Methods and apparatus for a multimedia authoring and presentation system

• US 6,484,189 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1996
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amiga Development LLC
• Inventors: Gerlach, Jr., John D., Kannan, Narasimhan P.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, MARK K
• Application Number:
  US08/727,170
• Time in Patent Office: 2,241 Days
• Field of Search: 345/347, 345/348, 345/349, 345/352, 345/353, 345/967, 345/806, 345/807, 345/302, 345/730, 345/731, 345/732, 345/763, 345/810, 345/817, 345/835, 345/841, 707/500.1
• US Class Current: 715/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/967 Visual or iconic programming

Abstract

A multimedia authoring system uses a graphic interface display which is implemented as a part of a flow editor and is used to create and to program interactive multimedia presentations and coursework. The authoring system also includes other editors (e.g., a database editor, an expression editor, and an object editor) used to perform other editing functions required to create presentations. The system also includes control systems (e.g., an applications mover, a videodisc controller, and a help system) which also enable the user to create, program, execute and manipulate interactive multimedia presentations. Finally, the system includes an evaluator which evaluates a programmed presentation and implements the presentation. A process of creating and evaluating a presentation using selectable icons from an icon menu area of the display screen and a grid area of the display screen includes receiving an input selecting an icon from the icon menu area, storing in the memory a data structure associated with the selected icon, displaying a new icon corresponding to the data structure on the grid area, and performing an action represented by an action identifier included in the data structure.

Claims

1. In a data processing system, apparatus, including a display screen, for graphically programming a multimedia program, comprising:

menu means for displaying on the display screen a menu comprising a plurality of simultaneously displayed icons;

selection means for selecting of the plurality of icons;

submenu means having a plurality of submenus wherein (a) each of the plurality of submenus corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of icons, (b) each of the plurality of submenus includes a respective plurality of further icons which are simultaneously displayed, and (c) each further icon represents a respective action to be performed during execution of the multimedia program;

means, responsive to the one of the plurality of icons selected by the selection means, for displaying at an initial position on the display screen the submenu which corresponds to the selection icon;

further selection means for selecting and dragging a first icon and at least one additional icon of the plurality of further icons from any of said plurality of submenus in the initial position for including in the multimedia program the respective action which each selected further icon represents;

wherein

said first icon and said at least one additional icon representing a set of interrelated actions to be performed together during execution of the multimedia program; and

wherein at least one of

said interrelated actions is dependent on at least one other of said interrelated actions.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data processing system includes a central processing unit and a memory, said apparatus further comprising means for creating in said memory a data structure which is associated with said selected one of said plurality of further icons and which indicates to said central processing unit said respective action which said selected one of said plurality of further icons represents.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a respective requester containing a plurality of attributes is associated with each one of said plurality of further icons, each of said attributes being descriptive information relating to an operation which respectively corresponds to each further icon.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising means for evaluating the data structure which is associated with the selected further icon after the attributes of the selected further icon has been defined.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying said selected one of said plurality of further icons at any selected location on said display screen.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a respective requestor containing a plurality of attributes is associated with each one of said plurality of further icons, each of said attributes being descriptive information relating to an operation which respectively corresponds to each further icon.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each of said requesters appears on said display screen, and each of said attributes corresponds to respective buttons displayed within said requester on said display screen, wherein any of said attributes are modified by selecting a respective button corresponding to a respective one of said plurality of attributes.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of submenus further corresponds to a plurality of control icons, each of said control icons being used to effect flow of said multimedia program through the use of at least one of branches and conditional statements.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of submenus corresponds to a plurality of interrupt icons which each corresponds to respective actions in said multimedia program which are to be performed if said multimedia program is interrupted.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of said submenus corresponds to a plurality of data icons, each of said data icons being used for one of defining variables, defining data entry forms, storing and receiving data from a database, and defining printed or file output.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of said submenus includes a plurality of audio visual icons, each of said audio visual icons corresponding to a respective audio visual operation to be performed during said multimedia program.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of said submenus corresponds to a plurality of module icons, each of said module icons being used to establish program structure within said multimedia program.

13. Apparatus for graphically programming a multimedia program according to claim 1, wherein said one of said icons is dragged while said multimedia program is being written.

14. A method for use with a display screen for graphically programming a multimedia program on a data processing system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying on said display screen a menu comprising a plurality of simultaneously displayed icons;

(b) selecting one of said plurality of icons;

(c) displaying at an initial position on said display screen one of a plurality of submenus which corresponds to said selected one of said plurality of icons, wherein said displayed submenu includes a plurality of further icons which are simultaneously displayed and which each represent a respective action to be performed during execution of said multimedia program;

(d) selecting and dragging a first icon and at least one additional icon of said plurality of further icons from said submenu in said initial position; and

(e) including in said multimedia program said respective action which each said selected further icon represents;

wherein said first icon and said at least one additional icon representing a set of interrelated actions to be performed together during execution of the multimedia program; and

wherein at least one of said interrelated actions is dependent on at least one other of said interrelated actions.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

(f) creating a data structure which is associated with said selected one of said plurality of further icons and which indicates said respective action which said selected one of said plurality of further icons represents.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of:

(g) displaying a requester which is associated with said selected one of said plurality of further icons on said display screen, said requestor containing a respective plurality of attributes, each of said attributes being descriptive information relating to a respective operation which corresponds to said selected one of said plurality of further icons.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein step (c) includes the step of displaying said selected one of said plurality of further icons at any selected location on said display screen.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein step (c) includes the step of displaying one of (a) a plurality of control icons, (b) a plurality of interrupt icons, (c) a plurality of data icons, (d) a plurality of audio visual icons and (e) a plurality of module icons.

20. A method for graphically programming a multimedia program according to claim 14, wherein said one of said icons is dragged while said multimedia program is being written.

17. The method according to claimed, further comprising the step of:

(h) evaluating the data structure which is associated with the selected one of the plurality of further icons after the attributes of the selected one of the plurality of further icons have been defined.