U.S. patent application number 15/241567 was filed with the patent office on 2016-12-08 for specialized computer publishing systems for dynamic nonlinear storytelling creation by viewers of digital content and computer-implemented publishing methods of utilizing thereof.
The applicant listed for this patent is Bonza Interactive Group, LLC. Invention is credited to Antonio Bolfo, Michael Lanza, Mark McQuillan.
Application Number | 20160357372 15/241567 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56683629 |
Filed Date | 2016-12-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160357372 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bolfo; Antonio ; et
al. |
December 8, 2016 |
SPECIALIZED COMPUTER PUBLISHING SYSTEMS FOR DYNAMIC NONLINEAR
STORYTELLING CREATION BY VIEWERS OF DIGITAL CONTENT AND
COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED PUBLISHING METHODS OF UTILIZING THEREOF
Abstract
In some embodiments, the instant invention provides for a
computer system, including: a specifically programmed publishing
server; a non-transitory database; a network publishing portal for
connecting digital content creators and digital content viewers to
the publishing server over a computer network; where the server,
the database and the portal are programmed with specialized
publishing software for: receiving digital content from each
digital content creator; displaying a specifically programmed
hotspot template; where the hotspot template permits to define a
plurality of hotspots in the digital content; where each hotspot is
an interactive visual programmed clue which allows the viewer to
dynamically proceed to experience another portion of the digital
content; and where, by sequentially experiencing a first portion of
the digital content and another portion of the digital content, the
viewer experiences a viewer personalized storyline digital
experience which differs from a storyline digital experience
pre-defined by the digital content creator.
Inventors: |
Bolfo; Antonio; (New York,
NY) ; Lanza; Michael; (New York, NY) ;
McQuillan; Mark; (Toronto, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Bonza Interactive Group, LLC |
Long Island City |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56683629 |
Appl. No.: |
15/241567 |
Filed: |
August 19, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14625562 |
Feb 18, 2015 |
9423928 |
|
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15241567 |
|
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61941220 |
Feb 18, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 16/958 20190101;
H04N 21/00 20130101; G06F 3/0481 20130101; H04L 67/10 20130101;
G06F 3/0482 20130101; H04N 21/854 20130101; G06F 3/04842 20130101;
H04N 21/2743 20130101; H04N 21/8541 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/0482 20060101
G06F003/0482; H04L 29/08 20060101 H04L029/08; G06F 3/0484 20060101
G06F003/0484; G06F 17/30 20060101 G06F017/30 |
Claims
1. A computer system, comprising: at least one specifically
programmed publishing server; at least one non-transitory database
accessible by the at least one specifically programmed publishing
server, wherein the at least one non-transitory database is
specifically programmed to being dedicated for use by the at least
one specifically programmed publishing server; at least one first
network publishing portal specifically programmed for connecting a
plurality of digital content creators and a plurality of digital
content viewers to the at least one specifically programmed
publishing server and coupling the at least one specifically
programmed publishing server and the at least one non-transitory
database, wherein the at least one specifically programmed
publishing server, the at least one non-transitory database and the
at least one first network publishing portal being arranged such
that the computer system provides the at least one first network
portal to the plurality of digital content creators and the
plurality of digital content viewers through a plurality of
electronic devices respectively utilized by the plurality of
digital content creators and the plurality of digital content
viewers to access the at least one first network publishing portal
over a computer network; wherein the at least one specifically
programmed publishing server, the at least one non-transitory
database and the at least one first network publishing portal are
specifically programmed with specialized publishing software;
wherein the specialized publishing software, upon execution,
specifically transforms the at least one specifically programmed
publishing server, the at least one non-transitory database and the
at least one first network publishing portal to perform at least
the following: receiving, by the computer system, particular
digital content from each digital content creator of the plurality
of digital content creators; displaying, by the computer system, at
least one specifically programmed hotspot template; i) wherein the
at least one specifically programmed hotspot template permits each
digital content creator of the plurality of digital content
creators to define a plurality of hotspots in the particular
digital content; ii) wherein each hotspot is an interactive visual
programmed clue shown to a viewer when the viewer experiences at
least one first portion of the particular digital content which
allows the viewer, by selecting such hotspot to dynamically proceed
to experience at least one second portion of the particular digital
content; iii) wherein the at least one specifically programmed
hotspot template is programmed to define, for each hotspot, at
least the following hotspot criteria: 1) when to display such
hotspot during the particular digital content, 2) where to display
such hotspot in a visual area of a screen of a viewing electronic
device; and 3) what to display when such hotspot is selected by the
viewer; iv) wherein, by sequentially experiencing the at least one
first portion of the particular digital content and the at least
one second portion of the particular digital content, the viewer is
allowed, by the computer system, to create at least one viewer
personalized storyline digital experience which differs from at
least one storyline digital experience pre-defined by such digital
content creator of the particular digital content; enabling, by the
computer system, utilizing the at least one specifically programmed
hotspot template, a particular digital content creator to define at
least one particular storyline digital experience based on the
particular digital content, wherein the at least one particular
storyline digital experience having a first plurality of particular
hotspots; and enabling, by the computer system, a particular viewer
to create at least one particular viewer personalized storyline
digital experience of the particular digital content based on
selecting at least one first particular hotspot from the first
plurality of particular hotspots; wherein the at least one
particular viewer personalized storyline digital experience created
by the particular viewer differs from the at least one particular
storyline digital experience defined by the particular digital
content creator.
2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one
particular storyline digital experience has a timeline and wherein
the at least one first particular hotspot from the first plurality
of particular hotspots is located on the timeline.
3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one
particular storyline digital experience comprises a plurality of
recordings selected from the group consisting of video recording,
audio recording, slideshow, and any combination thereof.
4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the at least one
particular storyline digital experience comprises at least one
image.
5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the specialized
publishing software, upon execution, specifically transforms the at
least one specifically programmed publishing server, the at least
one non-transitory database and the at least one first network
publishing portal to perform at least the following: enabling, by
the computer system, the particular digital content creator to
organize the particular digital content in a hierarchical nesting
classification based on a plurality of level categories selected
from the group consisting of series, stories, chapters, and
subchapters; wherein the series is the most top level category and
the subchapters is the lowest level category.
6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the first plurality of
particular hotspots allow the particular personalized the at least
one particular viewer personalized storyline digital experience by
moving around in the particular digital content in at least one of
the following direction within the hierarchical nesting
classification: i) within the same level category, ii) from a
particular level category to many level categories, and iii) within
many level categories.
7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the specialized
publishing software, upon execution, specifically transforms the at
least one specifically programmed publishing server, the at least
one non-transitory database and the at least one first network
publishing portal to perform at least the following: encoding, by
the computer system, the particular digital content as a plurality
of discreet modular units based on the at least one specifically
programmed hotspot template so that each of plurality of discreet
modular units is individually accessible by the particular viewer
to create the at least one particular viewer personalized storyline
digital experience of the particular digital content based on
selecting at least one first particular hotspot from the first
plurality of particular hotspots.
8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one
specifically programmed hotspot template allows to the particular
digital content creator to define at least one of the following
characteristics for each particular hotspot: i) a shape, ii) a
size, iii) a start time, and iv) a duration.
9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the particular digital
content is in a question-and-answer format.
10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the enabling, by the
computer system, the particular viewer to create at least one
particular viewer personalized storyline digital experience of the
particular digital content is through at least one widget embedded
in the at least one first network publishing portal.
11. A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving, by a
computer system, particular digital content from each digital
content creator of a plurality of digital content creators; wherein
the computer system comprises: at least one specifically programmed
publishing server; at least one non-transitory database accessible
by the at least one specifically programmed publishing server,
wherein the at least one non-transitory database is specifically
programmed to being dedicated for use by the at least one
specifically programmed publishing server; at least one first
network publishing portal specifically programmed for connecting
the plurality of digital content creators and a plurality of
digital content viewers to the at least one specifically programmed
publishing server and coupling the at least one specifically
programmed publishing server and the at least one non-transitory
database, wherein the at least one specifically programmed
publishing server, the at least one non-transitory database and the
at least one first network publishing portal being arranged such
that the computer system provides the at least one first network
portal to the plurality of digital content creators and the
plurality of digital content viewers through a plurality of
electronic devices respectively utilized by the plurality of
digital content creators and the plurality of digital content
viewers to access the at least one first network publishing portal
over a computer network; wherein the at least one specifically
programmed publishing server, the at least one non-transitory
database and the at least one first network publishing portal are
specifically programmed with specialized publishing software,
enabling the computer system to perform the steps of the
computer-implemented method; displaying, by the computer system, at
least one specifically programmed hotspot template; i) wherein the
at least one specifically programmed hotspot template permits each
digital content creator of the plurality of digital content
creators to define a plurality of hotspots in the particular
digital content; ii) wherein each hotspot is an interactive visual
programmed clue shown to a viewer when the viewer experiences at
least one first portion of the particular digital content which
allows the viewer, by selecting such hotspot to dynamically proceed
to experience at least one second portion of the particular digital
content; iii) wherein the at least one specifically programmed
hotspot template is programmed to define, for each hotspot, at
least the following hotspot criteria: 1) when to display such
hotspot during the particular digital content, 2) where to display
such hotspot in a visual area of a screen of a viewing electronic
device; and 3) what to display when such hotspot is selected by the
viewer; iv) wherein, by sequentially experiencing the at least one
first portion of the particular digital content and the at least
one second portion of the particular digital content, the viewer is
allowed, by the computer system, to create at least one viewer
personalized storyline digital experience which differs from at
least one storyline digital experience pre-defined by such digital
content creator of the particular digital content; enabling, by the
computer system, utilizing the at least one specifically programmed
hotspot template, a particular digital content creator to define at
least one particular storyline digital experience based on the
particular digital content, wherein the at least one particular
storyline digital experience having a first plurality of particular
hotspots; and enabling, by the computer system, a particular viewer
to create at least one particular viewer personalized storyline
digital experience of the particular digital content based on
selecting at least one first particular hotspot from the first
plurality of particular hotspots; wherein the at least one
particular viewer personalized storyline digital experience created
by the particular viewer differs from the at least one particular
storyline digital experience defined by the particular digital
content creator.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the at
least one particular storyline digital experience has a timeline
and wherein the at least one first particular hotspot from the
first plurality of particular hotspots is located on the
timeline.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the at
least one particular storyline digital experience comprises a
plurality of recordings selected from the group consisting of video
recording, audio recording, slideshow, and any combination
thereof.
14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the at
least one particular storyline digital experience comprises at
least one image.
15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the
computer-implemented method, further comprising: enabling, by the
computer system, the particular digital content creator to organize
the particular digital content in a hierarchical nesting
classification based on a plurality of level categories selected
from the group consisting of series, stories, chapters, and
subchapters; wherein the series is the most top level category and
the subchapters is the lowest level category.
16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the first
plurality of particular hotspots allow the particular personalized
the at least one particular viewer personalized storyline digital
experience by moving around in the particular digital content in at
least one of the following direction within the hierarchical
nesting classification: i) within the same level category, ii) from
a particular level category to many level categories, and iii)
within many level categories.
17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the
computer-implemented method, further comprising: encoding, by the
computer system, the particular digital content as a plurality of
discreet modular units based on the at least one specifically
programmed hotspot template so that each of plurality of discreet
modular units is individually accessible by the particular viewer
to create the at least one particular viewer personalized storyline
digital experience of the particular digital content based on
selecting at least one first particular hotspot from the first
plurality of particular hotspots.
18. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the at
least one specifically programmed hotspot template allows to the
particular digital content creator to define at least one of the
following characteristics for each particular hotspot: i) a shape,
ii) a size, iii) a start time, and iv) a duration.
19. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the
particular digital content is in a question-and-answer format.
20. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the
enabling, by the computer system, the particular viewer to create
at least one particular viewer personalized storyline digital
experience of the particular digital content is through at least
one widget embedded in the at least one first network publishing
portal.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/625,562; filed Feb. 18, 2015; entitled
"SPECIALIZED COMPUTER PUBLISHING SYSTEMS FOR DYNAMIC NONLINEAR
STORYTELLING CREATION BY VIEWERS OF DIGITAL CONTENT AND
COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED PUBLISHING METHODS OF UTILIZING THEREOF",
which claims the priority of U.S. Patent Appln. No. 61/941,220;
filed Feb. 18, 2014; entitled "DYNAMIC NONLINEAR STORYTELLING
CREATION BY VIEWS OF DIGITAL CONTENT UTILIZING COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED
PUBLISHING SYSTEM AND COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED PUBLISHING METHODS,"
which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for
all purposes.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] In some embodiments, the instant invention is related to
computer publishing systems for controlling graphical user
interfaces of user computer devices (e.g., desktops, laptops,
smartphones, etc.) to allow users to experience digital
content.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Typically, computer publishing systems compile, create,
and/or manage digital content of publishers.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0004] In some embodiments, the instant invention provides for a
computer system, including: at least one specifically programmed
publishing server; at least one non-transitory database accessible
by the at least one specifically programmed publishing server,
where the at least one non-transitory database is specifically
programmed to being dedicated for use by the at least one
specifically programmed publishing server; at least one first
network publishing portal specifically programmed for connecting a
plurality of digital content creators and a plurality of digital
content viewers to the at least one specifically programmed
publishing server and coupling the at least one specifically
programmed publishing server and the at least one non-transitory
database, where the at least one specifically programmed publishing
server, the at least one non-transitory database and the at least
one first network publishing portal being arranged such that the
computer system provides the at least one first network portal to
the plurality of digital content creators and the plurality of
digital content viewers through a plurality of electronic devices
respectively utilized by the plurality of digital content creators
and the plurality of digital content viewers to access the at least
one first network publishing portal over a computer network; where
the at least one specifically programmed publishing server, the at
least one non-transitory database and the at least one first
network publishing portal are specifically programmed with
specialized publishing software; where the specialized publishing
software, upon execution, specifically transforms the at least one
specifically programmed publishing server, the at least one
non-transitory database and the at least one first network
publishing portal to perform at least the following: receiving, by
the computer system, particular digital content from each digital
content creator of the plurality of digital content creators;
displaying, by the computer system, at least one specifically
programmed hotspot template; i) where the at least one specifically
programmed hotspot template permits each digital content creator of
the plurality of digital content creators to define a plurality of
hotspots in the particular digital content; ii) where each hotspot
is an interactive visual programmed clue shown to a viewer when the
viewer experiences at least one first portion of the particular
digital content which allows the viewer, by selecting such hotspot
to dynamically proceed to experience at least one second portion of
the particular digital content; iii) where the at least one
specifically programmed hotspot template is programmed to define,
for each hotspot, at least the following hotspot criteria: 1) when
to display such hotspot during the particular digital content, 2)
where to display such hotspot in a visual area of a screen of a
viewing electronic device; and 3) what to display when such hotspot
is selected by the viewer; iv) where, by sequentially experiencing
the at least one first portion of the particular digital content
and the at least one second portion of the particular digital
content, the viewer is allowed, by the computer system, to create
at least one viewer personalized storyline digital experience which
differs from at least one storyline digital experience pre-defined
by such digital content creator of the particular digital content;
enabling, by the computer system, utilizing the at least one
specifically programmed hotspot template, a particular digital
content creator to define at least one particular storyline digital
experience based on the particular digital content, where the at
least one particular storyline digital experience having a first
plurality of particular hotspots; and enabling, by the computer
system, a particular viewer to create at least one particular
viewer personalized storyline digital experience of the particular
digital content based on selecting at least one first particular
hotspot from the first plurality of particular hotspots; where the
at least one particular viewer personalized storyline digital
experience created by the particular viewer differs from the at
least one particular storyline digital experience defined by the
particular digital content creator.
[0005] In some embodiments, the at least one particular storyline
digital experience has a timeline and where the at least one first
particular hotspot from the first plurality of particular hotspots
is located on the timeline.
[0006] In some embodiments, the at least one particular storyline
digital experience comprises a plurality of recordings selected
from the group consisting of video recording, audio recording,
slideshow, and any combination thereof.
[0007] In some embodiments, the at least one particular storyline
digital experience comprises at least one image.
[0008] In some embodiments, the specialized publishing software,
upon execution, specifically transforms the at least one
specifically programmed publishing server, the at least one
non-transitory database and the at least one first network
publishing portal to perform at least the following: enabling, by
the computer system, the particular digital content creator to
organize the particular digital content in a hierarchical nesting
classification based on a plurality of level categories selected
from the group consisting of series, stories, chapters, and
subchapters; where the series is the most top level category and
the subchapters is the lowest level category.
[0009] In some embodiments, the first plurality of particular
hotspots allow the particular personalized the at least one
particular viewer personalized storyline digital experience by
moving around in the particular digital content in at least one of
the following direction within the hierarchical nesting
classification: i) within the same level category, ii) from a
particular level category to many level categories, and iii) within
many level categories.
[0010] In some embodiments, the specialized publishing software,
upon execution, specifically transforms the at least one
specifically programmed publishing server, the at least one
non-transitory database and the at least one first network
publishing portal to perform at least the following: encoding, by
the computer system, the particular digital content as a plurality
of discreet modular units based on the at least one specifically
programmed hotspot template so that each of plurality of discreet
modular units is individually accessible by the particular viewer
to create the at least one particular viewer personalized storyline
digital experience of the particular digital content based on
selecting at least one first particular hotspot from the first
plurality of particular hotspots.
[0011] In some embodiments, the at least one specifically
programmed hotspot template allows to the particular digital
content creator to define at least one of the following
characteristics for each particular hotspot: i) a shape, ii) a
size, iii) a start time, and iv) a duration.
[0012] In some embodiments, the particular digital content is in a
question-and-answer format.
[0013] In some embodiments, the enabling, by the computer system,
the particular viewer to create at least one particular viewer
personalized storyline digital experience of the particular digital
content is through at least one widget embedded in the at least one
first network publishing portal.
[0014] In some embodiments, the instant invention provides for a
computer-implemented method, including: receiving, by a computer
system, particular digital content from each digital content
creator of a plurality of digital content creators; where the
computer system includes at least the following: at least one
specifically programmed publishing server; at least one
non-transitory database accessible by the at least one specifically
programmed publishing server, where the at least one non-transitory
database is specifically programmed to being dedicated for use by
the at least one specifically programmed publishing server; at
least one first network publishing portal specifically programmed
for connecting the plurality of digital content creators and a
plurality of digital content viewers to the at least one
specifically programmed publishing server and coupling the at least
one specifically programmed publishing server and the at least one
non-transitory database, where the at least one specifically
programmed publishing server, the at least one non-transitory
database and the at least one first network publishing portal being
arranged such that the computer system provides the at least one
first network portal to the plurality of digital content creators
and the plurality of digital content viewers through a plurality of
electronic devices respectively utilized by the plurality of
digital content creators and the plurality of digital content
viewers to access the at least one first network publishing portal
over a computer network; where the at least one specifically
programmed publishing server, the at least one non-transitory
database and the at least one first network publishing portal are
specifically programmed with specialized publishing software,
enabling the computer system to perform the steps of the
computer-implemented method; displaying, by the computer system, at
least one specifically programmed hotspot template; i) where the at
least one specifically programmed hotspot template permits each
digital content creator of the plurality of digital content
creators to define a plurality of hotspots in the particular
digital content; ii) where each hotspot is an interactive visual
programmed clue shown to a viewer when the viewer experiences at
least one first portion of the particular digital content which
allows the viewer, by selecting such hotspot to dynamically proceed
to experience at least one second portion of the particular digital
content; iii) where the at least one specifically programmed
hotspot template is programmed to define, for each hotspot, at
least the following hotspot criteria: 1) when to display such
hotspot during the particular digital content, 2) where to display
such hotspot in a visual area of a screen of a viewing electronic
device; and 3) what to display when such hotspot is selected by the
viewer; iv) where, by sequentially experiencing the at least one
first portion of the particular digital content and the at least
one second portion of the particular digital content, the viewer is
allowed, by the computer system, to create at least one viewer
personalized storyline digital experience which differs from at
least one storyline digital experience pre-defined by such digital
content creator of the particular digital content; enabling, by the
computer system, utilizing the at least one specifically programmed
hotspot template, a particular digital content creator to define at
least one particular storyline digital experience based on the
particular digital content, where the at least one particular
storyline digital experience having a first plurality of particular
hotspots; and enabling, by the computer system, a particular viewer
to create at least one particular viewer personalized storyline
digital experience of the particular digital content based on
selecting at least one first particular hotspot from the first
plurality of particular hotspots; where the at least one particular
viewer personalized storyline digital experience created by the
particular viewer differs from the at least one particular
storyline digital experience defined by the particular digital
content creator.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The present invention will be further explained with
reference to the attached drawings, wherein like structures are
referred to by like numerals throughout the several views. The
drawings shown are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead
generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the
present invention. Further, some features may be exaggerated to
show details of particular components.
[0016] FIGS. 1A-1B show flowcharts in accordance with some
embodiments of the present invention.
[0017] FIGS. 2A-2N show various features in accordance with some
embodiments of the present invention.
[0018] FIGS. 3A-3D show various features in accordance with some
embodiments of the present invention.
[0019] FIGS. 4-9 illustrates exemplary computer architectures in
accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.
[0020] FIGS. 10-11 show various features in accordance with some
embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0021] Among those benefits and improvements that have been
disclosed, other objects and advantages of this invention will
become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction
with the accompanying figures. Detailed embodiments of the present
invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood
that the disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative of the
invention that may be embodied in various forms. In addition, each
of the examples given in connection with the various embodiments of
the invention which are intended to be illustrative, and not
restrictive.
[0022] Throughout the description, the following terms take the
meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly
dictates otherwise. The phrases "in one embodiment" and "in some
embodiments" as used herein do not necessarily refer to the same
embodiment(s), though it may. Furthermore, the phrases "in another
embodiment" and "in some other embodiments" as used herein do not
necessarily refer to a different embodiment, although it may. Thus,
as described below, various embodiments of the invention may be
readily combined, without departing from the scope or spirit of the
invention.
[0023] In addition, as used herein, the term "or" is an inclusive
"or" operator, and is equivalent to the term "and/or," unless the
context clearly dictates otherwise. The term "based on" is not
exclusive and allows for being based on additional factors not
described, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In
addition, throughout the specification, the meaning of "a," "an,"
and "the" include plural references. The meaning of "in" includes
"in" and "on."
[0024] It is understood that at least one aspect/functionality of
various embodiments described herein can be performed in real-time
and/or dynamically. As used herein, the term "real-time" is
directed to an event/action that can occur instantaneously or
almost instantaneously in time when another event/action has
occurred. In some embodiments, the terms "instantaneous,"
"instantaneously," "instantly," and "in real time" refer to a
condition where a time difference between a first time when a
search request is transmitted and a second time when a response to
the request is received is no more than 1 second. In some
embodiments, the time difference between the request and the
response is between less than 1 second and several seconds.
[0025] As used herein, the term "dynamic(ly)" means that events
and/or actions can be triggered and/or occur without any human
intervention. In some embodiments, events and/or actions in
accordance with the present invention can be in real-time and/or
based on a predetermined periodicity of at least one of:
nanosecond, several nanoseconds, millisecond, several milliseconds,
second, several seconds, minute, several minutes, hourly, several
hours, daily, several days, weekly, monthly, etc.
[0026] In some embodiments, the terms "digital content," "content,"
"digital media," and "media," as referenced in this description,
are used interchangeably.
[0027] In some embodiments, when the digital content is a mixture
of different media (e.g., audio being played that is disconnected
from visual content being played simultaneously with the audio),
the instant invention provides a unified timeline for the mix of
different media.
[0028] In some embodiments, the terms "creator," "generator,"
"digital content creator," and "digital content generator," as
referenced in this description, are directed to an entity (e.g.,
individual, company) that creates/generates the digital content
itself (e.g., a person who shots video and/or pictures, digitally
records audio, draws/generates electronic art (e.g.,
advertisements, games, etc.), and/or uploads digital content (e.g.,
text, video, pictorial, audio, a combination of one of text, video,
pictorial, and audio) to an electronic location (e.g., website,
database, "cloud" server, etc.).
[0029] In some embodiments, the terms "viewer" and "digital content
viewer," as referenced in this description, is directed to an
entity (e.g., individual, company) who is not a digital content
creator/generator of a particular digital content. In some
embodiments, the same entity can be (1) the digital content
creator/generator of a first digital content and (2) the viewer of
a second digital content; where the first digital content distinct
from the second digital content.
[0030] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant invention allow each viewer of digital
content, who does not create/generate/upload the digital content
itself, to dynamically and interactively arrange/view portions of
the digital content in a sequence/order chosen by such viewer,
resulting in a personalized nonlinear viewing experience
(storytelling) created by such viewer.
[0031] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1A, the inventive
specifically programmed publishing computer systems/publishing
platforms and computer-implemented publishing methods of the
instant invention allow a content creator/user to upload the
digital content (e.g., video(100), images(101), text (e.g., blog
entries), audio(102), and/or a combination of at least two of
video, images, and audio) to an Internet/cloud-based location and
store the digital content utilizing, but not limited to,
specialized-modular player templates.
[0032] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1A, the inventive
specifically programmed publishing computer systems and
computer-implemented publishing methods of the instant invention
allow the content creator/user to define one or more hotspots (103)
in the digital content. In some embodiments, each hotspot (103) is
an interactive visual programmed clue shown to the viewer of the
digital content which allows the viewer (see e.g., FIG. 2A), by
selecting a hotspot(103) (e.g., clicking on the hotspot, hovering
over the hotspot, etc.), to proceed to experience (e.g., view,
listen, both view and listen) another portion of the digital
content. In some embodiments, the content creator/user defines when
(e.g., at what time since a video or a slide show has started) and
where (e.g., in what place in the viewing area (e.g., X/Y
coordinates of a screen of a playing device)) the hotspots (103)
are to be displayed as visual clues to the viewer of the digital
content. In some embodiments, for example, one or more hotspots
(103) can be displayed on timeline(s) of particular recording(s)
(e.g., video recording, audio recording, slideshow, etc.), the
digital content portions/pieces, and/or the unified timeline(s) of
the viewer defined story(ies).
[0033] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1A, the inventive
specifically programmed publishing computer systems and
computer-implemented publishing methods of the instant invention
allow the digital content creator to define, via specifically
programmed templates, but are not limited to such templates, one or
more interactive slideshow experiences (104) (see e.g., FIG. 2C)
and/or one or more question&answer experiences (105) (see e.g.,
FIG. 2D). In some embodiments, the inventive specifically
programmed publishing computer systems and computer-implemented
publishing methods of the instant invention process the creator's
work (106) and utilizing a player module (107) (see e.g., FIG. 3A)
to generate unique interfaces for viewing the digital content based
on configuration setting set by the creator. In some embodiments,
as shown in FIG. 1A, the programmed and processed interfaces (107)
with creator-defined settings and grouping are published for the
viewers and to be interactively viewed by viewers utilizing
specifically programmed interfaces(s).
[0034] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant invention allow the content creator/user to
organize the digital content in a hierarchical nesting
classification by defining series (the most top level category),
stories, chapters, and/or subchapters (the lowest level category).
In some embodiments, the hotspots allow the viewer of the digital
content to move around in the digital content in any direction
(e.g., one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many) in the hierarchical
nesting classification--e.g., from series to subchapter(s), from
subchapter(s) to series, from series to chapter(s), from chapter(s)
to series, from story(ies) to subchapter(s), from story(ies) to
subchapter(s), etc.
[0035] In some embodiments, FIG. 1B shows how the viewers can
experience the published digital content. In some embodiments, for
the viewers, the encoded digital medial is organized into discreet
and modular units that can be accessed individually and in
user-defined sequences based on template settings to allow each
viewer to create own personalize storytelling experience.
[0036] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant invention allows the creators to
specifically program the digital content such that the chapters
offer the viewers a passive storytelling experience and subchapters
offer the viewer an active experience (e.g., viewers can deviate
from).
[0037] In some embodiments, FIGS. 2A-2B, show illustrative examples
of how the hotspots can be defined/configured by the digital
content creator in accordance with the instant invention. In some
embodiments, the hotspot configuration tool allows the content
creators to generate interactive shapes on a single encoded
video-type file via a specifically programmed custom graphical user
interface. In some embodiments, the inventive specifically
programmed publishing computer systems and computer-implemented
publishing methods of the instant invention include the software
interface that allows the content creators to customize the shapes,
sizes, start-time and duration of the hotspots using, for example,
but is not limited to, the video controller and/or metadata input
areas. In some embodiments, areas defined by the hotspots can be
interacted with via a player during defined times to access new
content via a specifically programmed custom hyperlink interface.
In some embodiments, the hotspots can be configured to be pointed
to related-completed template units via pull-down menus(es) and/or
to external documents via a specifically programmed custom
hyperlink tool(s).
[0038] In some embodiments, FIGS. 2C-2D show illustrative examples
of how the slideshows can be defined/configured by the digital
content creator in accordance with the instant invention. In some
embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed publishing
computer systems and computer-implemented publishing methods of the
instant invention include a slideshow configuration tool that
allows the digital content creators to generate interactive
slideshows using, for example, but not limited to, encoded video,
image, text, and/or audio-type media via a specifically programmed
custom graphical user interface. In some embodiments, the inventive
specifically programmed publishing computer systems and
computer-implemented publishing methods of the instant invention
include a software interface that generates a summed timeline from
overlapping creator-defined media without overwriting the original
source media. In some embodiments, the inventive specifically
programmed publishing computer systems and computer-implemented
publishing methods of the instant invention allow the content
viewers to access and navigate through the source media via a
specifically programmed custom user interface without disrupting
the creator-defined media relationships. In some embodiments, the
instant invention allows the content creators to freely mix video
and/or image media types within the drag-and-drop media sequence
controller interface and/or adjust selected-media durations in
metadata input areas.
[0039] In some embodiments, FIGS. 2E-2F show illustrative examples
of how the question&answer content can be defined/configured by
the digital content creator in accordance with some embodiments of
the instant invention. In some embodiments, the inventive
specifically programmed publishing computer systems and
computer-implemented publishing methods of the instant invention
include a specifically programmed Question & Answer
configuration tool that allows the content creators to organize
complex media relationships to simulate discussion and/or
explanation via a specifically programmed custom graphical user
interface. In some embodiments, the inventive specifically
programmed publishing computer systems and computer-implemented
publishing methods of the instant invention include a specifically
programmed software interface that can generate creator-defined
question menus(es) over a looping video/audio clip. In some
embodiments, the instant invention allows the creator to assign
video/audio responses to each created question and organize
question order (e.g., hierarchy and/or wording) via a specifically
programmed custom drag and drop interface.
[0040] FIGS. 2G-2I show illustrative examples of how an exemplary
Hotspot user interface allows the content viewers to deviate from
the linear content presentation timeline (e.g., video timeline) via
interactive shapes overlayed on, for example, streaming video in
accordance with some embodiments of the invention. In some
embodiments, by touching/clicking/hovering a mouse over the
hotspot-defined areas during defined times can display metadata for
hyperlinks to related template units and/or custom descriptions for
external hyperlinks. In some embodiments, by interacting with these
description units associated with the hotspots, the instant
invention allows the content viewers to be presented with the
content at the embedded hyperlink destination(s). In some
embodiments, the hotspots can be defined/programmed such that the
same hotspot (e.g., the same active area on a screen) can be
directed to different contents (e.g., different subchapters,
documents) at different times. In some embodiments, the inventive
specifically programmed publishing computer systems and
computer-implemented publishing methods of the instant invention
analyze an electronic device of a viewer to determine
presentational characteristics of such device (e.g., at least one
of a screen resolution, screen width, etc.) and then adjust the
digital content for the improved presentation quality and
consistency (e.g., adjust the timeline size relative to the width
of the screen, position of a hotspot, etc.).
[0041] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant invention includes keep track of how much
content have been viewed/consumed by the viewer.
[0042] In some embodiments, the hotspot start times can also be
permanently referenced in the content presentation timeline (e.g.,
video timeline) by specifically programming the video
controller/video player to display them. In some embodiments, the
instant invention allows the viewers to interact with timeline
markers at any time regardless of hotspot defined durations--while
the digital content (e.g., video) is shown/streaming.
[0043] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant invention utilize a flexible abstract ratio
mechanism for programming hotspots so that the same hotspot is
placed in the same spot with respect to displayed content by
determining technical characteristics of a device and/or software
utilized by the viewers to access the digital content
[0044] FIGS. 2J-2K show illustrative examples of how an exemplary
Slideshow user interface allows the content viewers to browse
multiple media types on a unified timeline in accordance with some
embodiments of the invention. In some embodiments, the inventive
specifically programmed publishing computer systems and
computer-implemented publishing methods of the instant invention
allow the content viewers to experience a passive linear
presentation of media and/or interact with individual raw content
via a specifically programmed media browser interface. In some
embodiments, the content viewer's individual media selections via
the media browser will advance a summed timeline, including any
embedded independent audio tracks. In some embodiments, the
viewable media types include both images and streaming video.
[0045] FIGS. 2L-2N show illustrative examples of how an exemplary
Question & Answer interface allows the content viewers to
organize and/or display complex video relationships via responsive
overlayed menus(es). In some embodiments, an exemplary menus can
include a main branch of user-defined length with two subordinate
branches of fixed maximum lengths. In some embodiments, the
subordinate branches are revealed based, at least, on settings
defined during the Q&A configuration by the creator (FIG. 2E).
In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant invention allow the viewer to built his or
her own interview by interactively selecting questions for the
interview. In some embodiments, the inventive specifically
programmed publishing computer systems and computer-implemented
publishing methods of the instant invention allow the menus
selections seamlessly swap out onscreen content (e.g., video) with
content (e.g., video) attached to the selected question(s). In some
embodiments, when no selection is made and/or when the playing of a
selected content (e.g., video) is completed, a looping video is
displayed onscreen. In some embodiments, no subquestions are shown
until a viewer selects (e.g., clicks, hovers over) the top
question. In some embodiments, the inventive specifically
programmed publishing computer systems and computer-implemented
publishing methods of the instant invention allows the viewers to
add/post feedback and/or follow-up questions to the
interviewer.
[0046] FIGS. 3A-3B show illustrative examples of how an exemplary
player unit which can include at least one interactive template in
accordance with some embodiments of the instant invention. In some
embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed publishing
computer systems and computer-implemented publishing methods of the
instant invention include a specifically programmed custom drag and
drop user interface which allows the content creators to organize
and/or edit the templates and associated media. In some
embodiments, upon publishing, all template and player metadata and
core media assets are packaged into one unit and distributed via
the Internet.
[0047] FIGS. 3C and 3D show illustrative examples of how an
exemplary player user interface, that interacts with the content
viewer-user, uses a dual content-frame system to seamlessly
transition from one media asset to another. In some embodiments,
upon loading a player unit, links to all user-defined core media
assets and metadata are loaded and displayed on the viewer's
Internet-connected device. In some embodiments, the programmed
links can include at least one of 1) initial image(s) and/or
initial video frame(s), and 2) image and/or text metadata for each
template included in the player unit.
[0048] As shown in FIG. 3C, in some embodiments, when the viewers
interact with onscreen links and/or buttons that require changing
media assets, the requested media is loaded into the secondary
offscreen frame and then animated into the primary frame position.
As shown in FIG. 3D, in some embodiments, when the viewers interact
with onscreen links and buttons that require changing template
interfaces, the requested template interface and initial media
assets are loaded into the secondary offscreen frame and then
animated into the primary frame position.
[0049] In some embodiments, a story can be programmed to have an
option of becoming a series (serialization). In some embodiments,
the series is an open-ended story creation by the viewer.
[0050] FIG. 4 shows an illustrative data flowchart for uploading
the digital content by the creators in accordance with some
embodiments of the instant invention.
[0051] FIGS. 5A and 5B show illustrative data flowcharts for how
the viewers personalize their storytelling experiences of the
digital content published in accordance with some embodiments of
the instant invention.
[0052] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant invention incorporate at least one of the
social media content, social media tools, and social networking to
build support for creators' contributions and/or viewers'
experiences. In some embodiments, the inventive specifically
programmed publishing computer systems and computer-implemented
publishing methods of the instant invention is programmed to
receive submissions from public, the viewers, and/or
creators/contributors.
[0053] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant invention allow the viewers to vote for
and/or against the digital content of particular creator(s). In
some embodiments, the voting is limited to non-registered public.
In some embodiments, the voting is limited to the registered
viewers. In some embodiments, the voting is limited to the
registered creators/contributors.
[0054] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant allows editorial review of the published
and/or pre-published digital content.
[0055] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant invention allows the creators to be paid
(e.g., automatically paid, paid on ad hoc basis, etc.).
[0056] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant invention allows the viewers to contextually
navigate through the digital content and over the presentation
timeline (e.g., moving a cursor to display times).
[0057] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant invention can be utilize for instructional
content (e.g., tutorials, etc.).
[0058] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant invention keep portions of a single story as
discrete units (i.e., not combined in a single file).
[0059] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant invention allows to publish sponsored
story(ies) (e.g., news, advertisement) with hotspots strategically
place to, for example, supply additional information and/or allow a
viewer to perform a particular action related to, for instance, a
particular advertisement (e.g., an advertisement for milk has a
hotspot placed on a carton of milk and selecting the hotspot by a
viewer results in (1) display a story about how cows are fed, (2)
allowing to purchase a carton of milk at a local grocery, etc).
[0060] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant invention allows to measure the viewer's
interaction with the digital content by measuring, for example, but
is not limited to, amount of time spend, etc.
[0061] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems and computer-implemented publishing
methods of the instant invention can be utilized for online
education (e.g., presenting a lecture as a story); tutorials (e.g.,
how to conduct a surgery); presenting legal documents (e.g.,
interactive annotated transcripts of depositions and/or court
hearings.
[0062] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 10, the inventive
specifically programmed publishing computer systems and
computer-implemented publishing methods of the instant invention
utilize a technique for embedding players by having the player
server to serve the entire player as a separate page which is then
included in the parent page as an iframe. In such embodiments,
technically, the player is a separate page from the parent.
[0063] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11, the inventive
specifically programmed publishing computer systems and
computer-implemented publishing methods of the instant invention
utilize a technique for embedding player(s) using a widget. For
example, in some embodiments, the HTML and/or Javascript for the
widget is supplied by the parent page. In some embodiments, the
inventive specifically programmed publishing computer systems
distribute a Javascript library and, optionally, guidelines on for
how to configure the parent page to include the player. In such
scenario, from a technical standpoint the player is in the same
page as the parent. In some embodiments, the player widget
retrieves only the data from the player server rather than the
entire page. In some embodiments, the inventive specifically
programmed publishing computer systems and computer-implemented
publishing methods of the instant invention can utilize varies
techniques for embedding embedding player(s) using a widget, such
as exemplary techniques detailed in U.S. Pub. No. 20110238688 whose
specific description of widget(s) is hereby incorporated by
reference in its entirety; but the use of the exemplary widget
techniques by the inventive specifically programmed publishing
computer systems and computer-implemented publishing methods of the
instant invention are not limited to the specific description of
them in U.S. Pub. No. 20110238688.
[0064] In some embodiments, utilizing the player widget allows to
create a unified experience for the user by providing capabilities
to style the player allowing to present the player's interface as
though it is an integral part of the parent page. In some
embodiments, utilizing the player widget allows for deeper
integration between the parent and player. For example, the parent
page can change the layout quite drastically such as, inter alia,
to change the way navigation works through building a chapter menu
outside of the player.
[0065] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems allow viewers/readers to resyndicate
content. For example, the widget can expose the ability for viewers
of the widget to generate embed strings that allow viewers to view
content on their own web sites. For example, the inventive
specifically programmed publishing computer systems may display an
embed string below the content and/or a link/button to retrieve an
appropriate embed string for displaying the content on the viewer's
web site. In some embodiments, a content author may provide a web
site where potential syndicators can request to become affiliated
with the content author so that the syndicator can display the
author's content with fewer advertisements and/or with a customized
appearance. For example, the author may allow syndicators to pay a
periodic fee (e.g., hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, and etc.) for
the privilege of displaying the author's content with fewer
restrictions.
[0066] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems described herein can operate in many
different scenarios, including on mobile devices from which users
are more and more using to access content. For example, a publisher
of a news or other service for a mobile device may retrieve content
from one or more authors using the techniques described herein, and
authors may receive payment for use of their content wherever the
content goes. In addition, advertisers may contract with the author
to have advertisements accompany the content wherever the content
is displayed so that advertisers can associate their products with
specific content items rather than more broadly with particular
publisher's sites.
[0067] In some embodiments, the content distribution system may
include configurable restrictions related to video in addition to
others described herein. For example, a content author may provide
a player widget for playing video provided by the author, but may
allow certain publishers to access the author's content and use
their own video player to play the content. For example, it is
typical for sites, such as YouTube, to attempt to force playback in
a particular player that allows for branding and other
functionality (e.g., subsequent videos after one video finishes) to
be enforced. In some embodiments, the content author may impose
similar restrictions on content through an author-provided player
but may also relax such restrictions for a publisher that pays to
display the publisher's own branding or other functionality.
[0068] In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems provide the ability for publishers to
enforce exclusive content with publishers. For example, an author
and publisher may agree that the publisher will get an exclusive
right to use the content for a set period of time for a particular
fee. In some embodiments, the inventive specifically programmed
publishing computer systems can request identifying information
from each publisher and compare that information with rights stored
in one or more content stores to determine whether a particular
requesting publisher has access to requested content, and to
provide content only to those publishers having sufficient rights.
In some embodiments, such exclusivity may be time limited. For
example, an author may provide his content to an affiliate
exclusively for 24 hours and then after 24 hours to any
publisher.
[0069] Illustrative Operating Environments
[0070] In some embodiments, the innovative programmed systems can
be operated over other operating systems, such as, but not limited
to, iOS and Android. In some embodiments, the innovative programmed
systems can be native to a software platform and/or incorporate
programming modules based at least in part on HTML5-based tools
like PhoneGap or Sencha.
[0071] FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of an environment in which
the present invention may operate. However, not all of these
components may be required to practice the invention, and
variations in the arrangement and type of the components may be
made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
In some embodiment, the specifically programmed publishing platform
of the instant invention can host a large number (e.g., at least
10, at least 50, at least 100, at least 500, at least 1,000, at
least 10,000; at least 100,000; at least 1,000,000) of
members/participants (e.g., content creators, viewers, etc.) and/or
process a large number (e.g., at least 1,000; at least 10,000; at
least 100,000; at least 1,000,000) of concurrent transactions
(e.g., interactions between the inventive publishing platform and
viewers and/or creators, etc.). In other embodiments, the
specifically programmed publishing systems of the instant invention
are based on a scalable computer and network architecture that
incorporates varies strategies for assessing the data, caching,
searching, and database connection pooling. An example of the
scalable architecture is an architecture that is capable of
operating multiple servers.
[0072] In embodiments, members of the inventive computer system
602-604 (e.g. electronic devices of creators and/or viewers include
virtually any computing device capable of receiving and sending a
message over a network, such as network 105, to and from another
computing device, such as servers 606 and 607, each other, and the
like. In embodiments, the set of such devices includes devices that
typically connect using a wired communications medium such as
personal computers, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or
programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, and the like. In
embodiments, the set of such devices also includes devices that
typically connect using a wireless communications medium such as
cell phones, smart phones, pagers, walkie talkies, radio frequency
(RF) devices, infrared (IR) devices, CBs, integrated devices
combining one or more of the preceding devices, or virtually any
mobile device, and the like. Similarly, in some embodiments, client
devices 602-604 are any device that is capable of connecting using
a wired or wireless communication medium such as a PDA, POCKET PC,
wearable computer, and any other device that is equipped to
communicate over a wired and/or wireless communication medium.
[0073] In some embodiments, each member device within member
devices 602-604 may include a browser application that is
configured to receive and to send web pages, and the like. In
embodiments, the browser application may be configured to receive
and display graphics, text, multimedia, and the like, employing
virtually any web based language, including, but not limited to
Standard Generalized Markup Language (SMGL), such as HyperText
Markup Language (HTML), a wireless application protocol (WAP), a
Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML), such as Wireless Markup
Language (WML), WMLScript, JavaScript, and the like. In
embodiments, the invention is programmed in either Java or
.Net.
[0074] In some embodiments, member devices 602-604 may be further
configured to receive a message from the another computing device
employing another mechanism, including, but not limited to email,
Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS),
instant messaging (IM), internet relay chat (IRC), mIRC, Jabber,
and the like.
[0075] In some embodiments, network 605 may be configured to couple
one computing device to another computing device to enable them to
communicate. In some embodiments, network 605 may be enabled to
employ any form of computer readable media for communicating
information from one electronic device to another. Also, in some
embodiments, network 605 may include a wireless interface, and/or a
wired interface, such as the Internet, in addition to local area
networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), direct connections,
such as through a universal serial bus (USB) port, other forms of
computer-readable media, or any combination thereof. In
embodiments, on an interconnected set of LANs, including those
based on differing architectures and protocols, a router may act as
a link between LANs, enabling messages to be sent from one to
another.
[0076] Also, in some embodiments, communication links within LANs
typically include twisted wire pair or coaxial cable, while
communication links between networks may utilize analog telephone
lines, full or fractional dedicated digital lines including T1, T2,
T3, and T4, Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDNs), Digital
Subscriber Lines (DSLs), wireless links including satellite links,
or other communications links known to those skilled in the art.
Furthermore, in some embodiments, remote computers and other
related electronic devices could be remotely connected to either
LANs or WANs via a modem and temporary telephone link. In essence,
in some embodiments, network 605 includes any communication method
by which information may travel between client devices 602-604, and
servers 606 and 607.
[0077] FIG. 7 shows another exemplary embodiment of the computer
and network architecture that supports the specifically programmed
publishing systems of the instant invention. The member devices
702a, 702b thru 702n shown (e.g., computers, portable devices,
smartphones, etc.), each at least includes a computer-readable
medium, such as a random access memory (RAM) 708 coupled to a
processor 710 or FLASH memory. The processor 710 may execute
computer-executable program instructions stored in memory 708. Such
processors comprise a microprocessor, an ASIC, and state machines.
Such processors comprise, or may be in communication with, media,
for example computer-readable media, which stores instructions
that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to
perform the steps described herein. In some embodiments of
computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, an
electronic, optical, magnetic, or other storage or transmission
device capable of providing a processor, such as the processor 710
of client 702a, with computer-readable instructions. Other examples
of suitable media may include, but are not limited to, a floppy
disk, CD-ROM, DVD, magnetic disk, memory chip, ROM, RAM, an ASIC, a
configured processor, all optical media, all magnetic tape or other
magnetic media, or any other medium from which a computer processor
can read instructions. Also, various other forms of
computer-readable media may transmit or carry instructions to a
computer, including a router, private or public network, or other
transmission device or channel, both wired and wireless. The
instructions may comprise code from any computer-programming
language, including, for example, C, C++, C#, Visual Basic, Java,
Python, Perl, and JavaScript.
[0078] Member devices 702a-n may also comprise a number of external
or internal devices such as a mouse, a CD-ROM, DVD, a keyboard, a
display, or other input or output devices. Examples of client
devices 702a-n may be personal computers, digital assistants,
personal digital assistants, cellular phones, mobile phones, smart
phones, pagers, digital tablets, laptop computers, Internet
appliances, and other processor-based devices. In general, a client
device 702a are be any type of processor-based platform that is
connected to a network 706 and that interacts with one or more
application programs. Client devices 702a-n may operate on any
operating system capable of supporting a browser or browser-enabled
application, such as Microsoft.TM., Windows.TM., or Linux. The
client devices 702a-n shown may include, for example, personal
computers executing a browser application program such as Microsoft
Corporation's Internet Explorer.TM., Apple Computer, Inc.'s
Safari.TM., Mozilla Firefox, and Opera. Through the client devices
702a-n, users (e.g., creators, viewers, etc.) 712a-n communicate
over the network 706 with each other and with other systems and
devices coupled to the network 706. As shown in FIG. 7, server
devices 704 and 713 may be also coupled to the network 706.
[0079] For purposes of the instant description, the terms "cloud,"
"Internet cloud," "cloud computing," "cloud architecture," and
similar terms correspond to at least one of the following: (1) a
large number of computers connected through a real-time
communication network (e.g., Internet); (2) providing the ability
to run a program or application on many connected computers (e.g.,
physical machines, virtual machines (VMs)) at the same time; (3)
network-based services, which appear to be provided by real server
hardware, and are in fact served up by virtual hardware (e.g.,
virtual servers), simulated by software running on one or more real
machines (e.g., allowing to be moved around and scaled up (or down)
on the fly without affecting the end user). In some embodiments,
the instant invention offers/manages the cloud
computing/architecture as, but not limiting to: infrastructure a
service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and software as a
service (SaaS). FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate schematics of exemplary
implementations of the cloud computing/architecture.
[0080] In some embodiments, the term "mobile electronic device" may
refer to any portable electronic device that may or may not be
enabled with location tracking functionality. For example, a mobile
electronic device can include, but is not limited to, a mobile
phone, tablet, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), Blackberry.TM.,
Pager, Smartphone, or any other reasonable mobile electronic
device. For ease, at times the above variations are not listed or
are only partially listed, this is in no way meant to be a
limitation.
[0081] In some embodiments, the instant invention utilizes location
tracking technology or locating method to identify a location of,
for example, a user's device. In some embodiments, the instant
invention utilizes Radio Frequency Identification such as, but not
limited to, any form of RFID tag for automatic tracking and/or
automatic importing/accessing/retrieving of data.
[0082] In some embodiments, the instant invention can utilize
near-field wireless communication (NFC) (e.g., for communicating
with users' devices) that can represent a short-range wireless
communications technology in which NFC-enabled devices are
"swiped," "bumped," "tap" or otherwise moved in close proximity to
communicate. In some embodiments, NFC could include a set of
short-range wireless technologies, typically requiring a distance
of 10 cm or less.
[0083] In some embodiments, NFC may operate at 13.56 MHz on ISO/IEC
18000-3 air interface and at rates ranging from 106 kbit/s to 424
kbit/s. In some embodiments, NFC can involve an initiator and a
target; the initiator actively generates an RF field that can power
a passive target. In some embodiments, this can enable NFC targets
to take very simple form factors such as tags, stickers, key fobs,
or cards that do not require batteries. In some embodiments, NFC
peer-to-peer communication can be conducted when a plurality of
NFC-enable devices are within close proximity of each other.
[0084] In some embodiments, the instant invention provides for a
computer system, including: at least one specifically programmed
publishing server; at least one non-transitory database accessible
by the at least one specifically programmed publishing server,
where the at least one non-transitory database is specifically
programmed to being dedicated for use by the at least one
specifically programmed publishing server; at least one first
network publishing portal specifically programmed for connecting a
plurality of digital content creators and a plurality of digital
content viewers to the at least one specifically programmed
publishing server and coupling the at least one specifically
programmed publishing server and the at least one non-transitory
database, where the at least one specifically programmed publishing
server, the at least one non-transitory database and the at least
one first network publishing portal being arranged such that the
computer system provides the at least one first network portal to
the plurality of digital content creators and the plurality of
digital content viewers through a plurality of electronic devices
respectively utilized by the plurality of digital content creators
and the plurality of digital content viewers to access the at least
one first network publishing portal over a computer network; where
the at least one specifically programmed publishing server, the at
least one non-transitory database and the at least one first
network publishing portal are specifically programmed with
specialized publishing software; where the specialized publishing
software, upon execution, specifically transforms the at least one
specifically programmed publishing server, the at least one
non-transitory database and the at least one first network
publishing portal to perform at least the following: receiving, by
the computer system, particular digital content from each digital
content creator of the plurality of digital content creators;
displaying, by the computer system, at least one specifically
programmed hotspot template; i) where the at least one specifically
programmed hotspot template permits each digital content creator of
the plurality of digital content creators to define a plurality of
hotspots in the particular digital content; ii) where each hotspot
is an interactive visual programmed clue shown to a viewer when the
viewer experiences at least one first portion of the particular
digital content which allows the viewer, by selecting such hotspot
to dynamically proceed to experience at least one second portion of
the particular digital content; iii) where the at least one
specifically programmed hotspot template is programmed to define,
for each hotspot, at least the following hotspot criteria: 1) when
to display such hotspot during the particular digital content, 2)
where to display such hotspot in a visual area of a screen of a
viewing electronic device; and 3) what to display when such hotspot
is selected by the viewer; iv) where, by sequentially experiencing
the at least one first portion of the particular digital content
and the at least one second portion of the particular digital
content, the viewer is allowed, by the computer system, to create
at least one viewer personalized storyline digital experience which
differs from at least one storyline digital experience pre-defined
by such digital content creator of the particular digital content;
enabling, by the computer system, utilizing the at least one
specifically programmed hotspot template, a particular digital
content creator to define at least one particular storyline digital
experience based on the particular digital content, where the at
least one particular storyline digital experience having a first
plurality of particular hotspots; and enabling, by the computer
system, a particular viewer to create at least one particular
viewer personalized storyline digital experience of the particular
digital content based on selecting at least one first particular
hotspot from the first plurality of particular hotspots; where the
at least one particular viewer personalized storyline digital
experience created by the particular viewer differs from the at
least one particular storyline digital experience defined by the
particular digital content creator.
[0085] In some embodiments, the at least one particular storyline
digital experience has a timeline and where the at least one first
particular hotspot from the first plurality of particular hotspots
is located on the timeline.
[0086] In some embodiments, the at least one particular storyline
digital experience comprises a plurality of recordings selected
from the group consisting of video recording, audio recording,
slideshow, and any combination thereof.
[0087] In some embodiments, the at least one particular storyline
digital experience comprises at least one image.
[0088] In some embodiments, the specialized publishing software,
upon execution, specifically transforms the at least one
specifically programmed publishing server, the at least one
non-transitory database and the at least one first network
publishing portal to perform at least the following: enabling, by
the computer system, the particular digital content creator to
organize the particular digital content in a hierarchical nesting
classification based on a plurality of level categories selected
from the group consisting of series, stories, chapters, and
subchapters; where the series is the most top level category and
the subchapters is the lowest level category.
[0089] In some embodiments, the first plurality of particular
hotspots allow the particular personalized the at least one
particular viewer personalized storyline digital experience by
moving around in the particular digital content in at least one of
the following direction within the hierarchical nesting
classification: i) within the same level category, ii) from a
particular level category to many level categories, and iii) within
many level categories.
[0090] In some embodiments, the specialized publishing software,
upon execution, specifically transforms the at least one
specifically programmed publishing server, the at least one
non-transitory database and the at least one first network
publishing portal to perform at least the following: encoding, by
the computer system, the particular digital content as a plurality
of discreet modular units based on the at least one specifically
programmed hotspot template so that each of plurality of discreet
modular units is individually accessible by the particular viewer
to create the at least one particular viewer personalized storyline
digital experience of the particular digital content based on
selecting at least one first particular hotspot from the first
plurality of particular hotspots.
[0091] In some embodiments, the at least one specifically
programmed hotspot template allows to the particular digital
content creator to define at least one of the following
characteristics for each particular hotspot: i) a shape, ii) a
size, iii) a start time, and iv) a duration.
[0092] In some embodiments, the particular digital content is in a
question-and-answer format.
[0093] In some embodiments, the enabling, by the computer system,
the particular viewer to create at least one particular viewer
personalized storyline digital experience of the particular digital
content is through at least one widget embedded in the at least one
first network publishing portal.
[0094] In some embodiments, the instant invention provides for a
computer-implemented method, including: receiving, by a computer
system, particular digital content from each digital content
creator of a plurality of digital content creators; where the
computer system includes at least the following: at least one
specifically programmed publishing server; at least one
non-transitory database accessible by the at least one specifically
programmed publishing server, where the at least one non-transitory
database is specifically programmed to being dedicated for use by
the at least one specifically programmed publishing server; at
least one first network publishing portal specifically programmed
for connecting the plurality of digital content creators and a
plurality of digital content viewers to the at least one
specifically programmed publishing server and coupling the at least
one specifically programmed publishing server and the at least one
non-transitory database, where the at least one specifically
programmed publishing server, the at least one non-transitory
database and the at least one first network publishing portal being
arranged such that the computer system provides the at least one
first network portal to the plurality of digital content creators
and the plurality of digital content viewers through a plurality of
electronic devices respectively utilized by the plurality of
digital content creators and the plurality of digital content
viewers to access the at least one first network publishing portal
over a computer network; where the at least one specifically
programmed publishing server, the at least one non-transitory
database and the at least one first network publishing portal are
specifically programmed with specialized publishing software,
enabling the computer system to perform the steps of the
computer-implemented method; displaying, by the computer system, at
least one specifically programmed hotspot template; i) where the at
least one specifically programmed hotspot template permits each
digital content creator of the plurality of digital content
creators to define a plurality of hotspots in the particular
digital content; ii) where each hotspot is an interactive visual
programmed clue shown to a viewer when the viewer experiences at
least one first portion of the particular digital content which
allows the viewer, by selecting such hotspot to dynamically proceed
to experience at least one second portion of the particular digital
content; iii) where the at least one specifically programmed
hotspot template is programmed to define, for each hotspot, at
least the following hotspot criteria: 1) when to display such
hotspot during the particular digital content, 2) where to display
such hotspot in a visual area of a screen of a viewing electronic
device; and 3) what to display when such hotspot is selected by the
viewer; iv) where, by sequentially experiencing the at least one
first portion of the particular digital content and the at least
one second portion of the particular digital content, the viewer is
allowed, by the computer system, to create at least one viewer
personalized storyline digital experience which differs from at
least one storyline digital experience pre-defined by such digital
content creator of the particular digital content; enabling, by the
computer system, utilizing the at least one specifically programmed
hotspot template, a particular digital content creator to define at
least one particular storyline digital experience based on the
particular digital content, where the at least one particular
storyline digital experience having a first plurality of particular
hotspots; and enabling, by the computer system, a particular viewer
to create at least one particular viewer personalized storyline
digital experience of the particular digital content based on
selecting at least one first particular hotspot from the first
plurality of particular hotspots; where the at least one particular
viewer personalized storyline digital experience created by the
particular viewer differs from the at least one particular
storyline digital experience defined by the particular digital
content creator.
[0095] While a number of embodiments of the present invention have
been described, it is understood that these embodiments are
illustrative only, and not restrictive, and that many modifications
may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.
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