Interactive, cross-referenced knowledge system

• US 5,257,185 A
• Filed: 05/21/1990
• Issued: 10/26/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smartworks Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ann W. Farley
• Inventors: Farley, Ann W., Waggoner, Clifford I., Allabaugh, David C., Dutton, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr., Donald E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bodendorf, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US07/526,398
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 364/419, 364/200, 364/900, 395/600
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation

Abstract

A knowledge system having a development configuration by which a knowledge engineer enters knowledge content into a database, and a user configuration employed by the end user to access the database for interactive learning, information retrieval, and problem solving in a specified subject area. The knowledge is organized by a hierarchy of topic nodes, with each node having an associated plurality of cross referenceable information units representing a variety of types, or categories, of information. The user can control the navigation path and information display sequence among information units in accordance with personal learning needs and style. One category can include a pattern of prompts and possible responses. The separation of knowledge content from program logic permits non-programmers to set up, modify, and maintain the knowledge content of the system.

Claims

1. In a knowledge system for making available to each of a plurality of end users in an organization, a shared digital database of content information concerning a plurality of subjects relevant to the organization, the knowledge system having a computer and related hardware including means for storing a plurality of programs including an operating program for carrying out digital processing functions of the knowledge system and a plurality of application programs interacting with user interface means for selectively accessing and presenting information in the data base to the end users, the knowledge systems having a plurality of program modules including a combination of stored program instructions and computer hardware for performing a specified application function in the knowledge system, the improvement wherein the plurality of program modules comprises:

a subject outline module for,

defining a plurality of said subjects,

defining a plurality of topics, each topic being associated with one of the subjects,

defining a plurality of subtopics, each subtopic being associated with one of the topics,

wherein each topic and subtopic is digitally stored and associated as a node in a hierarchical outline of a subject;

an information content module having predetermined information content associated with each node, said information content being digitally stored as a plurality of information units, each information unit being a predetermined, associated subset of a category of information, and each category of information being a predetermined subset of one of at least to two types of information, the types of information including,

a cross reference type which includes a plurality of cross-referenced categories in which each information unit is associated with only one node and with all other cross reference category information units that are associated with said one node, and

a general type which includes at least one general category in which each of the information units which is not in the cross reference categories, is associated with all nodes of a subject;

a navigation module responsive to the user interface means and interacting with the subject outline module and the information content module for the end user to,

select a subject and node for which the associated information units are to be presented,

select a particular information category associated with the selected node to be presented, such that the knowledge system presents to the end user a particular information unit in the selected category that is associated with the selected node,

select one of a plurality of options while said particular information unit is presented to the end user, including

accessing and being presented with at least one of the information units in a cross-referenced type category, which is associated only with the selected node, and then returning to said particular information unit, and

accessing and being presented with at least one of the information units in a general type of category and then returning to said particular information unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the information units in one of the categories in the data base includes a pattern of knowledge system prompts and possible end user responses relating to a topic node.

3. The knowledge system of claim 1, wherein one of the general type of categories includes definitions concerning said subject.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of options includes selecting any other node of the selected subject, for presentation of the information units associated only with said other node.

5. In a knowledge system development platform for use by a developer in an organization who is to construct a knowledge base of information content that is accessible by end users in the organization for selectively accessing the information, the platform including a digital computer for performing digital data processing functions including executing logical operations in a processing unit, a computer operating system program for carrying out the digital processing functions of the computer, means for storing a plurality of computer application programs each including a set of coded instructions defining logical operations to be performed in the processing unit, means for storing a data base, and interface means including a display device for the developer to interact with the computer and programs, the improvement wherein

the means for storing a data base contains relational data base tables each having a plurality of rows for receiving and storing data entered by the developer, said data tables including,

an outline table for storing data defining a subject outline consisting of a plurality of nodes each corresponding to one position in a hierarchy of topics and subtopics wherein the topics are related to the subtopics as parent and child, and the topics are related to other topics, as siblings,

information tables for storing data that specify information units, each information unit defining a self-contained field of information content about the subject;

and

linkage tables that associate each of the nodes of the outline table with at least two information units in the information table;

the means for storing the computer applications programs contains,

a graphics definitions program interacting with the operating system program,

an application logic program interacting with the database,

a database management system program interacting with the logic program, and

a language interpreter program interacting with the data base management system program, the logic program, and the graphics definition program; and

the stored computer applications programs, the means for storing a data base and said interface means, operate together as a developer module for the developer to enter said data into the data base tables without changing the coded instructions in the stored applications programs.

6. The development platform of claim 5, wherein the linkage tables associate each node of the outline table with at least two categories of information units, and each information unit is associated with a node by the association of the information unit with only one category of information.

7. The development platform of claim 5, wherein said developer module includes means for generating a sequence of screen displays in the display device, each screen display constituting a data input form through which the developer makes additions to, changes in, or deletions from , data in said tables without changing the coded instructions in the stored applications programs.

8. The development platform of claim 5, wherein the developer module includes,

an outline maintenance module including the outline tables and order identification means including at least one of the linkage tables, for defining the hierarchical relationship of the nodes, for associating a subject, topic, or subtopic name to each node, and for adding, changing, deleting and modifying the hierarchical relationship of the nodes, and

a content maintenance module including the information tables and content identification means including at least one of the linkage tables for defining said relationship of each information unit with at least one node, and means for defining user navigation options by which the user can access different information units in a user selected sequence.

9. The development platform of claim 8, wherein the linkage tables associate each node of the outline table with at least two categories of information units, and each information unit is associated with a node by the association of the information unit with only one category of information.

10. An interactive learning system for an end user to acquire knowledge about a particular subject, comprising:

a general purpose digital computer and associated operating system adapted to execute and be controlled by a plurality of related stored programs accessible to the computer, including

a relational data base management program,

a user interface program, and

a learning application program;

an end user terminal having input means for the end user to control the interface program and output means including a presentation device for the interface program to communicate with the end user by stimulating the end user'"'"'s sensory perceptions;

a relational data base containing said knowledge in the form of digitally stored data selectively retrieved by the end user through said related stored programs for communication of the knowledge to the end user at said terminal, said data including,

data that specify nodes of a hierarchical outline of preestablished topics and subtopics relevant to said subject;

data that specify a list of a plurality of categories of information concerning said subject, each category containing a plurality of preestablished information units, each information unit defining a self-contained field of information content about the subject that is retrieved by and presented to the user, and

data that specify a preestablished association of each node of the outline with an information unit in each of at least two categories;

wherein the terminal, stored programs, and data base define a navigation module including,

first means, for the end user to be presented with said hierarchical outline of topic and subtopic nodes,

second means, for the end user to be presented with said list of categories,

third means, for the end user to select one of said nodes and one of said categories,

fourth means, responsive to the third means, for presenting to the end user a firs information unit that is associated with said selected category and said selected node as preestablished by said data in the data base, and

fifth means, for the end user to select, while presented with said first information unit, a second information unit that is also associated with said first node, and to be presented with the selected second information unit.

11. The learning system of claim 10, wherein the fifth means presents the first information unit and the second information unit simultaneously to the end user.

12. The learning system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of categories includes,

a first category, containing information units that define at least one type of information content from the group consisting of facts, principles and descriptions concerning a subtopic,

a second category, containing information units that define summaries of information that has recently become important concerning a subtopic, and

a third category, containing information units which define a bibliography of sources of information available outside the system, concerning a subtopic.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said fifth means in the navigation module includes means for the end user to optionally and repetitively implement the first through fifth of said means, for a plurality of nodes selected in any order by the end user.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the data that specify a preestablished association include at least one qualifier table which associates each node with one or more optional qualifier entries, such that each end user may by activating such entries, limit the information units that are retrievable by said end user.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein one of the categories in the data base includes a plurality of information units associated so as to define a pattern of system prompts to the end user and possible end user responses relating to each topic node.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the prompts are in the form of questions and the possible responses are in the form of several answers including a correct answer, and wherein at least some of the answers are related to an information unit of another category associated with said node.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the data base includes at least three other categories of information in addition to said one category, and wherein at least one of the prompts and responses associated with a selected topic node, is also associated with an information unit in each of at least two of said other categories associated with said selected node.

18. The learning system of claim 15, wherein the navigation module includes a prompter module having,

selection means for the end user to select one of the possible responses associated with a given prompt, and

sequence logic means having vector codes associated with each response, for specifying another prompt to be presented to the end user.

19. The learning system of claim 11, wherein at least some nodes have a preestablished association with an information unit in each of at least three categories, and wherein said navigation module includes sixth means, for the end user to select a third category containing a third information unit that is also associated with said first node, and to be presented with the third information unit simultaneously with said selected first and second information units.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein

the prompter module includes

at least some primary prompts having an associated secondary prompt which clarifies the primary prompt, and the vector codes include,

a first set of codes which specifies a standard order of presentation of the prompts if the user does not request any secondary prompts,

a second set of codes which specifies the order of presentation of the secondary prompts if the user requests a secondary prompt,

a third set of codes which returns the user to the primary prompt from the response to the last of the associated secondary prompts, and

the navigation module includes

said fifth means, for the user to access all information units associated with the selected node, from every category in the knowledge base, while the user is considering the responses associated with a particular prompt, and

sixth means, for the user to override the vector codes and select any other node and category for study before responding to all prompts associated with the first selected node.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the prompts are in the form of questions and the possible responses are in the form of several answers including a correct answer, and at least one of the prompts and responses are associated with at least one information unit of another category that is associated with said node.

22. A method for an end user to use an interactive learning system to acquire knowledge about a particular subject, the system including a general purpose digital computer and associated operating system adapted to execute and be controlled by a plurality of related stored programs accessible to the computer, the programs including a relational data base management program, a user interface program, and a learning application program;

an end user terminal having input means for the end user to control the interface program and output means including a presentation device for the interface program to communicate with the end user;

a relational data base containing said knowledge in the form of digitally stored data selectively retrieved by the end user through said related stored programs for presentation of the knowledge to the end user at said terminal, said data including data that specify nodes of a hierarchical outline of preestablished topic and subtopic names relevant to said subject, data that specify a list of a plurality of categories of information concerning said subject, each category containing a plurality of preestablished information units, each information unit defining a self-contained field of information content about the subject that is retrievable by and presentable to the user, and data that specify a preestablished association of each node of the outline with an information unit in each of at least two categories;

wherein the method comprises the end user operating the user terminal by;

retrieving and being presented, a list in outline form, of the name at each node;

selecting for a given name, a first category of information, and being presented a first information unit; and

while being presented with said first information unit from the first category, selecting at least a second category associated with said name, and being presented at least a second information unit;

wherein the step of selecting the first category includes the step of electing a category in which the first information units are presented as a pattern of prompts and possible responses including a preferred response, and the step of selecting a second category includes selecting and being presented with another information unit which contains information that assists the user in selecting the preferred response to the prompt.

23. A computer system including an interactive knowledge support system for making available to each of a plurality of computer system end users in an organization, a shared digital database of content information concerning a plurality of subjects for which the computer system is used by the organization, wherein the computer system comprises:

computer hardware operationally under the control of a plurality of stored programs including an operating system program for carrying out digital processing functions of the system and a plurality of applications programs interacting with user interface means for selectively accessing and presenting information in the data base to the end users, including a relational data base management program, a user interface program, and a knowledge association program to provide run time logic;

said interface means including an end user terminal having input means for the end user to control the interface program and output means including a presentation device for the interface program to communicate with the end user by stimulating the end user'"'"'s sensory perceptions;

a relational data base containing said knowledge in the form of digitally stored data selectively retrieved by the end user through said related stored programs for communication of the knowledge to the end user at said terminal, said data including,

data that specify nodes of a hierarchical outline of preestablished topics and subtopics relevant to said subject;

data that specify a list of a plurality of categories of information concerning said subject, each category containing a plurality of preestablished information units, each information unit defining a self-contained field of information content about the subject that is retrieved by and presented to the user, and

data that specify a preestablished association of each node of the outline with an information unit in each of at least two categories;

wherein the terminal, stored programs, and data base define a navigation module including,

first means, for the end user to access data which specifies one of the nodes of the hierarchical outline of topic and subtopic nodes,

second means, for the end user to be presented with said list of categories,

third means, for the end user to select one of said categories,

fourth means, responsive to the third means, for presenting to the end user a first information unit that is associated with said selected category and said accessed node as preestablished by said data in the data base, and

fifth means, for the end user to select, while presented with said first information unit, a second information unit that is also associated with said accessed node, and to be presented with the second information unit.

24. A method for an end user to use an interactive learning system to acquire knowledge about a particular subject, the system including a general purpose digital computer and associated operating system adapted to execute and be controlled by a plurality of related stored programs accessible to the computer, the programs including a relational data base management program, a user interface program, and a learning application program;

an end user terminal having input means for the end user to control the interface program and output means including a presentation device for the interface program to communicate with the end user;

a relational data base containing said knowledge in the form of digitally stored data selectively retrieved by the end user through said related stored programs for presentation of the knowledge to the end user at said terminal, said data including data that specify nodes of a hierarchical outline of preestablished topic and subtopic names relevant to said subject, data that specify a list of a plurality of categories of information concerning said subject, each category containing a plurality of preestablished information units, each information unit defining a self-contained field of information content about the subject that is retrievable by and presentable to the user, and data that specify a preestablished association of each node of the outline with an information unit in each of at least two categories;

wherein the method comprises the end user operating the user terminal by;

retrieving and being presented, a list in outline form, of the name at each node;

selecting for a given name, a first category of information, and being presented a first information unit; and

while being presented with said first information unit from the first category, selecting at least a second category associated with said name, and being presented at least a second information unit;

wherein the steps of selecting a first category and selecting at least a second category, includes selecting second and third categories, the information unit in said second category being associated uniquely with said name, and the information unit associated with said third category being associated with every name.