Patent Document ID: 5428731
Application ID: 08059542
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for interactive delivery of multimedia data in a computer controlled display system, said method comprising the steps of: a) authoring a topic, said topic comprised of a series of sequentially-linked panels, media elements, and flow control elements; b) generating a database from said topic, said database comprised of a plurality of topic, panel, media and flow control objects; c) setting-up said topic for display by retrieving said topic, panel, media and flow control objects from said database; d) identifying a first panel to be displayed by performing the following steps: i) examining a first panel in said series of sequentially linked panels to determine if said first panel has at least one flow control object; ii) if said first panel in said series of sequentially linked panels does not have a said flow control object, identifying said first panel as the first panel to be displayed; iii) if said first panel in said series of sequentially linked panels does have a flow control object, evaluating said flow control object: iv) if said flow control object yields a first state, identifying said first panel as the first panel to be displayed: v) if said flow control object yields a second state, skipping said panel: and vi) continuing steps i)-v) for said series of sequentially linked panels until a panel is found which either has no flow control object or said flow control object yields said first state e) retrieving the media content for said first panel to be displayed; f) displaying said first panel; g) identifying a second panel to be displayed by evaluating said flow control objects; h) retrieving the media content for said second panel to be displayed; and i) displaying said second panel.