Viewing system that supports multiple electronic document types

• US 20050138544A1
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inmedius, Inc. (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Inmedius, Inc. (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Beck, James, Ross, William, Zelesnik, Gregory, Dolan, Kelly
• Granted Patent: US 7,386,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis

Abstract

A method of interpreting electronic documents, e.g., an interactive technical manual, provides an interpreter responsive to at least one global navigational input data of a client user in order to generate a displayable output. The displayable output is generated from informational input and a contextual status. The method of interpretation includes a base semantics module and any number of extended semantics modules, a symbol table, and an output module. A plurality of global navigational data are received at the interpreter, which associates and processes the informational data received with the contextual status and outputs displayable data which is renderable by the display system into a current view. A system and computer medium are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a plurality of electronic document types from a single display system, comprising the steps of:

a. linking the display system with a discrete pluggable interpreter responsive to an electronic document type;

b. receiving at the display system at least one electronic document;

c. processing inside the linked discrete pluggable interpreter the at least one received electronic documents; and

d. outputting display data that is renderable by the display device.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising, after step d), the steps of:

unlinking the discrete pluggable interpreter from the display system;

linking a different discrete pluggable interpreter, wherein said discrete pluggable interpreter is responsive to another different electronic document type;

receiving at the display system at least one electronic document;

processing inside the linked discrete pluggable interpreter the at least one received electronic documents; and

outputting data which is renderable by the display system into a current view.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic document is an Interactive Electronic Technical Manual.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the discrete pluggable interpreter is responsive to at least one global navigational input data of a client user for the Interactive Electronic Technical Manual, wherein generated displayable output is produced from informational input, authored content and a contextual status.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the discrete pluggable interpreter, comprises a base semantics module and any number of extended semantics modules, a symbol table, and an output module.

6. The method as set forth in claim 4, further comprising, the steps of:

receiving at the interpreter the at least one global navigational data;

associating the informational data received with the contextual status, whereby the informational data includes at least one user input field; and

processing the at least one global navigational data.

7. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the discrete pluggable interpreter reuses the programmatic logic of the base semantics module thereby producing programmatic logic that implements one or more structures or behaviors from the interactive manuals and said one or more structures to be implemented are one or more of a step or a task that are each associated with content in a semantics module.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the one or more behaviors to be implemented are one or more preconditions that are each operatively associated with structures in a semantics module.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising, prior to the receiving step, the step of linking with the display system multiple discrete pluggable interpreters wherein said multiple discrete pluggable interpreters are each responsive to a unique electronic document type.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the display system is capable of displaying multiple electronic document types concurrently.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the single display system is capable of linking to a plurality of discrete display modules.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

unlinking the discrete display module from the display system;

linking a different discrete display module, wherein said discrete display module dynamically generates information for a particular display device; and

outputting data from the display system to the particular display device.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the particular display device is one of a computer desktop, a computer tablet, a handheld computer or a cellular telephone.

14. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the wherein said discrete display module is capable of providing customized application presentation.

15. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the stored contextual status is defined by:

one or more states internal to the interpreter for programmatic purposes; and

one or more states external to the interpreter.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15, wherein the stored contextual status determines display data output based on a user'"'"'s actions, current location and training background.

17. The method as set forth in claim 15, wherein the set of external states is one of displaying the manual, displaying the table of contents, displaying the index, setting bookmarks, loading bookmarks, setting sessions, loading sessions, executing a helper application, and executing a diagnostic tool.

18. The method as set forth in claim 15, wherein the set of states is captured in serializable objects, persisted to a database, and then restarted as needed to place the interpreter into the prior captured state.

19. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the informational data includes at least one of serial number of a part and symptoms of a problem.

20. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein manual type is one of MIL-PRF-87269, specification 1000D (S1000D), Joint Computer-Aided Acquisition and Logistic Support (JCALS).

21. A system comprising:

a server connected to a network, the server receiving global navigational input data from users via the network, the server including;

at least one processor;

a database of technical manual content;

a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing program instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to display electronic documents.

22. The system as set forth in claim 21, further comprising:

at least one discrete pluggable interpreter of IETM responsive to at least one global navigational input data of a client user for generating a displayable output from informational input and contextual status, with the interpreter including a base semantics module and one or more extended semantics modules, a symbol table, and output module thereby allowing for the interoperability of interpreters for viewing of disparate electronic documents.

23. The system as set forth in claim 21, further comprising:

a link capable of receiving a discrete display module for rendering displayed output suitable for a particular display device, whereby said discrete display module is interchangeable allowing for interoperability of display modules for viewing in disparate display devices.

24. A computer-readable medium storing instructions for causing at least one processor to perform a method that displays electronic documents, the method comprising:

providing a display system capable of linking to a discrete pluggable interpreter;

linking the display system with a discrete pluggable interpreter responsive to an electronic document;

receiving at the display system at least one electronic document;

processing inside the linked discrete pluggable interpreter the at least one received electronic documents; and

outputting display data that is renderable by the display device.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the electronic document is an interactive electronic technical manual.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the display data is generated by an interchangeable display module, whereby said display module may be exchanged so as to create display data for a plurality of display devices.