Multimedia data publishing system

Abstract

An electronic multimedia data publishing system including a server connected to a computer network and a number of host terminals connected to the computer network, the server including a database wherein are stored digital files containing descriptors of multimedia pages and a software program which manages the database and the exchanges with the host terminals, the host terminals being equipped with a random access memory to temporarily store digital files downloaded from the server database and a consultation program to visually display files in accordance with descriptors of a downloaded page, wherein selected digital files include descriptors with at least two visual display modes.

1 . An electronic multimedia data publishing system comprising: 
 a server connected to a computer network and    a number of host terminals connected to the computer network,    the server including a database wherein are stored digital files containing descriptors of multimedia pages and a software program which manages the database and exchanges with the host terminals, the host terminals being equipped with a random access memory to temporarily store digital files downloaded from the server database and a consultation program to visually display files in accordance with descriptors of a downloaded page, wherein selected digital files include descriptors with at least two visual display modes.    
     
     
         2 . The electronic multimedia data publishing system of  claim 1 , wherein one of the modes corresponds to a visual display that creates a display bigger than that of a second visualization mode included in the same digital file.  
     
     
         3 . The electronic multimedia data publishing system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one digital file corresponding to a page includes means for switching between various visual display modes included in the same file.  
     
     
         4 . The electronic multimedia data publishing system of  claim 3 , wherein the means for switching is formed by detecting an activation of a key of the peripheral device when it designates an inactive zone of the display generated by the digital file.  
     
     
         5 . The electronic multimedia data publishing system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the digital files contains descriptors of a geometrical form of a visual display area.  
     
     
         6 . The electronic multimedia data publishing system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the digital files contains descriptors for automatic loading and display of at least another page.  
     
     
         7 . The electronic multimedia data publishing system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the digital files contains descriptors for loading and display of a number of interactive tabs displayed in a common display zone.  
     
     
         8 . The electronic multimedia data publishing system of  claim 1 , wherein the server includes a database wherein are stored descriptors for access to different files.  
     
     
         9 . The electronic multimedia data publishing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a contents base composed of contents files whose structure includes: 
 a window opening flag;    a flag preceding a zone containing instructions which call on memory resources;    a flag preceding a zone containing instructions for processing the resources;    one or more flags preceding a zone containing definitions of visual objects; and    a closure flag.    
     
     
         10 . The electronic multimedia data publishing system of  claim 9 , wherein each file contains a single flag defining associated visual objects, and definitions of the objects include conditional display indicators, the indicators corresponding to the display modes.