Visually indicating on a user interface lengths, types of content, structure and current user location within a corpus of electronic content

Abstract

Systems and methods of visually indicating on a user interface of an electronic reader the lengths, types of content, structure and current location of a user within a corpus of electronic content are presented. The corpus of electronic content may be converted into contiguous visual sections and contiguous thumbnails (of the visual sections). The user interface includes a content strip tray displaying a viewable portion of the thumbnails and a main viewing area displaying a viewable portion of the visual sections. An accent effect may be displayed over the viewable portion of the thumbnails that corresponds with the viewable portion of the visual sections currently displayed in the main viewing area to indicate a location of the user in the electronic content. Additionally, headers, location markers, assignments and notes may be displayed on the viewable portion of the thumbnails.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a communication network;   a hardware computing device coupled to the communication network, the hardware computing device including:
 a memory; 
 a display having a user interface including a main viewing area and a content strip tray; 
 at least one processor executing specific computer-executable instructions within a memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
 retrieve a corpus of electronic content, the corpus of electronic content including a plurality of contiguous visual sections, wherein each visual section in the plurality of contiguous visual sections has a length, a type of content and a structure; 
 retrieve a plurality of contiguous thumbnails that correspond to the plurality of visual sections, wherein each thumbnail, in the plurality of thumbnails, is proportional in length to a corresponding visual section, in the plurality of contiguous visual sections; 
 display in the main viewing area a viewable portion of the plurality of visual sections; 
 display in the content strip tray a viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails; and 
 display an accent effect over an accent portion, within the viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails in the content strip tray, wherein the accent portion corresponds to the viewable portion of the plurality of visual sections in the main viewing area. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to:
 display a second viewable portion of the plurality of visual sections in the main viewing area; and   move the accent effect from the accent portion of the plurality of thumbnails in the content strip to a second accent portion within the plurality of thumbnails in the content strip tray, wherein the second accent portion within the plurality of thumbnails in the content strip tray corresponds to the second viewable portion of the plurality of visual sections in the main viewing area.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to:
 detect a touch input at the content strip of the user interface; and   display a second viewable portion of the plurality of visual sections in the main viewing area to the user based on a direction and a length of the touch input.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to:
 label at least one thumbnail, in the viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails, with a header, wherein the header is never displayed in the main viewing area.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to:
 receive a command from the user to add a marker at a location in the viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails or a location in the plurality of visual sections; and   display the marker at the location in the viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails or the location in the plurality of visual sections.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to:
 display an assignment indicator, over the viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails in the content strip tray.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to:
 display a note, over the viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails in the content strip tray, wherein the note includes written content.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to:
 modify a width of the content strip tray to a new width.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the accent effect indicates the current user location within the viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to:
 receive an indication of a desired location on a thumbnail; and   display in the main viewing area a location in the plurality of visual sections that corresponds with the desired location on the thumbnail.   
     
     
         11 . A method, comprising:
 retrieving a corpus of electronic content including a plurality of contiguous visual sections, wherein each visual section in the plurality of contiguous visual sections has a length, a type of content, and a structure;   retrieving a plurality of contiguous thumbnails that correspond to the plurality of visual sections;   displaying, by an electronic reader, in a main viewing area of a user interface a viewable portion of the plurality of visual sections;   displaying, by the electronic reader, in a content strip tray of the user interface a viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails; and   displaying, by the electronic reader, an accent effect over an accent portion, within the viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails in the content strip tray, wherein the accent portion corresponds to the viewable portion of the plurality of visual sections in the main viewing area.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 displaying a second viewable portion of the plurality of visual sections in the main viewing area; and   moving, by the electronic reader, display a second accent effect within the plurality of thumbnails in the content strip tray, wherein the second accent portion within the plurality of thumbnails in the content strip tray corresponds to the second viewable portion of the plurality of visual sections in the main viewing area.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 detecting a touch input at the content strip; and   displaying, by the electronic reader, a second viewable portion of the plurality of visual sections in the main viewing area to the user based on a direction and a length of the touch input.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of:
 labeling at least one thumbnail, in the viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails, with a header, wherein the header is never displayed in the main viewing area.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 receiving, by the electronic reader, a command from the user to add a marker at a location in the viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails or a location in the plurality of visual sections; and   displaying, by the electronic reader, the marker at the location in the viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails or the location in the plurality of visual sections.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of:
 displaying, by the electronic reader, an assignment indicator, over the viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails in the content strip tray.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of:
 displaying, by the electronic reader, a note, over the viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails in the content strip tray, wherein the note includes written content.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 modifying a width of the content strip tray.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the accent effect indicates the current user location within the viewable portion of the plurality of thumbnails. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 receiving an indication of a desired location on a thumbnail; and   displaying in the main viewing area a location in the plurality of visual sections that corresponds with the desired location on the thumbnail.