Video and audio multimedia pop-up documentation by performing selected functions on selected topics

• US 6,577,324 B1
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Information Technologies Group LP (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Palmer, Larry G., Palmer, Ricky S.
• Primary Examiner(s): BREENE, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US08/479,569
• Time in Patent Office: 2,925 Days
• Field of Search: 395/153-154, 395/330, 395/806, 434/308-309, 434/316, 358/402, 358/343, 358/515, 384/423, 360/19.1, 364/514.A
• US Class Current: 715/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440227 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

An audiovisual help documentation system for applications running on a multimedia computer workstation or personal computer includes a graphical documentation interface which allows a user to easily access audiovisual or textual documentation related to the application. A pop-up menu model is used to eliminate complexity. Textual and audiovisual “filmclip” documentation are stored in separate subject-specific files. The documentation menu includes a topic field for indicating a topic for which documentation is available, and a user selectable function associated with the topic field. The topic field is associated with a multimedia data file storing audio and video data streams representing the audio and video documentation for that topic. The documentation menu also includes a user selectable function associated with the topic field for retrieving text related to the associated topic. A “talking pushbutton” fast help feature can also playback a “sound clip” to the user which briefly describes a selected user function.

Claims

1. A multimedia documentation apparatus for a multimedia computer workstation, comprising

means for displaying a documentation menu on the workstation display, the documentation menu comprising

a) a topic field for indicating a topic for which documentation is available;

b) a first user selectable function associated with the topic field; and

c) a second user selectable function associated with the topic field;

a data file accessible by the computer workstation that contains both digitized audio and video documentation stored as separate serial packets, the audio and video documentation being help information describing an operation of the multimedia computer workstation relative to the topic;

retrieval means for retrieval and playback by the workstation of video and audio documentation in the data file in response to activation of the first user selectable function associated with the topic field; and

text retrieval means for retrieval and display by the workstation of textual documentation in response to activation of the second user selectable function associated with the topic field, the documentation being help information describing an operation of the multimedia computer workstation relative to the associated topic.

2. The multimedia documentation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the documentation menu comprises a pop-up window of a graphical user interface, and the user selectable function is represented as a graphical pushbutton.

3. The multimedia documentation apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second user selectable functions are selectable with a graphical pointing device.

4. The multimedia documentation apparatus of claim 3, wherein the pointing device is a mouse.

5. The multimedia documentation apparatus of claim 3, wherein the pointing device is a touch screen display.

6. The multimedia documentation apparatus of claim 2, wherein the documentation menu is an X Windows application.

7. The multimedia documentation apparatus of claim 6, wherein the windows are managed by a Motif X Windows manager.

8. The multimedia documentation apparatus of claim 1, the documentation menu further comprising

a) a plurality of topic fields for indicating the identification of a plurality of topics for which documentation is available;

data files accessible by the computer workstation, each data file containing both digitized audio and video documentation stored as separate serial packets, the audio and video documentation being help information describing an operation of the multimedia computer workstation relative to a corresponding one of the topics;

b) a plurality of first user selectable functions each associated with a topic field the activation of which causes the retrieval means to retrieve and playback video and audio documentation related to the associated topic from the corresponding one of the data files; and

c) a plurality of second user selectable functions each associated with a topic field the activation of which causes the text retrieval means to retrieve and display textual documentation related to the associated topic.

9. The multimedia documentation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the retrieval means comprises a retrieval application executing on a processor of the workstation.

10. The multimedia documentation apparatus of claim 1, wherein

a) audio documentation related to the associated topic is stored in the multimedia data file as an audio data stream which can be retrieved from the data file and played back by the retrieval means as a continuous audio signal, and

b) video documentation related to the associated topic is stored in the multimedia data file such that each frame of video data stored in the data file is inserted into the audio data stream also stored in the data file without affecting the continuity of the audio signal retrieved from the data file and played back by the retrieval means.

11. The multimedia documentation apparatus of claim 10, wherein

a) video documentation related to the associated topic is stored in the multimedia data file including timing information attached to each frame of video data indicating a point in the audio data stream also stored to the data file which corresponds in time to the frame of video data;

and

b) the retrieval means further comprises synchronization means for delaying a display of a frame of video data, retrieved from the data file, on the display of the workstation until the point in the audio data stream, retrieved from the data file, corresponding to the timing information of the retrieved video frame is audibly reproduced by the workstation.

12. The multimedia documentation apparatus of claim 11, wherein

a) the retrieval means further comprises timing means for generating timing information by counting the audio data in the audio stream retrieved from the multimedia data file;

and

b) the synchronization means further comprises comparison means for comparing the internally generated timing information with the timing information stored in the data file corresponding to the frame of video data most recently retrieved from the data file to determine when to display the most recently retrieved frame of video data on the display of the workstation.

13. A multimedia documentation system for a video teleconferencing workstation, comprising:

a video teleconference application window on the workstation display, the application window comprising;

a video image area for displaying video information associated with a video teleconferencing session, and

a control area for displaying one or more selectable video teleconferencing functions including a video teleconference documentation function;

a documentation menu window displayed on the workstation display in response to selection of the video teleconference documentation function for providing information regarding video teleconference documentation offered by the system, the documentation menu window comprising;

a) at least one topic field for indicating a topic for which documentation is available, and

b) a user selectable function associated with the topic field;

a data file, associated with each topic and accessible by the computer workstation, containing digitally encoded video and audio providing information concerning the topic field; and

a retrieval program executing on the workstation for reproducing the digitally encoded video and audio stored as separate serial packets in the data file in response to activation of the user selectable function.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the user selectable function is selectable with a graphical pointing device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the pointing device is a mouse.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the pointing device is a touch screen display.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the documentation menu is an X Windows application.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the windows are managed by a Motif X Windows manager.

19. The system of claim 13, the documentation menu further comprising

a) a plurality of topic fields for indicating the identification of a plurality of topics for which documentation is available, and

b) a plurality of user selectable functions each associated with a topic field the activation of which causes the retrieval program to retrieve and playback digitally encoded video and audio documentation related to the associated topic.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a different multimedia data file associated with each topic field for storing digitally encoded video and audio providing information concerning the topic field that is associated with the multimedia data file.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein

a) the digitally encoded audio related to the associated topic is stored in the multimedia data file as an audio data stream which can be retrieved from the data file and played back by the retrieval program as a continuous audio signal, and

b) the digitally encoded video related to the associated topic is stored in the multimedia data file such that each frame of video data stored in the data file is inserted into the audio data stream also stored in the data file without affecting the continuity of the audio signal retrieved from the data file and played back by the retrieval program.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein

a) timing information is attached to frames of the video data indicating a point in the audio data stream also stored to the data file which corresponds in time to the frames of video data;

and

b) the retrieval program displays a frame of video data, retrieved from the data file, on the display of the workstation in response to the reproduction of a point in the audio data stream, retrieved from the data file, corresponding to the timing information of the retrieved video frame.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein

the retrieval program internally generates timing information by counting the amount of audio data in the audio stream retrieved from the multimedia data file and compares the internally generated timing information with the timing information stored in the data file corresponding to the frame of video data most recently retrieved from the data file to determine when to display the most recently retrieved frame of video data on the display of the workstation.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the documentation menu window further comprises,

a second user selectable function associated with the topic field;

and

the system further comprises a text retrieval program for retrieval and display by the workstation of textual documentation, related to the associated topic, upon activation of the second user selectable function associated with the topic field.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the documentation menu window further comprises

a) a plurality of topic fields for indicating the identification of a plurality of topics for which documentation is available,

b) a plurality of user selectable functions each associated with a topic field the activation of which causes the retrieval program to retrieve and playback video and audio documentation related to the associated topic, and

c) a plurality of second user selectable functions each associated with a topic field the activation of which causes the text retrieval program to retrieve and display textual documentation related to the associated topic.

26. The system of claim 13, further comprising a hard drive for storing the data file.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the hard drive is located on the workstation.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein a different data file is associated with each topic.