Digital flash cards including links to digital content
Techniques are disclosed for creating digital flash cards that include links to content from one or more digital content sources, referred to herein as a flash card mode. The mode allows a user to create a digital flash card by selecting a portion of a digital content source and performing a create command. The created flash card includes at least two virtual sides and a first side of the flash card identifies the location of the selected portion of digital content. The location may be identified, for example, by a canonical fragment identifier (CFI). Text can then be entered for a second side of the flash card. Flash cards can be shared with other users, and because the flash cards only identify locations of content within digital content sources, the mode is well-suited to handle sources including digital rights management (DRM) protection, for example.
1. An electronic device comprising:
one or more processors;
a display for presenting digital content to a user; and
a user interface including a flash card mode at least one of executable and controllable by the one or more processors, wherein in response to user input including selecting a portion of the digital content from at least one source and performing a create command, the flash card mode is configured to automatically create a digital flash card having at least two virtual sides, automatically generate a location of the selected portion of the digital content within the at least one source, and automatically associate the location of the selected portion of digital content with a first side of the digital flash card, wherein the location of the selected portion of the digital content can be later accessed by the flash card mode to retrieve the portion of the digital content from the at least one source;
wherein one or more previously created flash cards are at least one of accessible and buyable by a user, and prior to allowing the one or more previously created flash cards to be at least one of accessed and bought by the user, the flash card mode is configured to determine if the user is authorized to access all sources of the locations of selected portions of digital content in the one or more previously created flash cards and, if so, allow the user to freely access or buy the one or more previously created flash cards, and, if not, prompt the user to purchase authorized access to either one or more of those non-freely accessible sources or the selected portions of digital content within the non-freely accessible sources.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the location of the selected portion of digital content is identified by a canonical fragment identifier (CFI).
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the location of the selected portion of digital content is identified by a beginning canonical fragment identifier (CFI) and an ending CFI.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one source includes an electronic book (eBook).
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the digital flash card has a question-answer construct, wherein one side of the flash card represents a question and another side represents an answer.
6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the answer is user-generated content and the question is based on the selected portion of digital content.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flash card mode is further configured to allow the user to add content to a second side of the digital flash card by at least one of entering text using one or more virtual or physical input devices and selecting an additional portion of the digital content.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the create command includes at least one of a button selection, a selection from a drop down menu, and a gesture.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the user input includes performing the create command prior to selecting the portion of the digital content from at least one source.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the user input includes selecting the portion of digital content from at least one source prior to performing the create command.
11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flash card mode is further configured to allow a user to preview one or more previously created flash cards.
12. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a plurality of instructions encoded thereon that when executed by one or more processors cause the following process to be carried out:
in response to user input including selecting a portion of digital content from at least one source and performing a create command, automatically create a digital flash card having at least two virtual sides; and
in response to the user input, automatically generate a location of the selected portion of the digital content within the at least one source and associate the location of the selected portion of the digital content with a first side of the digital flash card;
wherein the location of the selected portion of the digital content can be later accessed to retrieve the portion of the digital content from the at least one source; and
wherein one or more previously created flash cards are at least one of accessible and buyable by a user, and prior to allowing the one or more previously created flash cards to be at least one of accessed and bought by the user, the process is further configured to determine if the user is authorized to access all sources of the locations of selected portions of digital content in the one or more previously created flash cards and, if so, allow the user to freely access or buy the one or more previously created flash cards, and, if not, prompt the user to purchase authorized access to either one or more of those non-freely accessible sources or the selected portions of digital content within the non-freely accessible sources.
13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the location of the selected portion of digital content is identified by a canonical fragment identifier (CFI).
14. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the location of the selected portion of digital content is identified by a beginning canonical fragment identifier (CFI) and an ending CFI.
15. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the digital flash card has a question-answer construct, wherein one side of the flash card represents a question and another side represents an answer, wherein the answer is user-generated content and the question is based on the selected portion of digital content.
16. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the process is further configured to allow the user to add content to a second side of the digital flash card by at least one of entering text using one or more virtual or physical input devices and selecting an additional portion of the digital content.
17. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the create command includes at least one of a button selection, a selection from a drop down menu, and a gesture.
18. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the user input includes performing the create command prior to selecting the portion of the digital content from at least one source.
19. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the user input includes selecting the portion of digital content from at least one source prior to performing the create command.
20. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein one or more previously created flash cards can be previewed by a user.