Patent ID: 8850320

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for interactive delivery by a processor of a pre-stored electronic presentation of a predetermined duration, the electronic presentation represented by at least one content asset to user computers associated with a plurality of users, the user computers each including an information display, the user computers coupled to the processor by a computer network, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a playback request, at the processor, from a first user computer, to play the electronic presentation in an automatic mode at the information display of the first user computer; at a selected point in time during the predetermined duration of the playback of the electronic presentation, receiving, at the processor, a widget selection command from the first user computer to select a first interactive widget asset of a plurality of interactive widget assets, each of the interactive widget assets providing a computer-executable function for modifying a context of the electronic presentation; in response to receiving the widget selection command: suspending the automatic mode; entering a manual mode in the playback of the electronic presentation; and executing the function of the first interactive widget asset; receiving a collaboration request while in the manual mode, at the processor, from the first user computer, to enter a collaboration mode with a second user computer, the second user computer displaying content other than information associated with the selected point in time of the playback of the electronic presentation, the collaboration mode comprising: synchronously displaying information associated with the selected point in time of the playback of the electronic presentation as displayed on the information display of the first user computer on an information display of the second user computer; receiving a request from the second user computer to execute the function of the first widget asset; and in response to receiving the request from the second user computer, synchronously executing the function of the first interactive widget asset on the first user computer and the second user computer; in response to an end collaboration request, at the processor, from the first user computer to end the collaboration with the second user computer, terminating the collaboration mode, said terminating including terminating the synchronously displaying of the electronic presentation and terminating the function of the interactive widget asset with respect to the second user computer; and in response to a request from the first user computer, at the processor, to revert to the automatic mode: terminating, by the processor, the manual mode, said terminating of the manual mode including terminating the function of the first interactive widget asset with respect to the first user computer; and resuming, by the processor, the play of the electronic presentation in the automatic mode at the selected point in time.