Method and apparatus for enhancing electronic reading by identifying relationships between sections of electronic text
View Patent ↗An apparatus, method and article of manufacture of the present invention detects the presence of references to the same concept in separate sections of text, and, with no input required from the reader, presents the reader with information concerning the detected references to the concept. The information provided may comprise information related to the location of the reference to the concept in other sections of text, and the reader also is provided the ability to move from one reference to a concept directly to another reference to the same concept.
1. A method for using a computer system to provide additional material related to a concept within electronic text, comprising the steps of:
a) establishing a format for an automated search request;
b) accepting an automated search request in said format for additional information related to a concept represented within at least one text section of electronic text, wherein:
i. said search request is initiated by execution of computer-executable code included in said electronic text; and
ii. said computer-executable code is formatted and designed to be executed in real-time without user action when said electronic text is displayed;
c) in response to said automated search request searching an index, said search of an index identifying additional material related to said concept, wherein:
A. said index contains a plurality of terms by which it may be searched; and
B. at least one term in said index is associated with a plurality of references, at least two of said plurality of references each providing information sufficient to specify different material; and
d) providing an indicator of said additional material for display in the same presentation as said electronic text, wherein said indicator comprises display material not directly derived from said electronic text.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said electronic text comprises non-text elements.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said electronic text is an internet web page.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content of said electronic text is used to identify at least one concept.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said search is influenced by additional information from the computer system from which said search is request is initiated.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said search is influenced by location information.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said search is influenced by network browser cookies.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one said reference is a pointer.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one term in said index is chosen based on its relevance to an indicator of additional material.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said index is a compilation of terms that may be searched, said search resulting in the retrieval of information sufficient to identify additional electronic text and sufficient to specify an indicator of said identified additional electronic text.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generation of said index comprises identifying targeting information for at least one indicator of additional material.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said indicator of additional material comprises an advertisement.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said additional material is related to said text section by relevance to related concepts.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said presentation comprises a browser window.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said indicator of additional material comprises a mechanism to provide access to a source of said additional material.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said indicator of additional material comprises non-text material.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said additional material comprises at least one of a) text, b) graphics, c) audio, d) video and e) other computer presentable data.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein said additional material identified by said index search is derived from an electronic text different from the electronic text of step (b).
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein said code, when executed, includes user identifying information as a search parameter.
20. A computer system that provides information about additional material related to a concept within electronic text, comprising at least one computer and one computer-implemented program that:
a) establishes a format for an automated search request;
b) accepts an automated search request in said format for additional information related to a concept represented within at least one text section of electronic text, wherein:
i. said search request is initiated by execution of computer—executable code included in said electronic text; and
ii. said computer-executable code is formatted and designed to be executed in real-time without user action when said electronic text is displayed;
c) in response to said automated search request searches an index, said search of an index identifying additional material related to said concept; wherein:
A. said index contains a plurality of terms by which it may be searched; and
B. at least one term in said index is associated with a plurality of references, at least two of said plurality of references each providing information sufficient to specify different material; and
d) provides computer code to effect display of an indicator of said additional material in the same presentation as said electronic text, wherein said indicator comprises display material not directly derived from said electronic text; wherein said index contains a plurality of terms by which it may be searched and at least one term in said index is associated with a plurality of references, at least two of said plurality of references indicating different text sections.
21. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer instructions to provide additional material related to a concept within electronic text, that when executed by a computer system:
a) establishes a format for an automated search request;
b) accepts an automated search request in said format for additional information related to a concept represented within at least one text section of electronic text, wherein:
i. said search request is initiated by execution of computer-executable code included in said electronic text; and
ii. said computer-executable code is formatted and designed to be executed in real-time without user action when text is displayeth;
c) in response to said automated search request searches an index, said search of an index identifying additional material related to said concept; wherein:
A. said index contains a plurality of terms by which it may be searched; and
B. at least one term in said index is associated with a plurality of references, at least two of said plurality of references each providing information sufficient to specify different material; and
d) provides computer code to effect display of an indicator of said additional material for display in the same presentation as said electronic text, wherein said indicator comprises display material not directly derived from said electronic text; wherein said index contains a plurality of terms by which it may be searched and at least one term in said index is associated with a plurality of references, at least two of said plurality of references indicating different text sections.