Binding interactive multichannel digital document system

Abstract

A digital document comprising a multi-channel interface is provided that achieves improved user interaction. The digital document includes a plurality of content channels providing primary content continuously in a looping manner and at least one supplementary channel on a single page. The supplementary channel is configured to provide supplementary content upon the occurrence of an event during playback of the document. Channel content may include video, text, images, web page content and audio. The media content can be managed in a spatial and temporal manner. In addition to media content, a channel may contain interactive regions in the form of hot spots and interactive mapping regions. An authoring tool is also provided for generating a multi-channel interactive digital document.

Description

CLAIM OF PRIORITY [0001] This application is a divisional of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 295,396 entitled “BINDING INTERACTIVE MULTICHANNEL DIGITAL DOCUMENT SYSTEM”, by Schneider et al., filed Nov. 15, 2002, which application claims benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 371,092, entitled “SYSTEM FOR GENERATING AND PRESENTING AN INTERACTIVE DIGITAL NARRATIVE”, by Schneider et al., filed Apr. 9, 2002, which applications are herein incorporated by reference.COPYRIGHT NOTICE [0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0003] This invention relates generally t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, a digital document comprising an interactive multi-channel interface is provided that binds media content types using spatial and temporal boundaries. The binding element of the document achieves cohesion among document content, which enables a better understanding by and engagement from a user, thereby achieving a higher level of interaction from a user A user may engage the document and explore document boundaries at his or her own pace. The document of the present invention features a single-page interface and media content that may include video, text, images, web page content and audio. In one embodiment, the media content is managed in a spatial and temporal manner.

[0020] In yet another embodiment, the digital document supports a redundancy element. Both the spatial and temporal boundaries of the document may contribute to the redundancy element. As a user interacts with the document and perceives the boundaries of the document, the user learns a predictability element present within the document. The spatial boundary may provide predictability as all document content is provided on a multi-channel grid located on a single page. The temporal boundary may provide predictability as content is provided repetitively. The perceived predictability allows the user to become more comfortable with the document and achieve a better and more efficient perception of document content.

[0023] In one embodiment, the present invention includes a tool for generating a digital defined document. The tool includes an interface that allows a user to generate a document defined by boundaries and having an element of redundancy. The interface is easy to use and allows users to provide customized depth and content directly into a document.

[0025] The boundary-defined media-binding document of the present invention is developed in response to the recognition that human physiological senses uses familiarity and predictability to perceive and process multiple signals simultaneously. People may focus senses such as sight and hearing to determine patterns and boundaries in the environment. With the sense of vision, people are naturally equipped to detect peripheral movement and detect details from a centrally focused object. Once patterns and consistencies are detected in an environment and determined to predictably not change in any material manner, people develop a knowledge and resulting comfort with the patterns and consistencies which allow them to focus on other ‘new’ information or elements from the environment. Thus, in one embodiment, the digital document of the present invention binds media content in a manner such that a user may interact with multiple displays of information while still maintaining a high level of comprehension because the document provides stationary spatial boundaries through the multi-grid layout, thereby allowing the user to focus on the content contained within the document boundaries.

Problems solved by technology

Despite the advances in electronics, the art of storytelling as well as communication in general still faces the challenge of finding a way to communicate messages through interaction.

The problem is that most interface designs used in electronic narration applications revolve around undefined multi-layered presentations with no predefined boundaries.

In either case, the prior art does not address the need for binding multiple types of content together in a defined manner.

These interactive narratives are overwhelming because a user must keep track of loose and unorganized arrays of windows.

These disadvantages stem from the difficulty of transferring a linear movie intended to be driven by a script into an interactive representation of the movie in DVD format.

One disadvantage of the DVD release of Timecode involves channel management.

Yet another disadvantage of the Timecode DVD as a narration is that no method exists for determining the overall plot of the story.

As a result, it is difficult for a user to determine what frame displays content that is important to the storyline at different times in the movie.

Although a user may rapidly and periodically surf between different channels, there is no guarantee that a user will be able to ascertain what content is most relevant.

Yet another disadvantage of the DVD release of Timecode as an interactive interface is that the channels in the Timecode DVD do not provide any sense of temporal depth.

Another limitation of the HyperCafe project is the moving frames within the interface.

As the frames in the HyperCafe move across the screen, they tend to monopolize the attention of the user.

This makes the other frames inefficient at providing information while a particular frame is moving within the interface.

There is no way to determine the length of the content contained, nor is there a method for reviewing content already presented.

These limitations of the HyperCafe project result from the intention of HyperCafe to present a ‘live’ performance of a scene at a coffee shop instead of a way of presenting and binding several types of media content to from a presentation.

HyperCafe does not provide a way for reviewing what was missed in a previous video sequence nor skipping ahead to the end of a video sequence.

Thus, a user is not encouraged to freely experience the content of different frames as the user wishes.

The TED9 report includes multiple windows and is interactive, it does not provide mapping features, annotation capability, or authoring capability.

In these channels, TED9 does not allow a user to view one of multiple video segments within a channel without providing input selecting an image and prompt button.

Further, TED9 requires selection buttons to navigate its interface and does not provide any dynamic information regarding channel videos and images.

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