System and method for controlling actions within a programming environment

• US 8,127,238 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Jellyvision Lab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Jellyvision Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Gottlieb, Harry N., Val, Gabriel, Chojnacki, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US11/957,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20080163084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 715/719, 715/723, 715/727, 715/762, 715/763, 715/764, 715/765, 715/781, 715/835, 715/967, 717/106, 717/109
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

This patent discloses tools, methods and systems for dynamically visualizing, controlling and modifying the timing of actions that are implemented as part of an interactive multimedia experience. The tools, methods and systems include a timing region that dynamically reflects the timing of at least some of the cells along a selected single path in the multimedia experience and allows a designer to play through the cells and to change the timing of actions associated with the cells.

Claims

1. A method for controlling actions associated with a multimedia experience, the method comprising:

generating a flowchart comprising a plurality of cells that include actions associated with a multimedia experience, wherein each of the plurality of cells represents a discrete portion of the multimedia experience and wherein the plurality of cells define a first path and a second path in the flowchart;

in response to selecting the first path, generating automatically a first timing region, the first timing region configured to visually reflect a timing of two or more cells along the selected first path; and

in response to selecting the second path, generating automatically a second timing region, the second timing region configured to visually reflect a timing of two or more cells along the selected second path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first timing region includes displaying a graphical user interface that includes the first timing region.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein generating automatically the second timing region includes updating automatically the graphical user interface to display the second timing region in response to selecting the second path after selecting the first path.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first timing region includes an action indicator that represents a secondary action having a timing coordinated with a primary action associated with a cell in the selected first path, wherein the action indicator is displayed relative to a time axis of the primary action.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the secondary action represents an instruction to trigger a piece of media for playback.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising updating the timing of the secondary action relative to the primary action in response to adjusting the action indicator relative to a time axis.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising playing back the two or more cells along the first path in the first timing region.

8. A method for controlling actions associated with a multimedia experience, the method comprising:

generating a flowchart representing a multimedia experience having at least two separate branches;

identifying a first path, the first path including the first branch;

identifying a second path, the second path including the second branch;

and

generating a timing region, wherein generating the timing region includes;

displaying automatically a plurality of timing panes representative of timing of actions associated with at least a portion of the first path in response to identifying the first path; and

displaying automatically a plurality of timing panes representative of timing of actions associated with at least a portion of the second path in response to identifying the second path.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the timing region includes displaying a graphical user interface that includes the timing region.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein generating the timing region includes updating automatically the user interface to display the plurality of timing panes representative of timing of actions associated with at least a portion of the second path in response to identifying the second path after identifying the first path.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one timing pane includes an action indicator that represents an action associated with the at least a portion of the first path, wherein the action indicator is displayed relative to a time axis associated with the at least one timing pane based on the timing of the action.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the action represents an instruction to trigger a piece of media for playback.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising updating the timing of the action in response to adjusting the action indicator relative to the time axis.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising playing back the portion of the first path in the first timing region.

15. A method for controlling actions associated with a multimedia experience, the method comprising:

generating a flowchart having a plurality of cells, wherein each of the plurality of cells represents a discrete portion of the multimedia experience and wherein at least one cell associated with the plurality of cells includes a primary action configured to trigger playback of a primary media asset and at least one secondary action configured to trigger playback of a secondary media asset relative to the primary action;

displaying a graphical view of the flowchart including a graphical representation of the at least one cell; and

displaying within the graphical representation of the at least one cell a timing region configured to reflect the execution of the primary action and the at least one secondary action, wherein the timing region includes a graphical representation of the secondary media asset that is visually associated with a time axis of the primary media asset based on a timing of the primary action and the at least one secondary action.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the timing region includes a progress indicator configured to indicate progress during playback of the primary media asset against the time axis.

17. The method of claim 15,

wherein a size property of the at least one cell represents a duration of the primary media asset.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein a first cell is located at a first position in the flowchart and a second cell is located at a second position in the flowchart away from first position to define a gap

wherein a distance measured by the gap represents a time duration between the execution of the first one first cell and the second cell.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising adjusting the timing of the primary action and the at least one secondary action in response to adjusting the graphical representation of the secondary media asset relative to the time axis.