Content authoring system and method

• US 8,631,321 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Discovery Communications LLC (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Academy123, Inc. (Discovery Education, Inc.)
• Inventors: Friedman, Maury, Bouganim, Daniel, Goren, Yarone
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Manglesh M
• Application Number:
  US11/153,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,135 Days
• Field of Search: 715/249, 715731-732, 715200-203
• US Class Current: 715/249
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

Provided herein are exemplary embodiments of a system and method of enabling a content author, such as an instructor, to rapidly create interactive, educational content for use in an online environment, without a costly pre-production or post-production process. In one embodiment, the system comprises a network, a library of interactive template files in a first file format, such as .swf; at least one authoring device coupled to the network, capable of recording a plurality of audio visual content segments in a second file format, such as .avi, and providing one or more of the interactive template files; and a device for converting the audio visual content segments in the second file format to files in the first file format. The authoring device is also adapted to assign a defined run order to the files in the first file format.

Claims

1. A system for creating interactive audio visual content via a network, comprising:

a library, interactive template files in a first file format being stored therein, each interactive template file defining an interaction;

at least one authoring device coupled to said network configured to receive a content piece assigned to the at least one authoring device, the at least one authoring device being further configured to create a recorded content associated with the received content piece, the recorded content including a plurality of audio visual content segments in a second file format and at least one of the interactive template files in the first format defining an interaction to be included in the recorded content; and

a device for converting said audio visual content segments in said second file format to files in said first file format when said recorded content is uploaded to a server of the network from the at least one authoring device;

wherein said authoring device assigns a defined run order to said files in said first file format.

2. The system as in claim 1, further comprising:

a user playback device coupled to said network capable of receiving said files in said first file format and executing said files in said first file format in said defined run order.

3. The system as in claim 1, further comprising:

a database for storing at least some of said files in said first file format together with said defined run order.

4. The system as in claim 1, wherein said authoring device is a pen-driven input device.

5. The system as in claim 4, wherein said pen-driven input device is a tablet personal computer.

6. The system as in claim 1, wherein said user playback device is a personal computer.

7. The system as in claim 1, wherein said first file format is an “

.swf’

Macromedia flash file format.

8. The system as in claim 1, wherein said second file format is an “

.avi”

audio-visual file format.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of authoring device further provide one or more of the plurality of templates.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one authoring device further uploads the created recorded content to a central database.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the defined run order to said files in said first file format is assigned during the content creation process.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of authoring devices further upload the created recorded contents to a central database.

13. A system for creating interactive audio visual content via a network, comprising:

a library, interactive template files in a first file format being stored therein, each interactive template file defining an interaction;

at least one first device coupled to said network capable of defining a table of contents of content pieces, each of said content pieces requiring a plurality of audio visual content segments and assigning ones of said content pieces to ones of a plurality of authors;

a plurality of authoring devices to be used by said plurality of authors, said plurality authoring devices coupled to said network and being configured to receive the content pieces assigned to the authoring devices, said plurality of authoring devices further configured to create recorded contents associated the received content pieces, the recorded content including a plurality of audio visual content segments in a second file format and at least one of the interactive template files in the first format defining an interaction to be included in a recorded content; and

a second device for converting said audio visual content segments in said second file format to files in said first file format when said recorded contents are loaded to a server of the network from the plurality of authoring devices,

wherein said plurality of authoring devices assign a defined run order to said files in said first file format.

14. The system as in claim 13, further comprising:

a user playback device coupled to said network capable of receiving said files in said first file format and executing said files of a content piece in said first file format in said defined run order.

15. The system as in claim 13, wherein said authoring device is a pen-driven input device.

16. The system as in claim 15, wherein said pen-driven input device is a tablet personal computer.

17. The system as in claim 13, wherein said user playback device is a personal computer.

18. The system as in claim 13, wherein said first device is a personal computer.

19. The system as in claim 13, wherein said first file format is an “

.swf’

Macromedia flash file format.

20. The system as in claim 13, wherein said second file format is an “

.avi”

audio-visual file format.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of authoring device further provide one or more of the plurality of templates.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of authoring devices further upload the created recorded contents to a central database.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the defined run order to said files in said first file format is assigned during the content creation process.

24. A method of creating interactive audio visual content via network, comprising:

defining a library of interactive template files in a first format, each interactive template file defining an interaction;

creating, using at least one authoring device coupled to said network, a recorded content based on a content piece assigned to the at least one authoring device, the recorded content including a plurality of audio visual content segments in a second file format and at least one of the interactive template files defining an interaction to be included in the recorded content;

converting, using a conversion device, said audio visual content segments in said second file format to files in said first file format when said recorded content is uploaded to a server of the network from the at least one authoring device; and

assigning, using said authoring device, a defined run order to said files in said first file format.

25. The method as in claim 24, further comprising:

receiving said files in said first file format, using a user playback device and executing said files in said first file format in said defined run order.

26. The method as in claim 24, further comprising:

storing as a database at least some of said files in said first file format together with said defined run order.

27. The method as in claim 24, wherein said authoring device is a pen-driven input device.

28. The method as in claim 27, wherein said pen-driven input device is a tablet personal computer.

29. The method as in claim 24, wherein said user playback device is a personal computer.

30. The method as in claim 24, wherein said first file format is an “

.swf’

Macromedia flash file format.

31. The method as in claim 24, wherein said second file format is an “

.avi”

audio-visual file format.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one authoring device further uploads the created recorded content to a central database.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the defined run order to said files in said first file format is assigned during the content creation process.

34. A method of creating interactive audio visual content via a network, comprising the steps of:

defining a library of interactive template files in a first file format, each interactive template file defining an interaction;

defining, using at least one first device coupled to the network, a table of contents of content pieces, each of the content pieces requiring a plurality of audio visual content segments and assigning at least one of the content pieces to at least one of a plurality of authoring devices;

creating, using the plurality of authoring devices coupled to said network, recorded contents based on the content pieces assigned to the plurality of authoring devices, the recorded contents including the plurality of audio visual content segments and at least one of the interactive template files defining an interaction to be included in a recorded content;

converting, using a second device, said audio visual content segments in said second file format to files in said first file format when said recorded contents are uploaded to a server of the network from the plurality of authoring devices; and

assigning, using said plurality of authoring devices, a defined run order to said files in said first file format.

35. The method as in claim 34, further comprising:

receiving said files in said first file format using a user playback device and executing said files of a content piece in said first file format in said defined run order.

36. The method as in claim 34, wherein said authoring device is a pen-driven input device.

37. The method as in claim 36, wherein said pen-driven input device is a tablet personal computer.

38. The method as in claim 34, wherein said user playback device is a personal computer.

39. The method as in claim 34, wherein said first device is a personal computer.

40. The method as in claim 34, wherein said first file format is an “

.swf”

Macromedia flash file format.

41. The method as in claim 34, wherein said second file format is an “

.avi”

audio-visual file format.

42. The method of claim 34, wherein the defined run order to said files in said first file format is assigned during the content creation process.

43. A method of creating interactive audio visual content, comprising:

providing one or more interactive template file in a first file format, each interactive template file defining an interaction;

creating recorded contents, based on an assigned content piece, the recorded contents including a plurality of audio visual content segments in a second file format and at least one of the interactive template files defining an interaction to be included in the recorded content;

converting said audio visual content segments in said second file format to files in said first file format when said recorded contents are uploaded to a server of the network; and

assigning a defined run order to said files in said first file format.

44. The method as in claim 43, further comprising:

executing said files in said first file format in said defined run order.

45. The method as in claim 43, wherein said first file format is an “

.swf”

Macromedia flash file format.

46. The method as in claim 43, wherein said second file format is an “

.avi”

audio-visual file format.

47. The system of claim 43, further comprising loading the created recorded content to a central database.