Host device equipped with means for starting a process in response to detecting insertion of a storage media

Description Submit all comments and votes

CROSS REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Appendix A, which is a part of the present disclosure, is a microfiche appendix consisting of one sheet of microfiche having a total of 29 frames. Microfiche Appendix A is a listing of computer programs and related data for a remote control based on the 6805K1 microprocessor, which is described more completely below.

Appendix B, which is a part of the present disclosure, is a microfiche appendix consisting of one sheet of microfiche having a total of 21 frames. Microfiche Appendix B is a listing of computer programs and related data for a touch panel remote control, which is described more completely below.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for wireless remote control and use of interactive media and in particular to a remote control including a printed publication and/or a storage media and/or a data button.

2. Background

Today's multimedia devices have sophisticated digital sound and full motion video capabilities which make such devices very suitable for entertainment and educational applications in users' homes. The contents of many printed books are now commercially available as multimedia books and applications encoded in CD-ROMs. Unfortunately, using a multimedia book or application on a host device is not simple at all.

Most of today's multimedia books lack the feel of printed books and cannot easily be categorized as books on a bookstore shelf. Children, the main targets of multimedia books, usually cannot use such books without adult help. Today's multimedia books have the feel and ease of use of ordinary computer programs. A significant level of computer knowledge is required to "read" a multimedia book, typically by using input devices such as a mouse, computer keyboard or game controller.

For example, to use a CD-ROM based multimedia book, the user must do the following on an IBM PC host device:

1. Start the Windows operating environment;

2. Insert the CD-ROM into the drive;

3. Find the appropriate icon and double click on the icon, or,

If the icon is not available, use the File Manager's menu to select "File" and "Run" and then type the name of the executable file such as "WP", followed by the Enter key.

The above procedure is not simple for anyone other than experienced Windows users. A similar procedure must be followed for a Macintosh host device.

Although in using a game platform such as 3DO platform or a Sega platform it is considerably simpler to start an application, the user is required to toggle the power switch after insertion of a game cartridge, which can be a significant task for a two year old child. A similar toggling of power switch is required for boot-up diskettes for personal computers. Toggling of the power switch forces a user to wait for the personal computer or game platform to go through the boot-up sequence which can last for typically 20 to 30 seconds. Moreover, the user must know that merely inserting a CD-ROM into a peripheral is not enough and that some button must be toggled or pressed. Also, the user must know the specific button on the host device such as a power switch or CTL-ALT-DEL for an IBM PC.

Although some host devices automatically check a disk drive for a file of commands to be run, such checking is done only during power up for booting the operating system. Once a host device has been powered up and is running the operating system, the user must manually start an application (for example by clicking the mouse on an icon or by typing commands such as "MSINSTR"). After the application has started, the user must know and remember the commands necessary to perform various functions of retrieval and display, the names of data accessible by the host device and must make the associations between the commands, functions and data. Another problem with today's multimedia books is that book authors find it difficult to turn ideas for children's books into products because of the inherent complexity of a multimedia book development process.

Remote controls for television (TV) are well known in the art. Conventional TV remote controls have a rectangular box shape and have function buttons which can cause the TV to switch to a desired channel. However, a user must find out the programs available for viewing (for example by consulting a TV guide to find a desired program), remember the associated channel number and then switch to the desired channel by pressing the appropriate function button on the remote control.

Children's sound books are well known in the art. Such children's sound books have a button which when pressed plays a sound locally from a speaker embedded in the sound book and electrically connected to the button.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with this invention, a remote control for interactive media (henceforth "remote control"), includes remote control circuitry and one or more feature(s) from: a printed publication (such as a book, magazine or a catalog), a storage media holder and a data button. A printed publication remote control in accordance with this invention includes a printed publication having printed content and one or more button(s) connected to a remote control circuitry which allows users to remotely control use of associated electronic content by a host device.

In accordance with this invention, the remote control circuitry is capable of transmitting a wireless signal to a host device wherein an application running on the host device displays the desired results. The button(s) of the remote control have a visual association with text and/or graphic content on the remote control. The text and/or graphic content and the associated electronic content have a representative (descriptive and/or derivative) association (such as the association between a title or abstract and the electronic content associated with the title or abstract). The associated electronic content and the button(s) have a remote electronic association implemented through a wireless signal encoded with a button code. There is a correspondence between the representative association and the remote electronic association such that the function and/or data indicated by the text and/or graphic content visually associated with the pressed button is used by a host device in displaying associated electronic content. Such a unique combination of printed publication, associated electronic content and one or more button(s) into a single remote control allows the button(s) to be customized depending on the content of the associated electronic content.

In one embodiment of this invention, the associated electronic content is encoded in one or more remote storage media and accessed through a remote server although the associated electronic content is an integral part of the remote control. Such a remote control allows a user to simply push a button on the remote control to cause the host device to access electronic content from a remote server.

In an alternative embodiment, the associated electronic content is encoded in and accessed from a local storage media (such as, for example, a compact disk (CD), a game cartridge, a floppy disk and a memory card). Such a local storage media can be removably mounted in a holder physically attached to the printed publication in accordance with this invention. The storage media can be inserted into a suitable peripheral of a host device (such as a personal computer, a game machine or interactive television). The additional cost of a storage media is comparable to the costs associated with connect charges and the communication hardware and software necessary for communications between the host device and a remote server.

In one embodiment of this invention, one and only one button is provided in the remote control. The remote control includes a normal book's front cover, a normal book's back cover, both made of cardboard and a single button bound into the back cover. In one specific embodiment, a CD-ROM holder (with a CD-ROM) is physically attached to or integrated into and forms the back cover of the remote control.

In accordance with this invention, an application's use of associated electronic content (of local or remote storage media) is controlled by pressing a button on the remote control. In one embodiment, pressing a button causes the host device to retrieve the associated electronic content for the next page and display the results of retrieval or appear to the user to "turn" the page (or initiate other actions). A remote control having a single button allows pre-school children to enjoy using associated electronic content or a host device remotely from a distance without need for parental assistance because of simplicity of use.

In one embodiment of this invention the button on the remote control is a large button which encloses all the necessary remote control circuitry in a self-contained unit. In another embodiment of this invention, several buttons are mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) integrated into the housing.

Multiple button remote controls permit a wide variety and range of interactivity with a host device. In one embodiment, a remote control has four buttons each button being visually associated with text and/or graphics which have a representative descriptive and/or derivative association with the associated electronic content of a next page, a previous page, beginning (for example a front cover) and end (for example, a back cover). Such a remote control is idiot proof and can be easily used by pre-school children.

When a user pushes on the surface of a button on a remote control in accordance with this invention, a microcontroller in the remote control wakes up and sends a button code by pulsing an infrared LED. The infrared pulse is received by an infrared receiver connected to a host device microcomputer which interprets the button code to perform the indicated function and/or retrieve the indicated data and display the desired results. Single button control of an application allows even pre-school children to use selections of interactive media accessed via a remote server or from local storage media (such as CD's included in some remote control embodiments).

In one embodiment, the host device is configured with an autostart driver which starts an application for interpreting button codes from the remote control. The application can access associated electronic content from a remote server or from a local storage media on receipt of a button code from the remote control. Hence, soon after a button on the remote control is pressed, the title screen of the interactive media is displayed by the host device.

An autostart driver in a host device equipped with appropriate communications hardware and software can be triggered on receipt of a button code to start communicating with a remote server. In the embodiment of the remote control including a removable storage media, the host device autostart driver, on finding a storage media of a remote control in a local peripheral, checks the inserted storage media for a file of a first predetermined name. If the file of the first predetermined name exists, the autostart driver automatically executes the file which in turn starts the appropriate application. The application automatically displays the title screen on the monitor of the host device.

Therefore when the autostart driver is installed in a host device, compatible applications start up automatically, as soon as a storage media is inserted into the drive. Automatic start-up of an application on insertion of a storage media allows even pre-school children to use applications encoded on a storage media without adult supervision. Therefore using an interactive media in accordance with this invention is made as simple as playing a video cassette recorder (VCR) tape, and even pre-school children can "read" interactive media without adult supervision.

In one embodiment, the same button can indicate a first function/data and alternatively indicate a second function/data at different points during display of electronic contents of an interactive media depending on the specific programming of the application. In such an embodiment, each of such buttons is visually associated with alternative text/graphic content having a representative association with functions and/or data code selections of the associated electronic content.

A storage media remote control in accordance with this invention includes a housing having human understandable content and a shape and size capable of removably holding a storage media. A storage media is removably but securely held in the housing. Encoded in the storage media is associated electronic content which has a representative (descriptive and/or derivative) association with the human understandable content of the housing.

One embodiment of a storage media remote control has the form of a CD box with a number of buttons having a remote electronic association with music video selections encoded in a CD removably mounted in the CD box. Buttons on the housing have a visual association with names of music video selections encoded in the CD. Touching a button causes an application running in a host device to retrieve the desired music video selection from the CD and display the retrieved results. In an alternative embodiment, instead of music video selections, music audio selections are encoded in the CD.

Another embodiment of a storage media remote control has the form of a conventional magazine (henceforth "periodical" remote control). The periodical remote control has a normal magazine front cover and a normal magazine back cover and embedded in the front cover and back cover are several buttons which have a visual association with the printed content of the front cover and back cover. Furthermore, there is a remote electronic association between the buttons in the housing and the associated electronic content encoded in the CD-ROM. Touching a button causes a video recording identified by the text and graphic content to be displayed on a monitor of a host device. In one embodiment of a periodical remote control, membrane buttons are used to identify the desired associated electronic content. In another embodiment, the front and back covers each form flexible touch panel surfaces which permit the X and Y coordinates of the touched location to be determined and thereby identify the desired associated electronic content.

A data button remote control in accordance with this invention includes a housing having data selecting text and/or graphic content visually associated with a data button, wherein the data button has a remote electronic association with data specific associated electronic content accessible by a host device. The data specific associated electronic content is electronic content which includes data which has a data selecting descriptive and/or derivative association with the data selecting text and/or graphic content of the housing. Therefore a data button in accordance with this invention allows a user to remotely select a desired selection from one or more selections accessible by a host device.

One embodiment of a data selecting remote control is a picture book remote control for children which has four buttons, each button being associated with printed text/graphic content of an object (such as, for example, a train) which has a video recording selection accessible by the host device. Pressing a button causes the application to display a video recording selection of the desired object (such as a train button for a train video).

The periodical remote control described above is another embodiment of a data selecting remote control.

Yet another embodiment of a data selecting remote control has a housing in the shape and size of a globe with membrane buttons attached to the housing, one button on each continent and a video recording selection accessible by the host device. Touching any of the buttons causes a video recording selection on the visually associated continent to be displayed on the host device.

Yet another embodiment of a data selecting remote control has a rectangular box housing with content representative of a component of the solar system such as "Mars" and "Jupiter" visually associated with corresponding buttons and solar system component selections accessible by a host device. Pressing one of these buttons causes the selected solar system component selection to be used in a video game software.

An application development system in accordance with this invention allows an author (such as a book writer or an artist) to quickly create interactive applications for children. For example, to create a picture book remote control, the author needs to (1) draw pictures, scan them and store them (2) write captions and store them (3) record sounds and store them and (4) run a compiler engine to generate a run file. Such a simple application development system allows even a person with rudimentary computer knowledge to author applications for remote controls for multimedia books, magazines or audio/video compact disks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates a printed publication remote control in accordance with this invention.

FIGS. 1B and 1C are illustrations of one embodiment of a printed publication remote control in shut and open positions respectively.

FIG. 1D illustrates another embodiment of a printed publication remote control including a removable storage media containing associated electronic content in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 1E illustrates the remote control of FIGS. 1B and 1C being used with a host device in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 1F illustrates another embodiment of a printed publication remote control being used with a host device in the form of a game machine.

FIG. 1G illustrates the display of electronic content on the monitor of a host device controlled by the remote control illustrated in FIGS. 1B and 1C.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are illustrations of one embodiment of a multiple button printed publication remote control in the shut and open positions respectively in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a button for a remote control such as the remote control of FIG. 1B.

FIGS. 3B and 3C are the elevation and plan views of the button shown in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is an illustrative block diagram of a remote control and a host device in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 4B is an illustrative diagram of the remote control circuitry for connecting the switch, the microcontroller and the signal transmitter of the remote control of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C is an illustrative flow chart for the software running in the microcontroller of the remote control of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4D is an illustrative diagram of the circuitry for connecting the signal receiver, microcontroller and microcomputer of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4E is an illustrative flow chart for the software running in the microcontroller of the host device of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5A is a flow chart illustrating the installation of a software driver in a host device.

FIGS. 5B and 5C are flow charts of alternative embodiments of a software driver running in the microcomputer of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5D illustrates the commands for starting an application in the DISGO.BAT file executed by the software driver of FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C.

FIGS. 5E is an illustrative flow chart of an application running in the microcomputer of FIG. 4A.

FIGS. 5F, 5G and 5H illustrate electronic content for use with the application of FIG. 5E.

FIG. 6A illustrates a storage media remote control in accordance with this invention.

FIGS. 6B and 6C are illustrations of one embodiment of a storage media remote control in the closed and open position respectively.

FIGS. 6D and 6E are illustrations of alterative embodiments of a storage media remote control.

FIGS. 6F, 6G and 6H illustrate an embodiment of a storage media remote control in the form of a magazine.

FIG. 6I illustrates an embodiment of a storage media remote control having multiple pages.

FIG. 6J illustrates an embodiment of a storage media remote control in the form of a CD box.

FIG. 6K illustrates a data button remote control in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 6L illustrates one embodiment of a data button remote control in the form of a globe of planet earth.

FIG. 6M illustrates the associated electronic content for the globe remote control of FIG. 6L.

FIGS. 6N and 6O illustrate two embodiments of a data button remote control for an orbiter simulator with text content for various environments such as Mars, Jupiter, Moon, Earth, Saturn and Pluto.

FIG. 6P illustrates the associated electronic content for the orbiter remote controls of FIGS. 6N and 6O.

FIG. 7A is a plan view of a printed circuit board for use with a multiple button remote control, such as the remote control of FIGS. 6B, 6D, 6E, 6J and 2A.

FIG. 7B is an illustrative circuit diagram of the remote control circuitry connected to the switches of the buttons of a multiple button remote control in one embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 7C is an illustrative flow chart of software running in the microcontroller of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 7D is a perspective view of a touch panel for a remote control in accordance with this invention.

FIGS. 7E and 7F are plan views of the top and bottom sheets respectively of the touch panel of FIG. 7D.

FIG. 7G is a composite plan view of the touch panel of FIG. 7D formed by overlaying the top sheet of FIG. 7E on the bottom sheet of FIG. 7F.

FIG. 7H is an illustrative circuit diagram of the remote control circuitry connected to a touch panel of a remote control in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 8A is an illustrative flow chart of an application running in a host device which is responsive to button codes received from a remote control in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 8B illustrates the electronic content of a storage media for a periodical remote control in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 8C illustrates a flow chart for an application for a periodical remote control in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 9A is an illustrative data flow diagram for an application development system.

FIG. 9B illustrates a method used to develop an application for an interactive media using the development system of FIG. 9A.

FIGS. 9C, 9D and 9E illustrate screens of an author interface used to develop an application for an interactive media in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 9F is an illustrative flow chart for the application creation engine shown in FIG. 9A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with this invention, a remote control for interactive media includes one or more of the following feature(s): a printed publication, a storage media holder and a data button.

A printed publication remote control includes a printed publication (such as a book, a periodical, a catalog, a brochure, a postcard, a flyer, a calendar and a document) having human understandable printed text and/or graphic content which is visually associated with one or more buttons attached to the printed publication such that the button(s) allow users to automatically start-up and remotely control use of associated electronic content by a host device.

A storage media remote control includes buttons physically attached to a housing having a shape and size capable of removably holding a storage media. A storage media removably but securely held in the housing is encoded with associated electronic content which have a descriptive and/or derivative association with the text and/or graphic content of the housing and remote electronic associations with the buttons of the storage media remote control.

A data button remote control has a data button physically attached to a housing having data selecting text and/or graphic content visually associated with the data button. The data button has a remote electronic association with data specific associated electronic content.

As used herein, the term "host device" is intended to mean any device which can display to the user associated electronic content encoded in remote and/or local storage media. The host device can be equipped with a peripheral suitable for retrieving associated electronic content encoded in a local storage media. Also, the host device can be equipped with communications hardware and software suitable for retrieving associated electronic content encoded in a remote storage media through a remote server. In accordance with this invention, a host device can be any IBM personal computer (or clone), Macintosh computer, 3DO platform, Sega platform, and an interactive television set top.

As used herein, the term "storage media" is intended to mean media for storing digital data and/or code such as optical disks (for example compact disks (CDs)), flexible disks (for example 51/4 floppy disks), rigid disks (for example hard disks), tapes, game cartridges, memory cards (for example PCMCIA card) or any other media suitable for use in a host device. The term storage media includes such structures and any other structure which performs the function of information storage. In one embodiment the storage media is removable from a host device although other storage media (for example on a remote server) can also be used in accordance with this invention.

Rather than buttons, alternatively any one of a number of identifying mechanisms can be used (such as the well-known "koala pad" structure or a touch panel) which allows the user to transmit a signal to pull up associated electronic content. The enclosed description is not intended to limit the types of identifying mechanisms which can be used to pull up the desired contents on the storage media but rather it could be illustrative of such mechanisms. Rather than a touch sensitive device even a wand or a pointer can be used in a remote control to identify the desired electronic content to be displayed by a host device.

In accordance with this invention, associated electronic content include selections which can contain information found in a conventional printed publication such as book, magazine, catalog or other printed document. As used herein, the term "selection" is intended to mean data and/or code and includes a grouping or combination of one or more files such as software, still graphics, picture, text, audio recording, video recording or other data related to one another, suitable for display by a host device. For example, a selection can include the multimedia equivalent of a magazine article or a television program or a digitized song or a video game software program or a spread sheet for financial information. While in one embodiment, data and/or code selections are in multimedia form suitable for use in a multimedia host device, a single media host device can also be used with suitable selections in accordance with this invention.

As used herein, the term "interactive media" is intended to mean any communication media with which a user can interact such as a computer, an interactive television and a video game machine.

As used herein, the term "category" is intended to mean one or more selections which have some common characteristic. Examples of categories are "fish" and "birds". A fish category can contain selections of audio and/or video recordings and text captions relating to, for example, 200 different fish. Another example of a category is a "rock and roll music" category encoded on audio CD, the audio CD containing 20 selections of music, each music selection being representative of rock and roll music.

As used herein, the term "application" is intended to mean code and/or data which interprets button codes from a remote control. Applications run on host devices. Applications can include selections or alternatively selections and applications can be distinct entities. In one embodiment of this invention applications are distributed to users on storage media housed in a remote control. In one specific embodiment of this invention, an application and associated selections are all integrated into a single executable (such as BUSWEEK.EXE described below). In an alternative embodiment of this invention, applications for retrieving and displaying selections are distributed to users independent of the storage media containing the selections. Applications and/or selections can be distributed to users and accessed by a host device through various communication channels such as phone lines, TV cable and/or satellite link.

An application in accordance with this invention, includes code which interacts with the user regardless of whether the code is created using a high level presentation development system or is hard coded using a programming language such as C. Furthermore, an application can include either a small run time engine or a larger presentation development software for displaying multimedia selections. In accordance with this invention, an application and/or selection can reside on removable local storage media and/or the host device's storage media and/or a remote server. In other alternative embodiments, a part of the application is resident in the host device, and another part is resident on a remote server's storage media and/or a local storage media.

As used herein, the term "display" is intended to mean presenting one or more selections by the host device in a form suitable for use by a human on a display device such as a monitor/screen, a speaker/headset or a printer. Display includes running a software program, playing a sound recording (through a speaker/headset), showing a video recording (on a monitor/screen) and printing a graphics image (on a printer). As used herein, the term "use" is intended to be more than mere display and includes any use whatsoever in a host device.

As used herein, the term "function/data button" is intended to mean a button having a remote electronic association which causes a host device to perform a desired function and/or to retrieve desired data and/or code and to display the results of retrieval on the host device. Function/data button can refer to a function button, a data button or a button having mixed function and data attributes. A function button causes a host device to perform a function. Some examples of a function button are a STOP button, a PRINT button, a left arrow button, a BEGIN button and a SELECT button. A data button in accordance with this invention is visually associated with content on the remote control housing wherein the content indicates to a user one or more categories and/or selections containing specific data on a storage media (local or remote). A data button indicates to a host device, selections containing specific data to be retrieved from a local or remote storage media and to be displayed to the user. Some examples of a data button are a TRAIN button, a JUPITER button, an AFRICA button, a BIRDS button, a I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND button and a 100 TOP US COMPANIES IN 1993 button. A mixed function and data button can indicate retrieval of data with one or more functions to be performed before and/or after retrieval. Some examples of mixed function and data button are a NEXT PAGE button, an ORBIT button, a LAND button, a SKIP button, a REPEAT button, and an INFO button. A mixed function and data button can also indicate retrieval of code and execution of retrieved code.

FIG. 1A illustrates a printed publication remote control 10 for an interactive media in accordance with this invention. Such a printed publication remote control 10 includes a printed publication 11 which has printed content. Printed publication 11 is shown highlighted (double circle) to indicate that the printed publication is an essential feature included in remote control 10. Printed content can be any content such as text and/or graphics which is printed on a housing of printed publication 11.

Printed publication remote control 10 includes one or more function/data button(s) 12, remote control circuitry (not shown in FIG. 1A) and associated electronic content 13. Function/data button(s) 12 have a physical attachment 14A to printed publication 11. Function/data button(s) 12 have a visual association with the printed content of printed publication 11.

Physical attachment 14A and visual association 14B can be implemented by gluing a button to a page adjacent to associated printed text and/or graphic content. Printed text and/or graphic content can also is be placed directly on an associated button 12. In another embodiment, text and/or graphic content are placed far off from an associated button 12 and visual association 14B is formed by one or more printed lines on the printed publication which connect button 12 and the text and/or graphic content to be associated with button 12. The printed text and/or graphic content can indicate user directions (such as "Press the button"), functions and selections (data/code) accessible by a button 12. A user can review a printed publication by looking at the graphics and/or reading the text (including reading braille by touching).

Function/data button(s) 12 are connected to remote control circuitry capable of causing a function/data button code to be transmitted as a wireless signal from remote control 10 to a host device (not shown in FIG. 1A). On receipt of the wireless signal, the host device can access associated electronic content 13 to display the desired results indicated by the text and/or graphic content of printed publication 11. Therefore, there is a remote electronic association 15 between function/data button(s) 12 and associated electronic content 13. There is a representative (descriptive and/or derivative) association 16 between the text and/or graphic content of printed publication 11 and associated electronic content 13.

Representative association 16 is implemented when a publisher of a printed publication remote control 10 makes some indication of associated electronic content 13 in the printed publication 11, which allows a user to use a button 12 to enjoy associated electronic content 13 accessible by a user's host device. Representative association 16 can be descriptive and/or derivative such as the association between a title, an abstract or a graphic and the associated electronic content (for example an icon of a paint brush associated with the software for painting or an icon of a fire truck associated with a video recording of a fire truck).

In one embodiment of this invention, a publisher publishes the printed content of the printed publication as well as the associated electronic content (remote or local) simultaneously as a single interactive media publication. A printed publication remote control sold to a user includes at least printed publication 11 with physically attached function/data button(s) 12 which have a visual association 14B with the printed content of printed publication 11.

An associated electronic content 13 which forms a part of remote control 10 and which is accessible by a user's host device and is encoded either in a removable storage media local to the host device or in a remote storage media accessible through a remote server. The removable storage media is physically included and removably mounted inside a remote control in accordance with this invention. The remote storage media is not physically included in remote control 10.

One embodiment of a remote control for pre-school children is a picture book remote control in which the associated electronic content contains content similar or identical to that of standard children's books such as "Cinderella" and "Pete the Police Car." Such associated electronic content can include selections containing drawings and/or photographs with text captions as in the print version, and/or audio recordings, and/or video recordings for multimedia host devices.

FIG. 1B illustrates one embodiment of a picture book remote control 100 in accordance with this invention. Externally, picture book remote control 100 looks and feels much like a printed publication, such as a regular children's book. Picture book remote control 100 includes a printed publication 101 which has a colorful front cover 102. Front cover 102, a thick cardboard piece, is a children's book front cover. Front cover 102 has an outer side 102A which includes text printed content 103A, "FRED THE FIRE ENGINE An Interactive Book." Printed content 103A is a descriptive title for remote control 100.

Remote control 100 includes a button 104 accessible through a hole 104H in front cover 102. Printed publication 101 includes, in addition to front cover 102, a back cover 105 having an inner side 105A. Inner side 105A has graphic printed content 103B, an illustration of a fire truck, the fire truck being associated with electronic content (not shown in FIG. 1C) in the form of a picture, text, video recording and audio recording of a fire truck which is displayed to a user by a host device when button 104 is pressed.

Button 104 is physically attached by glue to the inner side 105A of back cover 105 (FIG. 1C). Hole 104H has a diameter d.sub.H =1.5 inch to allow a button 104 of diameter d.sub.B =1.25 inch to be accessible when picture book remote control 100 is shut by bringing together front cover 102 and back cover 105 (FIG. 1B). Visual associations between button 104 and text content 103A and also between button 104 and graphic content 103B and text content 102C are formed because of physically adjacent presence to each other (without any other intervening button(s) and/or text/graphic content).

Picture book remote control 100 includes remote control circuitry (not shown in FIG. 1B) supported by printed publication 101 and connected to button 104. In one embodiment the remote control circuitry is embedded in the spine of picture book remote control 100. In another embodiment, the remote control circuitry is encased inside button 104. The remote control circuitry is capable of causing a function identifying button code to be transmitted by remote control 100 and thus provides a remote electronic association with electronic content 133A of FIG. 1E which is accessible to a host device. Picture book remote control 100 has a length L.sub.B =9.25 inches a height H.sub.P =6.2 inches and a thickness T.sub.P =0.35 inches (FIG. 1B).

Although in one embodiment there are no pages between front cover 102 and back cover 105, in alternative embodiments there are pages, such as, for example, thick cardboard pages similar or identical to the pages in conventional children's books, with or without additional buttons.

In some embodiments, a printed publication remote control includes a holder for removably holding storage media such as CD-ROMs. FIG. 1D illustrates a picture book remote control 110 which includes a removable CD ROM storage media 119. Picture book remote control 110 is similar to picture book remote control 100 in most respects described above. Picture book remote control 110 includes a printed publication 112, with a front cover 111, and a button 114 accessible though a hole 114H of front cover 111.

A storage media holder 118 is physically attached to inner side 111B of front cover 111. Storage media holder 118 has a circular inner periphery 118I with diameter d.sub.I =4.75 inch and thickness t.sub.I =0.10 inch (not shown in FIG. 1D). Storage media holder 118 is a square holder with a side having width W.sub.O =5.4 inch and a thickness t.sub.O =0.15 inch. Inner periphery 118I is provided with several notches 118E, 118F, 118G and 118H to facilitate easy removal of CD ROM 119 from storage media holder 118. Furthermore, storage media holder 118 has several ears 118A, 118B, 118C and 118D which hold CD-ROM 119 securely in place when CD ROM 119 is removably mounted in storage media holder 118. CD ROM 119 includes the associated electronic content for picture book remote control 110 (similar or identical to electronic content 133A of FIG. 1E).

Printed publication 112 has a spine 114S of thickness T.sub.S =0.35 inch which connects front cover 111 and back cover 113. When picture book remote control 110 is shut, compact disk 119 is held securely in the resulting enclosure between holder 118, and back cover 113. Back cover 113 has, on its inner side 113A, text printed content 113B.sub.-- 1, 113B.sub.-- 2, 113B.sub.-- 3, 113B.sub.-- 4, 113B.sub.-- 5 and 113B.sub.-- 6 which includes a summary description and copyright notice of associated electronic content 133A encoded in CD ROM 119.

In an alternative embodiment of this invention, a CD ROM holder in the form of a pouch having length l.sub.O =5.5 inch and height a.sub.O =4.75 inch is mounted on back cover 113A. In other alternative embodiments, the remote control has a storage media holder of dimensions and structure suitable for removably holding other types of storage media such as floppy disk (FIG. 6C) and game cartridge (FIG. 6D).

Although in one embodiment, a button is physically attached to the inner side of a back cover of a printed publication, a button in accordance with this invention can be physically attached anywhere on a printed publication including the outer side and inner side of a front cover, a back cover and/or the spine.

Electronic content 133A encoded in CD-ROM 119 includes selections having a representative (descriptive/derivative) association with the text and/or graphic printed content of printed publication 112. In one embodiment, compact disk 119 is a CD-ROM manufactured by Sony Corp.

FIG. 1E illustrates use of picture book remote control 100 with a host device 120 in accordance with this invention. Host device 120 is an IBM compatible personal computer (PC) equipped with a monitor 122, a speaker 124A, a CD drive 124B, a keyboard 124C, a mouse 124D, a printer 124E and, a cable/wire 124F connected to a jack 124G. Host device 120 includes a signal receiver 125 connected via a cable 126 to the microprocessor in host device 120. In one specific embodiment of this invention, jack 124G is connected to the Internet computer communication network. In other embodiments jack 124G is connected to other computer communication networks (such as Information Super Highway, Prodigy and CompuServe). In alternative embodiments, jack 124G is connected to a telephone network, a cable TV network or a satellite network.

A user such as a child can "read" an interactive media on a host device 120 by pressing button 104 in remote control 100. Pressing remote control button 104 causes a "turn to next page" function identifying button code to be encoded in a wireless signal and transmitted via a wireless signal link 104S to signal receiver 125. Signal receiver 125 transmits the received button code to a microprocessor in host device 120 via cable 126. Host device 120 interprets the received button code as command to an application running in its microprocessor.

In one embodiment, on receipt of the button code, the application computes the next page address from the current page address, retrieves from associated electronic content 133C, the electronic content for the next page and displays the retrieved electronic content on host device 120. Such a display causes the image of a title screen on monitor 122 to be replaced by the image of the first page of the interactive media, or causes a first page image to be replaced by a second page image and so on, depending on the image being displayed when the button code was received.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1E the associated electronic content 133C for picture book remote control 100 is encoded in remote storage media 132C connected to a remote server 131. Associated electronic content 133C includes a category of selections for "FRED THE FIRE ENGINE" which is used with remote control 100 having the text printed content 103A "FRED THE FIRE ENGINE."

In one embodiment of this invention, a portion of the remote control button code determines the associated electronic content referenced by the button of a remote control. For example, in one embodiment, in a remote control button code 0027, the number 27 uniquely identifies the associated electronic content 133C containing the story of "FRED THE FIRE ENGINE" while the number 00 indicates the title screen.

A host device 120 can log into remote server 131 and use remote control button code 0027 to retrieve associated electronic content 133C, (which has a representative association with text printed content 103A) and display the title screen. In one embodiment of this invention each successful retrieval of associated electronic content by a user's host device causes the remote server to bill the user for the costs associated with use of the associated electronic content.

Also shown in FIG. 1E are electronic contents 133A, 133B and 133D encoded on storage media 132A, 132B and 132D which are associated with other picture book remote controls. Each such picture book remote control can have a button capable of transmitting a button code which distinctly identifies one of the electronic contents 133A, 133B and 133D and the function/data being referenced. In an alternative embodiment, a single remote control includes multiple buttons, with each button distinctly identifying a different one of electronic contents 133A, 133B, 133C and 133D (as in FIG. 6B).

In the embodiment of FIG. 1E, remote server 131 is accessible to host device 120 via the TV cable system 130 connected to cable jack 124G. Although in the embodiment of FIG. 1E, electronic contents 133A, 133B, 133C and 133D are resident on distinctly separate sto