User-definable interactive system

• US 6,259,444 B1
• Filed: 04/04/1997
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ray, Richard Douglas, Palmer, Douglas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): COLBERT, ELLA
• Application Number:
  US08/832,844
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 395/326, 395/327, 395/328, 395/329, 395/330, 395/331, 395/332, 395/333, 395/334, 395/335, 395/339, 395/340, 395/348, 395/352, 379/1, 379/111, 379/188, 345/326-335, 345/339, 345/340, 345/349, 345/352
• US Class Current: 715/866
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4812 by interrupt, e.g. masked
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

Method and apparatus for creating, editing, and processing an interactive system made up of event-actuated action items. In one aspect, an event interpreter for selecting action items for execution based on occurrences of events in an interactive system includes an input section by which the event interpreter receives a computer-usable signal indicating that an event has occurred, an event name generator for generating an event name based on the computer-usable signal, and an application selector for comparing the event name to the event identifier for action items stored in a file system and for selecting for execution an action item whose event identifier corresponds to the event name. In another aspect, the action items of the interactive system are displayed hierarchically using the file system editor. In this aspect of the invention, an interactive system application containing at least one event-actuatable action item is selected from the file system, a graphical representation of the at least one event-actuatable action item is displayed in a hierarchical arrangement, and an event identifier associated with the displayed action item of the selected interactive system application is displayed. The associated event identifier actuates the action item in response to the occurrence of a physical event corresponding to the event identifier.

Claims

1. An event interpreter executable on a computer having a file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, said event interpreter for selecting action items for execution based on occurrence of events in an interactive system, comprising:

a file system for storing an interactive system application, said interactive system application comprising event identifiers and action items, at least one action item being associated with each event identifier, each of said action items being end user-definable through a graphical user interface and capable of providing, upon being processed, a software or a hardware response or both a hardware and a software response to a detected event, and each of said event identifiers having a text-based description displayable by the file system and corresponding to a name of a file or a folder, in the file system, that is associated with at least one action item, for providing a user with a description of an event to which an associated action item is intended to provide a response;

an event parser for traversing the file system for files or folders associated with the interactive system application, for gathering event identifiers in the interactive system application from the file system, and for parsing the event identifiers into a list of event identifiers and associated action items;

means for sending to the event interpreter a computer-usable signal indicating that an event has occurred;

an event name generator for receiving the computer-usable signal and for generating an event name based on the computer-usable signal; and

an action item selector for comparing the event name to event identifiers in the list of event identifiers and associated action items, and, in the case the event name matches an event identifier in the list of event identifiers and associated action items, for selecting from the file system the file or folder identified by the matched event identifier associated with an action item and processing the selected action item.

2. An event interpreter according to claim 1, wherein the means for sending comprises an input section which includes at least one hardware event interface for monitoring signals from a plurality of hardware event detectors.

3. An event interpreter according to claim 2, wherein the at least one hardware event interface monitors a telephone system.

4. An event interpreter according to claim 2, wherein the at least one hardware event interface monitors a security and fire detection system.

5. An event interpreter according to claim 1, wherein the event name generator converts the signal from the sending means by mapping the signal to event names in an event-name map.

6. An event interpreter according to claim 1, wherein the computer-usable signal is generated by a computer software interface which receives an input signal from a hardware event interface.

7. An event interpreter according to claim 1, further comprising an action item processor for processing the selected action item and, in accordance with the result of processing, for producing a controlled hardware response signal to the occurrence of the physical event.

8. An event interpreter according to claim 1, further comprising a display screen for displaying a graphical user interface which graphically displays the action item, and wherein the graphical user interface is used to manipulate and edit the displayed action item.

9. An event interpreter according to claim 1, wherein said action item selector ignores the event in the case no match can be found in the list for the event name.

10. An event interpreter according to claim 1, further comprising a display screen for displaying the graphical user interface which graphically displays the action item, and wherein the graphical user interface is used to manipulate and edit a file or folder associated with the displayed action item thereby modifying functionality of the interactive system.

11. An interactive system executable on a computer having a file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, said interactive system for monitoring and for responding to events, comprising:

a plurality of action items stored in the file system, each action item being end user-definable through a graphical user interface and corresponding to an event identifier which provides a user with a text-based description of at least one event monitored in the interactive system to which at least one corresponding action item is intended to provide a response, the text-based description being displayable to the user by the file system and corresponding to a name of a file or a folder, in the file system, that is associated with at least one action item;

an event parser for traversing the file system for folders or files associated with the interactive system and gathering the event identifiers, and for parsing the event identifiers into a list of event identifiers and corresponding action items;

an event interface for detecting an occurrence of at least one event and for outputting a signal in response to the occurrence of an event;

a name generator for receiving the signal from the event interface and for generating an event name based on the received signal; and

an event interpreter for matching the event name to an event identifier in the list of event identifiers and corresponding action items and for selecting from the file system the file or folder associated with an action item and for processing the action item from the file system, the action item corresponding to an event identifier matching the generated event name, wherein the action item, upon being processed, provides either a software or a hardware response or both a hardware and a software response to the detected event.

12. An interactive system according to claim 11, further comprising a physical event detector for detecting a physical event and outputting an event detection signal to the event interface upon the occurrence of the physical event.

13. An interactive system according to claim 12, wherein the name generator generates an event name by mapping the received signal into an event-name map of event names.

14. An interactive system according to claim 12, wherein the physical event detector detects physical events in a telephone system, and wherein, as a result of the occurrence of the physical event, the event interpreter causes a physical response to be produced based on the processed action item.

15. An interactive system according to claim 12, wherein the physical event detector detects physical events in a security system, and wherein, as a result of the occurrence of the physical event, the event interpreter causes a physical response to be produced based on the processed action item.

16. An interactive system according to claim 11, further comprising an action item builder for creating and editing action items to be stored in the file system, wherein the action item builder provides event identifiers for each action item by which the action item is actuated.

17. An interactive system according to claim 11, wherein the action items to be processed include at least one of voice data, text data, and image data.

18. An interactive system according to claim 11, wherein action items are comprised by a folder, a document, or an application.

19. An interactive system according to claim 11, further comprising a display for displaying the graphical user interface for modifying the interactive system by manipulating a file or folder associated with the at least one event-actuatable action item in the graphical user interface.

20. A method executable on a computer having a file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, said method for selectively processing action items for execution based on occurrence of events in an interactive system, comprising the steps of:

storing an interactive system application, said interactive system application comprising event identifiers and action items, at least one action item being associated with each event identifier, each of said action items being end user-definable through a graphical user interface and capable of providing, upon being processed, a software or a hardware response or both a hardware and a software response to a detected event, and each of said event identifiers displayable by the file system and corresponding to a name of a file or a folder, in the file system, that is associated with at least one action item, the event identifiers providing a text-based description of an event to which an associated action item is intended to provide a response;

traversing the file system for files or folders associated with the interactive system application via an event parser;

gathering event identifiers in the interactive system application from the file system via the event parser;

parsing, via the event parser, the event identifiers into a list of event identifiers and associated action items;

sending a computer-usable signal indicating that an event has occurred to the event interpreter;

receiving the computer-usable signal at an event name generator which generates an event name based on the computer-usable signal; and

comparing, in an action item selector, the event name to event identifiers in the list of event identifiers and associated action items, wherein, in the case the event name matches an event identifier in the list of event identifiers and associated action items, the method further comprises the step of selecting from the file system the file or folder identified by the matched event identifier associated with an action item and processing the selected action item.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of designating the displayed icon and, in response to designation, permitting editing of the action item represented by the icon.

22. A method according to claim 20, further comprising the steps of designating the displayed icon and, in response to designation, actuating the action item represented by the icon.

23. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

displaying, within the window corresponding to the selected folder, at least one folder action item; and

displaying, in conjunction with the folder action item, an event identifier which causes the folder to be accessed.

24. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

displaying, within the window corresponding to the selected folder, at least one folder action item and at least one executable action item representative of an event-actuatable application; and

displaying, in conjunction with the folder action item and with the executable action item, respective event identifiers which cause the folder to be accessed and the executable action item to be processed.

25. A method according to claim 20, wherein the selected folder contains additional folder action items and action items which represent event-actuatable applications.

26. A method according to claim 20, wherein the displayed action item is a graphical representation of a physical response to the detected event.

27. A method according to claim 20, wherein the displayed identifier is representative of the name of a corresponding actuating event.

28. A method according to claim 20, wherein in the case no match can be found in the list for the event name, the method further comprises the step of ignoring the event.

29. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of displaying the graphical user interface which graphically displays the action item, and wherein the graphical user interface is used to manipulate and edit a file or folder associated with the displayed action item thereby modifying functionality of the interactive system.

31. A method according to claim 20, wherein the displayed window and its contents represent an interactive system.

30. A method executable on a computer having a file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, said method for monitoring and for responding to events, comprising the steps of:

storing, in the file system, a plurality of action items, each action item being end user-definable through a graphical user interface and corresponding to an event identifier which provides a user with a text-based description of at least one event monitored in an interactive system to which at least one corresponding action item is intended to provide a response, the text-based description being displayable to the user by the file system and corresponding to a name of a file or a folder, in the file system, that is associated with at least one action item;

traversing, in an event parser, the file system for files or folders associated with the interactive system;

gathering, in the event parser, the event identifiers and parsing the event identifiers into a list of event identifiers and corresponding action items;

detecting, over an event interface, an occurrence of at least one event and outputting a signal in response to the occurrence of an event;

receiving, at a name generator, the signal from the event interface and generating an event name based on the received signal; and

matching, in an event interpreter, the event name to an event identifier in the list of event identifiers and corresponding action items; and

selecting from the file system the file or folder associated with an action item and processing the action item from the file system, the action item corresponding to an event identifier matching the generated event name, wherein the action item, upon being processed, provides either a software or a hardware response or both a hardware and a software response to the detected event.

38. A method according to claim 30, further comprising modifying, in the graphical user interface, the interactive system by manipulating the at least one event-actuatable action item in the graphical user interface.

32. A method for creating a user-definable interactive system using a tool palette of predefined action items, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of action items, each of the plurality of action items performing a predetermined task;

displaying a tool palette of graphical representations corresponding to each of the plurality of action items;

responding to a designation of one of the displayed graphical representations by selecting the corresponding action item; and

associating graphical representations of each of the selected action items so as to define at least part of the interactive system.

33. A method according to claim 32, further comprising the step of selecting an event identifier by which the action item is actuated.

34. A method according to claim 32, wherein the tool palette and the associated graphical representations of each of the selected action items are displayed in a windowing environment.

35. A method according to claim 32, wherein the responding step responds to a user designation of a graphical representation with a pointing device and displays the designated action item in a currently selected folder.

36. A method according to claim 32, wherein the displaying step displays icons representative of a physical response which is executed upon actuation of the action items.

37. A method according to claim 32, wherein the steps of displaying comprises displaying using a file system editor whereby action items may be created, edited, opened, named, copied, or deleted displayed action items.

39. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer executable process steps being used in an event interpreter executable on a computer having a file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, said event interpreter to select action items for execution based on occurrences of events in an interactive system, the computer-executable process steps comprising:

a storing step to store an interactive system application, said interactive system application comprising event identifiers and action items, at least one action item being associated with each event identifier, each of said action items being end user-definable through a graphical user interface and capable of providing, upon being processed, a software or a hardware response or both a hardware and a software response to a detected event, and each of said event identifiers having a text-based description displayable by the file system and corresponding to a name of a file or a folder, in the file system, that is associated with at least one action item, the event identifiers providing a text-based description of an event to which an associated action item is intended to provide a response;

a traversing step to traverse the file system for files or folders associated with the interactive system application;

a gathering step to gather event identifiers in the interactive system application from the file system via an event parser;

a parsing step to parse, via the event parser, the event identifiers into a list of event identifiers and associated action items;

a sending step to send a computer-usable signal indicating that an event has occurred to the event interpreter;

a receiving step to receive the computer-usable signal at an event name generator which generates an event name based on the computer-usable signal; and

a comparing step to compare, in an action item selector, the event name to event identifiers in the list of event identifiers and associated action items, wherein, in the case the event name matches an event identifier in the list of event identifiers and associated action items, the computer-executable process steps further comprise a selecting step to select from the file system the file or folder identified by the matched event identifier associated with an action item associated with the event identifier and a processing step to process the selected action item.

40. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 39, wherein the sending step comprises a monitoring step to monitor signals from a plurality of hardware event detectors and to send one of the signals to the event interpreter.

41. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 40, wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring a telephone system.

42. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 40, wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring a security and fire detection systems.

43. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 39, further comprising a converting step to convert, via the event name generator, the signal sent from the sending means by mapping the signal to event names in an event-name map.

44. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 39, further comprising a generating step to generate the computer-usable signal via a computer software interface which receives an input signal from a hardware event interface.

45. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 39, further comprising a processing step to process the selected action item and, in accordance with the result of processing, to produce a controlled hardware response signal to the occurrence of the physical event.

46. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 39, further comprising a displaying step to display a graphical user interface which graphically displays the action item, and manipulating and editing steps to manipulate and edit the displayed action item via the graphical user interface.

47. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein in the case no match can be found in the list for the event name, the computer-executable process steps further comprise an ignoring step to ignore the event.

48. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 39, further comprising a displaying step to display the graphical user interface which graphically displays the action item, and wherein the graphical user interface is used to manipulate and edit a file or folder associated with the displayed action item thereby modifying functionality of the interactive system.

49. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium and executable on a computer having a file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, the computer executable process steps to monitor and to respond to events, the computer-executable process steps comprising:

a storing step to store, in the file system, a plurality of action items, each action item being end user-definable through a graphical user interface and corresponding to an event identifier which provides a user with a text-based description of at least one event monitored in the interactive system to which at least one corresponding action item is intended to provide a response, the text-based description being displayable to the user by the file system and corresponding to a name of a file or a folder, in the file system, that is associated with at least one action item;

a traversing step to traverse, in an event parser, the file system for folders and files;

a gathering step to gather, in the event parser, the event identifiers and to parse the event identifiers into a list of event identifiers and corresponding action items;

a detecting step to detect, over an event interface, an occurrence of at least one event and to output a signal in response to the occurrence of an event;

a receiving step to receive, at a name generator, the signal from the event interface and to generate an event name based on the received signal; and

a matching step to match, in an event interpreter, the event name to an event identifier in the list of event identifiers and corresponding action items; and

selecting and processing steps to select from the file system the file or folder associated with an action item and process the action item from the file system, the action item corresponding to an event identifier matching the generated event name, wherein the action item, upon being processed, provides either a software or a hardware response or both a hardware and a software response to the detected event.

50. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 49, further comprising:

a detecting step to detect a physical event via a physical event detector; and

an outputting step to output an event detection signal to the event interface upon the occurrence of the physical event.

51. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 50, further comprising a generating step to generate an event name by mapping the received signal into an event-name map of event names.

52. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 50, wherein the detecting step comprises detecting physical events in a telephone system, and wherein, as a result of the occurrence of the physical event, producing a physical response based on the processed action item.

53. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 50, wherein the detecting step comprises detecting physical events in a security system, and wherein, as a result of the occurrence of the physical event, producing a physical response based on the processed action item.

54. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 49, further comprising creating and editing steps to create and edit action items to be stored in the file system, wherein the creating and editing steps provide event identifiers for each action item by which the action item is actuated.

55. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 49, wherein the action items to be processed include at least one of voice data, text data, and image data.

56. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 55, wherein action items are comprised by a folder, a document, or an application.

57. Computer-executable process step stored on a computer-readable medium according to claim 49, further comprising a modifying step to modify, in the graphical user interface, the interactive system by manipulating a file or folder associated with the at least one event-actuatable action item in the graphical user interface.

58. A method for displaying, in a graphical user interface, a graphical representation of an event-based system in a computer having a file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a folder displayed by the file system and containing at least one event-actuatable action item;

displaying, within a file system window corresponding to the selected folder, an icon representative of a function of the at least one event-actuatable action item; and

displaying, in conjunction with the icon, an event identifier corresponding to the at least one event-actuatable action item,

wherein the event identifier is a filename of the at least one event-actuatable action item, and

wherein the event identifier provides a text-based description, displayable by the file system, of an event to which the corresponding at least one event-actuatable action item is intended to provide a response, the filename of the event identifier and the corresponding at least one event-actuatable action item being used to define at least part of the event-based system, the at least one event-actuatable action item being end user-definable through the graphical user interface.

59. A method according to claim 58, further comprising the step of designating the displayed icon and, in response to designation, permitting editing of the action item represented by the icon.

60. A method according to claim 58, further comprising the steps of designating the displayed icon and, in response to designation, actuating the action item represented by the icon.

61. The method according to claim 58, further comprising the steps of:

displaying, within the window corresponding to the selected folder, at least one folder action item; and

displaying, in conjunction with the folder action item, an event identifier which causes the folder to be accessed.

62. The method according to claim 58, further comprising the steps of:

displaying, within the window corresponding to the selected folder, at least one folder action item and at least one executable action item representative of an event-actuatable application; and

displaying, in conjunction with the folder action item and with the executable action item, respective event identifiers which cause the folder to be accessed and the executable action item to be processed.

63. A method according to claim 58, wherein the selected folder contains additional folder action items and action items which represent event-actuatable applications.

64. A method according to claim 58, wherein the displayed action item is a graphical representation of a physical response to the detected event.

65. A method according to claim 58, wherein the displayed identifier is representative of the name of a corresponding actuating event.

66. A method according to claim 58, wherein the steps of displaying comprises displaying a graphical user interface using a file system/presenter editor whereby action items may be created, edited, opened, named, copied, or deleted displayed action items.

67. A method according to claim 58, wherein the displayed window and its contents represent an interactive system.

68. A method according to claim 58, wherein the step of displaying further comprises displaying the graphical user interface wherein functionality of the event-based system is modifiable by manipulating the folder, the at least one action item or both.

69. A method for creating a user-definable interactive system using a tool palette of predefined action items displayed, in a graphical user interface, by a computer having a file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of action items, each of the plurality of action items performing a predetermined task;

displaying, using the file system, a tool palette of graphical representations corresponding to each of the plurality of action items, each graphical representation displayed with an event identifier which is a filename of a corresponding action item, and which provides a text-based description, displayable by the file system, of an event to which a corresponding action item is intended to provide a response;

responding to a designation of a plurality of the displayed graphical representations by selecting a plurality of corresponding action items; and

using the displayed event identifiers to associate the graphical representations of each of the plurality of selected action items, the filename associated with each of the event identifiers and the corresponding action items being used to define at least part of the interactive system, the action items being end user-definable through the graphical user interface.

70. A method according to claim 69, wherein the tool palette and the associated graphical representations of each of the selected action items are displayed in a windowing environment.

71. A method according to claim 69, wherein the responding step responds to a user designation of a graphical representation with a pointing device and displays a selected corresponding action item in a currently selected folder.

72. A method according to claim 69, wherein the displaying step displays icons representative of a physical response which is executed upon actuation of the action items.

73. A method according to claim 69, wherein the steps of displaying comprises displaying using a file system presenter/editor whereby action items may be created, edited, opened, named, copied, or deleted displayed action items.

74. A method according to claim 69, further comprising:

displaying the tool palette and the associated graphical representations of each of the selected action items in the graphical user interface; and

modifying the at least part of the interactive system by manipulating a file or folder associated with the at least one of the selected action items in said graphical user interface.

75. A method for visually representing, in a graphical user interface, content and structure of an interactive system application stored in a computer file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, comprising the steps of:

selecting from the file system an interactive system application containing at least one event-actuatable action item;

displaying, in a hierarchical arrangement and using the file system, a-graphical representation of the at least one event-actuatable action item; and

displaying, using the file system, an event identifier associated with the displayed graphical representation of the at least one event-actuatable action item,

wherein the event identifier is a filename of the at least one event-actuatable action item, and

wherein the event identifier provides a text-based description, displayable by the file system, of a physical event to which the associated action item is intended to provide a response, the filename of the event identifier and the associated action item being used to define at least part of an interactive system, the action item being end user-definable through the graphical user interface.

76. A method according to claim 75, further comprising:

displaying the event-actuatable action item and event identifier in the graphical user interface; and

modifying the interactive system application by manipulating a file or folder associated with the at least one event-actuatable action item in said graphical user interface.

77. An apparatus for displaying, in a graphical user interface, a graphical representation of an event-based system in a computer having a file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders comprising:

selection means for selecting a folder displayed by the file system and containing at least one event-actuatable action item; and

display means for displaying, within a file system window corresponding to the selected folder, an icon representative of a function of the at least one event-actuatable action item, and for displaying, in conjunction with the icon, an event identifier corresponding to the at least one event-actuatable action item,

wherein the event identifier is a filename of the at least one event-actuatable action item, and

wherein the event identifier provides a text-based description, displayable by the file system, of an event to which the corresponding at least one event-actuatable action item is intended to provide a response, the filename of the event identifier and the corresponding at least one event-actuatable action item being used to define at least part of the event-based system, the at least one event-actuatable action item being end user-definable through the graphical user interface.

78. An apparatus according to claim 77, wherein functionality of the event-based system is modifiable by manipulating the folder, the at least one action item or both within the graphical user interface displayed by the display means.

79. An apparatus for creating a user-definable interactive system using a tool palette of predefined action items displayed, in a graphical user interface, by a computer having a file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, the apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing a plurality of action items, each of the plurality of action items performing a predetermined task;

display means for displaying, using the file system, a tool palette of graphical representations corresponding to each of the plurality of action items, each graphical representation displayed with an event identifier which is a filename of a corresponding action item, and which provides a text-based description, displayable by the file system, of an event to which a corresponding action item is intended to provide a response;

response means for responding to a designation of a plurality of the displayed graphical representations by selecting a plurality of corresponding action items; and

associating means for associating graphical representations of each of the plurality of selected action items, using the displayed event identifiers, the filename associated with each of the event identifiers and the corresponding action items being used to define at least part of the interactive system, the action items being end user-definable through the graphical user interface.

80. An apparatus according to claim 79, wherein the tool palette and the associated graphical representations of each of the selected action items are displayed in the graphical user interface wherein the at least part of the interactive system is modifiable by manipulating a file or folder associated with the at least one of the selected action items in said graphical user interface.

81. An apparatus for visually representing, in a graphical user interface, content and structure of an interactive system application stored in a computer file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders comprising:

selection means for selecting from the file system an interactive system application containing at least one event-actuatable action item; and

display means for displaying, in a hierarchical arrangement and using the file system, a graphical representation of the at least one event-actuatable action item, and for displaying, using the file system, an event identifier associated with the displayed graphical representation of the at least one event-actuatable action item,

wherein the event identifier is a filename of the at least one event-actuatable action item, and

wherein the event identifier provides a text-based description, displayable by the file system, of a physical event to which the associated action item is intended to provide a response, the filename of the event identifier and the associated action item being used to define at least part of the interactive system, the action item being end user-definable through the graphical user interface.

82. An apparatus according to claim 81, wherein the display means displays the event-actuatable action item in the graphical user interface wherein the interactive system application is modifiable by manipulating a file or folder associated with the at least one event-actuatable action item in said graphical user interface.

83. A computer apparatus for displaying, in a graphical user interface, a graphical representation of an event-based system in a computer having a file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, comprising:

a memory for storing computer-executable process steps;

a display; and

a processor which executes computer-executable process steps stored in the memory (1) to select a folder displayed by the file system and containing at least one event-actuatable action item, (2) to cause said display to display, within a file system window corresponding to the selected folder, an icon representative of a function of the at least one event-actuatable action item, and (3) to cause said display to display, in conjunction with the icon, an event identifier corresponding to the at least one event-actuatable action item, wherein the event identifier is a filename of the at least one event-actuatable action item, and wherein the event identifier provides a text-based description, displayable by the file system, of an event to which the corresponding at least one event-actuatable action item is intended to provide a response, the filename of the event identifier and the corresponding at least one event-actuatable action item being used to define at least part of the event-based system, the at least one event-actuatable action item being end user-definable through the graphical user interface.

84. A computer apparatus according to claim 83, wherein said processor further executes a computer-executable process step to display the graphical user interface wherein functionality of the event-based system is modifiable by manipulating the folder, the at least one action item or both.

85. A computer apparatus for creating a user-definable interactive system using a tool palette of predefined action items displayed, in a graphical user interface, using a file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing computer-executable process steps and for storing a plurality of action items, each of the plurality of action items performing a predetermined task;

a display; and

a processor which executes computer-executable process steps stored in the memory (1) to cause said display to display, using the file system, a tool palette of graphical representations corresponding to each of the plurality of action items, each graphical representation displayed with an event identifier which is a filename of a corresponding action item, and which provides a text-based description, displayable by the file system, of an event to which a corresponding action item is intended to provide a response (2) to respond to a designation of a plurality of the displayed graphical representations by selecting a plurality of corresponding action items, and (3) to associate graphical representations of each of the plurality of selected action items, using the displayed event identifiers, the filename associated with each of the event identifiers and the corresponding action items being used to define at least part of the interactive system, the action items being end user definable through the graphical user interface.

86. A computer apparatus according to claim 85, wherein said processor further executes a computer-executable process steps to (1) display the tool palette and the associated graphical representations of each of the selected action items in the graphical user interface, and (2) to modify the at least part of the interactive system by manipulating a file or folder associated with the at least one of the selected action items in said graphical user interface.

87. A computer apparatus for visually representing, in a graphical user interface, content and structure of an interactive system application stored in a file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing computer-executable process steps;

a display; and

a processor which executes computer-executable process steps stored in the memory (1) to select from the file system an interactive system application containing at least one event-actuatable action item, (2) to cause said display to display, in a hierarchical arrangement and using the file system, a graphical representation of the at least one event-actuatable action item, and (3) to cause said display to display, using the file system, an event identifier associated with the displayed graphical representation of the at least one event-actuatable action item, wherein the event identifier is a filename of the at least one event-actuatable action item, and wherein the event identifier provides a text-based description, displayable by the file system, of a physical event to which the associated action item is intended to provide a response, the filename of the event identifier and the associated action item being used to define at least part of the interactive system, the action item being end user-definable through the graphical user interface.

88. A computer apparatus according to claim 87 wherein the processor further executes process steps (1) to display the event-actuatable action item and event identifier in the graphical user interface, and (2) to modify the interactive system application by manipulating a file or folder associated with the at least one event-actuatable action item in said graphical user interface.

89. A computer-readable memory medium storing computer-executable process steps for displaying, in a graphical user interface, a graphical representation of an event-based system in a computer having a file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, the steps comprising:

a selecting step to select a folder displayed by the file system and containing at least one event-actuatable action item;

a displaying step to display, within a file system window corresponding to the selected folder, an icon representative of a function of the at least one event-actuatable action item; and

a displaying step to display, in conjunction with the icon, an event identifier corresponding to the at least one event-actuatable action item,

wherein the event identifier is a filename of the at least one event-actuatable action item, and

wherein the event identifier provides a text-based description, displayable by the file system, of an event to which the corresponding at least one event-actuatable action item is intended to provide a response, the filename of the event identifier and the corresponding at least one event-actuatable action item being used to define at least part of the event-based system, the at least one event-actuatable action item being end user-definable through the graphical user interface.

90. A computer-readable medium according to claim 89, further comprising:

a displaying step to display the graphical user interface wherein functionality of the event-based system is modifiable by manipulating the folder, the at least one action item or both.

91. A computer-readable memory medium storing computer-executable process steps for creating a user-definable interactive system using a tool palette of predefined action items displayed, in a graphical user interface, by a computer having a file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, the steps comprising:

a storing step to store a plurality of action items, each of the plurality of action items performing a predetermined task;

a displaying step to display, using the file system, a tool palette of graphical representations corresponding to each of the plurality of action items, each graphical representation displayed with an event identifier which is a filename of a corresponding action item, and which provides a text-based description, displayable by the file system, of an event to which a corresponding action item is intended to provide a response;

a responding step to respond to a designation of a plurality of the displayed graphical representations by selecting a plurality of corresponding action items; and

an associating step to associate graphical representations of each of the plurality of selected action items, using the displayed event identifiers, the filename associated with each of the event identifiers and the corresponding action items being used to define at least part of the interactive system, the action items being end user-definable through the graphical user interface.

92. A computer-readable memory medium according to claim 91, wherein the tool palette and the associated graphical representations are displayed in the graphical user interface, the steps further comprising:

a modifying step to modify the at least part of the interactive system by manipulating a file or folder associated with the at least one of the selected action items in said graphical user interface.

93. A computer-readable memory medium storing computer-executable process steps for visually representing, in a graphical user interface, content and structure of an interactive system application stored in a computer file system for arranging files in a hierarchical structure of folders, the steps comprising:

a selecting step to select from the file system an interactive system application containing at least one event-actuatable action item;

a displaying step to display, in a hierarchical arrangement and using the file system, a graphical representation of the at least one event-actuatable action item; and

a displaying step to display, using the file system, an event identifier associated with the displayed graphical representation of the at least one event-actuatable action item,

wherein the event identifier is a filename of the at least one event-actuatable action item, and

wherein the event identifier provides a text-based description, displayable by the file system, of a physical event to which the associated action item is intended to provide a response, the filename of the event identifier and the associated action item being used to define at least part of the interactive system, the action item being end user-definable through the graphical user interface.

94. A computer-readable memory medium according to claim 93, the steps further comprising:

a displaying step to display, in the graphical user interface, the event-actuatable action item and event identifier; and

a modifying step to modify the interactive system application by manipulating a file or folder associated with the at least one event-actuatable action item in said graphical user interface.