Digital Flash Card Mode with CFI Linking for DRM Content

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional techniques for creating digital flash cards do not allow intuitive creation using content from existing digital sources like eBooks, and they fail to address digital rights management (DRM) and copyright issues.

Innovation Solution

A flash card mode on electronic computing devices enables users to create digital flash cards by selecting portions of digital content, linking them with canonical fragment identifiers (CFIs), and allowing users to enter questions, while managing DRM by prompting users to buy or rent content if they don't already have access, thus avoiding copyright restrictions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional techniques are used to create digital flash cards, then the creation process is simple, but the ability to intuitively create flash cards from existing digital content sources is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveintuitive creation from digital contentVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a flash card mode as an intermediary layer between digital content sources and the user. This mode automatically detects and extracts content from digital sources (eBooks, web pages, etc.) and transforms it into flash card format, eliminating the need for manual creation while maintaining system simplicity through standardized processing protocols

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If content from digital sources is used to create flash cards, then the content availability increases, but digital rights management and copyright issues arise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent source availabilityVSAvoidDRM and copyright restrictions

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by checking DRM status and copyright permissions before extracting content from digital sources. The flash card mode validates content accessibility and user rights in advance, ensuring that only authorized content is converted into flash cards, thereby preventing copyright violations while maintaining content availability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a content validation intermediary that mediates between the flash card creation process and digital content sources. This intermediary verifies DRM status and copyright permissions, acting as a gatekeeper that allows legitimate content extraction while blocking unauthorized access, thus resolving the conflict between content availability and copyright protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11768589B2Digital flash cards including links to digital content

Publication Date: 2023.09.26 BARNES & NOBLE COLLEGE BOOKSELLERS

AI summary

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.