Methods for identifying cells in a path in a flowchart and for synchronizing graphical and textual views of a flowchart

• US 8,464,169 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Jellyvision Lab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Jellyvision Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Gottlieb, Harry N., Franklin, Mari H., Franklin, Lukass R., Barhorst, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PITARO, RYAN F
• Application Number:
  US11/975,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20080065977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 715/763, 715/771, 715853-854, 717/102
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

The preferred embodiments described herein provide methods for identifying cells in a path in a flowchart and for synchronizing graphical and textual views of a flowchart. In one preferred embodiment, a method for identifying cells in a path in a flowchart is provided comprising the acts of displaying a flowchart comprising a plurality of cells, selecting a cell in the flowchart, determining a path comprising the selected cell, and identifying at least some of the cells in the path. In another preferred embodiment, a method for synchronizing graphical and textual views of a flowchart is provided. This method comprises the acts of displaying a graphical view of a flowchart comprising a plurality of cells in a first display region, displaying a textual view of at least some cells in the flowchart in a second display region, and in response to input received in either the first or second display regions, applying the input to both the first and second display regions. Other preferred embodiments are provided, and each of the preferred embodiments can be used alone or in combination with one another.

Claims

1. A method for identifying cells in a path in a flowchart, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a flowchart comprising a plurality of cells, wherein at least some of the plurality of cells in the flowchart comprise instructions for providing an interactive multimedia presentation, wherein at least one of the plurality of cells comprises an instruction to trigger a piece of media during the interactive multimedia presentation, wherein timing information specifies when the piece of media is to be played during the interactive multimedia presentation, and wherein at least one other of the plurality of cells comprises an instruction to gather user input during the interactive multimedia presentation;

(b) receiving, from a user, a selection of a cell in the flowchart;

(c) determining a path comprising the selected cell;

(d) identifying, to the user, at least some cells in the path in a way that distinguishes the at least some cells in the path from at least some cells in the flowchart that are not in the path; and

(e) for at least one of the plurality of cells that comprise an instruction to trigger a piece of media during the interactive multimedia presentation, displaying a description of the media that will be played during the interactive multimedia presentation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the flowchart is displayed in a first display region, and wherein the at least some cells in the path are identified in (d) by displaying a textual view of the at least some of the cells in the path in a second display region.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the flowchart is displayed in a first display region, and wherein the at least some of the cells in the path are identified in (d) by displaying a copy of the at least some of the cells in the path in a second display region.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least some cells in the path are identified in (d) by highlighting the at least some cells in the path in the flowchart.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least some cells in the path are identified in (d) by enlarging the at least some cells in the path in the flowchart.

6. A method for identifying cells in a path in a flowchart, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a flowchart comprising a plurality of cells, wherein the plurality of cells define a plurality of paths, wherein at least some of the plurality of cells in the flowchart comprise instructions for providing an interactive multimedia presentation, wherein at least one of the plurality of cells comprises an instruction to trigger a piece of media during the interactive multimedia presentation, wherein timing information specifies when the piece of media is to be played during the interactive multimedia presentation, and wherein at least one other of the plurality of cells comprises an instruction to gather user input during the interactive multimedia presentation;

(b) receiving, from a user, a selection of a single cell in the flowchart;

(c) in response to the selection of the single cell in the flowchart, determining a path comprising the single cell;

(d) identifying, to the user, at least some cells in the path determined in (c) in a way that distinguishes the at least some cells in the path from at least some cells in the flowchart that are not in the path; and

(e) for at least one of the plurality of cells that comprise an instruction to trigger a piece of media during the interactive multimedia presentation, displaying a description of the media that will be played during the interactive multimedia presentation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the path is determined in (c) based on a history of the single cell and a history of cells above and below it.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein (c) comprises, starting with the single cell being a given cell:

(c1) determining which cell directly connected to the given cell was in a determined path the last time the given cell was in a determined path; and

(c2) repeating (c1) with the given cell being the cell determined in (c1).

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the flowchart is displayed in a first display region, and wherein the at least some of the cells in the path are identified to the user in (d) by displaying a textual view of the at least some cells in the path, but not of the at least some cells in the flowchart that are not in the path, in a second display region.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the flowchart is displayed in a first display region, and wherein the at least some cells in the path are identified to the user in (d) by displaying a copy of the at least some cells in the path, but not of the at least some cells in the flowchart that are not in the path, in a second display region.

11. A method for identifying cells in a path in a flowchart, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a flowchart comprising a plurality of cells, wherein the plurality of cells define a plurality of paths, wherein at least some of the plurality of cells in the flowchart comprise instructions for providing an interactive multimedia presentation, wherein at least one of the plurality of cells comprises an instruction to trigger a piece of media during the interactive multimedia presentation, wherein timing information specifies when the piece of media is to be played during the interactive multimedia presentation, and wherein at least one other of the plurality of cells comprises an instruction to gather user input during the interactive multimedia presentation;

(b) receiving, from a user, a selection of a cell in the flowchart;

(c) determining a path comprising the selected cell based on a history of the selected cell and a history of cells above and below it, if any;

(d) identifying, to the user, at least some cells in the path determined in (c) in a way that distinguishes the at least some cells in the path from at least some cells in the flowchart that are not in the path; and

(e) for at least one of the plurality of cells that comprise an instruction to trigger a piece of media during the interactive multimedia presentation, displaying a description of the media that will be played during the interactive multimedia presentation.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein (c) comprises, starting with the selected cell being a given cell:

(c1) determining which cell directly connected to the given cell was in a determined path the last time the given cell was in a determined path; and

(c2) repeating (c1) with the given cell being the cell determined in (c1).

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the flowchart is displayed in a first display region, and wherein the at least some cells in the path are identified to the user in (d) by displaying a textual view of the at least some cells in the path, but not of the at least some cells in the flowchart that are not in the path, in a second display region.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the flowchart is displayed in a first display region, and wherein the at least some cells are identified to the user in (d) by displaying a copy of the at least some cells in the path, but not of the at least some of the plurality of cells in the flowchart that are not in the path, in a second display region.

15. A method for identifying cells in a path in a flowchart, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a flowchart in a first display region, wherein the flowchart comprises a plurality of cells defining a plurality of paths, wherein at least some of the plurality of cells in the flowchart comprise instructions for providing an interactive multimedia presentation, wherein at least one of the plurality of cells comprises an instruction to trigger a piece of media during the interactive multimedia presentation, wherein timing information specifies when the piece of media is to be played during the interactive multimedia presentation, and wherein at least one other of the plurality of cells comprises an instruction to gather user input during the interactive multimedia presentation;

(b) receiving, from a user, a selection of a cell in the flowchart;

(c) determining a path comprising the selected cell;

(d) identifying, to the user, at least some cells in the path by displaying a textual view of the at least some cells in the path, but not of at least some cells in the flowchart that are not in the path, in a second display region; and

(e) for at least one of the plurality of cells that comprise an instruction to trigger a piece of media during the interactive multimedia presentation, displaying a description of the media that will be played during the interactive multimedia presentation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the path is determined in (c) based on a history of the selected cell and a history of cells above and below it, if any.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein (c) comprises, starting with the selected cell being a given cell:

(c1) determining which cell directly connected to the given cell was in a determined path the last time the given cell was in a determined path; and

(c2) repeating (c1) with the given cell being the cell determined in (c1).

18. A method for identifying cells in a path in a flowchart, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a flowchart comprising a plurality of cells, wherein at least one of the plurality of cells comprises an instruction to trigger a piece of media during an interactive multimedia presentation, wherein timing information specifies when the piece of media is to be played during the interactive multimedia presentation;

(b) receiving, from a user, a selection of a cell in the flowchart;

(c) determining a plurality of paths comprising the selected cell;

(d) identifying, to the user, at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths in a way that distinguishes the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths from cells in other paths in the flowchart; and

(e) for at least one of the plurality of cells that comprise an instruction to trigger a piece of media during the interactive multimedia presentation, displaying a description of the media that will be played during the interactive multimedia presentation.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the flowchart is displayed in a first display region, and wherein the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths are identified in (d) by displaying a textual view of the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths in a second display region.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the flowchart is displayed in a first display region, and wherein the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths are identified in (d) by displaying a copy of the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths in a second display region.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths comprise direct parent cells of the selected cell.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein changes received to the copy of the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths in the second display region are applied to the flowchart displayed in the first display region.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths are identified in (d) by highlighting the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths in the flowchart.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths are identified in (d) by enlarging the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths in the flowchart.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one other of the plurality of cells comprises an instruction to gather user input during the interactive multimedia presentation.

26. A method for identifying cells in a path in a flowchart, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a flowchart comprising a plurality of cells, wherein at least one of the plurality of cells comprises an instruction to trigger a piece of media during an interactive multimedia presentation, wherein timing information specifies when the piece of media is to be played during the interactive multimedia presentation, and wherein at least one other of the plurality of cells comprises an instruction to gather user input during the interactive multimedia presentation;

(b) receiving, from a user, a selection of a cell in the flowchart;

(c) determining a plurality of paths comprising the selected cell;

(d) identifying, to the user, at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths in a way that distinguishes the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths from cells in other paths in the flowchart; and

(e) for at least one of the plurality of cells that comprise an instruction to trigger a piece of media during the interactive multimedia presentation, displaying a description of the media that will be played during the interactive multimedia presentation;

wherein the flowchart is displayed in a first display region, and wherein the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths are identified in (d) by displaying a copy of the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths in a second display region, and wherein the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths comprise direct parent cells of the selected cell.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein changes received to the copy of the at least some of the cells in each of the plurality of paths in the second display region are applied to the flowchart displayed in the first display region.