Hypermedia authoring and publishing system

• US 6,268,851 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1996
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Web.com Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trellix Corporation (Web.com Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bricklin, Daniel S., Levin, Peter, Zimring, Micah, Kelley, Winslow B., Adams, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US08/723,301
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 345/335, 345/348, 345/349, 345/326, 707/501, 707/513
• US Class Current: 715/744
• 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

Abstract

The present invention comprises a novel system for authoring and publishing hypermedia works. The present invention includes a scrollable contents map window in which a graphical representation of a hypermedia work is displayed. The contents map window contains graphical lexia symbols representing the lexia of the hypermedia work, empty space, and other graphical and text elements. Links between lexia are not ordinarily displayed. Selecting a lexia symbol causes the corresponding lexia to be displayed in a lexia display window. The lexia symbols representing lexia may be arranged in the window in any configuration. Freely movable text labels and other graphical elements may be placed anywhere in the contents map window. Additional special purpose graphical elements may be placed in the contents map window to create relationships among lexia. In one embodiment, a number of different modes of the contents map window can be displayed. One mode is a caricature mode. In caricature mode, lexia are represented by novel, information rich, dynamic lexia symbols with enhanced mnemonic features and visual cues called “caricatures”. The mnemonic features and visual cues of a caricature, together with its position with respect to other elements in the contents map, provide means for uniquely visually identifying the underlying lexia. One embodiment of the invention includes a search function that allows an author or a reader to search some or all of the lexia of a work for specific words, phrases, or other items such as links. Lexia symbols of each lexia containing the searched for text are highlighted in the contents map window.

Claims

1. A hypermedia editing system for editing a hypermedia work comprising:

a display screen;

a hypermedia work display window displayed on said display screen;

a plurality of graphical elements displayed in said hypermedia work display window, one or more of said graphical elements comprising a first special function element, said first special function element specifying a first special function wherein said graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element inherit from said first special function element said first special function.

2. The hypermedia editing system of claim 1 wherein items represented by said graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element inherit from said first special element said first special function.

3. The hypermedia editing system of claim 2 wherein said hypermedia work comprises a plurality of lexia and wherein said plurality of elements displayed in said hypermedia work display window comprise a plurality of lexia symbols representing lexia of said hypermedia work.

4. The hypermedia editing system of claim 3 wherein lexia represented by lexia symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element inherit from said first special element said first special function.

5. The hypermedia editing system of claim 4 wherein said first special function comprises applying formatting to lexia represented by lexia symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element.

6. The hypermedia editing system of claim 4 wherein said first special function comprises creating links between lexia represented by lexia symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element.

7. The hypermedia editing system of claim 6 wherein said links created between said lexia represented by lexia symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element correspond to relative positions of said lexia symbols with respect to said first special function element.

8. The hypermedia editing system of claim 7 wherein said links created between said lexia represented by lexia symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element comprise links between lexia represented by lexia symbols disposed immediately adjacent to each other.

9. The hypermedia editing system of claim 8 wherein said links created between said lexia represented by lexia symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element are represented in said lexia by link activation areas.

10. The hypermedia editing system of claim 9 wherein said link activation areas comprise link activation buttons.

11. The hypermedia editing system of claim 7 wherein said links created between said lexia represented by lexia symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element comprise links between each lexia represented by a lexia symbol located within said first distance from said first special function element and each lexia represented by each other of said lexia symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element.

12. The hypermedia editing system of claim 11 wherein said links created between said lexia represented by lexia symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element are represented in said lexia by link activation areas.

13. The hypermedia editing system of claim 12 wherein said link activation areas are represented in said lexia by lists of link activation areas.

14. The hypermedia editing system of claim 13 wherein said link activation areas comprise text labels.

15. The hypermedia editing system of claim 14 wherein said lexia comprise data fields and wherein said text labels comprise text labels extracted from said data fields of said lexia.

16. The hypermedia editing system of claim 12 wherein said link activation areas are represented in said lexia by tables of link activation areas.

17. The hypermedia editing system of claim 7 wherein said links created between said lexia represented by lexia symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element are represented in said lexia by link activation areas.

18. The hypermedia editing system of claim 6 wherein said links created between said lexia represented by lexia symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element are represented in said lexia by link activation areas.

19. The hypermedia editing system of claim 18 wherein said link activation areas comprise text labels.

20. The hypermedia editing system of claim 19 wherein said lexia comprise data fields and wherein said text labels comprise text labels extracted from said data fields of said lexia.

21. The hypermedia editing system of claim 6 wherein said first special function element is depicted in said hypermedia work display window as a bar.

22. The hypermedia editing system of claim 6 wherein said first special function element is depicted in said hypermedia work display window as a plurality of bars arranged to form a grid.

23. The hypermedia editing system of claim 4 wherein said first distance is zero.

24. The hypermedia editing system of claim 4 wherein said graphical symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element are automatically moved to said first special function element.

25. The hypermedia editing system of claim 1 wherein said graphical elements comprise a plurality of special function elements, and wherein a second special function element located within said first distance from said first special function element inherit from said first special element said first special function.

26. The hypermedia editing system of claim 25 wherein said first special function comprises applying formatting to said second special function element.

27. The hypermedia editing system of claim 26 wherein said formatting is applied to said graphical elements located within a second distance from said second special function element.

28. The hypermedia editing system of claim 25 wherein said graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element comprise a second special function element and an other graphical element and wherein said first special function comprises creating links between said second special function element and said other graphical element.

29. The hypermedia editing system of claim 25 wherein said graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element comprise a second special function element and a lexia symbol representing a lexia of said hypermedia work and wherein said first special function comprises creating a link between said second special function element and said lexia represented by said lexia symbol.

30. The hypermedia editing system of claim 1 wherein said first special function comprises applying formatting to said graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element.

31. The hypermedia editing system of claim 1 wherein said first special function comprises creating links between said graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element.

32. The hypermedia editing system of claim 31 wherein said links created between said graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element correspond to relative positions of said graphical elements with respect to said first special function element.

33. The hypermedia editing system of claim 32 wherein said links created between said graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element comprise links between said graphical elements disposed immediately adjacent to each other.

34. The hypermedia editing system of claim 32 wherein said links created between said graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element comprise links between each of said graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element and each other of said graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element.

35. The hypermedia editing system of claim 32 wherein said graphical elements are movable such that a graphical element located at one relative location within said first distance from said first special function element is movable to a second relative location within said first distance from said first special function element and wherein said links created according to said first special function are automatically updated to correspond to movement of said graphical element from said first relative position to said second relative position.

36. The hypermedia editing system of claim 1 wherein said graphical elements located within a first distance of said first special function element inherit from said first special element a plurality of special functions.

37. The hypermedia editing system of claim 36 wherein said plurality of special functions specified by said first special function element comprise formatting and link creation.

38. The hypermedia editing system of claim 1 wherein said first special function is user selectable from among a plurality of special functions.

39. The hypermedia editing system of claim 1 wherein said graphical elements are movable such that a graphical element located within said first distance from said first special function element is movable beyond said first distance from said first special function element to a location at which said moved graphical element no longer inherits said first special function.

40. The hypermedia editing system of claim 1 wherein said first special function element is movable, and wherein moving said first special function element causes said graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element to move in a corresponding manner.

45. The method of claim 39 wherein said first distance is zero.

41. In a computer system, a method for editing a hypermedia work comprising the steps of:

displaying a hypermedia work display window on a display screen;

displaying a plurality of graphical elements in said hypermedia work display window, said plurality of graphical elements comprising a first special function element, said first special function element specifying a first special function;

applying said first special function to one or more of said graphical elements located within a first distance from said special function element wherein said graphical elements inherit from said first special function element said first special function.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein said step of applying said first special function to said one or more graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element comprises the step of applying said first special function to items represented by said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said hypermedia work comprises a plurality of lexia and wherein said plurality of graphical elements displayed in said hypermedia work display window comprise a plurality of lexia symbols representing lexia of said hypermedia work.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein said step of applying said first special function to said one or more graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element comprises the step of applying said first special function to lexia represented by lexia symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element.

46. The method of claim 41 wherein said one or more graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element comprise a second special function element and wherein said step of applying said first special function to said one or more graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element comprises the step of applying said first special function to said second special function element.

47. The method of claim 41 wherein said first special function comprises applying formatting to said one or more graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element.

48. The method of claim 41 wherein said first special function comprises creating links between said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein said links created between said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element correspond to relative positions of said one or more graphical elements with respect to said first special function element.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein said links created between said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element comprise links between each of said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element and each other of said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element comprise lexia symbols representing lexia of a hypermedia work and wherein said links created between said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element are represented in said lexia by link activation areas.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein said lexia comprise data fields and wherein said link activation areas comprise text labels extracted from said data fields.

53. The method of claim 51 wherein said link activation areas comprise tables of link activation areas.

54. The method of claim 49 further comprising the steps of:

moving a graphical element located at a first location within said first distance from said first special function element to a second location within said first distance from said first special function element;

updating links created according to said first special function element to correspond to said second location of said graphical element.

55. The method of claim 41 wherein said one or more graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element comprise a lexia symbol representing a lexia and wherein said first special function comprises creating a link between said lexia and said second special function element.

56. The method of claim 41 wherein said first special function comprises a plurality of special functions.

57. The method of claim 41 further comprising the step of moving said graphical symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element to said special function element.

58. The method of claim 41 further comprising the steps of:

moving a graphical element from within said first distance from said first special function element to without said first distance from said first special function element;

undoing application of said first special function from said moved graphical element.

59. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for editing a hypermedia work, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying a hypermedia work display window on a display screen;

displaying a plurality of graphical elements in said hypermedia work display window, said plurality of graphical elements comprising a first special function element, said first special function element specifying a first special function comprising an association to be created between said plurality of graphical elements;

applying said first special function to one or more of said graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element wherein one or more of said graphical elements inherit from said first special function element said first special function.

60. The program storage device of claim 59 wherein said method step of applying said first special function to said one or more graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element comprises the step of applying said first special function to items represented by said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element.

61. The program storage device of claim 60 wherein said hypermedia work comprises a plurality of lexia and wherein said plurality of graphical elements displayed in said hypermedia work display window comprise a plurality of lexia symbols representing lexia of said hypermedia work.

62. The program storage device of claim 61 wherein said method step of applying said first special function to said one or more graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element comprises the step of applying said first special function to lexia represented by lexia symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element.

63. The program storage device of claim 59 wherein said one or more graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element comprise a second special function element and wherein said method step of applying said first special function to said one or more graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element comprises the step of applying said first special function to said second special function element.

64. The program storage device of claim 59 wherein said first special function comprises applying formatting to said one or more graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element.

65. The program storage device of claim 59 wherein said first special function comprises creating links between said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element.

66. The program storage device of claim 65 wherein said links created between said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element correspond to relative positions of said one or more graphical elements with respect to said first special function element.

67. The program storage device of claim 66 wherein said links created between said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element comprise links between each of said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element and each other of said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element.

68. The program storage device of claim 67 in which said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special purpose element comprise lexia symbols representing lexia of a hypermedia work and wherein said links created between said one or more graphical elements located within said first distance from said first special function element are represented in said lexia by link activation areas.

69. The program storage device of claim 68 wherein said lexia comprise data fields and wherein said link activation areas comprise text labels extracted from said data fields.

70. The program storage device of claim 68 wherein said link activation areas comprise lists of link activation areas.

71. The program storage device of claim 68 wherein said link activation areas comprise tables of link activation areas.

72. The program storage device of claim 66 wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

moving a graphical element located at a first location within said first distance from said first special function element to a second location within said first distance from said first special function element;

updating links created according to said first special function element to correspond to said second location of said graphical element.

73. The program storage device of claim 59 wherein said one or more graphical elements located within a first distance from said first special function element comprise a lexia symbol representing a lexia and wherein said first special function comprises creating a link between said lexia and said second special function element.

74. The program storage device of claim 59 wherein said first special function comprises a plurality of special functions.

75. The program storage device of claim 59 wherein said first distance is zero.

76. The program storage device of claim 59 further comprising the step of moving said one or more graphical symbols located within said first distance from said first special function element to said first special function element.

77. The program storage device of claim 59 wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

moving a graphical element from within said first distance from said first special function element to without said first distance from said first special function element;

undoing application of said first special function from said moved graphical element.