Automatic publication of interactive crossword puzzles

Abstract

A crossword puzzle maker software application provides a “Publish” button that submits an interactive crossword puzzle to a predetermined web server that is preconfigured to be a puzzle host shared by many otherwise unrelated users of the crossword puzzle maker application. It does this in a single click without requiring the user to provide website or upload information. The interactive crossword puzzle provides a “Submit” button that when clicked reports a personally identifiable solving attempt to the puzzle host. A puzzle host that accepts interactive crossword puzzles from the maker application and serves these interactive crossword puzzles to web browsers, and also accepts puzzle solving attempts and scores the attempts and prepares a report for the user of the crossword puzzle maker application.

1 . A method of publishing an interactive crossword puzzle comprising the steps of: 
 a. pressing a “publish” button on a crossword puzzle maker, and responsive to the pressing of said publish button, said crossword puzzle maker sending a puzzle specification over a computer network to a puzzle host;    b. said puzzle host accepting said puzzle specification and making an interactive crossword puzzle prepared according to said puzzle specification available at a URL web address.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  additionally comprising the step of said crossword puzzle maker launching a web browser and pointing said web browser to said URL web address, effectively displaying said interactive crossword puzzle as a published puzzle responsive to said step of pressing a “publish” button.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  additionally comprising the steps of providing an “Email link” button and responsive to said “Email link” button, emailing said URL web address to at least one recipient.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  additionally comprising the step of providing a “Submit” button with said interactive crossword puzzle, and responsive to the pressing of said submit button, reporting to said puzzle host the puzzle solver's solution.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  additionally comprising the steps of reporting to said puzzle host the number of times a “check” button was pressed.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4  additionally comprising the steps of reporting to said puzzle host how long the puzzle solver was working on the puzzle.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 4  additionally comprising the steps of said puzzle host accepting a plurality of submissions of puzzle solving attempts and automatically grading each puzzle solving attempt that was submitted and said puzzle host preparing a report of all puzzle solving attempts.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  additionally comprising the step of determining the identity of each person that is submitting a puzzle solving attempt and grouping multiple puzzle solving attempts of the same person into an overall grade and reporting the overall grade.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  additionally comprising the steps of providing a “Manage Published Puzzles” window having buttons to delete published puzzles and view published puzzles, and responsive to said button to delete published puzzles said puzzle host deleting the appropriate interactive crossword puzzle and responsive to said button to view published puzzles pointing a web browser to the URL web address of the appropriate interactive crossword puzzle.  
   
   
       10 . A downloadable software program that performs the steps of: 
 a. helping a user create an interactive crossword puzzle;    b. sending the interactive crossword puzzle over a computer network to a predetermined puzzle host, from which the interactive crossword puzzles is accessible over the computer network.    
   
   
       11 . A puzzle host, said puzzle host comprising a web server that performs the steps of: 
 a. accepting puzzle specification submissions for interactive crossword puzzles over a computer network from preconfigured puzzle making software applications and making said interactive crossword puzzles available on a predetermined website;    b. serving interactive crossword puzzles obtained from said submissions over said computer network to requesting web browsers.    
   
   
       12 . The puzzle host of  claim 11  wherein it additionally performs the steps of accepting puzzle solution attempts from web browsers and scoring the puzzle solution attempts and reporting the puzzle solution attempts.