System and method for formatting multifunctional electronic books for electronic readers
A platform agnostic digital publication format that supports rendered and resizable text, illustrations and graphics, “read to me” features and interactive functionality. The format takes advantage of the alternate renditions feature of the OCF of the EPUB® specification and includes both a ShockWave Flash (SWF) based rendition and a HyperText Markup Language (HTML), Java Script (JS), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) based implementation. In order to avoid duplicating large components (graphics, audio, etc.), files containing those components are not embedded in the SWF files, but are rather externally referenced by both the SWF and the HTML files. A strict and consistent folder structure and file-naming convention improves efficiency and reduces the potential for error.
1. An electronic publication stored on a non-transitory tangible computer medium, the electronic publication comprising:
at least one root level folder, wherein the root level folder is an Open eBook Publication Structure, OEBPS, folder;
an image subfolder contained in the at least one root level folder, the image subfolder containing image files used in the electronic publication;
an audio subfolder contained in the at least one root level folder, the audio subfolder containing audio files used in the electronic publication;
a book subfolder contained in the at least one root level folder, the book subfolder containing a data file, the data file containing JavaScript Object Notation, JSON, data;
a JavaScript subfolder contained in the at least one root level folder, the JavaScript subfolder containing JavaScript files, the JavaScript files providing interactivity functionality to the electronic publication;
a Cascading Style Sheet subfolder contained in the at least one root level folder, the Cascading Style Sheet subfolder containing Cascading Style Sheet files; and
a primary file contained in the at least one root level folder, the primary file containing instructions and, using data from the data file, JavaScript files from the JavaScript subfolder and Cascading Style Sheet files from the Cascading Style Sheet subfolder, is capable of operation on a device for rendering the electronic publication, the primary file linking to the audio files in the audio subfolder and linking to the image files in the image subfolder.
2. The electronic publication according to claim 1 , wherein the data in the data file specifies at least one page layout for the electronic publication and containing links to the image files and the audio files.
3. The electronic publication according to claim 1 , further comprising a second root level folder, the second root level folder being a META-INF folder.
4. The electronic publication according to claim 1 , wherein the primary file is a SWF file.
5. The electronic publication according to claim 4 , wherein the SWF file loads page level SWF files for rendering individual pages of the electronic publication when executed by the device, and wherein links to the image and audio files are contained in the page level SWF files.
6. The electronic publication according to claim 1 , wherein the primary file is a HTML/JS file.
7. The electronic publication according to claim 6 , wherein the HTML/JS file renders individual pages of the electronic publication when executed by the device.
8. The electronic publication according to claim 1 , wherein the primary file is a first primary file, the electronic publication further comprising:
a second primary file, wherein the first primary file supports rendering of the electronic publication according to a first architecture and the second primary file supports rendering of the electronic publication according to a second architecture.
9. The electronic publication according to claim 8 , wherein the first primary file is an HTML/JS file and the second primary file is a SWF file.
10. The electronic publication according to claim 8 , wherein both the first primary file and the second primary file link to the same audio and image files.
11. The electronic publication according to claim 1 , wherein image subfolder further contains a thumbnail subfolder, the thumbnail subfolder containing thumbnail images of individual pages of the electronic publication.
12. A method of creating an electronic publication comprising:
creating at least one root level folder, wherein the root level folder is an Open eBook Publication Structure, OEBPS, folder;
creating an image subfolder in the at least one root level folder;
populating the image subfolder with image files used in the electronic publication;
creating an audio subfolder contained in the at least one root level folder;
populating the audio subfolder with audio files used in the electronic publication;
creating a book subfolder in the at least one root level folder, the book subfolder containing a data file;
populating the data file with JavaScript Object Notation, JSON, data;
creating a JavaScript subfolder in the at least one root level folder;
populating the JavaScript subfolder with JavaScript files, the JavaScript files providing interactivity functionality to the electronic publication;
creating a Cascading Style Sheet subfolder in the at least one root level folder;
populating the Cascading Style Sheet subfolder with Cascading Style Sheet files; and
creating a primary file in the at least one root level folder, the primary file containing instructions and, using data from the data file JavaScript files from the JavaScript subfolder and Cascading Style Sheet files from the Cascading Style Sheet subfolder, is capable of operation on a device for rendering the electronic publication, the primary file linking to the audio files in the audio subfolder and linking to the image files in the image subfolder.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the data in the data file specifies at least one page layout for the electronic publication and containing links to the image files and the audio files.
14. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising creating a second root level folder, the second root level folder being a META-INF folder.
15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the primary file is a SWF file.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the SWF file loads page level SWF files for rendering individual pages of the electronic publication when executed by the device, and wherein links to the image and audio and image files are contained in the page level SWF files.
17. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the primary file is a HTML/JS file.
18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the HTML/JS file renders individual pages of the electronic publication when executed by the device.
19. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the primary file is a first primary file, the method further comprising:
creating a second primary file, wherein the first primary file supports rendering of the electronic publication according to a first architecture and the second primary file supports rendering of the electronic publication according to a second architecture.
20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the first primary file is an HTML/JS file and the second primary file is a SWF file.
21. The method according to claim 19 , wherein both the first primary file and the second primary file link to the same audio and image files.
22. The method according to claim 12 the method further comprising:
creating a thumbnail subfolder in the image subfolder; and
populating the thumbnail subfolder with thumbnail images of individual pages of the electronic publication.