Information presentation apparatus and method

• US 6,029,180 A
• Filed: 03/06/1997
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Murata, Katsuyuki, Harashima, Takahiro, Doi, Miwako
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOUNG, JOHN L
• Application Number:
  US08/812,739
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/513, 707/501, 345/357, 395/200.48
• US Class Current: 715/251
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134

Abstract

In the information presentation apparatus of the present invention, it is possible for the user to effectively present information relative to first information. A memory stores first information including at least one part corresponding to second information. The first information is displayed and the user indicates the part corresponding to the second information in the displayed first information. In response to the indication, a summary of the second information is read from a data file and stored in the memory. The summary is displayed in addition to the first information. Therefore, the user can previously know an outline of the second information.

Claims

1. Information presentation apparatus, comprising:

memory means for storing first information including at least one part corresponding to second information and a summary of the second information, a summary of the second information being directly described in the first information;

display means for displaying the first information excluding the summary; and

indication means for indicating the one part corresponding to the second information in the first information displayed by said display means;

wherein said display means displays the summary of the second information described in the first information in response to the indication of the one part by said indication means.

2. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said display means displays an icon for a user to determine whether the second information is read from a file.

3. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 2,

further including read means for reading the second information from the file if the icon to read the second information is indicated by said indication means,

wherein said display means displays the second information instead of the summary.

4. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said read means reads the summary from the file according to an address and data format described in the first information if the one part is indicated by said indication means, and

wherein said memory means stores the summary read by said read means.

5. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the data format is one of text data, sound data, still image data and three-dimensional CG.

6. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the summary of the second information is described in the first information.

7. Information presentation apparatus, comprising:

memory means for storing first information including at least one part corresponding to second information;

display means for displaying the first information;

indication means for indicating the one part;

read means for reading the second information from a file in response to the indication of the one part; and

summary creation means for extracting a portion of the second information as a summary, and for changing a description of the one part in the first information as a linked part of the summary;

wherein said memory means stores the summary as linked information of the one part in the first information.

8. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein said display means displays the summary read from said memory means in response to a next indication of the one part.

9. Information presentation apparatus, comprising:

memory means for storing first information including at least one part corresponding to second information;

display means for displaying the first information;

indication means for indicating the one part of the first information displayed by said display means to read the second information from a file; and

inquiry means for inquiring to a server of the file whether the second information is accessible;

wherein said display means displays the answer to the inquiry and an icon to determine whether the second information is displayed or not.

10. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 9, further including read means for reading the second information from the file if the icon to display the second information is indicated.

11. Information presentation apparatus, comprising:

memory means for storing first information including at least one part corresponding to second information;

display means for displaying the first information;

indication means for indicating the one part of the first information displayed by said display means;

wherein said display means displays an icon to select the data type of the second information according to the data type described in the one part of the first information; and

read means for reading the second information according to the data type selected by said indication means.

12. Information presentation apparatus, comprising:

memory means for storing first information including at least one part corresponding to second information the second information being stored in a file;

display means for displaying the first information;

indication means for indicating the one part of the first information displayed by said display means;

decision means for deciding whether the second information is already stored in said memory means;

wherein said display means displays an icon to indicate whether a back read of the second information is executed if the second information is not stored in said memory means; and

read means for reading the second information from the file without displaying if the back read is indicated by said indication means.

13. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein said display means displays the icon if the second information is to be stored in said memory means.

14. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein said display means informs a user that the second information is read if the second information is decided to be read from the file, and displays an icon to stop the reading of the second information.

15. Information presentation apparatus, comprising:

memory means for storing first information including at least one part corresponding to second information;

display means for displaying the first information;

indication means for indicating the one part of the first information displayed by said display means;

read means for reading the second information in response to the indication of the one part; and

p1 composition means for replacing the one part of the first information by the second information to create a compound information,

wherein said display means displays the compound information instead of the first information.

16. Information presentation apparatus, comprising:

first read means for reading first information and second information from a file, wherein the first information includes at least one part corresponding to the second information;

memory means for storing the first information and the second information;

interpretation means for deciding whether the first information includes an extended description of the one part to check an update status of the second information;

second read means for newly reading the second information from the file if the first information includes the extended information;

comparison means for comparing the second information read by said second read means with the second information stored in said memory means;

reflection means for outputting reflection information of the update status compared by said comparison means; and

presentation means for presenting the first information to a user, wherein the reflection information is added to the one part of the first information.

17. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the second information in the file includes update flag representing whether the second information is updated in comparison with the second information read by said first read means, and,

wherein said comparison means decides whether the second information is updated in accordance with the update flag.

18. An information presentation apparatus for presenting information distributed on a network, comprising:

path memory means for storing a plurality of paths, each path representing a series of addresses, each address representing a location of each distributed piece of the information;

path selection means for selecting one path from the plurality of paths;

path display means for displaying the one path as the series of addresses;

information selection means for selecting one address from the series of addresses;

information read means for reading the information from the network according to the one address; and

information display means for displaying the information read by said information read means.

19. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 18,

further comprising still information read means for reading still information of each address of the one path;

and

still information reflection means for reflecting the still information to the each address of the one path on said path display means.

20. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 18,

further comprising dynamic information read means for reading dynamic information of each address of the one path;

and

dynamic information reflection means for reflecting the dynamic information to the each address of the one path on said path display means.

21. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 18,

further comprising path change means for changing the series of addresses in the paths stored in said path memory means, and for creating a new path as a series of new addresses.

22. A method for presenting information, comprising the steps of:

storing first information including at least one part corresponding to second information, a summary of the second information being described in the first information;

displaying the first information excluding the summary;

indicating the one part corresponding to the second information in the displayed first information; and

displaying the summary of the second information described in the first information in response to the indication of the one part.

23. A method for presenting information, comprising the steps of:

storing first information including at least one part corresponding to second information;

displaying the first information;

indicating the one part of the displayed first information to display the second information;

reading the second information from a file in response to the indication of the one part; and

extracting a portion of the second information as a summary;

changing a description of the one part in the first information as a linked part of the summary; and

storing the summary as a linked information of the one part in the first information.

24. A method for presenting information, comprising the steps of:

storing first information including at least one part corresponding to second information;

displaying the first information;

indicating the one part of the displayed first information to read the second information from a file;

inquiring to a server of the file whether the second information is accessible; and

displaying the answer to the inquiry and an icon to determine whether the second information is displayed or not.

25. A method for presenting information, comprising the steps of:

storing first information including at least one part corresponding to second information stored in a file;

displaying the first information;

indicating the one part of the displayed first information;

displaying an icon to select the type of data of the second information according to the type of data described in the one part of the first information; and

reading the second information corresponding to the selected type of data from the file.

26. A method for presenting information, comprising the steps of:

storing first information including at least one part corresponding to second information stored in a file;

displaying the first information;

indicating the one part of the displayed first information;

determining whether the second information is already stored or not;

displaying an icon to determine whether a back read of the second information is executed or not if the second information is not stored; and

reading the second information without displaying from the file if the back read is indicated.

27. A method for presenting information, comprising the steps of:

storing first information including at least one part corresponding to second information;

displaying the first information;

indicating the one part of the displayed first information;

reading the second information in response to the indication of the one part;

replacing the one part of the first information by the second information to create a compound information; and

displaying the compound information instead of the first information.

28. A method for presenting information, comprising the steps of:

reading first information and second information from a file, wherein the first information includes at least one part corresponding to the second information;

storing the first information and the second information;

determining whether the first information includes an extended description of the one part to check an update status of the second information;

reading the second information newly from the file if the first information includes the extended description;

comparing the new read second information with the stored the second information;

outputting reflection information of the update status from the comparing step; and

presenting the first information to a user, wherein the reflection information is added to the one part of the first information.

29. A method for presenting information distributed on a network, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of paths, each path representing a series of addresses, each address representing a location of each distributed piece of information;

selecting one path from the plurality of paths;

displaying the one path as the series of addresses;

selecting one address from the series of addresses;

reading the information from the network according to the one address; and

displaying the information read at the reading step.

30. A computer readable memory containing computer-readable instructions to present information, comprising:

instruction means for causing a computer to store first information including at least one part corresponding to second information, a summary of the second information being directly described in the first information;

instruction means for causing a computer to display the first information excluding the summary;

instruction means for causing a computer to indicate the one part corresponding to the second information in the displayed first information; and

instruction means for causing a computer to display the summary of the second information described in the first information in response to the indication of the one part.

31. A computer readable memory containing computer-readable instructions to present information, comprising:

instruction means for causing a computer to store first information including at least one part corresponding to second information;

instruction means for causing a computer to display the first information;

instruction means for causing a computer to indicate the one part of the displayed first information to display the second information;

instruction means for causing a computer to read the second information from a file in response to the indication of the one part;

instruction means for causing a computer to extract a portion of the second information as a summary;

instruction means for causing a computer to change a description of the one part in the first information as a linked part of the summary; and

instruction means for causing a computer to store the summary as a linked information of the one part in the first information.

32. A computer readable memory containing a computer-readable instructions to present information, comprising:

instruction means for causing a computer to store first information including at least one part corresponding to second information;

instruction means for causing a computer to display the first information;

instruction means for causing a computer to indicate the one part of the displayed first information to read the second information from a file;

instruction means for causing a computer to inquire to a server of the file whether the second information is accessible; and

instruction means for causing a computer to display whether the second information is displayed or not.

33. A computer readable memory containing computer-readable instructions to present information, comprising:

instruction means for causing a computer to store first information including at least one part corresponding to second information stored in a file;

instruction means for causing a computer to display the first information;

instruction means for causing a computer to indicate the one part of the displayed first information;

instruction means for causing a computer to display an icon to select the type of data of the second information according to the type of data described in the one part of the first information; and

instruction means for causing to read the second information corresponding to the selected type of data from the file.

34. A computer readable memory containing computer-readable instructions to present information, comprising:

instruction means for causing a computer to store first information including at least one part corresponding to second information stored in a file;

instruction means for causing a computer to display the first information;

instruction means for causing a computer to indicate the one part of the displayed first information;

instruction means for causing a computer to decide whether the second information is already stored or not;

instruction means for causing a computer to display an icon to determine whether a back read of the second information is executed or not if the second information is not stored; and

instruction means for causing a computer to read the second information without displaying from the file if the back read is indicated.

35. A computer readable memory containing computer-readable instructions to present information, comprising:

instruction means for causing a computer to store first information including at least one part corresponding to second information;

instruction means for causing a computer to display the first information;

instruction means for causing a computer to indicate the one part of the displayed first information;

instruction means for causing a computer to read the second information from the file in response to the indication of the one part;

instruction means for causing a computer to replace the one part of the first information by the second information to create a compound information; and

instruction means for causing a computer to display the compound information instead of the first information.

36. A computer readable memory containing computer-readable instructions to present information, comprising:

instruction means for causing a computer to read first information and second information from a file, wherein the first information includes at least one part corresponding to the second information;

instruction means for causing a computer to store the first information and the second information;

instruction means for causing a computer to determine whether the first information includes an extended description of the one part to check an update status of the second information;

instruction means for causing a computer to newly read the second information from the file if the first information includes the extended description;

instruction means for causing a computer to compare the new read second information with the stored second information;

instruction means for causing a computer to output reflection information of the update status from the comparison; and

instruction means for causing a computer to present the first information to a user, wherein the reflection information is added to the one part the first information.

37. A computer readable memory containing computer-readable instructions to present an information distributed on a network, comprising:

instruction means for causing a computer to store a plurality of paths, each path representing a series of addresses, each address representing a location of each distributed piece of the information;

instruction means for causing a computer to select one path from the plurality of paths;

instruction means for causing a computer to display the one path as the series of addresses;

instruction means for causing a computer to select one address from the series of addresses;

instruction means for causing a computer to read the information from the network according to the one address; and

instruction means for causing a computer to display the read information.