Electronic kiosk authoring system

Abstract

An authoring system for use in developing and maintaining user interface screens for computer-based information delivery systems. The authoring system enables the user interface for each individual computer to be customized quickly and easily within wide limits of variation, yet subject to constraints adhering the resulting interface to good standards of aesthetics and user friendliness. The system may be used to provide custom interfaces expeditiously even for hundreds of computers presenting information from numerous independent information sources. The authoring system uses the methods of object oriented programming to define specialized object classes for instantiation on individual computer interface screens subject to pre-defined limitations on variability. Links are provided to an appropriate database for multimedia presentations on an interface screen of content bearing information from the information providers.

1 . In a kiosk system having a plurality of kiosks for displaying information from a database of information provided by a plurality of information providers, wherein each kiosk includes a display monitor for the display of information to a user and an associated microprocessor for controlling the retrieval and display of information, a method for defining custom interface screens for an individual kiosk comprising the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of pre-defined element types, each element type defining a form of element available for presentation on said custom interface screen and each element type having a plurality of attributes associated therewith wherein each said attribute may be assigned a value in a pre-defined attribute range;    selecting a plurality of elements to be displayed on said custom interface screen, said plurality of elements being selected from said plurality of predefined elements types, said predefined plurality of elements including at least one activation type;    assigning values to the attributes associated with each of said selected elements, said attributes values being assigned within said predefined attribute ranges, 
 wherein said selected elements on said display screen are subject to a predefined set of constraints determined by said pre-defined element types and said associated attribute values and attribue ranges, whereby the aggregate layout of said plurality of selected elements on said display screen will be aesthetically pleasing and functionally operable for effective delivery of information to a kiosk user;  
   associating content bearing data with each of said selected elements, wherein said content bearing data associated with at least a portion of said selected elements is derived from said information providers; and    linking said at least one selected activation type to an action.