and order the transmission of stored information, such as sound or video recordings to a remote device, where the information is duplicated in a cassette of tape and on behalf of the customer . The E, U.A. Patent No. 4,159,417 of Rubincam discloses a portable, battery-powered electronic viewer that reads and displays the data stored in a * # holographic memory card. Memory may be oriented on the pages, so that each hologram represents a page in a book and the entire book can be stored on a card. An alternative mode provides a book-sized container, hinged like a book, so that two can be read. visualizations opposite in a similar way to reading a book. The device incorporates controls for paging, to adjust the speed of browsing the book and to visualize and enter the numbers of chosen pages. This revelation describes confronting visualizations that are mounted in a hinged device the size of a book that plugs into a memory card storage for a single book and functions to provide control of the pages. The U. A. patent, No. 4,545,023 of Mizzi, discloses a manual computer, energized by batteries, which % includes several electronic cards and a flat screen to the touch. This touch screen eliminates the need for a keyboard or other input keys. The screen can display alphanumeric characters and graphics. Any area touched on the screen is identified by its coordinates. The device can be connected to a remote host computer by means of an acoustic coupler and a telephone line. The device can be adapted for the particular use, such such as the recognition of a handwriting or reception television or radio, plugging in electronic cards for special purposes. This revelation describes a manual, battery-powered computer that uses a large touch screen to display and replace the mechanical keyboard and has the means to communicate with a guest. remote over the telephone lines. U.A. Patent No. 4,649,499 to Sutton et al. Discloses computer programs designed to emulate a three-dimensional object, such as a rotary card file or a manual calculator on a touch screen. computer. The functions are performed by touching the appropriate symbols on the touch screen; for example, a button to rotate the cards, a label to select and see a card plus selective keys to perform other functions on the cards. An emulation that has a Tk touch screen display of a functional calculator is also described. This disclosure describes the interaction between a touch screen and the operation of a computer and software (program) to present an information display with areas of selective keys that are used to provide the user with control of the information or associated function. The U. A. patent, No. 4,682,161 to Bugg, reveals a video display terminal, connected by medium of a modem in a telephone line to a remote source in order to acquire and transmit information. This disclosure describes the logic circuits used to transfer digital codes to the terminal, so that the data can be displayed on a scanning display device. point by point, with a normal or increased character size. This disclosure describes communication over a telephone line by means of a modem and transfers the data that will be displayed on a screen. The patent of E. U. A., No. 4,885,725 of Fernández, reveals a simulated book using a battery-powered microprocessor, with a read-only memory (ROM) for the program and a random access memory (RAM) storage for the data and a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen to display up to 2 pages of information transmitted from a PC equipped with CD-ROM (compact disc ROM [CD]) on an infrared transmitter-receiver attached to a transceiver incorporated in the simulated book. The book uses a 5 touch screen to display the data and control the paging of the material. The device automatically requests additional pages of information that will be transmitted from the Wf PC for storage in the book. This book can be taken with you for further reading. The data storage 10 is maintained by a battery-powered RAM. An alternative version disclosed includes a keyboard and a touch key switch for entry requests for a particular page or a forward or backward page. The book exhibits only one page at a time, with the program automatically requesting pages of information that will be transmitted from the PC to the book at the point of reference as the user reads or flips through the book. U.A. Patent No. 4,918,632 to York discloses a touch screen computer, energized by batteries, designed with a multitude of holes along one edge, so the computer can be transported in a notebook with 3 rings or similar. The patent of E. U. A., No. 5,031,119 to Dulaney et al. , reveals a manual computer, without keyboard, with a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, the top half of the screen displays an application and the bottom half displays a keyboard. A glass superimposed with an electrically conductive coating acts internally with an electrically conductive pen, so that the user can enter strokes of keys in the middle of the screen or use the pen to perform functions of the manual positioner or mouse in the upper half. The patent of E. U. A., No. 5,019,354 of Yamashita et al. , discloses a portable pocket book device, comprising a touch screen or a display of pressure sensitive LCD, a cursor, function keys and an on / off switch that is activated when the pocket book device is opens. A hinge binder contains a battery pack and rings to hold the expansion cards. A back cover contains the electronic parts and a power source. Multiple methods of communication between the expansion cards and the paperback book include optical fibers, LED links and electromagnetic induction along the rings. The screen can be touch-sensitive or the unit can be adjusted with a pressure sensitive screen for the recognition of manual writing. The Expansion cards provide the ability to add and remove a plurality of databases. U.A. Patent No. 5,339,091 to Yamazaki et al. , discloses a portable electronic book comprising an LCD display, key entries or other external input means, an on / off switch, activated by the cover opening, a hinged cover, a solar cell on the cover, for the power supply to the unit, a connector for an external power source and a disk drive to read the information from optical disks or diskettes. Other memory devices may include a magnetic tape and the EPROMS. The screen incorporates depression or light sensors, so the user can select and highlight portions of the text for further return. The patent of E. U. A :, No. 5,379,057 to Clough et al. , reveals a portable, self-contained laptop, for all purposes, without a keyboard, which uses a touch screen display for data entry. The touch screen is superimposed on an LCD-type display of color graphics. The computer includes a memory for storing a data collection application and libraries of possible user responses, to be displayed in the form of text or graphic representations. The user then touches the % area that displays the text or graphic representations to select the appropriate response. The developed computer is powered by batteries or AC and is equipped with an Input / Output communications gate to connect to a 5 modem or for other serial communications to a host computer. The laptop communicates with the host computer to the selected applications of copied and Jffc associated libraries. The user can also enter information to identify this user and to personalize the database created. The Great Britain Patent No. GB 2,149,544A, Crossland et al. , reveals an electronic book that can display a page of text or illustrations and can increase the size of the type for easier reading by vision partial. This device comprises an LCD-type matrix display, a memory unit that retains the material to be displayed, a telecommunications door, a microprocessor controller and a battery power supply and charger. The exhibited has a contrast in white and black that focuses on printing on paper. The data storage can be a micro-cassette mounted on the back of the display unit, a cartridge or disk that plugs into the back of the book or an external source. The telecommunications door supplies the % ability to copy materials from the central database, such as an electronic newspaper or service repair information. User functions include going to a page forward or backward, searching for 5 a specific page number, rewinding quickly, reading slightly forward or backward, dividing the screen for a simultaneous display of 2 pages and searching for words. The current page of information can be retained in RAM to serve as a feature of bookmark. The PCT international patent, No. WO 87/01481 by Stein discloses a portable device in the configuration of a book, which reads data by means of laser beams from a data card, the size of a credit card, or from other storage media. This electronic book has opposite displays, a card reader from which textual information is transferred on the display screen, 2 pages at a time, and a battery or alternating current (AC) power source. The device also incorporates user controls to advance or rewind pages through the book, go to the first page of the book and an automatic mark feature of the book. The opening and closing of the hinged cover can turn the displays on and off. l * French publication No. 2 657 451, Registration No. 90 00819, published July 26, 1991, Inventor: Bariou et al. , reveals a device for displaying a screen, with numeric or alpha-numeric keys for selecting the material to be displayed and for dialing telephone numbers plus cursor control keys; a mass memory; connectors to connect to a telecommunications network or a printer; the provision for online access to databases; and a key confidential to provide access for its use. This disclosure describes an interactive device that can receive information from remote databases, which can display multimedia information, text, images and can play sounds. The electronic device includes a microprocessor, keyboard input, screen output, data memory, program memory, and a telecommunications interface. The data memory comprises a permanent or removable storage device. A coding key, stored in memory, which, when is transmitted to a database server, makes it possible for the data to be encrypted and copied and then decrypted at the reception, to ensure the protection of copyright or information.

* The present invention overcomes many of the drawbacks and shortcomings of the prior art storage and display devices, by providing an electronic, portable, book-type reader, 5 easy to use, with facing page display capabilities, capacity to display pages in their original printed format and storage capacities that can be copied. # EXPOSITION OF THE INVENTION 10 The electronic personal book system of the invention replaces a standard manual book with an electronic equivalent. The invention is of a size and configuration for, during use, to have the size of a book and to be opened like a book, to display facing pages of printed material in its original format, "as printed", and have the appearance and feel of a printed book. A main object of the present invention is to provide a portable electronic device that stores and displays many publications within a single unit. Another object of the present invention is to provide easy and timely accessibility to new publications, new editions and periodicals at a lower cost than the printed equivalent.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a paperless, environmentally friendly resource that exhibits and reads conventionally printed materials. A further object of the present invention is to reduce the costs of inventory, distribution and printing for publishers. Another object of the present invention is to remedy dependence on physical media, such as printing on paper * for each copy of a publication. Still another object of the present invention is to provide publishers with a device that incorporates a full page display, which allows presenting the original printed text, graphics and advertisements, in their layout and format of the original page. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a dedicated reader, made of solid-state components, highly reliable, and with only a few mechanical components. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device, which can automatically access an online database service, selections automatically copied from this database, and then store these selections copied for later viewing by a user .

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a reusable device, which can be used to read and display an unlimited number of printed or multimedia products. Another object of the present invention is to provide the simplicity of looking and feeling a printed book, while allowing access to large databases of printed and multimedia products. Another object of the present invention is to provide an interest collection of paperless books, which requires only a small amount of physical storage space. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system for distributing printed and printed products. of multimedia to consumers. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a system by which printed and multimedia products may be available to users, while producing a relatively small number of products. original products or copies. Another object of the present invention is to provide a multimedia information storage, a transmission and visualization system that replaces the books * Presently existing, newspapers, microfilm, computer printouts and other print media. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a display device that is accepted immediately by a very large number of people, especially those with little or very limited exposure or training in computers. Other objects and advantages will become evident The following description of the invention, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly indicated in the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a representative view showing the elements of the electronic personal book system; Figure 2 shows a representative view of the electronic personal book in the open position, with facing screens for viewing; and Figure 3 shows a block diagram of the electronic parts used in the electronic personal book. MODES OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The electronic personal book system of the invention replaces a standard manual book with an equivalent you electronic lens The invention is of such dimension and configuration to be the size of a book and to be opened like a book during use. When it opens, the user sees two display screens, sensitive to touch, of type 5 pages that face, with a black print on a white background. icons represent the electronically stored material and the functions that the user can select. When you select a book, magazine, newspaper or »Similar, its table of contents is displayed and the user can then read page by page or go directly to a particular page, touching the page number of the desired selection, as listed in the table of contents. The closing of the electronic personal book turns off the device. "Printed" material or additional multimedia can be copied from a remote server, that is, a "library" and the old material, reading books, etc., can be deleted to obtain space for the new material. The only entry to the electronic personal book of the invention is by display screens, touch sensitive, and the link of communications established with the online bookstore. An electronic personal book system comprises a plurality of electronic personal books 1 of Figure 1 or 1A of Figure 2, a plurality of communication links, 6 and 6A, of Figure 1, a telephone network connected to the public (PSTN) 8 of Figure 1 and an online library 10 of Figure 1. This online library comprises: a plurality of telephone lines 9 of Figure 1, from the PSTN to the library 10 of Figure 1; 5 . a computer telephony resource for connecting, placing on the interface and responding to calls that enter these telephone lines, such as a telephone response system 12 of Figure 1, a com¬ - door of the PSTN, a system of information responses requested, or similar; a process element, for handling user requests and publications in the form of compositions of pages that can be copied (electronic books, magazines, newspapers, brochures and the like) and multimedia products such as the resources comprising the server 14 of the Figure 1, a host computer, or similar; and a storage element, for storing the formatted information of the page composition and the multimedia products, such resources comprise a plurality of database storage devices, 16, of Figure 1. The electronic personal book 1 of Figure 1 or 1A of Figure 1, comprises two display screens, and 30, adjoining, mounted in a pair of rectangular boxes, 22 and 32, in the form of a book, with a peripheral frame, hinged together to open and close in the form of a printed book, electronic process elements, an element of communication, a memory storage element that can be updated, an internal power unit, 342 of Figure 3, with battery and software elements, all configured in a portable hand-held unit. This electronic personal book further comprises: a left screen of touch screen, 20 in Figures 1 and 2; a right screen of touch screen, 30 in Figures 1 and 2; a front, rectangular, left, book-shaped box, 22 in Figure 1 and 2, on which the left display of touch screen 20 is mounted, and retained by a left frame 24 in Figure 3; a rear, rectangular, right, book-shaped box, 32 in Figures 1 and 2, on which the exhibited right touch screen 30 is mounted, and retained by a left frame 34 of Figure 2; a communications element, for linking the electronic personal book to the PSTN, such as an internal cellular modem / telephone 5 of Figure 1, a data modem internal, high-speed crossover, with a telephone jack RJ-11, 5A in Figure 2, or similar; a memory storage element, which can be updated, for storing information publications composed of and composed of a page (e-books, newspapers, brochures and the like), user data information, multimedia products and the like, such elements comprise the slit 50 of Figure 1, mounted on the back box, for inserting a memory card, such as the PCMCIA memory card, or the slit 60 of Figure 2, mounted on the back box to insert a removable memory device, such as a high density hard disk drive, bubble memory, flat memory or the like, or a plurality of slits mounted in the front and / or back boxes, for inserting a plurality of memory storage devices, or the like; a connector element for the interface to a loaded AC adapter device / device, such as claw 40 of Figure 2 or an AC adapter / charger plug, 340 of Figure 3; a hinge element, for mechanically connecting the right side of the front case 22 to the left side of the back case 32, as shown in 70 of Figure 2, so that when the electronic personal book is opened, they adjoin the left and right visualizations of the touch screen and present an appearance similar to that of an open printed book; an electronic process element for controlling and monitoring the electronic personal book operations, according to the user's requests and under the control of the software, this element comprises touch screen controllers 322 and 332 of Figure 3, and the controller 370 of display of Figure 3, a microcomputer system 380 of Figure 3, with a random access memory (RAM), a security circuit 385 of Figure 3 and a power unit 342 of Figure 3; an internal power unit 342 of Figure 3 comprises an internal battery or a plurality of internal batteries and power and charging circuits, which interface with an AC adapter / charger unit; and the software element comprises a patented operating system, embedded in a solid-state device, the ROM BIOS, the software element that controls all the functions of the electronic personal book. To use the electronic personal book, a user opens the electronic personal book in the same way as 5 opens a printed book. This action automatically applies power to the unit and displays facing pages of icons 101 of Figure 1. Each icon represents a product that has been copied to the electronic personal book from the bookstore, products. previously copied, such as a dictionary, a synonym book and / or a global atlas, or a function that the user can invoke, such as establishing communications with the library. These icons represent the various stored products, displaying graphic / textual images, such as a cover page for a printed product, for example a book, magazine, newspaper or similar, or a representative graphic / textual image of various multimedia products available , such as a selected audio or video. Alternative modes incorporate a user identification key and / or pass word 20 that must be entered before the electronic personal book can be used. A library icon 3 of Figure 1 is provided to automatically initiate and establish communications with a library and remote database services of the * bookshop. When the user touches this icon 3 of Figure 1, the electronic personal book requests that the user enter a user identification key and / or pass word, which will only identify the user to the library and 5 then the personal electronic book uses the built-in communications element to automatically dial a telephone link, 6 and 6A of Figure 1, for access to the online remote library, by means of the PSTN 8. This password and / or identification pass word of the user can be the same key or pass word used to activate the functions of the electronic personal book, when this password or pass word is enabled. An alternative modality uses a user identification key in an electronic personal book when the unit is procured and then only requests the user's pass word for access. The communication element incorporated in the electronic personal book comprises a cellular / telephone modem 5 of Figure 1, which communicates with the PSTN 8 by means of wireless, two-way radio waves, to a local telephone office or receiving station, thus eliminating the need for a fixed wire connection; or a data modem with a RJ-11 telephone jack, or the like, that connects to a telephone wire to your telephone line and then to the local telephone office; or any modem / telephone interface device that can establish a communication link with the PSTN. Having established a communications link to the library 10, this library displays a welcome screen and the various libraries to which you can access will be available; such as a library of the public domain, a library in English, a library in foreign languages, a library of multimedia and subscription services, or similar. Upon entering a library or selecting a service, product selections can be displayed in your personal electronic book in a multitude of formats. One such display format is similar to a library arrangement, such as the placement of publications and newspapers in a section of the display screen, such as along the sides of the screen, products for sale or specials in another section. , such as through the bottom of the screen, and books and / or other products that may be offered by subject, author, title or other classification, in yet another section of the screen. The user touches the various icons or touch screen sections to bring a particular group of products to the front of the screen, peek through the available products by touch the different products, in order to get a description of the product and its price, and then select one or more products that will be copied in the electronic personal book. The user confirms his selection by touching a confirmation icon, the selected products are copied to the electronic personal book, stored in the ROM memory storage device, which can be updated, the user's account is billed for the products delivered, and the book Electronic staff automatically terminates communications with the library. This electronic personal book then displays icons for any new product along with the icons of other products already stored in this book. All the products currently stored in the electronic personal book are represented by the icons displayed on the touchscreen display screens (pages), which face, 101 of Figure 1, or by textual lists organized by the user's preference, such as alphabetic, by authors, etc. Any product stored in the electronic personal book is accessed by touching its icon or the corresponding product in the list of textual products. Typically, when you have access to a printed material, it is displayed as two pages that face the text being displayed in the sources originals and sizes of types, black type on a white background, 111 of Figure 2, or in a color representative of the original publication. Graphics, illustrations, photographs and the like are displayed in color to the extent that this original color can be duplicated by the type of display screen used. To read the printed material, the user touches the icon that represents the selection to be read. The selection typically opens a table of contents. The user pages through the material by touching the right corner of the touch screen for a page forward or by touching the left corner for a page back, or by touching a forward page icon (or area on the touch screen) or an icon page back (or area on the touch screen), respectively. New pages are accessed and displayed at a time generally equal to or faster than the time required to manually flip the page of a printed book, magazine or newspaper. When the table of contents page is opened, the user can touch the page number of any chapter or section listed, to go immediately to that page. When the user finishes reading, he can place a bookmark on his current page, touching the page number and then closing the personal electronic book. Otherwise, the user merely closes the electronic personal book for the interruption. When the electronic personal book is opened immediately, if a bookmark was placed, this personal electronic book will automatically display the page so marked and the user can continue reading from the place where it was stopped. Otherwise, the electronic personal book displays the icons that represent all currently stored products and functions. When the user has finished with a stored selection, the user can easily delete this selection to provide space for more selections to be copied from the library. To delete a selection, the user merely touches a delete icon, touches the icon for the selection to be deleted or deleted or touches the product when presented in a textual list and then touches a confirmation icon. The electronic personal book then suppresses the selection and thus frees up memory storage. Instead of deleting selections, the user can save the copied selections to a memory card and then exchange the memory cards by removing the memory card currently installed in slit 50 or 60, and then inserting another memory card into place. In this way, the user can form a library staff of your favorite publications and / or multimedia products. Alternative modes of the electronic personal book include improvements such as touching the selected material passages and then storing these selections for later return, using a stylus or a touch keyboard, to create marginal notes that can be saved and then retrieved with the If the document is entered, or information is entered in the form, this information is then stored for further display, retrieval or transmission to the online bookstore or to a printer. The information can also be selected from several documents and saved to a document created by the user. The information in this document can be re-arranged by the user, annotated, modified and saved for personal, educational or business use. user. The modalities of the electronic personal book, which incorporates the capacity of written or handwritten notes, also include a manual recognition software 20, incorporated in the patented operating system. The user input through one of the touch screens, is analyzed and converted into digital characters that are displayed for confirmation, a keyboard, or similar, can be displayed to make corrections and then the annotations saved in the user's command. Alternatively, graphic software capabilities are added to the patented operating system, which interprets the user's manual writing as a graphic image, stores this graphic image and displays this image together with the annotated document or in a document created by the user. A list function icon appears in the outer corner of each page. This icon makes it possible for a user to choose another stored selection and go directly to this selection. For example, by touching the list icon in the left corner, a list of stored books can be displayed while touching the list icon in the right corner can display a list of available magazines. These lists can be displayed in alphabetical order by titles, authors or subjects. The user can access and display a different book, magazine or similar, selecting the product from the list. The library 10 is an online electronic file of multimedia products and publications with format of composition of electronic pages (books, magazines, newspapers, brochures and electronic similar) encoded and stored, so when it is displayed in the electronic personal book, these are publications maintain the same visual format as the printed material. These materials are copied by means of a PSTN to an integral communication element with the electronic personal book. Users can display, browse, select, purchase (a license to display and use the products copied in a book 5 electronic personnel), copy selections for their electronic personal book and then display and view or read printed selections or operate the products of multimedia. The copied selections are sent in a compressed format, stored in the electronic personal book, and then decompressed automatically. The print media library libraries typically comprise a library of the public domain of selections, an English language library, a foreign language library, and a subscription section. He user can browse and search any library or section for a desired subject, title, author or publication. Once a product is found, the user can obtain the descriptive information about the item and determine its price by touching the price icon. The user then "buys" the product and confirms simultaneously that this product be copied to the user's personal electronic book by touching the price icon for a second time. The library automatically copies the selection in its compressed format to the user's personal electronic book. A publication copied may include the publication, the covers and any external sheet. Once copied, new icons, which graphically represent the additional materials stored in the electronic personal book in the memory storage device, which can be updated, displayed or listed in addition to the material previously stored and not yet deleted. In an alternative mode, the library selections can be copied immediately or the user can schedule a later time for this copying. For subsequent copying, the user touches the icon of Subsequent Copying and then enters the date and time for copying, touching and adjusting the exhibited of the date and time, presented in the electronic personal book. This personal electronic book then programs or pre-adjusts this copying time along with an identification sequence for the product (s) to be copied into your microcomputer system. The user spins his personal electronic book connected to the dialing telephone line by means of an internal cell phone 5 or by a fixed telephone wire connection to the telephone plug 5A, or the like, and at the designated dialing time, the personal electronic book of the user automatically and without intervention of the user marks and connects to the library, identifies itself and transmits the identification sequence for the product (s) to be copied. The library then copies the requested products to the electronic personal book, the products are stored and upon completion of the copying, the personal electronic book is disconnected and turned off by itself. This flexibility makes it possible for the user to drink when the electronic personal book is not in active use, during non-critical hours, to reduce the costs of connecting the telephone, or the like. When the user has access to the public domain library, only the cost of accessing the library is charged to the user. This cost is displayed in terms of online connection time or an equivalent load in a block of messages in a corner of a display screen. When the user has access to the library in a foreign language, the selection is displayed in a similar way to that described for the library in English. The user first selects a particular foreign language to have access to the selections available in that language. The user can change the selected language at any time and see selections available in other languages.

* The library offers a subscription service for users of electronic personal books. The user can search for publications based on the subject, title, authors or publications or by a quick glance. When a user subscribes to a particular publication, the library schedules a subscription call time in the user's personal electronic book, which reflects the time that each issue of the subscribed publication becomes available and the time of day a user wants to copy the product subscribed from the bookstore. The user leaves his personal electronic book connected to the dialing telephone line by means of the internal cell phone 5 or by the firm wire connection to the telephone plug 5A, or the like, and at a time of dialing the named subscription, the user's personal electronic book, automatically and without user intervention, marks and connects to the library. This library then copies the subscribed publications to the electronic personal book, after which this personal electronic book will be disconnects and turns off by itself. The subscription service includes publications in both English and foreign languages. The language selection is done in a similar way to that described for the foreign language bookstore.

Alternative modalities of the electronic person book incorporate the MPEG 1 and MPEG 2 decoders, to provide improved visualizations of moving video of selected videos or animation sequences, such as those used in multimedia and other products. The front box 22, with peripheral frame, of the Figures 1 and 2, and the back box 32 of Figures 1 and 2, contain all the external connections to the personal electronic book, all mounted to the electronic and mechanical components, which include a rechargeable battery and power and charge circuits and supply the mounting platforms for adjoining touch-sensitive display screens. External connections include connectors to connect to a telephone line and to connect to an external AC power adapter / charger, or to an AC line power, when the AC power adapter / charger is incorporated into the electronic parts of the book electronic staff Additional modes incorporate a parallel or serial port for connection to a printer. The front case 22 and the back case 32 comprise an aluminum construction with integral cold flow fasteners and fabrication of welded corners with stitching to provide structural strength and protection integral ft of electromagnetic interference (EMI). Machined plastic material, which comprises the cover assemblies of the main enclosure, with mounting brackets of fixed components to the internal surfaces are used to assemble the 5 internal components of the electronic personal book. This formed aluminum construction is just one of the many constructions that can be used; for example, a machined PVC housing, an EMI protective coating on the interior surfaces, and. other construction variations can be employed. The boxes with peripheral frame are joined by a hinge element that makes it possible for the boxes to be opened and closed like a printed book. The hinge elements may comprise a plurality of hinges of cylinder, for example two to four, a Mylar plastic sheet hinge, or the like, which allows the boxes to be opened by full 180 degrees and allow the screens to abut. The electronic personal book boxes comprise a front cover box and a rear cover box, these cover boxes, front and rear, are hinged together so as to allow relative movement between a closed position, in which the Deck boxes face each other, in a way like the covers of a closed book and an open position in which * The cover boxes are separated from each other in the manner of an open book. The personal electronic book can be confined in leather, fabric, vinyl, neoprene or other 5-book cover material, to simulate the appearance and feel of a printed book. Each display screen 20 and 30, of the touch screen of Figures 1 and 2, is mounted on the upper internal surface of each box. Each screen The touch display extends virtually over the entire face of each box and is electrically connected to the other circuits and components of the electronic personal book. Each display screen, of the touch screen type, comprises: 15. a display, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) type display or an active matrix display type display, which employs an array of transistors that can be steered, such as thin film transistors (TFT) or the like , in that each color point or pixel is activated by a group of three transistors, one for each red, green and blue color; a transparent plate, sensitive to the touch, that covers the screen and is also included the technology of a resistive touch, a capacitive touch, a touch of infrared beams, or similar. Although a VGA resolution LCD of 640 by 480 pixel, or an active matrix display, provides acceptable details for the text and for some graphics, the preferred display for text, graphics, photographs, video, motion videos chosen and the like, has at least a VGA resolution of 800 by 600, and at least # 256 colors. 10 A typical touch screen is thin film transparent plate, which uses resistive touch technology, manufactured by Dynapro Corporation. The transparent touch sensitive plate used in the electronic personal book is typically less than 0.254 mm thick. A flexible flat cable is used to connect the transparent touch-sensitive board to its touch screen controller, although other methods of connection may also be employed. The touch sensitive plate contains a matrix of 20 touch-sensitive areas on its entire surface. The profile of these areas can be programmed to be recognized matches the graphs or other information displayed on the fundamental display screen. Various icons, windows, lists of textual items, instructions, functions or even a board, can be stimulated using the fundamental display screen and the touch sensitive board, thus create a user-friendly interface, easy to use, to initiate and establish communications with online bookstores, to choose the selections stored in the library for copying, or the selections stored in the memory storage device, which can be updated, of the electronic personal book, for identification of the user, for electronic conversations, for searches of information, or the like. A series of touch screen areas previously defined, with key icons or function keys provide the user interface for inputting instructions, for making selections and for other inputs from the user. By touching these areas, the user can enter instructions and requests in the electronic personal book. For example, the user can initiate communications with the library by touching the library icon 3 of Figure 1. Various modalities of the electronic personal book comprise different sizes of screens and boxes, to suit the needs of the various sizes of traditional print media. . Variations in typical sizes include: * an individual electronic personal book, to be carried from one side to another, day after day, by the individual, and casual use, with dimensions in a closed state of about 11.43 cm. wide by 15.24 cm. of height and 5 dimensions in the open state in which the two screens are placed adjacent to each other of approximately 22.86 cm. of width and 15.24 cm. Tall; an electronic personal book of students, with dimensions for displaying pages of a larger size of printed textbooks, with dimensions in the closed state of about 22.86 cm. wide by 30.48 cm. of height and dimensions in open state, in which the two screens are placed adjacent to each other, of about 45.72 c. of width and 30.48 cm. Tall. fifteen . a personal electronic book of portfolios, for applications that require the display of large amounts of information, especially graphics, illustrations, photographs or the like, on a single screen, with dimensions in a closed state of about 30.48 cm. wide by 38.1 cm. of height and dimensions in open state, in which the two screens are placed adjacent to each other, of about 60.96 cm. of width and 38.1 cm. Tall. go In all these modalities, virtually the entire screen is visible and available for viewing. Each display can be viewed in a vertical configuration for a single page of material per display screen or the surrounding screens can be viewed in a horizontal configuration to supply the material that can be seen to expand on both display screens. A maximum display surface is available to display a page of a printed hard or flexible binding book or the called "pocket book". A typical page of a hard binding textbook is about 15.24 cm. wide by 25.40 cm. Tall. From this page, a typical image area is around 13,335 cm. wide by 21.59 cm. Tall. A typical page from a book of pocket or flexible binding is around 10,795 cm. wide and 17.78 cm. Tall. From this page, a typical image area is around 8.89 cm. wide by 15,875 cm. Tall. The various modalities of the electronic personal book are designed to replace the books of typical pocket for flexible binding, hardcover books, magazines, and the like. For large books, magazines, newspapers and similar publications, the two screens are programmed to display printed material on both screens as if they * they were a single screen, or in the horizontal or vertical configuration, thus presenting the reading impression from a single screen that resembles a full page of a magazine or newspaper. For example, two screens of approximately 22.86 cm. wide by 30.48 cm. height, can be rotated by 90 degrees and be seen as a single screen of approximately 45.72 cm. height and 30.48 cm. Wide. The relationship between touch screen displays, controllers, electronic process elements, communication elements, memory storage elements, which can be updated, the power unit and external interfaces, are shown in Figure 3. The microcomputer system 380 supplies a cen processing unit (CPU) to control all the operations of electronic personal book. This microcomputer-S38 system * comprises the CPU that is controlled by the patented operating system, embedded in a solid-state device, the ROM BIOS, and the random access memory (RAM) that supplies the primary memory space. to write, store and retrieve the program information and instructions used by the CPU. The microcomputer system 380 comprises a general purpose microprocessor, with a support circuit system, such as a logic board with an Intel 486DX2 / 66MHZ processor or better, or with a ^ "# Pentium processor, a PowerPC processor with support circuitry, such as a 100 MHz 603e processor, or with a Pentium processor, a PowerPC processor with a supporting circuit system, such as a 5 100 MHz processor 603e, a RISC chip (reduced instruction setting configuration) with a support circuit system, or the like, the personal e-book is energized from ^ the power unit 342, comprising one or more batteries rechargeable and power circuits and load. These power and load circuits control and distribute the power of the battery or the power of the converted AC line to the personal electronic book components, controlling the charging of one or more internal batteries, when the electronic personal book connects to an external AC adapter / charger device, by means of the AC adapter / charger plug 340 and they control the exchange between battery power and external AC line power, when this AC power is available through the AC adapter / charger device. This AC adapter / charger works with a dual function of the personal electronic book interface to the AC power line, to recharge the internal battery and also to operate the electronic personal book of the line # of AC power, to conserve battery power. An alternative embodiment incorporates an internal AC adapter / charger unit, which replaces the plug 340 of the AC adapter / charger with a connector that accepts 5 AC power cord for direct connection to the AC line power. The rechargeable battery comprises a lithium ion battery, a nickel hydride (NiMH) battery, or the like. Rechargeable batteries will energize the * personal electronic book for a minimum of 3 hours between recharges, although it is typical of 5 to 8 hours. When an electronic personal book is opened, the energy is applied automatically and the microcomputer system 380 automatically loads the patented operating system and any previously stored adjustment of the previous operations. Typically, the microprocessor system initializes the electronic personal book by displaying the icons for the material stored in the ROM (read only memory) 360, which can be updated, of the memory storage device currently. installed in the slit 50 of the memory card of Figure 1 or 60 in Figure 2, and any function icon, such as the icon connecting to the library. This information displayed on the screen is sent from the microprocessor system 380, by means of the display controller 370, * to the display 320 of the left touch screen and the display 330 of the right touch screen. The display controller 370 may be a dual-screen graphics controller, such as that manufactured by Colorgraphic 5 Communications or a separate graphic controller may be provided for each visualization. Alternatively, visualization controllers can provide independent, coordinated or complementary visualization (a single page of material that extends over both screens of display) of the material through the two display screens. When the user touches an icon to select and load the desired product or select a function, such as by touching icon 3 of the library in Figure 1, the The touch screen detects this touch and sends the data used to place the touched area to the left screen controller 322, if it touched the display of the left touch screen or the controller 332 of the right touch screen, if the touch was touched. Touch screen displays right. The touch screen controller converts the data touched from the area into coordinate information that is sent to the microcomputer system 380 for the process. Based on the touched icon (area), the microcomputer system 380 performs the requested action, in accordance with the instructions defined in the patented operation system. When the touched icon represents the information or products stored in ROM 360, which can be updated, the microcomputer system 380 has access to this information or product and then displays the information or operation of the product. The ROM storage device wkf 360, which can be updated, comprises 500 to 1,000 egabytes or more of memory, such as that provided by the 10 PCMCIA memory storage cards, the solid state EEPROM, the devices of evaporative memory, bubble memory, a miniature, compact, large capacity hard drive, or the like. Each modality of the personal electronic book has sufficient storage 15 to store several books of textual information in its entirety. The number of publications comprising a combination of text, artwork, photographs and the like and / or multimedia products that can be stored varies depending on the storage requirements of the individual products, the compression techniques used and the amount of available memory in the particular unit of the electronic personal book. The communications interface 350 comprises a high-speed modem, with a telephone line interface. unique, such as that provided by an internal data modem, connected to a cellular telephone for wireless connection to the PSTN, or an internal data modem connected to an RJ-11 telephone jack and then connected by means of a 5 wire from telephone to a telephone outlet connected to the PSTN or a PCMCIA slot for the PCMCIA modem which is then connected by means of a telephone wire to a telephone outlet connected to the PSTN, or the like. Modes include an internal modem of 28.8 or 14.4 K bps, with a telephone line connector, an internal modem wired directly to a standard retractable telephone line, with a standard RJ-11 modular telephone plug, which the user plugs into a corresponding telephone line socket, and the like. Modem chip set to 28.8 K bps are readily available from manufacturers, such as AT &T, from Rockwell, U.S. Robotics, and the like. Cellular modems that incorporate both data modem functions and cell phone functions are available from Motorola Corporation and other manufacturers. A security circuit 385 is incorporated with a unique security identification code of the electronic personal book and is used in conjunction with the identification code of the individual owner or the user, to identify a particular unit of personal electronic book. unique to the online library, to encode each ROM storage device 360, which can be updated, to a particular electronic personal book unit, so that the data stored in the memory storage device 5 can only have access by the unit of the personal electronic book that copies the information or product from the online bookstore and to try to prevent the theft of the electronic personal book. This library will terminate communications with a personal electronic book if the user's identification code or security identification code is not valid. The patented operating system controls and handles all electronic personal book operations, such as accepting user instructions, by means of the user interface (the display of the touch screen), access and display or operation of the products stored in the ROM memory storage device, which can be updated, providing book-type functions, automatic access , connection to and copying products from the online bookstore, the supply of power management to disconnect the power of the unit after a period of inactivity specified by the user, and the like. The operating system can be preloaded in a BIOS chip (system of ? basic output / output), previously loaded in an EEPROM, to facilitate the update to the operation system, while the electronic personal book is communicating with the library, or similar. 5 An improvement in the invention of the electronic personal book is the addition of a zoom (amplification) mode, to supply larger text and images for readers with damaged vision. This zoom mode may be limited to a single amplification, several amplifications previously established or can be continuously variable. The zoom mode can enlarge the displayed image to several percentages of the original size. With the textual material, the amplified material is reshaped by changing the line ends, so that the enlarged text can be read without scrolling from left to right through the display screen. With graphic images, a scrolling feature, incorporating the scroll direction arrows of the touch screen, makes it possible for a reader with impaired vision to see segments enlarged the graphic material and then moves smoothly to the attached segments of the image. Another improvement of the invention of the electronic personal book is the incorporation of audio output elements, such as one or more speakers and / or an ear plug or eternal horn plug, audio / sound processing circuits and software to support the sound capabilities of multimedia products, to support the synthesis of text to speech sounds (TTS) to create a spoken output 5 based on the stored text, for the selected audio operation, or similar. Sound processing capabilities include a circuit and software system to support a 16-bit Sound Blaster device, audio compatible with MIDI support and wavetable or synthesis of FM. The conversion of TTS increases the educational value of the electronic personal book making it possible for users to learn a language or to read by listening to the spoken text as they visually follow the displayed text on the screen. The software can increase the effectiveness of the learning experience by "speaking" each word as the user touches the word displayed on the touch screen. Additionally, this capability will provide the fastest and best access to information for people with damaged view, since they do not have to wait for the "speech text" edition to be issued. Yet another improvement of the electronic personal book is to provide the ability to send one or more page images or selected passages to a printer to obtain a printed copy of the selected information. A connection to a printer is made by supplying a parallel printer door with an associated circuit system and software units; or a communication gate in series with a system of associated circuits and software units; or an infrared data gate with an associated circuit system and software units for information pages through the air to a printer with infrared equipment, or sending the information by means of internal communication elements or the personal electronic book to a computer equipped with a modem, a facsimile device or a printer equipped with a telephone line and modem interface; and similar. Many modifications and variations of the invention of the electronic personal book system can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the described modalities. As is clear from the description of the various modalities, where common functional elements are shared, these elements should not be interpreted in a limiting sense, as they apply to only a single modality. While only a few modalities have been illustrated and described, many variations can be made in the design and configuration, without departing from the scope of the invention, indicated in the appended claims.

Claims (16)

1. CLAIMS 1. An electronic personal book system, in which an electronic personal book comprises a display screen, a memory storage element, an identification code and a communications element; this communication element connects the personal electronic book to a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and through the PSTN to a remote server; supplies, in combination, the storage, transmission, reception and viewing of electronically stored publications; wherein the improvement comprises: two display screens, adjoining, sensitive to touch, in which each screen can display a complete page of a publication in the form of a page composition, in the layout and format of the original page; where the two display screens, adjoining, sensitive to touch, are mounted on a pair of rectangular boxes, in the form of a book, with a peripheral frame, hinged together to open and close in the form of a printed book; a hinge element, for mechanically connecting the right side of the front box to the left side of the back box, comprising a plurality of hinges, so that when the electronic personal book is opened, the touch screens, left and right * right, they adjoin and present an appearance similar to that of an open printed book; wherein the communication element comprises a communication interface; 5 the communications interface automatically marks the communication links for access to the remote server; wherein this remote server comprises an online library; an electronic processing element, for controlling and monitoring the operations of the electronic personal book, in accordance with the user's requests and for copying publications with page composition format, in which the identification code is a unique security identification code , which is embedded in a security circuit; 15 this security identification code is used to identify a particular unit of the electronic personal book to the online bookstore; this security identification code is furthermore used to encode the memory storage elements to a particular electronic personal book unit, so that the formatted information of the page composition copied and stored in the memory storage element, can only be accessed by the unit of the book electronic staff that copied the information from the online bookstore; this memory storage element comprises a read-only memory (ROM), removable, which can be updated, installed in a memory card slot; wherein the ROM, which can be updated, is coded so that the information stored in this ROM, which can be updated, can only be accessed by the electronic personal book unit, which copied the information from the online library, and electronic process elements, comprising touch screen controllers and a display controller; an internal power unit, comprising an internal rechargeable battery and power and charging circuits, which interface with the AC adapter / charger unit; These power and charging circuits, which control the internal battery charge, when the electronic personal book is connected to an external AC adapter / charger device, by means of an AC adapter / charger plug, and which controls the exchange between the energy of the battery and the external power of the AC line, when this AC power is available, by means of the AC adapter / charger unit; Y in which the personal electronic book is configured in a portable unit, which can be kept in the hand.
2. 2. An electronic personal book system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication interface further comprises an internal cellular modem / telephone, which communicates with the PSTN by means of radio waves, two-way, to one local telephone office.
3. 3. An electronic personal book system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication interface further comprises an internal data modem, connected to a telephone jack; This telephone plug is connected by a telephone wire to a telephone outlet, connected to the PSTN.
4. 4. An electronic personal book system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication interface further comprises a PCMCIA slot and a PCMCIA modem, this PCMCIA modem is installed in the PCMCIA slot; This PCMCIA modem is connected by a telephone wire to a telephone outlet connected to the PSTN.
5. • 5. An electronic personal book system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adjoining touch-sensitive display screens comprise a left-hand display screen and a 5 display right touch screen. in which the display screens, left and right, display a single page of the material per display screen, thus presenting the impression of reading from two ^ pages that face; and 10 in which the display screens, left and right, display printed matter with at least one super VGA resolution of 800 by 600, and with at least 256 colors.
6. 6. An electronic personal book, as claimed in claim 1, in which the removable ROM, which can be 15 update, comprises a plurality of PCMCIA memory cards; the cards are interchangeable, so that a user of the electronic personal book can form a personal library; 20 in which the PCMCIA memory cards are coded so that the information stored in these PCMCIA memory cards can only be accessed by the book unit electronic staff that copied the information from the online bookstore.
7. 7. An electronic personal book, as claimed in claim 1, in which adjoining display screens, sensitive to touch, display the printed material on both screens as if they were a single screen, thus presenting the reading impression of a full page of a magazine or a newspaper, which also includes: a left touch screen controller, to control and monitor the left touch screen of adjacent display screens, sensitive to touch; a right touch screen controller, to control and monitor the right touch screen of adjoining touch-sensitive display screens; a single-view controller, to control the left display screen and the right display screen of adjoining touch-sensitive display screens; the display controller displays the printed matter on the display screens, as if they were a single screen, thus presenting the impression of reading from a single page.
8. 8. An electronic personnel, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic process element further comprises a software element, which includes: routines for automatic display icons, which 5 represents the publications stored on the adjacent touch-sensitive display screens when the personal e-book is opened; routines for accessing any stored publication,? ^ r when the icon representing the publication is touched; 10 routines to automatically decompress the stored publication; routines to display the publication as two pages facing each other on adjoining touch-sensitive display screens; and 15 routines to display the printed text and graphics in the original page layout format and color.
9. 9. An electronic personal book, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic process element further comprises a software element 20 (program and instructions) to allow the user to create a document of selected touch passages comprising routines; access any stored publication, when the icon representing the publication is touched; automatically unzip the stored publication; open the publication and display its table of contents; recognize when a user touches a page number in the table of contents and go to this selected page and display the page; display a new page of material when a user touches an area on the Forward page on a touch screen; display a previous page of material, when the user touches an area of Previous Page on the touch screen; recognize the selected passages by touch of information in the displayed publication; store the passages in a document created by the user; create and display an icon for the document created by the user; display this document created by the user, when the icon is touched; recognize the user's touch selection of the passages within the document, in order to move these passages to a new location within the document; store the document created by the user with the passages in a new arrangement; Y * transmit the document created by the user to a printer.
10. 10. An electronic personal book system, as claimed in claim 1, in which the electronic personal book 5 comprises unattended copying routines of publications, where these routines: accept the user's input of the date and time for unattended copying; accepts the user input of selections from the online library that will be copied; at that date and time, automatically dial in the PSTN and connect to the online library through the PSTN; automatically send the unique security identification code; 15 automatically send a user identification code; automatically encode the copied items to the unique security identification code and store the copied items in the ROM, which can be updated, so that the 20 items can only be retrieved and displayed by the electronic personal book that copied these articles; automatically recognize the completion of the copying; automatically disconnect the electronic personal book from the online bookstore; and automatically turn off the electronic personal book.
11. 11. An electronic personal book, as claimed in claim 1, in which the adjoining display screens, sensitive to touch, exhibit the material that can be seen extending in both display screens in a horizontal configuration, so as to resemble a page complete of a newspaper, and also comprises: a left touch screen controller, to control and monitor the left touch screen of adjacent display screens, sensitive to touch; a right hand touch screen controller, to control and monitor the right touch screen of adjoining touch-sensitive display screens; a single display controller, to control the left display screen and the right display screen, of the adjoining touch-sensitive display screens; this display controller displays the printed matter in the horizontal configuration on both display screens, as if they were a single screen, presented thus, the reading of a single page of material.
12. 12. An electronic personal book, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a video processing element and an audio output element; wherein the video processing element comprises an MPEG 1 decoder, pair providing improved displays of moving video or animation sequences; and in that the audio output element comprises a circuit system and software to support audio compatible with the SoundBlaster, with the support of MIDI and wave table or FM synthesis.
13. 13. An electronic personal book, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising video processing elements and audio output elements; wherein the video processing elements comprise an MPEG2 decoder, to provide improved visualizations of moving video or animation sequences; and in that the audio output element comprises a circuit system and software to support the audiocompatible with the SoundBlaster, with the support of MIDI and wave table or FM synthesis.
14. 14. An electronic personal book system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the online library comprises: a store element, which includes a plurality of database storage devices, which store a plurality of multimedia products and publications with format of composition of electronic pages (electronic books, magazines, newspapers and brochures) and products and publication that are codified and stored, so that when they are exhibited in the electronic personal book, these products and publications keep the same printed text, graphics and color, as well as the original layout of the printed page, format and color; a database of security identification codes for the plurality of electronic personal books, this database uniquely identifies the unique security identification code of a particular personal electronic book of the library; process elements, to recognize and terminate communications with an electronic personal book, which transmits an invalid security identification code; a plurality of telephone lines, which connect the PSTN to the library; a computer telephony element for connecting, interfacing and answering calls that enter telephone lines, which comprise a telephone answering system; a process element, to handle user requests transmitted from electronic personal books and copy these publications, which comprise a server; in which this server copies selections in a compressed format; and selects that they are stored in the electronic personal book; this electronic personal book automatically decompresses selections for vision; The electronic personal book automatically displays new icons in graphic form, representing the copied selections, in addition to the icons for selections previously stored in the electronic personal book and not yet deleted.
15. 15. A procedure for requesting a publication, copying a publication and viewing this publication on adjacent display screens, sensitive to the touch, of an electronic personal book, this process includes: A. open the electronic personal book in the same way as a printed book is opened; this personal electronic book automatically applies energy to itself and to the pages of icons that display confronted visualizations; B. touch a library icon, to initiate communications with the online library; C. enter the user's identification code, *. by touching the appropriate characters on the displayed keyboard; 10 D. automatically mark the library from the personal electronic book and connect through a public switched telephone network to the public; E. automatically establish communications between the electronic personal book and the bookstore; 15 F. use a security circuit in the electronic personal book to automatically transmit a unique security identification code from the electronic personal book to the library; G. verify the security identification code by the library; H. terminate communications if the security identification code is not valid; I. automatically transmit a user identification code, entered by the user, in the electronic personal book to the library; J. verify the user identification code by the library; K. terminate communications if the user's identification code is not valid; L. transmit a welcome screen from the library to the electronic personal book when the codes are valid; M. display the welcome screen comprising icons representing a public domain library, a library in English, a library in foreign languages, a multimedia library, and subscription services in the electronic personal book; N. touch the icon that represents the desired category of desired publications or services; O. transmit the information that represents the publication and selections of multimedia products and services available from the bookstore and the electronic personal book that receives and displays this information; P. a user search through the publication selections and multimedia products and touching a product of interest of publication or multimedia; Q. communicate the selection of the electronic personal book to the bookstore; R. transmit a description of the selected multimedia publication or product and the price information from the library to the electronic personal book, where this information is displayed; S. order the selection by the user who touches a confirmation icon and the electronic personal book that transmits the confirmation request to the library; T. copy the ordered selection from the library in a compressed format and the electronic personal book that receives and stores the selected publication in a storage device of the ROM, which can be updated, in which the information stored in the ROM, which is it can be updated, it is coded so that the information can only be accessed by the electronic personal book unit that copied the information from the online bookstore; and automatically terminate communications with the library; U. display an icon representing a new copied publication, in addition to the icons for other publications and products also stored in the ROM storage device, which can be updated; V. touch the icon that represents the new publication and the electronic personal book that the publication exhibits as two pages that face the printed text and the graphics being displayed in their original layout of page, format and color; W. browse through the publication by the user who touches a right corner of the touch screen, for forward pages, and touch a left corner for backward pages; X. place a bookmark on the current page by a user who touches the page number and close the personal electronic book.
16. 16. A procedure for selecting a publication stored in an online library, which will be copied and stored automatically in an electronic personal book without attending, at a later scheduled time, this process includes: A. opening the electronic personal book of the same way a printed book is opened; this personal electronic book automatically applies energy to itself and displays the pages of icons that face; B. touch a library icon, to initiate communications with the online library; C. enter the user identification code, touching the appropriate characters on the displayed keyboard; D. automatically mark the library from the personal electronic book and connect through a public switched telephone network to the public; E. automatically establish communications between the electronic personal book and the bookstore; F. use a security circuit in the electronic personal book to automatically transmit a unique security identification code from the electronic personal book to the library; G. verify the security identification code by the library; H. terminate communications if the security identification code is not valid; I. automatically transmit a user identification code, entered by the user, in the electronic personal book to the library; J. verify the user identification code by the library; K. terminate communications if the user's identification code is not valid; L. transmit a welcome note from the bookstore to the electronic personal book when the codes are valid; M. display the welcome screen comprising icons representing a public domain library, a library in English, a library in foreign languages, a multimedia library, and subscription services in the electronic personal book; N. touch the icon that represents the desired category of desired publications or services; O. transmit the information that represents the publication and selections of multimedia products and services available from the bookstore and the electronic personal book that receives and displays this information.; P. a user search through the publication selections and multimedia products and touching a product of interest of publication or multimedia; Q. communicate the selection of the electronic personal book to the bookstore; R. transmit a description of the selected multimedia publication or product and the price information from the library to the electronic personal book, where this information is displayed; S. touch a Back Copying icon on the touch screen of the electronic personal book; T. enter a date and time for copying, touching and adjusting the date and time displayed, presented by the electronic personal book; U. leave the personal electronic book connected to a telephone line, where this telephone line connects to the public switched telephone network; V. Automatically, without user intervention, mark and connect the electronic personal book to the library, this personal electronic book automatically identifies itself by the transmission of the unique personal security code of the electronic personal book and the personal code. identification of the user; W. copy the ordered selection from the library, in compressed format, and the electronic personal book receives and stores the selected publication in a storage device of a ROM, which can be updated, in which the information stored in this ROM, that it can be updated, it is encoded, so that the information can be accessed by the electronic personal book that copied this information from an online bookstore; X. Automatically terminate communications between the electronic personal book and the bookstore; And. Automatically turn off the electronic personal book unit.