Invariant Location Reference Identifiers for Digital Work Annotations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital media systems face challenges in allowing users to easily annotate and share annotations across different display devices due to varying display conditions such as screen size, font type, and resolution, making it difficult to accurately reference locations within a digital work.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of invariant location reference identifiers that are independent of display conditions, allowing users to accurately reference and communicate specific locations within a digital work, and the creation of a system where annotations can be stored and distributed with authorization credentials for access control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If page cites are used to reference locations in digital works, then annotations can be communicated between users, but display condition variations (screen size, font type, resolution) cause the same page cite to reference different actual locations on different devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the location referencing system from page-based (variable with display conditions) to coordinate-based (invariant). Each location in the digital work is assigned fixed x,y coordinates that remain constant regardless of screen size, font type, or resolution. This parameter change ensures that annotations reference the same physical location across all display devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary coordinate system that acts as a bridge between the digital work content and the display device. Instead of directly referencing pages or positions that vary with display conditions, the system uses fixed coordinates as an intermediary layer. This intermediary allows annotations to be accurately mapped to specific locations independent of display variations.
2Stability of the object's composition
If annotations are stored separately from the digital work, then the digital work remains unaltered and annotations can be independently managed, but it becomes more difficult to ensure accurate association between annotations and their corresponding locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-assigning fixed coordinate identifiers to each location in the digital work before annotations are created. These coordinate identifiers serve as persistent references that remain embedded in the digital work structure. When annotations are stored separately, they can reliably associate with locations by referencing these pre-established coordinates, ensuring accurate association without altering the digital work content.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple users can annotate the same digital work, then collaborative annotation is enabled, but ensuring authorization and access control becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal authorization credential system that can be applied across multiple users and digital works. The authorization mechanism uses standardized credentials that verify user identity and permissions in a consistent manner regardless of which digital work is being annotated. This universal approach enables collaborative annotation while maintaining manageable complexity through standardized access control procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A digital work may be annotated using an eBook reader device. Upon receiving an annotation relating to a specific portion of the digital work, an invariant location reference identifier corresponding to the specified portion of the digital work may be appended to the annotation. The annotation may then be stored in association with the digital work for later reference. In some instances, an annotation may be presented on an eBook reader device upon receipt of a valid authorization credential granting access to the annotation.