Video interface

Computer-based method for conveying interrelated textual narrative and image information

6892352

Abstract

A computer-based method and device for conveying interrelated image and narrative information is disclosed, suitable for use with a variety of types of information ranging from product information and maintenance procedures to cooking recipes, game commentaries, and travel guides. The first component of the device is an authoring environment used to specify images, narrative text, and interrelationships between elements of each. A second component is a conversion device that prepares the authored materials for viewing. The third component of the device is a delivery or run-time system, capable of being implemented in a standard World-Wide Web browser, which interacts with an end-user to present the information in an integrated fashion, such as by displaying or highlighting relevant portions of the image when the related portion of the narrative text is accessed and vice versa. The abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).


Claims

1. A method of using a computer to convey related information of a strategy game comprising:

identifying one or more text elements related to the strategy game;

identifying one or more image elements related to the strategy game, each identified one or more image element including an image, image display position information;

selecting one or more of the identified text elements for inclusion in one or more text media sections, each of the one or more text media sections further including display position information;

selecting one or more of the identified image elements for inclusion in one or more image media sections, each of the one or more image media sections further including display position information;

organizing a first subset of the identified one or more image media elements into sequences corresponding to moves in a strategy game;

organizing one or more alternate subsets of the identified one or more image media elements into one or more alternate sequences corresponding to alternate moves in a strategy game;

linking each of the identified one or more text elements to one or more of the identified one or more text elements, or one or more of the identified one or more image elements;

linking each of the identified one or more image elements to one or more of the identified one or more text elements, or one or more of the identified one or more image elements according to the first subset or the one or more alternate subsets;

forming an authored document by combining text media sections containing linked text elements with image media sections containing linked image elements;

transforming the authored document into a run-time file using transforming codes;

activating the run-time file;

selecting a transformed image or text element from the run-time file, the selected, transformed image or text element and all linked transformed image or text elements being highlighted.


Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows an image definition portion of authored document;

FIG. 3 shows an interrelated text and image portion of the authored document;

FIG. 4 shows a portion of the second encoded representation in HTML;

FIG. 5 shows information displayed in a consumable format within the run-time environment; and

FIG. 6 shows information displayed in a consumable format within the run-time environment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention resides in a computer-based method for conveying interrelated information. As shown in FIG. 1, the computer-based method for conveying interrelated information includes the following steps. Organizing information according to an information model within an authoring environment. The information is then placed in the form of a first encoded representation. The first encoded representation is converted into a second encoded representation suitable for use in a run-time environment. As shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the second encoded representation is presented in an interactive, consumable format in the run-time environment, shown as 24 and 26 in FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an author creates a document within the authoring environment. A document is the top unit into which an author organizes information. The document contains at least one media section. As shown in FIG. 6, a media section is a grouping of information of a particular media type. The media type is selected from the group of media types including text 22, image 34, video or audio. The media section is provided with information governing the position of its display within the screen or window of the run-time device.

As shown in FIG. 5, a media section is composed of at least one element. An element is a unit of information.

A text element 16 is selected from the group including a paragraph, a sentence, a phrase, a single word, a single character, or as the author designates.

As shown in FIG. 5, three aspects define an image element 36 in a media section 32. The first aspect is the image displayed. The second aspect is the position of the image. The third aspect is a subset of the image. The image is selected from the group including a file of any standard graphics format such as PNG (Portable Network Graphics, an extensible file format for the loss-less, portable, well-compressed storage of raster images), BMP (bitmap graphics-file formats used by the Microsoft Windows operating system), JPEG (image compression software), GIF (providing access to an interactive computer data base for use in compression, transmission and interchange in the field of computer graphics) including animated GIF, an SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) graphics file, a file of a standard video format such as QUICKTIME (computer software for graphical applications, namely, for the creation, delivery, editing and viewing of digital media, namely, video, sound, animation, graphics, text, music and virtual reality.), MPEG (computer operating software programs for recording, transmitting, amplifying, reproducing, encoding, decoding, compressing and decompressing sound, images, and data signals), or MACROMEDIA FLASH (computer software for creating animation, sound, graphics, presentations, and illustrations; computer software for viewing and playing animation, sound, graphics, presentations, and illustrations; computer software for use in authoring for the web; computer software for enhancing the capabilities of web browser software) file, a snippet of text, or a graphic object. A snippet of text is a short piece of text, such as a letter, word, number, or phrase used as a graphic element in a graphic (image) context. A graphic object is a line, a circle, a square, rectangle, polygon, Bezier curve, or other geometric shape. The position specifies the location at which the image is to be displayed in relation to the media section or another element of such media section. The subset is designated by spatial, and in the case of video elements, temporal parameters. The spatial parameters mathematically define pixel regions. The temporal parameters mathematically define time ranges and playback speed, including a single frame of video, a range of video frames, or the entire video from start to finish. In an SVG graphic, the subset may be designated as a sub-object within the graphic. The image media section as a whole may be constructed so as to represent a common graphic type such as a map, diagram, or timeline.

The element of audio is a range of time within the audio media section designated by a starting and an ending time.

The details of organizing information according to an information model within the authoring environment further include the step of establishing links between the elements in the various media sections. As shown in FIG. 6, a link is a relationship between elements, such that at run-time a link from a first element 18 to a second element 38 causes the second element 38 to receive secondary focus when the first element receives primary focus.

In one version of the invention, the links are established by specifying directly which elements are to be linked from which other elements. In another version of the invention, the links are established via a rule-based mechanism, by the following steps: Assigning one or more descriptions to each element. Assigning rules to each element.

Descriptions describe the nature of the element to which they are assigned. Descriptions are selected from the group including single identifiers, identification numbers, and more complex structures. Rules define the conditions for linking elements together. Thus at run-time, the elements whose description satisfies a rule are given secondary focus when the element with that rule receives primary focus. A compound rule may be given, made up of a group of rules all of which or any one of which must be satisfied for the compound rule as a whole to match.

Elements may further specify elements on which they depend, and which thus must be displayed in advance at run-time to maintain the sequential integrity of the media section presentation. The author may specify that the information consumer be alerted at run-time, by an appropriate mechanism, to the presence of un-displayed elements dependent on a particular displayed element.

Transforming codes are used to convert the first encoded representation into a second encoded representation for use in the run-time environment. In one version of the invention, the conversion is carried out once, in advance. In another version of the invention, the conversion takes place on demand. In yet anther version of the invention, the run-time environment directly supports the first encoded representation and so no conversion is required.

As shown in FIG. 4, in a variation of the invention, the output of the conversion into the second encoded representation is in HTML, WML, or similar mark-up language. As shown in FIG. 1, the second encoded representation is then run on a standard Internet browser as the run-time environment.

A version of the invention intended for use on specialized computing devices in the run-time environment, uses a specially adapted second encoded representation. In other versions of the invention, the conversion in the second encoded representation is into a format selected from the group consisting of Portable Document Format (PDF), MACROMEDIA FLASH, SVG, and other appropriate formats. The document could be consumed in any environment that supports the output format.

In the version of the invention using descriptions and rules for specifying element links, the details of converting the first encoded representation into a second encoded representation include a further step. The descriptions and rules assigned to elements are analyzed to determine which elements are linked to each other. The results of this analysis are included in the second encoded representation.

In the version of the invention intended for run-time use on a standard World-Wide Web browser or similar run-time delivery platforms, the details of converting the first encoded representation into a second encoded representation further involve incorporating scripting language-based calls into the second encoded representation. The calls invoke pre-defined functionality contained in the run-time environment portion of the invention.

The details of interacting with an information consumer to present the second encoded representation in a run-time environment include the steps of initiating the run-time environment software and selecting the document that the information consumer wishes to view.

The run-time environment is couched within a computer-based system used by an information consumer to view the interlinked narrative/image information. The document to be viewed is selected by any method typically employed in a computer environment to invoke a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) designating the second encoded representation, and optionally the media section of initial interest, the element to receive initial primary focus, and other run-time options.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the computer-based system used by an information consumer to view the interlinked narrative/text information is selected from the group including a desktop 8, a laptop, a handheld, a mobile phone, a game machine, a electronic book reader, a wearable computer, an application-specific device, or any other device with the requisite processing power, display, sound production component, and software. A display device 12 or a window 24 or 26 designated by the author or the information consumer displays the document. The author specifies the configuration and the format of the consumable end product presented in the run-time environment.

Media sections are displayed in the run-time environment interaction with the information consumer. The display of a media section includes the title of the media section, the content of the media section, a navigational tool, a hint indicator, and a list of elements with secondary focus. The media section is displayed at a location within an author-specified window on the computer display 12. The navigational tool provides controls permitting the information consumer to manually or automatically control movement through the elements comprising the media section. The hint indicator denotes the presence of a hidden element. The list of elements with secondary focus lists elements in the media section receiving secondary focus and permits the information consumer to select one of them and bring it: into view.

The contents of each element comprising the media section can be displayed. Displaying an element includes displaying the element's content, and indicators showing the presence of un-displayed elements dependent on that element, if applicable.

As shown in FIG. 5, a further step in interacting with an information consumer to present the second encoded representation in a run-time environment is to select the media section 20 to be of primary interest. The selection may be indicated visually or through audio means. The information consumer may then commence automated movement through the elements of that media section, if the author established this capability. The selection of the media section of primary interest occurs by the information consumer selecting from an media section list or menu, or employing keyboard commands or user interface elements, such as a mouse 6, to move among available media sections.

As shown in FIG. 6, the details of interacting with an information consumer to present the second encoded representation in a run-time environment include the further steps of certain elements receiving focus, and audio-visually indicating that focus 18. The method of audio-visually indicating focus on an element is selected from the group including flashing the element, moving the element, outlining the element, drawing a geometric shape around the element, displaying an arrow pointing to the element, displaying a box, circle, other geometric shape, or other display item such as text or sequence number near or around the element, playing the element in the case where it has an audio-video component, applying some graphical transformation of the element, changing the color of the element, its font, its size, displaying an alternative version of the element, changing any other attribute of the element, or repeating any of the above activation techniques two or more times for additional emphasis.

The details of interacting with an information consumer to present the second encoded representation in a run-time environment include the further steps of selecting or moving to an element of primary focus, and audio-visually indicating that element. An element may receive primary focus by a means selected from the group including direct mouse 6 selection of the element, information consumer operation of a navigational tool, information consumer operation of the keyboard 4, automated movement, matching a search request initiated by the information consumer, automated detection of location of the information consumer's eyes, or other similar mechanism. In the case of automated movement, the automated movement may commence upon selection of a media section of the primary interest, or upon information consumer command. The speed of the automated movement may be increased or decreased by user command. Further user commands are available to pause, restart, or reverse the automated movement.

As shown in FIG. 5, the details of placing focus on elements include the further steps of giving secondary focus to all the elements 36 linked to an element with primary focus 16. Then, finding the elements thus receiving secondary focus within a dependency sequence. Next, focusing or defocusing upon other dependency sequence elements as necessary. Next, indicating the elements having received secondary focus audio-visually. Finally, placing the elements having received secondary focus in the media section's list of elements with secondary focus.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that such embodiments are by way of example only and merely illustrative of but a small number of the many possible specific embodiments that can represent applications of the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications obvious to one skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the present invention as further defined in the appended claims.

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