Nancy M Burns

US Patent:

52747581, Dec 28, 1993

Filed:

Dec 28, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/834922

Inventors:

Bradley J. Beitel - Woodside CA
Mark S. Bishop - Austin TX
Nancy A. Burns - Austin TX
John J. Deacon - Austin TX
Robert D. Gordon - Sunnyvale CA
Charles L. Haug - Santa Cruz CA
Kenneth B. Smith - Palo Alto CA
Lonnie S. Walling - Bon Lomond CA
Michael D. Wilkes - Austin TX
Peter C. Yanker - Mountain View CA

Assignee:

International Business Machines - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 300

US Classification:

395154

Abstract:

A user/PC interface system is described which enables the creation and performance of a synchronized audio/visual story on the PC. The interface enables the initial storage of a plurality of visual images. Then, it enables the creation of an audio presentation which includes labels and time indications, certain of which are employed for synchronization purposes. The system is responsive to a label to execute a predetermined command upon the appearance of the label in the audio presentation. The PC is then operated to perform the audio presentation, that performance automatically causing the display of visual images upon the occurrence of labels and time indications. An improved, table-based authoring system is also described for preparation of both the above noted audio and visual presentations. The system relies upon columnar presentations of a tabular form, each column indicating a separate control function (or comment) relating to the audio/visual presentation.

US Patent:

51194740, Jun 2, 1992

Filed:

Jul 11, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/728866

Inventors:

Bradley J. Beitel - Woodside CA
Mark S. Bishop - Austin TX
John J. Deacon - Austin TX
Robert D. Gordon - Sunnyvale CA
Kenneth B. Smith - Palo Alto CA
Lonnie S. Walling - Ben Lomond CA
Michael D. Wilkes - Austin TX
Peter C. Yanker - Portola Valley CA
Nancy A. Burns - Austin TX
Charles L. Haug - Santa Cruz CA

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corp. - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 300

US Classification:

395154

Abstract:

A user/PC interface system is described which enables the creation and performance of a synchronized audio/visual story on the PC. The interface enables the initial storage of a plurality of visual images. Then, it enables the creation of an audio presentation which includes labels and time indications, certain of which are employed for synchronization purposes. The system is responsive to a label to execute a predetermined command upon the appearance of the label in the audio presentation. The PC is then operated to perform the audio presentation, that performance automatically causing the display of visual images upon the occurrence of labels and time indications. A table-based authoring system is also described for preparation of both the above noted audio and visual presentations. The system relies upon columnar presentations of a tabular form, each column indicating a separate control function (or comment) relating to the audio/visual presentation.

US Patent:

47632771, Aug 9, 1988

Filed:

Jan 17, 1986

Appl. No.:

6/819663

Inventors:

Thomas J. Ashford - San Jose CA
Nancy A. Burns - Austin TX
Richard L. Flagg - Boeblingen, DE
Christine T. Iwaskiw - Columbia MD
Roberta P. Starbird - Pasadena CA

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 1518

US Classification:

364513

Abstract:

A method for use in an expert system which selectively allows the system to avoid asking the user a question by providing the answer to that question based on related information that may have been previously attained in the system. The method involves providing an action attribute that can be attached to any node in the rule tree. The attribute is assigned to a node in the tree which provides an answer to a class question based on processing various other dependent nodes. When the answer is obtained, the action attribute then causes all other nodes in the rule base referencing the same class question to be set to the same answer. The user is therefore only requested to supply information as a last resort.