Authoring system for computed-based information delivery system

In an interactive computer system including a plurality of computers for displaying information from a plurality of information providers, a method for presenting customized assortments of said information from said plurality of information providers at individual computers of said plurality, comprising:

• providing access to information from said plurality of information providers for prospective display on said plurality of computers;
• providing a plurality of pre-defined interface screen elements for prospective inclusion in a custom interface screen, wherein at least one of said screen elements permits limited variation in its on-screen characteristics in conformity with a desired uniform look and feel for said interface screens on the computers of said system,
• wherein said plurality of pre-defined interface screen elements includes at least one element for displaying information and at least one activation site for use in obtaining information for display from at least one of said information providers;
• enabling a user at an individual computer of said plurality to select one or more screen elements from said pre-defined screen element plurality and to select on-screen characteristics of said at least one screen element permitting limited variation in its on-screen characteristics;
• enabling said user to select an assortment of information from at least a portion of said information providers to define individual information content for an individual computer of said system;
• and
• associating said user selected individual information content with at least a portion of said selected screen elements, and associating said at least one activation site with the displaying of at least a portion of said user selected individual information content.

In an electronic kiosk system having a plurality of interactive electronic kiosks for displaying information provided by a plurality of information providers, a method for defining custom interface screens customized for individual kiosks of said plurality and operable to make different assortments of said information available for display at different kiosks of said plurality, said method comprising:

• providing a master database of information from said plurality of information providers, said master database referencing information content from said providers to be displayed on any of said plurality of kiosks;
• providing a plurality of pre-defined interface screen element types, each element type defining a form of element available for presentation on said custom interface screens, wherein each said element type permits limited variation in its on-screen characteristics in conformity with a desired uniform look and feel for said interface screens on all kiosks of said kiosk system,
• each element type having a plurality of attributes associated therewith, wherein each said element type and its associated attributes are subject to pre-defined constraints providing element characteristics in conformance with said uniform look and feel for said interface screens, and
• wherein said plurality of pre-defined element types includes at least one pre-defined window type, at least one pre-defined hot spot type, and at least one pre-defined multimedia type;
• selecting a plurality of elements to be included in a custom interface screen under construction, said plurality of elements being selected from said plurality of pre-defined elements types, said plurality of selected elements including at least one hot spot type;
• assigning values to the attributes associated with each of said selected elements consistent with said pre-defined constraints, whereby the aggregate layout of said plurality of selected elements on said interface screen under construction will have a uniform look and feel and be functionally operable for effective delivery of information to a kiosk user;
• selecting from said master database an assortment of information content deriving from selected ones of said information providers to define kiosk information content for an individual kiosk of said kiosk system;
• associating said kiosk information content with at least a portion of said selected elements for said interface screen under construction;
• and
• linking said at least one selected hot spot type element to an action facilitating the viewing of at least portions of said kiosk information content by a kiosk user.

A method of customizing interface screens for presentation by individual computers of a plurality of computers coupled by a network for receiving information provided by a plurality of information providers, the interface screens being customized to enable computer users to interactively access, in customized screen types, different assortments of information from the information providers at different computers of the plurality of computers, the method comprising:

• providing a master database of information from the plurality of information providers, the master database storing information content from the plurality of information providers to be displayed on any of the plurality of computers;
• providing a plurality of pre-defined interface screen types, each pre-defined interface screen type defining a form of screen available for presentation on the interface screens being customized and permitting limited variation in at least one on-screen characteristic of the pre-defined interface screen type in conformity with a desired uniform look and feel for the interface screens on the computers,
• each pre-defined interface screen type having a plurality of attributes associated therewith, wherein each pre-defined interface screen type and the associated plurality of attributes are subject to pre-defined constraints providing the on-screen characteristics in conformance with the uniform look and feel for the interface screens, and
• wherein each of the plurality of pre-defined interface screen types references at least one pre-defined control type providing for user interaction via the interface screens being customized;
• selecting at least one pre-defined interface screen type for the interface screen being customized, the predefined interface screen type being selected from the plurality of pre-defined interface screen types;
• assigning values to the attributes associated with the at least one selected pre-defined interface screen type, the values being consistent with the pre-defined constraints, whereby the interface screen being customized will have a uniform look and feel and be functionally operable for delivery of information to a computer user;
• selecting from the master database an assortment of information content deriving from selected ones of the information providers to define a customized selection of information content for the interface screen being customized;
• and
• associating at least portions of the customized selection of information content with the interface screen being customized.