Authoring system for computer-based information delivery 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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method executed by a computer for providing information content from information providers for display in at least one interface screen in a plurality of computers, comprising:
 the computer receiving a selection of one or more screen elements, each of the screen elements having constraints, the constraint defining at least one of a location, a size, a style of a control, a foreground color, a background color, a border style, or a font type of each of the screen elements as displayed on the at least one interface screen;   the computer selecting the information content from the information providers based on user-selected criteria;   the computer automatically populating each of the screen elements with the information content from the information providers; and   the computer displaying the information content of the screen elements on the at least one interface screen where the at least one interface screen has a substantially uniform look and feel with other interface screens which are displayed on other computers.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the screen elements includes at least one of a window object, a button object, a text object, a video object, an animation object, an image object, or a hotspot. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the screen elements and the information content from the information providers are provided by a server.