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

The present invention provides a digital document that features a multi-channel interface that allows users to engage with media content simultaneously along a continuous loop. The document includes a single-page interface and media content types including video, text, images, web page content, and audio. The document achieves a higher level of interaction from the user by providing a sense of depth and cohesion among the content. The document is defined by boundaries that allow users to perceive a sense of depth and predictability. The document is adaptable for use in various applications and provides a new genre for multi-media documents. The invention is based on the recognition that human physiological senses uses familiarity and predictability to perceive and process multiple signals simultaneously. The document provides stationary spatial boundaries through the multi-grid layout, allowing users to focus on the content 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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