Apparatus and method for creating literary macrames

Abstract

By the use of program scripts, databases, and other software elements, taking as input a set of text files making up a work of literature of substantial size, converting the files to an electronically-readable form, linking the files to each other to provide readers with a rich set of associations to be explored within the work, muting the presentation of the links in order to preserve the immersive character of the reading process, and simplifying the user browsing interface to limit distractions that vitiate the immersive reading experience. By the richness and simplicity of carefully-designed outputs, offering the author a new range of opportunities for engaging the reader, offering the publisher a new opportunity for succeeding in purveying electronic literature, and presenting the reader with an “electronic literary macramé”: a new class of work permitting a level of immersive reading practice obtainable only in the world of electronic text.

1 . An electronic device for displaying an electronic literary macrame, comprising:
 a processor, a display configured to display a plurality of windows, and a display interface configured to communicate with the processor and the display;   information storage means including:
 at least one scene hypertext file including:
 at least one scene narrative text; and 
 a plurality of reference points; 
 
 at least one reference hypertext file including a plurality of reference points; 
 a browser application program configured to interpret the scene and reference hypertext files and display each hypertext file in a respective window on the display; and 
 wherein each hypertext file is configured to, when interpreted by the browser program application, provide a plurality of links to at least one of the scene hypertext file reference points and reference hypertext file reference points. 
   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one reference hypertext file further includes a glossary hypertext file including at least one set of terms and associated definitions and wherein the scene hypertext file, when interpreted by the browser program application, is further configured to provide a plurality of links to one or more glossary hypertext file reference points. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the information storage means further includes:
 at least one scene text file each including at least one scene text and at least one scene attribute selected from the group consisting of title, location, section, scene number, point of view, source file, year, month, day, hour minute, copyright year, chapter name, scene stylesheet, class, keywords, characters and number of paragraphs; and 
 program instructions that, when implemented by the processor, communicate with each scene text file and each scene hypertext file to establish the scene hypertext file plurality of links. 
 
     
     
         4 . The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the scene hypertext file is a layered reference linked scene hypertext file and at least one of the hypertext file links is a time-dependent hypertext link. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic device of  claim 2  wherein the information storage means further includes:
 a glossary text file; 
 a glossary database including at least a definition table and a treatment table; and 
 program instructions that, when implemented by the processor, are configured to interpret the glossary text file and communicate with the glossary database to provide the glossary hypertext file. 
 
     
     
         6 . The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the information storage means further includes:
 a point of view database including:
 a plurality of attributes including a plurality of scene attributes and a corresponding attribute for each scene representing a point-of-view-character; and 
 an index of predecessor and successor scenes; 
 
 program instructions that, when implemented by the processor, are configured to communicate with the point of view database to provide at least one scene link sequence and at least one scene processing control file for each scene. 
 
     
     
         7 . The electronic device of  claim 2  wherein the windows on the display further include a primary window for display of the scene hypertext file, a first secondary windows for display of the glossary hypertext file, and a second secondary window for display of a second reference hypertext file and wherein the secondary windows are muted in their appearance when residing in the foreground. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic device of  claim 1  further including a user interface device and wherein the information storage means is further configured to store at least one stylesheet configured to display at least one of the plurality of links only upon hovering by the user interface device over the one or more characters representing the link. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic device of  claim 6  wherein the plurality of attributes are further include attributes selected from the group consisting of chapter, section, scene source, file, year, month day, hour, minute, copyright year, scene title, scene locale, chapter name, scene stylesheet, scene class, keywords, scene primary, sequence number, and link class. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for presenting an electronic literary macramé, comprising:
 a computing device including input means and display means; and 
 information storage means for holding data and instructions for the computer including:
 a plurality of scene text files including narrative text for at least one scene and at least one scene attribute for each scene; 
 a plurality of reference text files; 
 at least one database for holding information concerning the characteristics of one or more scenes; 
 a plurality of processing control files for linking the scenes and providing a plurality of interlinked hypertext files; and 
 a browser program operating within the computer for displaying the plurality interlinked hypertext files. 
 
 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the information storage means is further configured to hold program instructions for converting the plurality of scene text files into at least one scene hypertext file, linking among hypertext files and converting the plurality of reference text files into at least one reference hypertext file derived from the reference text files and linked among themselves and to the scene hypertext file. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the database is further configured to hold at least one attribute for each scene selected from the group consisting of a scene title, a scene locale, a scene designator or identifier, the point of view from which the scene is rendered, the date and time of the scene within the narrative text, the copyright year of the writing of the scene, one or more keywords characterizing the scene, a designator of the chapter in which the scene appears, a designator of the section of the chapter in which the scene appears, the source file from which the scene text file is taken, the style of presentation required for the scene text, and the location or window of presentation required for the scene text file. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the information storage means is further configured to hold program instructions for adapting the presentation of the interlinked hypertext files including by providing at least one of:
 a primary window and a plurality of secondary windows wherein the secondary windows are configured to be in a muted state when inactive; and 
 at least one stylesheet for each hypertext file including instructions for providing hover links. 
 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of interlinked hypertext files includes a glossary hypertext file and the plurality of processing control files includes program instructions configured to create glossary link anchors in the glossary link hypertext file. 
     
     
         15 . A method for producing an electronic literary macramé, comprising the steps of:
 providing one or more scene text files and one or more reference text files; 
 creating, from the scene text files and the reference text files, at least one scene hypertext file and at least one reference hypertext file; 
 establishing at least one scene sequence and a plurality of links in the at least one scene hypertext file to a least one reference point corresponding to the scene sequence; 
 establishing a plurality of links in the at least one scene hypertext file to at least one reference point in the at least one reference hypertext file; 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the steps of:
 displaying the at least one scene hypertext file and reference hypertext file in at least one primary browser window on an electronic device; 
 displaying the at least one reference hypertext file in at least one secondary browser window on an electronic device; 
 suppressing the conventional marking of browser links; and 
 providing at least one stylesheet for at least one of the hypertext files to define presentation characteristics of the at least one hypertext files. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the step of establishing at least one scene sequences further includes the steps of:
 selecting sequencing criteria for creating each sequence of scenes; 
 compiling the selections of criteria for creating each sequence of scenes into a sequence of identified scenes; and 
 creating multiple sequences of identified scenes. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the sequencing criteria is selected from the group consisting of chronology, character point of view, scene common elements, keywords, and scene location. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the at least one reference hypertext file includes at least one glossary hypertext file and further including the steps of establishing a plurality of links in the at least one scene hypertext file to at least one reference point in the glossary hypertext file. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  further including the steps of:
 establishing a point of view database including character point of view information for each scene and a plurality of attributes selected from the group consisting of chapter, section, scene source, file, year, month day, hour, minute, copyright year, scene title, scene locale, chapter name, scene stylesheet, scene class, keywords, scene primary, sequence number, and link class; and 
 establishing at least one scene link sequence and at least one scene processing control file for each scene based on the point of view database.