Methods for Identifying Actions in a Flowchart

• US 20080184143A1
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Jellyvision Lab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Jellyvision Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Val, Gabriel, Lott, Edward, Gottlieb, Harry N., Jacover, Evan, Fram, Steven
• Application Number:
  US11/957,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20080184143A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

Tools, methods and systems for identifying coordinated actions in a flowchart representing a multimedia experience. These include displaying a graphical view of a flowchart representing a multimedia experience and defining, within the flowchart, a cell including a primary action configured to trigger playback of a primary media asset and secondary actions configured to trigger playback of secondary media assets, wherein each of the secondary actions has a timing coordinated with the primary action. The tools, methods and systems further include displaying a representation of the primary action, displaying representations of the secondary actions in chronological order according to their timing, and visually associating each of the representations of the secondary actions with the representation of the primary action.

Claims

1. A method for identifying coordinated actions, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical view of a flowchart representing a multimedia experience;

defining, within the flowchart, a cell including a primary action configured to trigger a playback of a primary media asset and secondary actions configured to trigger a playback of secondary media assets, wherein each of the secondary actions has a timing coordinated with the primary action;

displaying a representation of the primary action;

displaying representations of the secondary actions in chronological order according to their timing; and

visually associating each of the representations of the secondary actions with the representation of the primary action.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising changing the timing of at least one of the secondary actions and updating the display of the representations of the secondary actions in chronological order according to their timing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the representations of the secondary actions includes a description of a secondary media asset triggered by a secondary action and a value for the timing of the secondary action.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising selectively minimizing the display of the representations of the secondary actions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the representations of the secondary actions are visually linked with the representation of the primary action within a graphical representation of the cell.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the representation of the primary action is displayed in a first display area of the graphical representation of the cell and the representations of the secondary actions are displayed in a second display area of the graphical representation of the cell.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the representations of the secondary actions include descriptions of the secondary media assets triggered by the secondary action and values for the timing of the secondary actions.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising editing the secondary actions directly in the graphical representation of the cell.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein editing the secondary actions directly in the graphical representation of the cell includes:

selecting a target secondary action in the graphical representation of the cell;

identifying the target secondary action by displaying a representation of the target secondary action differently from representations of other secondary actions; and

applying an input received in the cell to the target secondary action.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical view of the flowchart is displayed in a first display region, and further comprising displaying a textual view of the cell in a second display region.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a first target secondary action;

displaying a first properties window, including a description of the secondary media asset triggered by the first target secondary action and a value for the timing of the first target secondary action;

selecting a second target secondary action;

displaying a second properties window, including a description of the secondary media asset triggered by the second target secondary action and a value for the timing of the second target secondary action;

applying an input received in the first properties windows to the first target secondary action; and

applying an input received in the second properties windows to the second target secondary action.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a plurality of target secondary actions;

displaying descriptions of the secondary media assets triggered by the target secondary actions and values for the timing of the target secondary actions in a properties window; and

applying an input received in the properties window to at least one of the target secondary actions.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the secondary actions is configured to trigger a presentation of text, and wherein displaying a representation of the at least one of the secondary actions includes displaying the text.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising editing the text directly in the flowchart.

15. A method for identifying coordinated actions, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical view of a flowchart representing a multimedia experience, the flowchart including a cell representing a playback of coordinated media content;

defining, within the flowchart, a plurality of actions associated with the cell and configured to trigger the playback of coordinated media content, including a primary action and at least one secondary action having a timing coordinated with the primary action; and

differentiating within a graphical representation of the cell a display of the primary action and a display of the at least one secondary action.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one secondary action includes a plurality of secondary actions, and further comprising sorting the secondary actions in chronological order according to their timing.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the display of the at least one secondary action includes displaying a description of media content associated with the at least one secondary action and a value for the timing of the at least one secondary action.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein differentiating within the graphical representation of the cell the display of the primary action and the display of the at least one secondary action includes displaying the primary action in a first display area of the cell and displaying the at least one secondary action in a second display area of the cell proximate the first display area.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising selectively minimizing the display of the at least one secondary action.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising editing the at least one secondary action directly in the cell.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the least one secondary action is configured to trigger a presentation of text, and wherein the display of the at least one secondary action includes the text.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising editing the text directly in the flowchart.

23. A method for identifying coordinated actions, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical view of a flowchart representing a multimedia experience;

defining, within the flowchart, a cell including a primary action configured to trigger a playback of a primary media asset and secondary actions configured to trigger a playback of secondary media assets,

associating each of the secondary actions with a timing coordinated with the primary action, wherein at least one secondary action is associated with a timing defined by a time relative to and prior to the end of the playback of the primary media asset triggered by the primary action;

displaying a representation of the primary action;

displaying representations of the secondary actions; and

visually associating each of the representations of the secondary actions with the representation of the primary action.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein at least one other secondary action is associated with a timing defined by a time relative to a start of the playback of the primary media asset.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the representations of the secondary actions are displayed in chronological order according to their timing.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising changing a timing of at least one of the secondary actions and updating the display of the representations of the secondary actions in chronological order according to their timing.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein a representation of a secondary action includes a description of the secondary media asset triggered by the secondary action and a value for the timing of the secondary action.