Patent ID: 8209608

Claim:
A system for providing structured information, comprising: a data storage device storing data for a data storage area comprising one or more data files and content for a structured information system for a network-based application, wherein the structured information system has an organizational structure for the content, and wherein the structured information system comprises one or more navigation components which enable access to the content according to the organizational structure; a computer readable medium storing program instructions executable to implement: a runtime container configured to display a plurality of discrete areas, wherein the one or more data files describe or modify a composition of one or more of the plurality of discrete areas, and wherein the runtime container is a browser; a multimedia application environment configured to support animation, video and interactive content, wherein the multimedia application environment is further configured to execute one or more interactive multimedia files to implement the structured information system within the runtime container, wherein the structured information system is compatible across a plurality of different types of browsers and a plurality of different types of platforms, and wherein the structured information system comprises: a communication handler configured to communicate with the runtime container, wherein the communication handler is implemented by the one or more interactive multimedia files; and a navigation handler configured to display a plurality of elements of one of the one or more navigation components in one of the plurality of discrete areas in response to communications received from the communication handler indicating selection of the one of the one or more navigation components through a user interface in another one of the plurality of discrete areas, wherein an appearance of the one or more of the navigation components is controlled by one or more of the one or more data files, wherein the appearance of the one or more of the navigation components remains consistent when displayed on each of the plurality of different types of browsers and each of the plurality of different types of platforms, wherein selection of any one of the plurality of elements of the selected one of the one or more navigation components invokes display of a corresponding portion of the content in yet another one of the plurality of discrete areas of the runtime container, and wherein the navigation handler is implemented by the one or more interactive multimedia files.