Hypertext book attachment

A blank book attachment having a mark and sweep leaf with a fold out feature is provided. The leaf is pivotally retained along one edge on a frame, and the frame is pivotally retained at the binding spine of the host blank book. Pulling outward on the leaf causes the leaf to extend out and beyond the pages of the book allowing the pages to turn freely. When the leaf is placed within the host book, with the book open or closed, the leaf can be turned as a page, in which case it also acts as a mark to identify a specific position in the host book. Alternatively, the leaf may be pivoted on the frame to allow the host book pages to be turned past it in either direction.

 

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a leaf attachment and a book:

said book comprising a binding structure with a cover attached thereto, said binding structure further having one or more pages pivotally attached to said binding structure, said each of said pages having a width, where the widest of said one or more pages has a width, maximum page width;

said leaf attachment comprising a mounting surface having perimeter features including opposing edges and having a mounting surface width, between those edges;

an orientation member having first and second opposing attachment locations and an orientation member width between those opposing attachment locations, said opposing attachment locations comprising first and second orientation member attachment locations; and

an extension member having opposing attachment locations and an extension member width between those opposing attachment locations, said opposing attachment locations comprising first and second extension member attachment locations, said extension member width, being greater than said maximum page width; wherein:

said orientation member width and said mounting surface width are not greater than said extension member width; and, wherein:

said extension member first attachment location is attached substantially adjacent said book binding structure, and said orientation member is pivotally attached at said second orientation member attachment location to said extension member at said second of said extension member attachment locations thereby forming an orientation member-extension member pivotal hinge, having an orientation member-extension member pivotal axis of rotation therefore, and said orientation member is pivotably hinged at said orientation member first attachment location to said mounting surface at a location between said opposing edges of said mounting surface and substantially away from said opposing edges of said mounting surface, thereby joining said mounting surface and said orientation member, said pivotal hinge having an orientation member-mounting surface pivotal axis of rotation therefore, said mounting surface, orientation member, and extension member being attached with said orientation-member mounting surface pivotal axis of rotation parallel to said orientation member-extension member pivotal axis of rotation, such that:

said mounting surface may be placed in any one of a plurality of positions, at least three of said plurality of positions being a first position to one side of said orientation member-extension member pivotal hinge and a second position to the other side of said orientation member-extension member pivotal hinge, one along side the other, and a third position with said mounting surface on top a portion of any page of said one or more pages of said book, where the orientation of said mounting surface perimeter features may be preserved in all three of said three positions.

2. A leaf-extension member pair for attachment to a host object for adding an electronic window system to a host object, said leaf-extension member pair comprising;

an extension member having an attachment structure at a first end thereof for attaching said extension member to the host object and an attachment structure at a second end thereof, said extension member comprising an electronic structure for conducting the bi-directional transmission of electrical signals;

an orientation member having a first attachment structure at a first end thereof and a second attachment structure at a second end thereof, said orientation member comprising an electronic structure for conducting the bi-directional transmission of electrical signals, said orientation member being pivotally attached at said first end thereof to said extension member at said second end of said extension member, forming an orientation member-extension member pivotal attachment structure, and having an orientation member-extension member pivotal axis of rotation thereof; and

a leaf member having a plurality of faces and perimeter features including opposing edges and an attachment structure between said opposing edges, said leaf member further comprising an electronic structure for at least one of (a) capturing, (b) storing, (c) accessing, (d) displaying, and (e) transmitting and receiving, information electronically, said second end of said orientation member being pivotally attached to said leaf member between said opposing edges of said leaf member at said leaf member attachment structure and having a leaf member-orientation member pivotal axis of rotation therefore;

such that said leaf member-orientation member pivotal axis of rotation is parallel to said orientation member-extension member pivotal axes of rotation and said leaf-extension member pair can transmit and receive electrical signals bi-directionally,

and wherein

when said extension member first end is attached to the host object, said leaf member may be moved about said orientation member, and said orientation member moved about said extension member, allowing said leaf member to be positioned in any one of a plurality of locations, at least two of said plurality of locations being to either side of said orientation member-extension member pivotal attachment structure, wherein the orientation of said face and perimeter features of said leaf may be preserved when placed in said each of said two locations.

3. The combination comprising a host object and a leaf-extension member pair, forming a host object electronic window system, wherein

said host object comprises an electronic object with at least one host object coupling structure for the bi-directional transmission of electrical signals, where said host object further comprises an electronic structure for at least one of (a) capturing, (b) storing, (c) accessing, (d) displaying, and (e) transmitting and receiving information electronically, and

said leaf-extension member pair comprises:

an extension member having attachment structures at first and second ends thereof, said extension member comprising an electronic structure for conducting the bi-directional transmission of electrical signals, where said extension member first end is attached to said host object at said host object coupling structure;

an orientation member having first and second orientation member attachment structures, and comprising a structure for conducting the bi-directional transmission of electrical signals, said orientation member being pivotally attached at said first end thereof to said extension member at said second end of said extension member, thereby forming an orientation member-extension member pivotal attachment structure, and having an orientation member-extension member pivotal axis of rotation thereof; and

a leaf member having a plurality of faces and perimeter features including opposing edges and an attachment structure between said opposing edges, said leaf member further comprising an electronic structure for at least one of (a) capturing, (b) storing, (c) accessing, (d) displaying, and (e) transmitting and receiving, information electronically, said second end of said orientation member being pivotally attached to said leaf member at said leaf member attachment structure, and having a leaf member-orientation member pivotal axis of rotation therefore;

such that said leaf member-orientation member pivotal axis of rotation is parallel to said orientation member-extension member pivotal axis of rotation and said leaf-extension member pair can transmit and receive electrical signals to and from said host object,

and wherein

said leaf member may be moved about said orientation member, and said orientation member moved about said extension member, allowing said leaf member to be positioned in any one of a plurality of locations, at least two of said plurality of locations being to either side of said orientation member-extension member pivotal attachment structure, where the orientation of said face and perimeter features of said leaf may be preserved when placed in said each of said two locations.

4. The host object, leaf-extension member pair combination of claim 3 wherein said host object is an electronic book.

5. The host object leaf-extension member pair combination of claim 3 wherein said leaf member and said host object further comprise means for identifying the positional location of said leaf member relative to said host object, for monitoring the use of said leaf by said host object and the use of said host object by said leaf.

6. The host object leaf-extension member pair combination of claim 3 where said extension member is pivotally attached to said host at said extension member first attachment structure and said leaf member can be positioned in any one of a plurality of locations about said host, at least for of said locations being substantially non-overlapping, adjoining locations, each of said four locations being substantially along side at least one of the other said four locations, and where the orientation of said face and said perimeter features of said leaf may be preserved in all four of said four locations.

7. A leaf-extension member pair for attachment to a host object for adding an electronic window system to a host object, said leaf-extension member pair comprising:

an extension member having attachment structures at first and second ends thereof;

an orientation member having first and second orientation member attachment structures, and pivotally attached at a first end thereof to said extension member at said second end of said extension member, forming an orientation member-extension member pivotal attachment structure, and having an orientation member-extension member pivotal axis of rotation therefore; and

a leaf member having a plurality of faces and perimeter features including opposing edges and further comprising an electronic structure for at least one of (a) capturing, (b) storing, (c) accessing, and (d) displaying, information electronically, and (e) transmitting and receiving information by wirefree electronic transmission, said orientation member being pivotally attached to said leaf member between said opposing edges of said leaf member at said second end of said orientation member and having a leaf member-orientation member pivotal axis of rotation therefore;

such that said leaf member-orientation member pivotal axis of rotation is parallel to said orientation member-extension member pivotal axis of rotation, and wherein;

when said extension member first end is attached to the host object, said leaf member may be moved about said orientation member, and said orientation member moved about said extension member, allowing said leaf member to be positioned in any one of a plurality of locations, at least two of said locations being to either side of said orientation member-extension member pivotal attachment structure, where the orientation of said face and perimeter features of said leaf may be preserved when placed in said each of said two locations.

8. The combination comprising a host object and a leaf-extension member pair, forming a host object electronic window system wherein,

said host object comprises an electronic object further comprising a structure capable of at least one of (a) capturing, (b) storing, (c) accessing, (d) displaying, and (e) the wirefree transmitting and receiving, information electronically, said host object having at least one host object coupling structure, and

said leaf-extension member pair comprises:

an extension member having attachment structures at first and second ends thereof, where said extension member first end is attached to said host object at said host object coupling structure;

an orientation member having first and second orientation member attachment structures, said orientation member being pivotally attached at said first end thereof to said extension member at said second end of said extension member, forming an orientation member-extension member pivotal attachment structure, and having an orientation member-extension member pivotal axis of rotation thereof; and

a leaf member having a plurality of faces and perimeter features including opposing edges and further comprising an electronic structure for at least one of (a) capturing, (b) storing, (c) accessing, and (d) displaying, information electronically, and (e) the wirefree transmitting and receiving information, said orientation member being pivotally attached to said leaf member between said opposing edges of said leaf member at said second end of said orientation member, and having a leaf member-orientation member pivotal axis of rotation therefore;

such that said leaf member-orientation member pivotal axis of rotation is parallel to said orientation member-extension member pivotal axes of rotation, and wherein

said leaf member may be moved about said orientation member, and said orientation member moved about said extension member, allowing said leaf member to be positioned in any one of a plurality of locations, at least two of said locations being to either side of said orientation member-extension member pivotal attachment structure, where the orientation of said face and perimeter features of said leaf may be preserved when placed in said each of said two locations.

9. The host object leaf-extension member combination of claim 8 wherein said leaf member and said host object further comprise means for identifying the positional location of said leaf member relative to said host object, for monitoring the use of said leaf by said host object and the use of said host object by said leaf.

10. The leaf-extension member host object combination of claim 8 where said extension member is pivotally attached to said host at said extension member first attachment structure and said leaf member can be positioned in any one of a plurality of locations about said host, at least four of said plurality of locations being adjoining locations, each of said four locations being along side at least one of the other said four locations, and where the orientation of said face and said perimeter features of said leaf may be preserved in all four of said four locations.

11. An attachment for a stationary object, said attachment comprising:

a substantially rigid support member having at least a first rotationally pivotable section capable of slidably receiving a structure, and a second section substantially orthogonal to said first section, said second section being capable of being coupled to the stationary object; and

a surface having a face and perimeter features, and comprising a structure capable of slidably coupling to said first rotationally pivotable section of said support member; wherein:

said structure of said surface when slidably coupled to said rotationally pivotable structure of said support member forming an orientation maintaining means for allowing said surface to be slidably and rotationally moved relative to said support member; such that:

when said support member is coupled to said stationery object, said surface may be positioned in any one of at least two substantially coplanar, non-overlapping and adjacent locations, with said surface retaining its face and perimeter orientations in both locations.

12. In combination, a leaf attachment and a book, said book having a binding structure with a cover attached thereto, said leaf attachment comprising:

a mounting surface having a face, and perimeter features including opposing edges;

an orientation member having perimeter features and having opposing attachment locations, said opposing attachment locations comprising first and second orientation member attachment locations; and

an extension member having face and perimeter features and having two or more attachment locations, two of said two or more attachment locations comprising first and second extension member attachment locations; wherein:

said orientation member first attachment location is pivotally hinged to said mounting surface between said opposing edges of said mounting surface, thereby joining said mounting surface and said orientation member, said pivotal hinge having an orientation member-mounting surface pivotal axis line of rotation therefore, which pivotal axis line of rotation is located away from said opposing edges of said mounting surface, thereby dividing said mounting surface into two sections, and pivotally hinged at said second orientation member attachment location to said extension member at said second of said extension member attachment locations said pivotal hinge having an orientation member-extension member pivotal axis line of rotation therefore, said mounting surface, said orientation member, and said extension member being attached with said orientation-member mounting surface pivotal axis line of rotation parallel to said orientation member-extension member pivotal axis line of rotation, said extension member first attachment location being attached substantially adjacent to said book binding structure,

such that,

said mounting surface may be placed in a plurality of locations at least two of said plurality of locations being first and second substantially coplanar positions, said two positions being to either side of said orientation member-extension member pivotal hinge, where the preservation of orientation of said mounting surface face and perimeter features may be preserved in both positions.

13. In combination, a leaf attachment and a book, said book having a binding structure with a cover attached thereto, said leaf attachment comprising:

a mounting surface having perimeter features including opposing edges and a mounting surface width, between those edges;

an orientation member having perimeter features and having first and second opposing attachment locations and an orientation member width between those attachment locations, said opposing attachment locations comprising first and second orientation member attachment locations; and

an extension member having face and perimeter features including opposing ends and having at least two opposing attachment locations, and an extension member width, between those opposing attachment locations, said opposing attachment locations comprising first and second extension member attachment locations; wherein:

said orientation member width and said mounting surface width are not greater than said extension member width; and, wherein:

said extension member first attachment location is pivotably attached substantially adjacent said book binding structure, and said orientation member is pivotally attached at said second orientation member attachment location to said extension member at said second of said extension member attachment locations, thereby forming an orientation member-extension member pivotal hinge having an orientation member-extension member pivotal axis of rotation therefore, and said orientation member is pivotably hinged at said orientation member first attachment location to said mounting surface at a location between said opposing edges of said mounting surface and substantially away from said opposing edges of said mounting surface, said pivotal hinge having an orientation member-mounting surface pivotal axis of rotation therefore, said mounting surface, orientation member, and extension member being attached with said orientation-member mounting surface pivotal axis of rotation parallel to said orientation member-extension member pivotal axis of rotation, such that:

said mounting surface may be placed in any one of a plurality of positions, at least two of said plurality of positions being a first position to one side of said orientation member-extension member pivotal hinge and a second position to the other side of said orientation member-extension member pivotal hinge, one along side the other, where said first position is a position with said mounting surface substantially overlapping said extension member, and said second position is a position with said mounting surface coplanar with and substantially non-overlapping said extension member, where the orientation of said mounting surface perimeter features may be preserved in both of said two positions.

14. In combination, a leaf attachment and a book, said book having a binding structure with a cover attached thereto, said leaf attachment comprising:

a mounting surface having a mounting surface face, and perimeter features including opposing edges and a mounting surface width between those edges;

an orientation member having perimeter features and having first and second opposing attachment locations and an orientation member width between those attachment locations, said opposing attachment locations comprising first and second orientation member attachment locations; and

an extension member having face and perimeter features including opposing ends and having at least two opposing attachment locations, and an extension member width, between those opposing attachment locations, said opposing attachment locations comprising first and second extension member attachment locations; wherein:

said orientation member width and said mounting surface width are not greater than said extension member width; and, wherein:

said extension member first attachment location is attached substantially adjacent said book binding structure, and said orientation member is pivotally attached at said second orientation member attachment location to said extension member at said second of said extension member attachment locations thereby forming an orientation member-extension member pivotal hinge, having an orientation member-extension member pivotal axis of rotation therefore, and said orientation member is pivotably hinged at said orientation member first attachment location to said mounting surface at a location between said opposing edges of said mounting surface and substantially away from said opposing edges of said mounting surface, thereby joining said mounting surface and said orientation member, said pivotal hinge having an orientation member-mounting surface pivotal axis of rotation therefore, said mounting surface, orientation member, and extension member being attached with said orientation-member mounting surface pivotal axis of rotation parallel to said orientation member-extension member pivotal axis of rotation, such that:

said mounting surface may be placed in any one of a plurality of positions, at least two of said plurality of positions being a first position to one side of said orientation member-extension member pivotal hinge and a second position to the other side of said orientation member-extension member pivotal hinge, one along side the other, said first position being a position with said mounting surface substantially overlapping said extension member, and said second position is a position being a position with said mounting surface coplanar with and substantially non-overlapping said extension member, where the orientation of said mounting surface face and perimeter features may be preserved in both of said two positions, and further, where said mounting surface, said orientation member and said extension member are formed as an integral structure and where at least the combination of said mounting surface and said orientation member is made of a flexible piece of material, and where said mounting surface-orientation member combination is formed from said flexible piece of material as a folded construction with said orientation member-mounting surface pivotal axis of rotation formed in said flexible piece of material as a hinged fold, where the hinge effect of said hinged fold is created solely by the inherent flexibility of the material itself.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to "host books" with a fixed or variable number of pages including spiral bound note books, multi-ring bound books, staple-, tape-, or glue-bound books, plastic finger clasp bound books, and the like, add-in leaves in the form of mounting surfaces with additional pages, and particularly, a repositionable mounting surface with a fold-out feature. The add-in components act as a mechanical means for adding "a window system to the host object" and may be configured from a set of building blocks. Entirely new information handling metaphors may be developed from the add-in components in the form of books as well as other objects. The other objects would be objects typically used for representing and accessing information, such as calendars, record keeping devices and the like. In addition to "host books" of the conventional variety, this invention relates to electronic notebooks of the notebook and palm size, which themselves may have software/electronic window systems.

The invention further relates to toys and games and the use of the configurable add-in window system parts as knowledge processing objects for store and order scripting. The toys and games may be mechanical in composition or may rely on a host object with electronic information handling properties. The host object may itself have a software/electronic window system of its own.

Host books are typically sold in a variety of forms including glue- or tape-bound with cover, staple-bound with cover, spiral-bound with cover, and ring-bound with cover. They may have a fixed or variable number of pages or no pages, and the pages may be blank pages, pages with text or pictures, where the text may be formatted or unformatted. Typically, host books with pages that are intended for writing or which contain text and or pictures in any form do not easily allow for the insertion of notes, except for use of margins, specially identified format blocks, or spaces between lines or pictures. Arbitrary notes must be taken on loose pages which themselves can be retained in the host book in a variety of ways as marks. Host pages that have pre-defined formats support structured entry of information but often do not support arbitrary input or output notes very well.

Host books have pages which are typically bound in a sequential order. If the pages can be repositioned, it requires opening of the binding and the removal and reinsertion of the pages to be repositioned. Tagging these pages or marking them for reentry requires (a) folding the page, (b) placing a loose mark in the page which could fall out, or (c) binding a mark that attaches to the page and stays on the page unless physically removed and replaced at another point. Noting or marking in this way either damages the book or covers the written material. Additionally, this type of marking does not easily allow for the continuous collection of information on the mark as the mark is moved through successive pages.

Electronic, computer-based text has been developed which can be accessed on-line via a personal computer or through a shared information utility and which addresses the issue of flexible information manipulation. The basic technology is known as hypermedia, and specifically, as it relates to textual information, hypertext. This capability provides the individual the ability to attach new information to any context he or she is working with, and to view that portion or chunk of specially tagged information out of context from its location in relation to other such specially tagged information, or in context with its location in the body of the text. In this sense, "hyper-access" means that one may view the tagged information dynamically out of context as well as in relationship to the source item or items. The mechanism provided for viewing information on the computer is known as "multiple-windowing". This feature has proven very powerful and has opened up entirely new applications for computers in desktop publishing, computer-aided design, project management, and the like.

This capability of multiple windowing has been unavailable to users of blank books due to the inherent limitation of physically bound surfaces and their supporting bindings. The lack of windows in conventional books has made the context-independent access of information available only through the limited means of fold-out pages.

Previously known add-in page systems do not offer the important feature of windows, the key feature of which is the ability to maintain the face and perimeter orientations of the add-in surface in all of its possible context-independent, floating positions.

Other add-in facilities that may offer additional writing surfaces offer limited positioning of the surface, restricting the add-in to the front or the back of the book and restricting the interleaving of the surface with other surfaces the book may itself hold. Other add-in facilities assist in the page turning process but do not offer any additional facilities for note-taking. The previous alternatives that suggest the use of a frame use dual-arm frames that enclose the entire host object in a brace. That approach is cumbersome and unnatural for the host object and represents an obstruction for the user. Additionally, the frames of that variety add additional weight to the host and in the case of books, obstruct multiple indexing. Multiple indexing involves the indexing of a plurality of edges of the host books leaves.

In the case of notebook- and palm-size computers, the window system is restricted to the size of the screen the host electronic device contains. In the smaller sized notebook- and palm-sized computers, this visual space is restrictive and does not enable a plurality of contexts to be viewed at one time.

Furthermore, in the case of books, configurability is usually limited to forms and add-in leaves. Forms presume the structure of the information that is to be collected and the way in which it is to be collected. Books of this type do not reflect the information map of the user's mind, the frequency of access to certain types of information, the time value of that information, or the linking of that information to other information of related properties. These types of books offer limited robustness, typically providing ring mechanisms for extending the information architecture of the book. They require eye, hand, and mind to restructure or prepare for access, often interrupting the dynamics of the capture-and-represent process of information handling. Books have not been able to provide users with facilities comparable to the interactive windows of computers, limiting the development of an appetite for non-linear information handling among users of conventional books. Computer vendors have been unable to offer users the familiar metaphor of a page, requiring the user to process information in metaphorical window pages. The thinking and learning process is facilitated by the combined use of the eye and the hand. Although the mouse has offered a very large advantage in this area, the page turning metaphors that have been offered mirror the use of a page of a conventional book in a similar but much more limited way and do not adequately reflect the visual/manual restructuring of knowledge inherent in solutions like the mouse.

Toys and game scripting metaphors exist to facilitate the process of a game. These tools are often game-constrained--i.e. offer utility only in relation to the game itself--or, if useful outside of the game, do not support knowledge-intensive activities. Dice are an important gaming metaphor but do not assist the user in a robust knowledge-specific fashion. A blank drawing pad and pencil can be used in creative ways in both games and the real world, but do not offer sufficient robustness in the sense being discussed here. Currently, there are no known puzzles or games that allow for the use of functionally equivalent, let alone identical, tools of the nature of the present invention, within the game and outside in real life. Specifically, tools that can function in a similar fashion, being directed at deeper, multiple-level inferencing, and knowledge-based information processing in both the game and in the real world application. Games and toys exist where the ideas are useful in multiple realms, but not the actual physical object that the game is played with. An excellent example of a case where the object of the invention can be used in both environments is LOGO.COPYRGT.. The physical metaphor, when made available, is a moving object which offers body syntonic learning opportunities, but the object itself is not typically intended for use outside of the game. Making the LOGO.COPYRGT. object a robot or a factory system begins to bridge this gap of utility. However, although computers offer promise in this area, i.e., where the computer is played as a game and then used as a device, computers are limited in availability, expensive, and suffer from the lack of broadly useful eye-hand metaphors as discussed earlier.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention, therefore, relates to frames, leaves, additional pages for a book, fold-out surfaces, and particularly to book marking and more particularly to a special purpose binding that offers dynamic book marking with a fold-out mounting surface capable of supporting additional foldable surfaces offering a mechanical windowing capability for traditional books.

This invention also relates to new book metaphors wherein the book is composed of frame leaves, surface attachments, suprafolded leaves, and hyperfolded leaves. These books being advantageous for, but not limited to, use with repositionable notes. The books offer a new architecture for information handling in which the input, processing, and output of information is coordinated by the configuration of the book and in which information processing is "object oriented". In this architecture, centers are identified for the representation and processing of categories of situations and information is passed to these centers in the form of messages. The messages are partial information structures that carry information or trigger actions which are implemented according to the methods of processing segregated within each center.

This invention further relates to special purpose bindings that provide window facilities for conventional books and electronic objects which may be books, toys, or other objects that are typically used for the purpose of information handling. It relates particularly to knowledge directed construction kits of the components of the invention--i.e., construction architectures which are determined by the type of problem to be solved--and systems whose configuration depends on the application, its complexity, and the degree of portability required in the final solution.

The invention is a special purpose binding which can be attached to a host book in a variety of ways, and which offers the arbitrary placement of a single surface or a set of surfaces which act as windowing surfaces such that each independent surface positions to insert itself within the host book or alongside the host book while remaining attached to the host at all times.

The invention further relates to special bindings that offer "hyper-extending" frames that provide a mechanical analog of a hypertext system and in this manner offer the facility of a new page for a blank book that can "float" from context to context within the book and be viewed independently of any page of the book, in sequence with any page of the book, or at the same time as any page of the book, while retaining an attachment to the book.

In addition, the invention relates to electronic add-ins for information-oriented host objects, books, toys, and the like where the electronic add-ins provide additional surface area for visual window processing, have the facility to record their motion and their position relative to one another and to the host object, enabling a multitude of artificial intelligence facilities to be provided in support of the host object, such facilities being dependent on the category and frequency of use of the add-in frame and folding modules.

It is the object of this invention to provide a form of "mechanical hypertext system" which provides a repositionable surface with a plurality of folding surfaces on it. The plurality of surfaces, viewed as floating pages, behave as pages of the blank book when positioned within the host book, turning as would the pages of the enclosing book. The floating surface then allows for the arbitrary collection of information in the form of notes, lists, etc. Additionally, the surface operates as a "host book mark" to allow the location of any page position in the host book. The mechanical binding offers a cluster of surfaces for the purpose of abstracting and classifying information. Additionally, it offers a means for the information to be accessed, and reused in a more flexible manner by providing a "floating" blackboard-like system that can be continually positioned and repositioned to support the state of use of the host book, while staying continually attached to the host book. In this way, a surface intensive area may be deployed, which contains a large reusable space packaged in the effective area of a page of the host book, compactly provided on a repositionable frame. The method enables the reconfiguration of folding surfaces such that they may be placed in arbitrary position with respect to one another or may be removed, substituted, or reconfigured to suit the user's end application. Thus, the mechanism allows for the continuous collection and depositing of information on its surface as it is swept through the pages of the host book. This enables the filtering and selection of information from the host book onto the surface, the abstracted information of which may be used in an ad hoc fashion out of the context of the original source materials, effectively offering the equivalent of hypermedia in a mechanical form of hypermedia(hypertext) surface.

The blackboard facility may be implemented as a surface intensive area using conventional means for the manipulation of information or electronic means employing software, windows, and visual manipulation facilities available in such embodiments. In this way a computational system with windows for associating information objects in the electronic device with other such objects in the device as well as information objects in the host is provided. This system, whether paper-based or electronic, offers a means for the non-linear representation and organization of information. In the case of the electronic device, the linking of objects can be further supported by pointers. The grouping of objects in the paper system can emulate the pointer linking and in this way a hypertext attachment for a blank book may be provided. Since the implementation is not limited to text, but may include pictures, graphics and the like--and in the case of the electronic module, sound, animation, digitized speech, audio recordings, film clips, sensations, pictures, etc.--the system is truly a hypermedia attachment.

Additionally, the ability to position the surfaces within the host book enables a new form of information processing where messages, typically in the form of removable adhesive notes (which may be positioned, removed and repositioned an indefinite number of times) are used in conjunction with the surfaces to allow for the rapid manipulation of classified and typed data. It is preferable for maximum usefulness of such a system that this type of message passing be accomplished within a very short time--e.g., within four seconds. The present invention supports message passing on such a time scale. A complete message passing system can thus be added to a conventional book, allowing the message passing system to operate as a complementary facility without interfering with the original application and use of the host book.

The message passing can be implemented in a paper-based medium, an electronic medium, or a combination of the two. The accumulation of messages is accomplished according to a method of use which is called HyperFlow.TM.. In HyperFlow.TM., there is a user interface defined by the manipulation of repositionable notes into groups. This is called HyperLook and is comprised of a method for grouping notes (HyperNote.TM.) into lists (HyperList.TM.) and lists into forms (HyperForm.TM.). Messages are passed from leaf to leaf in the system. This is facilitated by the types of leaf contained in the system among which include the HyperBinding.TM. facilities of the frame attachments according to the invention, the surface attachments, the hyperfold leaves, and the supra-folding modules according to the invention. This system offers a new way to implement common applications, among them time management, project management, and the like. The idea is so fundamental to the way one thinks and uses information, that it is applicable in almost any information handling situation and particularly lends itself to educational games, toys, and any knowledge processing systems.

It is the further object of this invention to provide a configurable construction set of knowledge representation components which themselves can be applied to a multiplicity of problems and applications. These add-ins may be used to construct any number of game scripts in which the storing and ordering, accessing, and communicating of information is of central importance to the game objective. It is also the object of the invention to provide a means whereby the physical metaphor of visually and mechanically positioning a leaf or a set of leaves of a variety of types may be used in both a mechanical embodiment and electronic embodiment wherein the same or very similar information handling process is utilized. The advantage this intends to offer is a means to improve the manipulation of information across a broad spectrum of configurations, within effective cost ranges and to make the process of information handling more enjoyable.

In accordance with this invention, a host book configuration could include a host book with a cover, a spine, and pages, and a frame-leaf member bound to the host book in such a way that the host book pages could turn freely and independently of the frame-leaf member, which itself could be manipulated independently of the pages. An alternative host book configuration would include as a host book a simple cover and spine, the pages of the host book comprised solely of frame-leaf members, in which case the book acts in stand-alone fashion as a mechanical hypertext system, with notes and messages passed among the pages of the book thus formed.

In accordance with the invention, a mechanical binding system is provided having a fold-out leaf. The mechanical binding system has a leaf, a frame, and an adapter with means to combine frames into frame sets, as well as a means for attaching the frame to the host blank book. In the preferred embodiment, the leaf has a plurality of folding surfaces, a mounting surface, and an orientation structure formed as an orientation flap. The orientation flap is connected, i.e. pivotally hinged, to the back of the mounting surface leaving a free edge. The frame has an outer arm, a lateral connector arm serving as an extension structure, and an inner arm. The adapter acts as a coupler for retaining the inner arm of the frame and also functions to connect frames into frame sets as well as for attaching the frame or frame sets, as the case may be, to the host book.

The mounting surface of the leaf is a plane that is rectangular in shape and whose width is at most equal to the width of the frame. The orientation flap hinges to its back along a line defined by points equidistant from the parallel lateral edges of the mounting surface. The free edge of the orientation flap is pivotally hinged to the outer arm of the frame allowing it to rotate freely about the arm. The connector arm of the frame is of length at most equal to the width of the cover of the book, and extending greater than the widest page of the book, and the inner arm is of length at most equal to the length of the back or binding of the host book, such that the mounting surface and orientation flap can be positioned within or alongside the host book to the right or to the left. The adapter has a means for pivotally and removably retaining the frame and joining one or more additional frames, and has a length substantially equal to the book binding and allowing the inner arm to frictionally fit within the book binding. The adapter has a means for fixing itself to the host book in such a way that it is semi-permanently attached to the book and translationally stationary, allowing the inner arm to rotate 360.degree. around the host book. The leaf member may be positioned within the closed book arbitrarily between any pages, or extended outward to either side of the book and placed on a work surface lying flat such that the pages of the book are in plain view with the mounting surface placed to either side of the book in plain view. Plain view offers visual access to the manipulated surface in the same orientation in each position to which it is moved. The orientations of the face and perimeter features are preserved relative to the host and to themselves from position to position. For example, an object viewed and read from left to right, will be seen in its left to right position whether lying on the surfaces of the book, preserving the "foot print" of the book (as when opened while carrying the book), or to either side edge of the book (as when operating with the book on a desk).

Other leaf types would implement the mounting surface and orientation flap with an extension flap in place of the frame, as an add-in HyperFold.TM. module, in and of itself. This module (i.e. the mounting surface and orientation flap) would be attached to a second mounting surface serving as an extension structure(a frame implemented as a rectangular surface). These embodiments of surface attachments could be attached to a binding structure, i.e. a spine, ring, staple seam, glue back, cover jacket, or like attachment location, as detailed to follow, or could be cascaded on leaves which themselves are bound to host objects directly or to frames.

Variations on the leaf member would allow for the mounting of a plurality of folding surfaces on the mounting surface. This plurality of folding surfaces could have a variety of folded configurations and could contain various means for retaining loose pages such as envelopes, pouches and the like, and on whose surface might be placed an array of stacks of paper. One type of stack would employ removable adhesive notes on which information could be recorded, where the notes could be removed and posted to other pages of the leaf or of the host book. Another leaf variation would be a leaf as a mounting surface comprising one or more coupling structures for attaching leaf sets on frames, as well as for directly attaching pluralities of leaves in various lengths and widths. Another element which could be mounted on the mounting surface might be an electronic device capable of electronic recording of information, such as a computer device. The electronic device could be any variety and could possess the ability to capture, store, access, display, and transmit electronic information. The mounting surface might itself comprise an electronic device. A variation of the electronic surface and frame would enable the frame to couple to the host through a host coupling structure wherein all parts comprising the surface, frame, and coupling structure are capable of the bi-directional transmission of electrical signals. An electronic device with infrared radio wave capabilities would provide the ability to bi-directionally transmit electrical signals without the need for a direct backplane connection, i.e. a wirefree connection. An electronic host with infrared could also be coded with algorithms that could determine the position of each electronic device mounted as part of the host configuration system enabling a variety of features that would utilize knowledge about the relationship of the windows to one another and to the host. Such an electronic leaf could support a window system that could provide a means for displaying electronic information from an electronic host as well as from other equally suited leaves. A leaf could be fitted with an optically sensitive device which could recognize when the leaf was turned to and could facilitate the counting of leaf turns. A leaf could be fitted with a scanning device which could also house a word processing facility. In this way another form of interactive hypertext facility could be added to a published book and facilitate the process of reading and developing written materials.

A special type of hyper- or supra-folded module would offer significant advantage in implementing an object oriented notebook system. Such a supra-folding module would be configurable from a set of leaf components. When combined, the module could operate in a stand-alone fashion as a notebook. A more powerful idea would be to combine the modules into a book as an add-in or leaf mounting facility according to the invention. The supra-folded module itself would comprise a base with one of three variations. The base would receive one of four types of leaf sets, one with a binding on the left, two with bindings on the right and sized to leaf past one another if coupled together at their respective binding points, and a fourth "one-half style leaf set" that would allow for a partial list management surface if used alone, or if mounted side-by-side could provide dual list facilities on a single surface as in the multi-frame surface attachment. When configured, a set of pages in a leaf set could be placed in the center fold of the base allowing for the selective viewing of one or more of the pages of the leaf set, along with the selective viewing and manipulation of information on the other folded surfaces. The base can be mounted to a leaf or a frame enabling the progressive engineering of more and more robust object-oriented, agency-based, knowledge-oriented information handling systems.

Host book spines come in a variety of types for which the invention is intended to be compatible. One type of host book is a multi-ring binder; another type is a finger clasp binder. A third is a spiral binding. A fourth is a glue-bound type. A fifth is a staple-bound variety with a cover mounted over the staple binding forming a cylindrical gap. A sixth is a glue-bound type with a cover mounted over the binding forming a cylindrical gap. A seventh type of book spine would be formed by a post element which would enable the attachment of frames with inner arms that mate to the post. A spine that would be of particular use with the leaf inventions proposed here would be one that allowed the suitable configuration of the above-mentioned leaf types while retaining a flat composure. A clip system or reusable tape binding system could provide this capability. A host book spine could be implemented that itself housed a single arm frame. The spine would itself provide the hyper-extending facility that allows for the plurality of positions of the face of the leaf mounted thereon. A spine could be fitted with microcircuits that could sense the mechanical positioning of the frames fitted within it, or could itself be an electronic backplane with suitable facilities for the bi-directional transmission of electrical signals with frames, capable of extending the backplane after this fashion, thereby forming an electronic bus structure.

Other embodiments include various other embedded versions, i.e., versions that fit within a conventional host book of the varieties mentioned. With the appropriate adapters, the embedded versions provide hybrid bindings enabling the combination of the host book spine and its pages in conjunction with a configurable set of hypertext book attachments according to the invention.

One set of embedded embodiments utilizes various forms of the inner arm post as a means for attaching directly to a host book spine. In one variation, the inner arm is a post that fits frictionally into the spine. In another variation, the post is formed with a cap which is used as a retaining means. In a third variation the retaining means is a convex hook attached to the end of the post. A fourth variation would use an ear hook mounted along the post. A fifth variation would have the inner arm formed as a hollow tube offering a female socket for joining to the book spine.

If desired, a retention tube may be fitted and retained within a spiral (or other type) binding of the host book. This tube would have an inner diameter sized to frictionally and pivotally receive the inner arm of the frame. Alternatively, two frames could be used, with shorter inner arms fitting within the retention tube from the top and the bottom. These could be used to hold one frame both from the top and from the bottom or to hold two separate frames.

Another embodiment would include having two frame inner arm members shaped to mate telescopingly, so that one could be inserted from the top of the binding and the other from the bottom. They would telescope together within the binding and so be held in position by friction.

Multi-frame books can be comprised by taking the single arm frames and coupling them to various host object coupling structures, thus forming a book with only frame pages, where the frames can be moved to facilitate access to any surface. The preservation of orientation would be useful in a number of such configurations; however, simple frame leaf combinations would also offer advantage.

Various means could be employed for retaining the leaf orientation flap on the outer arm of the frame. One variation would provide an adhesive, permanent mount on said free edge of said orientation flap. Another variation would include a set of clamps on the leaf orientation flap which is snapped onto the outer arm post. Yet another variation would provide means for the post to snap into a tube connected to the leaf's orientation flap binding edge. Two frictional variations would include one in which the post fits snugly within a tube attached to the leaf; the other would have the outer arm of the frame kinked slightly such that, upon insertion in a flexible tube attached to the leaf, the friction is increased by direct pressure on the walls of the flexible tube.

A rotating and sliding configuration would enable the movement of a leaf into four positions preserving the orientation of the face surface in all four positions and offering unobstructed access to either surface in any of the four positions.

There are many variations of adapters. One embodiment would be a simple hollow tube which could be attached to a book spine. A second variation would have spurs on the hollow tube. A third variation would have a slim clip for sliding into a cylindrical gap in the host book spine. Another variation would have a broad clip for attaching to a book cover of a paperback glue-bound book. A fifth variation would include a hollow tube with ear hooks along its edge. Yet another variation would include a hollow tube with rivets. A seventh variation would include a hollow tube mounted on a card wherein the card could be a plain stock, a stock with multiple holes punched or a stock element with a folding crease defining the position for mounting the tube. Any variety of hybrid bindings may also be formed by combining the hollow tube adapter with, for instance, a multi-ring binding. Two variations of this type of hybrid would include a version with the tube mounted on the spine of the multi-ring binder, or a version in which the tube/multi-ring assembly is mounted on a card.

An adapter for a spiral clasp would mold a retaining tube along the length of the spine so as to let the clasps engage freely while allowing the frame to be attached from above or below. The retaining tube could alternatively be positioned within the inner area of the clasps in such a way as to allow the clasps to engage while allowing the pages to turn freely, as in the case of the spiral.

Another adapter would be a card of rectangular shape one edge of which houses the retainer for the frame. The retainer might be a tube as in the case above and the card might alternatively have a multi-ring binding on it as well. This hybrid binding would be able to be slipped into the jacket of a host book cover allowing the entire complement of bound leaves and host spine bindings to be moved from cover to cover.

In the case of multi-ring bindings, another embodiment would allow an adapter to be fitted into the rings as a page would be inserted. In this case, the adapter would position the retaining means within the inner area of the ring set allowing the frames to be attached without impacting the mechanism for opening or closing the rings.

An adapter could be implemented that itself housed a single arm frame. The adapter would telescope and itself provide the hyperextending facility that allows for the plurality of positions for the face of the leaf mounted thereon. A spine could be fitted with such an adapter, thereby offering the ability to laterally translate a leaf while allowing the leaf to rotate on it as a page. The adapter could be fitted with microcircuits for the positional sensing of mechanical frames or could itself facilitate the bi-directional transmission of electrical signals as part of an electronic backplane system.

A variation that implements frame sets would have the inner arms of two frames joined in a hollow tube adapter which itself was attached to the host book spine. Another frame set variation would have the inner arms of the two frames join as male-female connectors. A third variation would have the inner arms of each frame attach pivotally to the host book through a direct frictional engagement.

Frame sets could comprise simple frame leaf pairs or frame leaf pairs that provide the facility of retaining the facial orientation of the leaf as well as providing for the ordinal repositioning of the frame/leaf members of the set. The ordinal maintaining means may be a property of the fixed, physical length of the connector arms, the ability of the frame to "stretch" allowing frames to by-pass one another, or the property of the adapter that allows the frames to be repositioned by lateral movement.

Another embodiment would form a new, stand-alone type of book with or without conventional pages. In a stand alone embodiment, the frames would be housed in an adapter which became the book spine in and of itself, with the pages of the book including various forms of retained mounting surfaces, each having one or a plurality of folding surfaces mounted thereon.

Various other book metaphors can be constructed from the basic elements of this invention. In one variation that employs a leaf set on a frame, the frame is coupled to a book cover with top and base covers. The top cover itself has a folding feature. The top cover can be positioned to the left of the base cover, exposing the leaf set. The top cover can house a note-taking reservoir in one of its folds. The leaf set itself enables the ordinal repositioning of each of its leaves. As a leaf is repositioned, it may be "flipped under" so as to become available on the bottom of the stack, or it may be flipped over and back to the left, and placed below the note carrying reservoir. In this way, when the book is closed, all the leaves thus placed will be flipped and returned back onto the stacked leaf set. The leaves can themselves be removable and thus, can be transferred to another, conventional binding.

A book with a frame or set of frames attached to a host book in one or more locations, one of which could include the book spine itself would offer various advantages in different applications. Equally, a host book comprised of the supra-folded modules constructed in a variety of hyperfolds, in combination with the orientation flap leaf attached thereon or attached to the host book covers would also offer significant advantage over current book configurations. A third type of book that combined the supra-folded modules and the frames would provide unique advantages not provided by either of the other types alone. For example, a face orientation preserving frame-leaf pair could be fitted with a reservoir of repositionable notes as well as with a supra-folded item categorizer, which could then be moved to each object-centered agency in an object oriented notebook architecture, each agency provided by another supra-folded module, providing the means for message generation and transmission among object agencies.

A construction kit could be provided enabling the building of any suitable configuration. This system could be provided as a game metaphor or directly as a puzzle. As a game metaphor, the system would be comprised of various component pieces that would be able to be fitted to one another and to a host object at a variety of coupling structures.

As a computational version, a computer system with a keyboard and windows provided on the floating leaves, each with orientation and ordinal enabling facilities, could be fitted with conventional paper as well. This type of system would be particularly useful as a personal information management system.

Equally important is the case where the book metaphor according to this invention is represented as a set of "visual algorithms" on a computer screen, each leaf of said book being represented by a window and each such window behaving according to its folding constraints as constructed in the particular configuration of the physical book. In this case, the windows reflect the strategy of operation of the book and can be developed for use separately (e.g., via a software tool kit) or can be used in conjunction with the actual physical embodiment. The strategy of organization may reflect a variety of organizations, not limited to representing a flow (HyperFlow), defining input, processing and output of information, time and category factoring of surfaces, and the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a note book with the attachment binding according to the invention, in the closed position;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the book attachment of FIG. 1 in the open position with the attachment positioned within the book;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the book attachment of FIG. 1 in the open position, with the attachment extended to the right along side the book;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4a is a front elevation view of a leaf mounting surface with an electronic device mounted thereon;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the attachment of FIGS. 1-4, taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5a is a cross sectional view of FIG. 4a taken along line 5a--5a;

FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the book and book attachment of FIG. 1 with the book open and the adapter mechanism exposed along with its frame and leaf attachment;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the book and book attachment of FIGS. 1-6 showing a frame, an orientation flap, a mounting surface, a plurality of folding surfaces, an adapter fitting, and a host book;

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a spiral-bound book fitted with a retention tube and two frame members, each with a plurality of surfaces, with member folded to rest within the book, and the other extended to the side showing a page of the host book in plain view;

FIG. 8a is a front elevational view of a spiral-bound book fitted with a retention tube and two frame members, each with a computational window system attached thereon, one window system folded to rest within the book partially covering the pages on that side, and the other extended on its orientation maintaining means to the side showing a keyboard facility in plain view;

FIG. 8b shows a "pencil" with dual facilities for both writing on a paper surface and an electronic stylus for writing on an electronic form of "paper";

FIG. 8c shows a view similar to FIG. 8a, but where the frame members and leaf members are part of an electronic backplane system;

FIGS. 9 and 9a show elevational and top views, respectively, of a frame member inner arm post construction;

FIGS. 10 and 10a show elevational and top views, respectively, of a frame member inner arm post construction with a retainer cap;

FIGS. 11 and 11a show elevational and top views, respectively, of a frame member inner arm post construction with a hook;

FIGS. 12 and 12a show elevational and top views, respectively, of a frame member inner arm post construction with an ear hook;

FIG. 13 shows a frame set in which a pair of frames are combined by means of a joinder sleeve;

FIG. 14 shows a frame set male host with inner arm of frame member of female construction;

FIGS. 15 and 15a show elevational and top views, respectively, of an adapter for inner arm constructed as a hollow tube;

FIGS. 16 and 16a show elevational and bottom views, respectively, of a hollow tube adapter with friction spurs for attaching it to a host binding;

FIGS. 17 and 17a show elevational and bottom views, respectively, of a hollow tube adapter with a clip means for attaching it to a host binding;

FIGS. 18 and 18a show elevational and bottom views, respectively, of a hollow tube adapter fashioned with ear hooks for attaching it to a host binding;

FIGS. 19 and 19a show elevational and bottom views respectively of a hollow tube adapter with a rivet mount for attaching it to a host binding;

FIGS. 20 and 20a show elevational and top views, respectively of a hollow tube adapter with a card mount for attaching it to host binding, with the hollow tube situated on an edge of the card;

FIGS. 21 and 21a show elevational and top views, respectively, of a hollow tube adapter with a multipunched card mount for attaching it to a host binding;

FIG. 22 shows a hollow tube adapter with a broad clip for attaching it to a host book;

FIGS. 23 and 23a show elevational and top views, respectively, of a hollow tube adapter with a card mount for attaching to the host book, with the tube situated in the center of the card;

FIGS. 24 and 24a show elevational and top views, respectively, of a hollow tube adapter