Interactive training application

Abstract

An interactive training application has three components: a lesson engine, a lesson delivery system, and a lesson authoring tool. The lesson engine runs an interactive, multimedia training exercise based on the contents of a lesson file, which comprises a plurality of pages. Each page includes a navigation item, associated with another page, and a reference to multimedia content. The lesson delivery system displays a menu of lessons to a student, fetches a lesson file corresponding to the student's selection, and invokes the lesson engine upon the lesson file. The lesson authoring tool provides a graphical interface for inputting and editing storyboards, from which the lesson authoring tool is configured for generating a lesson file.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of instructing a student at a workstation, comprising the steps of: 
 automatically downloading a lesson engine to the workstation;    receiving a request from the student specifying a lesson file from among a plurality of available lesson files;    in response to said request, downloading said specified lesson file and a plurality of related multimedia content from among a plurality of available multimedia content to the workstation; and    executing said lesson engine, at the workstation, upon said specified lesson file and the plurality of related multimedia content to present the student with interactive training.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said specified lesson file includes a plurality of pages, wherein each page includes a reference to one of said plurality of related multimedia content and a navigational item associated with a destination page; and    the step of executing said lesson engine, at the workstation, upon said specified lesson file and said plurality of related multimedia content includes the steps of: 
 instructing said student based on a page of the plurality of pages of said specified lesson file;  
 displaying a navigational control associated with the navigational item included in the page;  
 detecting an activation of said navigational control; and  
 in response to said activation, instructing said student based on the destination page associated with said navigational item.  
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of instructing said student based on a page of the plurality of pages of said specified lesson file includes the steps of: 
 displaying a page of the plurality of pages of said specified lesson file; and    presenting one of the related multimedia content based on the reference included in said page.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the step of displaying a page of the plurality of pages of said specified lesson file includes the steps of: 
 reading a page number from a file; and    displaying a page of the plurality of pages of said lesson file having the page number.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the step of presenting one of the related multimedia content based on the reference included in said page includes the step of playing an audio file.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the step of presenting one of the related multimedia content based on the reference included in said page includes the step of playing a video file.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the step of presenting one of the related multimedia content based on the reference included in said page includes the step of displaying animation.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of downloading said specified lesson file and a plurality of related multimedia content from among a plurality of available multimedia content to the workstation includes the steps of: 
 determining a serial number based on the file name of said specified lesson file;    downloading said specified lesson file to the workstation;    establishing which of said plurality of available multimedia content as said plurality of related multimedia content based on said serial number and the file names of the available multimedia content; and    downloading said plurality of related multimedia content to the workstation.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving a request from the student specifying a lesson file of a plurality of lesson files includes the steps of: 
 displaying a list of lessons based on the identity of the student, each lesson associated with a lesson file of said plurality of available lesson files;    receiving input from the student indicating a selected lesson of said list of lessons; and    establishing a lesson file associated with said selected lesson as said lesson file.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of collecting information about the student's interaction with said lesson engine.  
     
     
         11 . A method of instructing a student at a workstation, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a request from the student specifying a lesson file from among a plurality of available lesson files;    in response to said request, downloading said specified lesson file and a plurality of related multimedia content from among a plurality of available multimedia content to the workstation; and    executing a platform-independent lesson engine, at the workstation, upon said specified lesson file and the plurality of related multimedia content to present the student with interactive training.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein: 
 said specified lesson file includes a plurality of pages, wherein each page includes a reference to one of said plurality of related multimedia content and a navigational item associated with a destination page; and    the step of executing a platform-independent lesson engine upon said specified lesson file and said plurality of related multimedia content includes the steps of:    instructing said student based on a page of the plurality of pages of said specified lesson file;    displaying a navigational control associated with the navigational item included in the page;    detecting an activation of said navigational control; and    in response to said activation, instructing said student based on the destination page associated with said navigational item.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of instructing said student based on a page of the plurality of pages of said specified lesson file includes the steps of: 
 displaying a page of the plurality of pages of said specified lesson file; and    presenting one of the related multimedia content based on the reference included in said page.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of displaying a page of the plurality of pages of said specified lesson file includes the steps of: 
 reading a page number from a file; and    displaying a page of the plurality of pages of said specified lesson file having the page number.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of presenting one of the related multimedia content based on the reference included in said page includes the step of playing an audio file.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of presenting one of the related multimedia content based on the reference included in said page includes the step of playing a video file.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of presenting one of the multimedia content based on the reference included in said page includes the step of displaying animation.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of downloading said specified lesson file and a plurality of related multimedia content from among a plurality of available multimedia content to the workstation includes the steps of: 
 determining a serial number based on the file name of said specified lesson file;    downloading said specified lesson file to the workstation;    establishing which of said plurality of available multimedia content as said plurality of related multimedia content based on said serial number and the file names of the available multimedia content; and    downloading said plurality of related multimedia content to the workstation.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of receiving a request from the student specifying a lesson file of a plurality of lesson files includes the steps of: 
 displaying a list of lessons based on the identity of the student, each lesson associated with a lesson file of said plurality of available lesson files;    receiving input from the student indicating a selected lesson of said list of lessons; and    establishing a lesson file associated with said selected lesson as said specified lesson file.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of collecting information about the student's interaction with said lesson engine.  
     
     
         21 . A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions for instructing a student at workstation, said sequences of instructions including sequences of instructions for causing said workstation to perform the steps of: 
 automatically downloading a lesson engine to the workstation;    receiving a request from the student specifying a lesson file from among a plurality of available lesson files;    in response to said request, downloading said specified lesson file and a plurality of related multimedia content from among a plurality of available multimedia content to the workstation; and    invoking said lesson engine upon said specified lesson file and the plurality of related multimedia content to present the student with interactive training.    
     
     
         22 . The computer readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the step of downloading said specified lesson file and a plurality of related multimedia content from among a plurality of available multimedia content to the workstation includes the steps of: 
 determining a serial number based on the file name of said specified lesson file;    downloading said specified lesson file to the workstation;    establishing which of said plurality of available multimedia content as said plurality of related multimedia content based on said serial number and the file names of the available multimedia content; and    downloading said plurality of related multimedia content to the workstation.    
     
     
         23 . The computer readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the step of receiving a request from the student specifying a lesson file of a plurality of available lesson files includes the steps of: 
 displaying a list of lessons based on the identity of the student, each lesson associated with a lesson file of said plurality of available lesson files;    receiving input from the student indicating a selected lesson of said list of lessons; and    establishing a lesson file associated with said selected lesson as said specified lesson file.    
     
     
         24 . A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions for instructing a student at workstation, said sequences of instructions including sequences of instructions for causing said workstation to perform the steps of: 
 receiving a request from the student specifying a lesson file of a plurality of lesson files;    in response to said request, downloading said specified lesson file and a plurality of related multimedia content from among a plurality of available multimedia content to the workstation; and    executing a platform-independent lesson engine upon said specified lesson file and the plurality of related multimedia content to present the student with interactive training.    
     
     
         25 . The computer readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the step of downloading said specified lesson file and a plurality of related multimedia content from among a plurality of available multimedia content to the workstation includes the steps of: 
 determining a serial number based on the file name of said specified lesson file;    downloading said specified lesson file to the workstation;    establishing which of said plurality of available multimedia content as said plurality of related multimedia content based on said serial number and the file names of the available multimedia content; and    downloading said plurality of related multimedia content to the workstation.    
     
     
         26 . The computer readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the step of receiving a request from the student specifying a lesson file of a plurality of available lesson files includes the steps of: 
 displaying a list of lessons based on the identity of the student, each lesson associated with a lesson file of said plurality of available lesson files;    receiving input from the student indicating a selected lesson of said list of lessons; and    establishing a lesson file associated with said selected lesson as said specified lesson file.    
     
     
         27 . An interactive training network, comprising: 
 a storage device for storing courseware, said courseware comprising a plurality of multimedia content and a plurality of lesson files, wherein each lesson file includes a plurality of references to multimedia content; and    a plurality of workstations, wherein a workstation is networked to said storage medium and includes:    a lesson delivery system for downloading a lesson file and the multimedia content referenced in the lesson file from said storage medium to storage in the workstation based on input from a student; and    a lesson engine for instructing said student based on said specified lesson file and presenting the multimedia content at the workstation to said student.    
     
     
         28 . The interactive training network of  claim 27 , wherein said lesson delivery system includes: 
 a login mechanism for receiving a student identifier from a student;    means for displaying a list of lessons based on said student identifier and information about students stored in a database, wherein each lesson is associated with a lesson file;    means for receiving input from the student indicative of a selected lesson;    means for determining a serial number embedded in the file name of the lesson file associated with the selected lesson; and    means for downloading said specified lesson file and multimedia content having file names containing said serial number.    
     
     
         29 . The interactive training network of  claim 27 , wherein said lesson engine includes a video player.  
     
     
         30 . The interactive training network of  claim 27 , wherein said lesson engine includes an audio player.  
     
     
         31 . The interactive training network of  claim 27 , wherein said lesson engine includes an animation player.  
     
     
         32 . An apparatus for authoring courseware, comprising: 
 a database;    means for inputting a storyboard, wherein a storyboard includes a navigational item associated with a second storyboard and a reference to multimedia content;    means for displaying a graphical representation of said storyboard;    means for storing said storyboard into said database;    means for retrieving a plurality of storyboards from said database; and    means for generating a lesson file from said plurality of storyboards, wherein said lesson file comprises a plurality of pages, wherein a page includes a navigational item associated with one of said plurality of pages and said reference to multimedia content.    
     
     
         33 . A method of creating a lesson file, comprising a plurality of pages, wherein a page includes a navigational item associated with one of said plurality of pages and a reference to multimedia content, comprising the steps of: 
 inputting a plurality of storyboards, wherein a storyboard includes a navigational item associated with a second storyboard and a reference to multimedia content;    displaying a graphical representation of said storyboard; and    generating, from said plurality of storyboards, a lesson file comprising a plurality of pages, wherein a page includes a navigational item associated with one of said plurality of pages and said reference to multimedia content.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the step of inputting a plurality of storyboards includes the step of assigning a default value as a storyboard number when each of said plurality of storyboards is input.  
     
     
         35 . A computer readable medium having sequences of instructions stored thereon for creating a lesson file, comprising a plurality of pages, wherein a page includes a navigational item associated with one of said plurality of pages and a reference to multimedia content, said sequences of instructions comprising sequences of instructions for performing the steps of: 
 inputting a plurality of storyboards, wherein a storyboard includes a navigational item associated with a second storyboard and a reference to multimedia content;    displaying a graphical representation of said storyboard; and    generating, from said plurality of storyboards, a lesson file comprising a plurality of pages, wherein a page includes a navigational item associated with one of said plurality of pages and said reference to multimedia content.    
     
     
         36 . The computer readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the step of inputting a plurality of storyboards includes the step of assigning a default value as a storyboard number when each of said plurality of storyboards is input.  
     
     
         37 . A wide area training network, comprising: 
 a lesson authoring tool for creating a lesson file, comprising a plurality of pages, wherein a page includes a navigational item associated with one of said plurality of pages and a reference to multimedia content;    a storage device networked to said lesson authoring tool for storing courseware, wherein courseware comprises a plurality of multimedia content and a plurality of lesson files;    a plurality of local area training networks, networked to said storage device, wherein a local area training network comprises a file server for storing courseware and a plurality of workstations, networked to said file server; and    means for transmitting courseware from said storage device to the file server of one of said plurality of local area training networks.    
     
     
         38 . The wide area network of  claim 37 , wherein a workstation includes: 
 a lesson delivery system for retrieving a selected lesson file and the multimedia content referenced in the plurality of pages of the selected lesson file from said storage medium based on input from a student; and    a lesson engine for instructing said student based on the selected lesson file and the multimedia content.