Method and apparatus for providing content in mobile terminal

1. A method for providing content in a mobile terminal, comprising:

receiving an electronic book from a provider server;

transmitting a character request message containing identity information of the electronic book to the provider server;

receiving character information corresponding to the identity information from the provider server;

displaying an avatar character according to the character information; and

outputting an event by means of the avatar character, when a page contains a link to the event, and

presenting supplementary information by means of the avatar character.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving information related to the electronic book from the provider server; and

outputting the electronic book-related information by means of the avatar character.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a delete command input for deleting the electronic content;

displaying a message asking whether to delete the character information;

deleting, when a character information delete command is input, the character information; and

maintaining, when a character information maintain command is input, the character information.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identity information of the electronic book includes an Internal Standard Book Number (ISBN).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein outputting comprises:

turning to a page in response to a user input;

and

displaying, when determining that a current page has the supplementary information to be displayed in addition to content of the electronic book, the supplementary information by means of the avatar character.

6. A method for providing content in a system including a provider server, an electronic book content database, a character database, and a mobile terminal, comprising:

requesting, by the mobile terminal, the provider server for an electronic book;

transmitting, by the provider server, the electronic book retrieved in the electronic book content database to the mobile terminal;

transmitting, by the mobile terminal, a character request message containing identity information of the electronic book to the provider server;

transmitting, by the provider server, character information corresponding to the identity information to the mobile terminal, the character information being retrieved from the character database; displaying, when the electronic book is executed, an avatar character according to the character information, and

presenting, by the mobile terminal, supplementary information by means of the avatar character.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

displaying, when determining that a current page has the supplementary information to be displayed in addition to content of the electronic book, the supplementary information by means of the avatar character.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining, by the provider server, whether electronic book-related information is updated;

transmitting, when the electronic book-related information is updated, the updated electronic book-related information to the mobile terminal; and

displaying, by the mobile terminal, the updated electronic book-related information by means of the avatar character.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining, by the provider server, whether a delete command for deleting the electronic book is input;

displaying, by the mobile terminal when the delete command is input, a message asking whether to delete the character information; and

deleting/maintaining the character information according to whether the delete command is input.

10. A content provision system comprising:

an electronic book database which stores a plurality of electronic books having unique identity information;

a character database which stores a plurality of avatar characters having the identity information of the electronic books;

a provider server which sends a recipient an electronic book requested by the recipient and retrieved from the electronic book database and a character information corresponding to the identity information, which is transmitted by the recipient, and retrieved from the character database; and

a mobile terminal which downloads the electronic book from the provider server, sends the provider server a character request message including the identity information of the downloaded electronic book, displays, when the electronic book is executed, an avatar character indicated by the character information received from the provider server, and presents supplementary information by means of the avatar character.