Electronic bookshelf system

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for purchasing, accessing, consuming, and/or providing electronic content using an electronic bookshelf (eBookshelf) system. The eBookshelf system can be used by accessing a touchscreen-based user interface and/or local hardware controls and/or a remote control. A user's personal library of eBooks and/or any other electronic content can be displayed and/or aurally presented. In addition, the vast content of commercial retailers can also be displayed for browsing and purchase/rental. If the user identifies a content selection on the eBookshelf system that he/she wishes to consume, it can be readily transferred from the system to a personal content consuming device. Multiple eBookshelf systems can be attached to one another to extend the length and/or height of the eBookshelf. Accessing the eBookshelf system by a user ID allows multiple users to enjoy a personally customized version of the system.

1 . An electronic bookshelf system, comprising:
 a housing including electronics of the system, the electronics including a processor;   a touchscreen display having an elongated rectangular shape;   a user interface executable and/or controllable by the processor and configured to display, on the touchscreen display, a virtual bookshelf that includes at least a portion of a plurality of digital content items, wherein at least some digital content items included in the displayed virtual bookshelf are digital books with their respective virtual binders facing outward; and   at least one interconnect on the housing and configured to connect to an adjacent electronic bookshelf system such that the displayed virtual bookshelf extends between the touchscreen display of the electronic bookshelf system and a touchscreen display of the adjacent electronic bookshelf system.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic bookshelf system of  claim 1 , wherein the touchscreen display is 24 to 36 inches long in the horizontal direction and 10 to 14 inches tall in the vertical direction. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic bookshelf system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to be electronically coupled with one or more additional electronic bookshelf systems via the at least one interconnect to extend the displayed virtual bookshelf in the horizontal direction, or the vertical direction, or both the horizontal and vertical directions. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic bookshelf system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one interconnect facilitates a wired communication link between the electronic bookshelf system and the adjacent electronic bookshelf system. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic bookshelf system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one interconnect facilitates a wireless communication link between the electronic bookshelf system and the adjacent electronic bookshelf system. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic bookshelf system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to:
 discover, via a discovery protocol, presence of the adjacent electronic bookshelf system; and   issue a query as to whether a connection to the adjacent electronic bookshelf system is desired.   
     
     
         7 . The electronic bookshelf system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface is further configured to:
 display a menu with a plurality of selectable display modes; and   in response to a selection of one of the selectable display modes, adjust the displayed virtual bookshelf in accordance with the selected display mode.   
     
     
         8 . The electronic bookshelf system of  claim 7 , wherein at least one selectable display mode defines a unique display criteria, and wherein the unique display criteria is based on a subject matter, a theme, an author, or a list. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic bookshelf system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface is further configured to:
 facilitate browsing of digital content items included in the displayed virtual bookshelf, by allowing a user to virtually remove a digital content item of interest from the displayed virtual bookshelf and leaf through it; and   facilitate purchase of the digital content item of interest.   
     
     
         10 . The electronic bookshelf system of  claim 9 , wherein the user interface is configured to facilitate transfer of the digital content item of interest to a consuming device of the user, via a wireless or wired protocol. 
     
     
         11 . A method of displaying a virtual bookshelf, the method comprising:
 displaying, on a first touchscreen display having an elongated rectangular shape, the virtual bookshelf that includes at least a portion of a plurality of available digital content items, wherein at least some digital content items included in the displayed virtual bookshelf are digital books with their respective virtual binders facing outward; and   in response to a second touchscreen display being brought adjacent to the first touchscreen display, extending the virtual bookshelf onto the second touchscreen display.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising displaying a menu with a plurality of selectable display modes, and in response to a selection of one of the selectable display modes, adjusting the virtual bookshelf according to the selected display mode. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein extending the virtual bookshelf comprises extending the virtual bookshelf onto the second touchscreen display in response to the second touchscreen display being physically connected to an interconnect on a side of the first touchscreen display. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein extending the virtual bookshelf onto the second touchscreen display includes:
 discover, via a discovery protocol, presence of the second touchscreen display;   issue a query as to whether a connection to the second touchscreen display is desired; and   extending the virtual bookshelf onto the second touchscreen display, responsive to the query being answered in the affirmative.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 allowing a user to virtually remove a digital content item of interest from the displayed virtual bookshelf and leaf through it;   allowing the user purchase the digital content item of interest; and   transferring the digital content item of interest to a consuming device of the user.   
     
     
         16 . A computer program product including one or more non-transitory machine-readable mediums having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, causes a process to be carried out for displaying a virtual bookshelf, the process comprising:
 displaying, on a first touchscreen display having an elongated rectangular shape, the virtual bookshelf that includes at least a portion of a plurality of available digital content items, wherein at least some digital content items included in the displayed virtual bookshelf are one or more of digital books, digital movies, digital magazines, digital newspapers, digital music, and/or digital artworks with their respective virtual binders facing outward; and   in response to a second touchscreen display being brought adjacent to the first touchscreen display, extending the virtual bookshelf onto the second touchscreen display.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the process comprises displaying a menu with a plurality of selectable display modes, and in response to a selection of one of the selectable display modes, adjusting at least a portion of a display area of the touchscreen display in accordance with the selected display mode. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein extending the virtual bookshelf comprises extending the virtual bookshelf onto the second touchscreen display in response to the second touchscreen display being physically connected to an interconnect on a side of the first touchscreen display. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein extending the virtual bookshelf onto the second touchscreen display comprises:
 discovering, via a discovery protocol, presence of the second touchscreen display;   issuing a query as to whether a connection to the second touchscreen display is desired; and   extending the virtual bookshelf onto the second touchscreen display, responsive to the query being answered in the affirmative.   
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , the process comprising:
 allowing a user to virtually remove a digital content item of interest from the displayed virtual bookshelf and leaf through it;   allowing the user purchase the digital content item of interest; and   transferring the digital content item of interest to a consuming device of the user.