Method and system for curriculum delivery

• US 6,343,319 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2000
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Abensour, Daniel, Ruiz, Antonio
• Original Assignee: Abensour, Daniel, Ruiz, Antonio
• Inventors: Ruiz, Antonio, Abensour, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/478,695
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/229, 434/350, 434/322, 434/323, 434/335, 434/336, 348/12
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23617 by inserting additional data into a data carousel, e.g. inserting software modules into a DVB carousel arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A computerized curriculum capture, organization and delivery system and method are provided, includes a data gathering mechanism for defining and downloading a quantity of data from a data source; a data retaining mechanism in communication with the data gathering mechanism for storing the quantity of data; a data organizing mechanism in communication with the data retaining mechanism for organizing the quantity of data into a cohesive and interactive lesson; a server in communication with the data retaining mechanism; a data delivery mechanism in communication with the server; and a user receiver with an input mechanism in communication with the server for operation by an end user; so that the data gathering mechanism defines and downloads a quantity of data from the data source pertaining to a selected curriculum topic, whereupon the data organizing mechanism partitions the data into curriculum units and arranges and interlinks the curriculum units into a lesson web having an interactive format; the server delivers the quantity of data to the data delivery mechanism and the data delivery mechanism delivers the quantity of data to the receiver in interactively accessible segments, and the data delivery mechanism and server deliver commands input into the end user receiver input mechanism to the data storage mechanism in a continuing interactive pattern.

Claims

1. A computerized curriculum capture, organization and delivery system, comprising:

data gathering means for defining and downloading a quantity of data from a data source;

data retaining means in communication with said data gathering means for storing said quantity of data;

data organizing means in communication with said data retaining means for organizing said quantity of data into a cohesive and interactive curriculum units comprised of instructional sequenced segments of curriculum material transformed into multidimensional carrousels with virtual interactivity suitable for transport over the broadcast network mode with virtual interactive access from any receiver including a direct receiver connected to a digital set top box as well as over any other network transport mode as described in the embodiments;

server means in communication with said data retaining means;

data delivery means in communication with said server means;

and a user receiver with input means in communication with said server means for operation by an end user;

such that said data gathering means defines and downloads a quantity of data from said data source pertaining to a selected curriculum topic, whereupon said data organizing means partitions said data into sequenced segments of curriculum units and arranges and interlinks said curriculum units into a lesson web that can be taken over any transport network including the broadcast mode to a direct receiver and digital set top box having an interactive format made possible by the virtual interactivity embodied in the multidimensional carrousels of this invention;

said server means delivers said quantity of data to said data delivery means and said data delivery means delivers said quantity of data to said receivers in interactively accessible segments, and said data delivery means and server means deliver commands input into said end user receiver means to said data storage means in a continuing interactive pattern;

wherein the delivery of virtually interactive lessons via curriculum web sites is achieved by the multidimensional carrousels having an embodiment which is one of;

picture in picture for interactive web site pages, carrousels with multiple audio tracks, carrousels with multiple text tracks, carrousels with virtual interactive time sequenced data and computer programs, multidimensional carrousels of virtual interactivity mixed with bi-directional interactivity capabilities, and bi-directional interactivity curriculum units delivery with multimedia information and computer program for digital video and audio broadcasts combined with synchronized scheduled multidimensional carrousels broadcasts.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said data source is the Internet, wherein selected data is suitably chosen in scope, size, and complexity so that it can be transformed into the multidimensional carrousels.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said data source is a distribution network and wherein said data delivery means is said distribution network, wherein all delivery networks, including the broadcast mode become suitable for carrying and delivering the multidimensional carrousels as ultimately received by the end-user receiver including a direct receiver and a digital set top box.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said retaining means is a digital curriculum library, wherein the digital curriculum library is suitable for storage and retrieval of all the primitive data elements such as text, graphics, images, audio, video and executable program modules comprising the curriculum material and other elements required in the data and or executable programs that are transformed into the multidimensional carrousels.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said retaining means is a digital curriculum library in which said curriculum units and said lesson webs are stored in a form which is inclusive of at least one of:

text, graphics, images, audio, video and executable program modules as content; and

wherein the digital curriculum library is suitable for storage and retrieval of at least one of;

text, graphics, images, audio, video, and executable program modules as content comprising curriculum and data and programs that are transformed into the multidimensional carrousels.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said curriculum units are curriculum websites, wherein the digital curriculum libraries are transformed into the multidimensional carrousels.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said digital curriculum libraries are configured as a multidimensional carrousel in any of the forms of the multidimensional carrousels.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein said digital curriculum library additionally contains applets for being transported as part of the multidimensional carrousels.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said server means comprises a service subsystem comprising a plurality of digital servers for the delivery of curriculum units to said receiver, wherein the curriculum units delivered to said receiver are transformed into the multidimensional carrousels.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said service subsystem comprises means for synchronizing delivery of curriculum units multidimensional carrousels with virtual interactivity suitable for transport over other network transport modes for virtual interactive access from a receiver connected to a digital set top box to meet receiver requirements, according to the synchronization required in any of the implementations of the multidimensional carrousels.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein delivery of said lesson webs is synchronized according to a schedule, wherein the schedule mechanism is for the start times and duration times over which the various embodiments of the multidimensional carrousels are required to become available and presented to any of the end user receivers.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein delivery of said curriculum units is synchronized in real-time for making available the various data and program elements of the multidimensional carrousels as required by the curriculum units that need to be presented to the end user receivers.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said receiver is a direct television receiver.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said service subsystem comprises a bi-directional system, wherein the end user receiver has means for providing responses to the information presented by the multidimensional carrousels.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said service subsystem comprises a broadcast only system for delivering the multidimensional carrousels and the virtual interactivity is achieved by the embodiment of those multidimensional carrousels as described in the body of the patent.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein said service subsystem comprises a system which incorporates a mixture of point to point, point to multipoint and broadcast system functions, wherein the point to point, the point to multipoint, and the broadcast system functions could be used for further redistribution of the multidimensional carrousels.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said digital servers incorporates conversion tools for converting the quantity of data within said retaining means into a form suitable for delivery by said multidimensional carrousels.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said user receiver is a user receiver subsystem comprising a multiplicity of user receivers connected via a local network incorporating one of:

a gateway server and a local server, for actual reception of curriculum streams from said subsystem, and for playback of curriculum streams to said user receivers in said local network with the purpose of re-transmitting in real-time or any other time the multidimensional carrousels.