Authoring system for computed-based information delivery system

• US 6,460,040 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2000
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Datamize LLC
• Original Assignee: Datamize LLC
• Inventors: Burns, Kevin S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US09/478,577
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 707/508, 707/51, 707/1-3, 707/10, 707/10.51, 705/26-27, 705/1, 705/14, 705/40, 709/218-219, 348/552, 348/14.01, 345/747
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A multimedia kiosk authoring system for use in developing and maintaining user interface screens for multimedia kiosk systems. The authoring system enables the user interface for each individual kiosk to be customized quickly and easily within wide limits of variation, yet subject to constraints adhering the resulting interface to good standards of aesthetics and user friendliness. The system may be used to provide custom interfaces expeditiously even for hundreds of kiosks presenting information from numerous independent information sources. The authoring system uses the methods of object oriented programming to define specialized object classes for instantiation on individual kiosk interface screens subject to pre-defined limitations on variability. Links are provided to an appropriate database for multimedia presentations on an interface screen of content bearing information from the information providers.

Claims

1. In an electronic kiosk system having a plurality of interactive electronic kiosks for displaying information from a plurality of information providers, a method for presenting customized assortments of said information from said plurality of information providers at individual kiosks of said plurality, comprising:

providing access to information from said plurality of information providers for prospective display on said plurality of kiosks;

providing a plurality of pre-defined interface screen elements for prospective inclusion in a custom interface screen, wherein at least one of said screen elements permits limited variation in its on-screen characteristics in conformity with a desired uniform look and feel for said interface screens on the kiosks of said kiosk system,

wherein said plurality of pre-defined interface screen elements includes at least one element for displaying information and at least one activation site for use in obtaining information for display from at least one of said information providers;

enabling a kiosk user to select one or more screen elements from said pre-defined screen element plurality and to select on-screen characteristics of at least one screen element permitting limited variation in its on-screen characteristics;

enabling said kiosk user to select an assortment of information from at least a portion of said information providers to define kiosk information content for an individual kiosk of said system; and

associating said user selected kiosk information content with at least a portion of said selected screen elements, and associating said activation site with the displaying of at least a portion of said user selected kiosk information content.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said enabling a kiosk user to select screen elements and on-screen characteristics comprises presenting items available for selection to said kiosk user from the group of window sizes, window positions, background colors, and foreground colors.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the group from which said items for presentation to said user are selected further comprises background images and labels.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said activation site is selected from the group of buttons and hot spots.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said enabling a kiosk user to select screen elements and on-screen characteristics further comprises downloading an identification of said pre-defined screen elements and on-screen characteristics available for selection.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of said screen elements permitting limited variation in their on-screen characteristics has associated therewith at least one variable attribute governing the on-screen characteristics thereof, and said enabling a kiosk user to select screen elements and on-screen characteristics further comprises:

enabling said kiosk user to select a value for each said variable attribute.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading an identification of said information available for selection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said kiosk system includes a system server in communication relation with said kiosk and enabling the uploading of said user'"'"'s selection of items to said system server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said uploading includes said user'"'"'s selection of pre-defined screen elements and on-screen characteristics.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said uploading comprises said user'"'"'s selection of information.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading an indication of said user'"'"'s selection of pre-defined screen elements and attribute settings to the kiosk of said user.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading an indication of said user'"'"'s selection of information categories to the kiosk of said user.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of pre-defined interface screen elements are provided over a global computer network and said user at an individual kiosk is enabled to select said screen elements and on-screen characteristics and said information over said global computer network.

14. In an interactive computer system including a plurality of computers for displaying information from a plurality of information providers, a method for presenting customized assortments of said information from said plurality of information providers at individual computers of said plurality, comprising:

providing access to information from said plurality of information providers for prospective display on said plurality of computers;

providing a plurality of pre-defined interface screen elements for prospective inclusion in a custom interface screen, wherein at least one of said screen elements permits limited variation in its on-screen characteristics in conformity with a desired uniform look and feel for said interface screens on the computers of said system,

wherein said plurality of pre-defined interface screen elements includes at least one element for displaying information and at least one activation site for use in obtaining information for display from at least one of said information providers;

enabling a user at an individual computer of said plurality to select one or more screen elements from said pre-defined screen element plurality and to select on-screen characteristics of said at least one screen element permitting limited variation in its on-screen characteristics;

enabling said user to select an assortment of information from at least a portion of said information providers to define individual information content for an individual computer of said system; and

associating said user selected individual information content with at least a portion of said selected screen elements, and associating said at least one activation site with the displaying of at least a portion of said user selected individual information content.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said enabling a kiosk user to select screen elements and on-screen characteristics comprises presenting items available for selection to said user from the group of window size, window position, background color, and foreground color.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the group from which said items for presentation to said user are selected further comprises background images and labels.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said activation site is selected from the group of button and hot spot.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said enabling a user at an individual computer to select screen elements and on-screen characteristics further comprises downloading an identification of said pre-defined screen elements and on-screen characteristics available for selection.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each of said screen elements permitting limited variation in their on-screen characteristics has associated therewith at least one variable attribute governing the on-screen characteristics thereof, and said enabling a user at an individual computer to select further comprises:

enabling said user to select a value for each said variable attribute.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising downloading an identification of said information categories available for selection.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein said computer system includes a system server in communication relation with said individual computers and enabling the uploading of said user'"'"'s selection of items to said system server.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said uploading includes said user'"'"'s selection of pre-defined screen elements and on-screen characteristics.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said uploading comprises said user'"'"'s selection of information.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising downloading an indication of said user'"'"'s selection of pre-defined screen elements and attribute settings to the computer of said user.

25. The method of claim 14, further comprising downloading an indication of said user'"'"'s selection of information to the computer of said user.

26. The method of claim 14 wherein said plurality of pre-defined interface screen elements are provided over a global computer network and said user at an individual computer is enabled to select said screen elements and on-screen characteristics and said information categories over said global computer network.

27. In an electronic kiosk system having a plurality of interactive electronic kiosks for displaying information provided by a plurality of information providers, a method for defining custom interface screens customized for individual kiosks of said plurality and operable to make different assortments of said information available for display at different kiosks of said plurality, said method comprising:

providing a master database of information from said plurality of information providers, said master database referencing information content from said providers to be displayed on any of said plurality of kiosks;

providing a plurality of pre-defined interface screen element types, each element type defining a form of element available for presentation on said custom interface screens, wherein each said element type permits limited variation in its on-screen characteristics in conformity with a desired uniform look and feel for said interface screens on all kiosks of said kiosk system,

each element type having a plurality of attributes associated therewith, wherein each said element type and its associated attributes are subject to pre-defined constraints providing element characteristics in conformance with said uniform look and feel for said interface screens, and

wherein said plurality of pre-defined element types includes at least one pre-defined window type, at least one pre-defined hot spot type, and at least one pre-defined multimedia type;

selecting a plurality of elements to be included in a custom interface screen under construction, said plurality of elements being selected from said plurality of pre-defined elements types, said plurality of selected elements including at least one hot spot type;

assigning values to the attributes associated with each of said selected elements consistent with said pre-defined constraints, whereby the aggregate layout of said plurality of selected elements on said interface screen under construction will have a uniform look and feel and be functionally operable for effective delivery of information to a kiosk user;

selecting from said master database an assortment of information content deriving from selected ones of said information providers to define kiosk information content for an individual kiosk of said kiosk system;

associating said kiosk information content with at least a portion of said selected elements for said interface screen under construction; and

linking said at least one selected hot spot type element to an action facilitating the viewing of at least portions of said kiosk information content by a kiosk user.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said selecting an assortment of information content from said master database comprises:

maintaining a kiosk definition table for each kiosk of said kiosk system identifying the information content of said master database to be associated with the respective kiosk.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising populating an individual kiosk definition table with the respective kiosk information content by querying said master database.

30. A method of customizing interface screens for presentation by individual computers of a plurality of computers coupled by a network for receiving information provided by a plurality of information providers, the interface screens being customized to enable computer users to interactively access, in customized screen types, different assortments of information from the information providers at different computers of the plurality of computers, the method comprising:

providing a master database of information from the plurality of information providers, the master database storing information content from the plurality of information providers to be displayed on any of the plurality of computers;

providing a plurality of pre-defined interface screen types, each pre-defined interface screen type defining a form of screen available for presentation on the interface screens being customized and permitting limited variation in at least one on-screen characteristic of the pre-defined interface screen type in conformity with a desired uniform look and feel for the interface screens on the computers,

each pre-defined interface screen type having a plurality of attributes associated therewith, wherein each pre-defined interface screen type and the associated plurality of attributes are subject to pre-defined constraints providing the on-screen characteristics in conformance with the uniform look and feel for the interface screens, and

wherein each of the plurality of pre-defined interface screen types references at least one pre-defined control type providing for user interaction via the interface screens being customized;

selecting at least one pre-defined interface screen type for the interface screen being customized, the predefined interface screen type being selected from the plurality of pre-defined interface screen types;

assigning values to the attributes associated with the at least one selected pre-defined interface screen type, the values being consistent with the pre-defined constraints, whereby the interface screen being customized will have a uniform look and feel and be functionally operable for delivery of information to a computer user;

selecting from the master database an assortment of information content deriving from selected ones of the information providers to define a customized selection of information content for the interface screen being customized; and

associating at least portions of the customized selection of information content with the interface screen being customized.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the pre-defined control type referenced by the pre-defined interface screen type is selected from a hot spot linked to an action, a pre-defined window type, a pre-defined button type, and a pre-defined multimedia type.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the pre-defined interface screen type references at least one pre-defined window type, at least one pre-defined button type, and at least one pre-defined multimedia type.

33. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

linking the pre-defined control type referenced by the pre-defined interface screen type to an action associated with changing the appearance of the custom interface screen.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein the assigning of values comprises:

assigning a location value to at least one of the attributes to designate a location of an object of the pre-defined control type.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein the assigning of values comprises:

assigning a color value to at least one of the attributes to designate a color associated with an object of the pre-defined control type.

36. The method of claim 30 wherein the assigning of values comprises:

assigning a font value to at least one of the attributes to designate a font associated with an object of the pre-defined control type.

37. The method of claim 33 wherein the assigning of values comprises:

assigning a color value to at least one of the attributes to designate a color associated with an object of the pre-defined interface screen type.

38. The method of claim 30 wherein the assigning of values comprises:

assigning a value to the attributes to designate at least one of a location associated with an object of the pre-defined control type, a color associated with the object of the pre-defined control type, a font value associated with the object of the pre-defined control type, and a color associated with an object of the pre-defined interface screen type.