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United States Patent5251294
AbelowOctober 5, 1993
Title
Accessing, assembling, and using bodies of information
Abstract
An interactive information environment for accessing, controlling, and using information. Using a computer, available sources of information are accessed, and components are extracted, labeled, and formed into discrete units called contexts. A user selects and rearranges context labels and their associated contents. Contexts are selected and combined into new information structures called alternates, which are combinable with contexts into preferred situations. The preferred situations in turn are combinable with the foregoing components into meta-situations. All components have labels; labels and their associated contents are interchangeably movable and copyable at the levels of these information structures, whether they are located locally or remotely, and the information structures are combinable. While a label is invoked and manipulated, its contents or description is simultaneously displayed. Each information structure can be rearranged into one or more models which can be displayed by user selection, and models can be displayed at varying levels of detail. With built-in copyright accounting, commercial control remains with information owners, while operational use is centralized in each user.
Inventors:Abelow; Daniel H. (Newton, MA)
Appl. No.:476931
Filed:February 7, 1990
Current U.S. Class:715/512 715/967 
Current International Class:G06Q 10/00 (20060101)
Field of Search:364/518,519,521,523 395/144-148,155-161
U.S. Patent Documents
4656603April 1987Dunn
4813013March 1989Dunn
4823303April 1989Terasawa
4885704December 1989Takagi et al.
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Primary Examiner: Herndon; Heather R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm:Fish & Richardson
Claims

I claim:
1. A computer-based method for aiding a user in assembling a customized body of information from a larger body of available information segments, the method comprising
displaying a set of labels, each label providing an abbreviated indication of information content of a corresponding one of said available information segments in said larger body,
enabling a user to point to individual labels in said set using an electronic pointing technique,
for each label to which said user points, displaying to the user, for previewing, information content of the corresponding segment,
enabling a user to choose to include in the customized body of information, selected ones of said available information segments, while excluding from the customized body of information other available information segments, and
assembling said customized body of information in response to choices of information segments made by said user.

2. A computer-based method for aiding a user in assembling a customized body of information from a larger body of available information segments, the method comprising
displaying a set of labels, each label providing an abbreviated indication of information content of a corresponding one of said available information segments in said larger body,
enabling a user to point to individual labels in said set using an electronic pointing technique,
for each label to which said user points, displaying to the user, for previewing, information content of the corresponding segment,
simultaneously while displaying said information content of a segment corresponding to a label to which the user is pointing, displaying information content for a segment corresponding to a label to which the user had previously pointed.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2 further comprising
simultaneously while displaying said set of labels, displaying a second set comprising an accumulation of labels to which said user has previously pointed.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein there are a plurality of available said larger bodies of information, said method further comprising
simultaneously while displaying identities of sources of said larger bodies of information, displaying for one or more of said large bodies, an associated said set of labels, said second set comprising an accumulation of said labels to which said user has previously pointed with respect to all of said larger bodies.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein one of said available bodies of information is available on-line from a remote location.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said second set is organized in accordance with a model.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said model comprises a hierarchy of at least two levels.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said hierarchy comprises an outline.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said model comprises a time sequence.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising
displaying said second set by placing each said label in a visual position which reflects its position in said time sequence relative to the visual positions of other said labels.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said visual position comprises an indentation relative to a margin of said display.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising,
in response to a user's commands, revising the organization of said labels to modify said model.

13. The method of claim 6 further comprising compiling only the segments corresponding to the labels in said second set into said customized body of information.

14. The method of claim 6 further comprising
in response to commands of a user, eliminating one of said labels and its associated contents from said model.

15. The method of claim 6 further comprising
establishing multiple said models of said second set, and
displaying said models selectively to said user.

16. The method of claim 3 further comprising, in response to commands of a user, culling or reordering said labels in said second set.

17. The method of claim 3 further comprising in response to commands of a user, making either of said set and said second set selectively active to said user.

18. The method of claim 3 further comprising displaying said set, said second set, and said contents associated with said label in windows when invoked by a user.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising
altering the proportions of the display occupied respectively by said windows.

20. The method of claims 1 or 2 wherein said labels comprise textual phrases.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising
assembling multiple said customized bodies of information, each body being assembled by selecting segments from a larger available body of information segments,
assigning a name to each said customized body of information, and
displaying said names in an organized model.

22. A computer-based method for producing an annotated body of stored information comprising
specifying keys each of which may appear within said body of stored information,
searching said body of stored information for instances of each of said keys,
defining boundaries of segments of said stored information, each said segment including at least one of said instances,
assigning to each segment a label based on a key found within said segment,
displaying each segment to a user,
in response to commands from said user, adjusting the boundaries of at least one of said segments.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising
defining said boundaries on the basis of criteria specified by said user.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said keys comprise textual phrases.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein said stored information comprises text.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein said boundaries comprise beginnings and ends of paragraphs.

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising
in response to user commands, compiling selected said segments and corresponding labels, each label indicating the content of the corresponding said segment.

28. A computer-based method for aiding a user in accessing a body of stored information which includes segments of related information, the method comprising
displaying a set of labels, each label providing an abbreviated indication of information content of a corresponding one of said segments,
said labels being displayed in an organized model reflecting relationships among information contents of said corresponding segments,
enabling a user to point to individual labels in said model using an electronic pointing technique, and
for each label to which said user points, displaying to the user, for previewing, the information content of the corresponding segment.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said model comprises a hierarchy of at least two levels.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said hierarchy comprises an outline.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising,
in response to commands of a user, eliminating one of said labels at a higher level of the hierarchy.

32. The method of claim 29 further comprising displaying said set selectively at different levels of detail in said hierarchy.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising
simultaneously displaying one portion of said set at a higher level of detail in said hierarchy, while
displaying another portion of said set at a lower level of detail in said hierarchy.

34. The method of claim 28 wherein said model comprises a time sequence.

35. The method of claim 28 further comprising, in response to a user's commands, revising the organization of said labels in said set to modify said model.

36. The method of claim 28 further comprising, in response to commands of a user, changing the content of said labels in said second set.

37. The method of claim 28 wherein said body of stored information is available on-line from a remote location.

38. The method of claim 28 further comprising displaying said set by placing each said label of said set in a visual position which reflects its position in said time sequence relative to the visual positions of other said labels.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein said visual position comprises an indentation relative to a margin of said display.

40. The method of claim 28 further comprising
displaying said set and said segments in windows.

41. The method of claim 40 further comprising
altering the proportions of the display occupied respectively by said windows.

42. The method of claim 28 further comprising
establishing multiple said models of said set, and
displaying said models selectively to said user.

43. The method of claim 28 wherein said labels comprise textual phrases.

44. The method of claim 28 wherein said set comprises a list.

45. The method of claim 28 further comprising preventing a user from changing the order or content of said set.

46. The method of claim 28 further comprising preventing a user from changing the content of said segments.

47. The method of claim 28 further comprising altering the order or content of said set in response to user interaction.

48. The method of claim 28 further comprising altering the content of said segments.

49. The method of claim 28 wherein one of said segments comprises another said set of labels which itself corresponds to other segments of stored information.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein said set and said second set comprise lists.

51. The method of claim 28 further comprising, in response to a user's commands, revising the organization of said labels in said set to modify said model.

52. The method of claim 28 further comprising,
in response to commands of a user, changing the content of said labels in said second set.

53. The method of claim 28 further comprising,
in response to commands of a user, eliminating one of said labels at a higher level of the hierarchy.

54. The method of claim 28 further comprising displaying said set by placing each said label of said set in a visual position which reflects its position in said time sequence relative to the visual positions of other said labels.

55. The method of claim 28 wherein said labels comprise textual phrases.

56. The method of claim 28 further comprising providing a marker within said range which indicates a user selection of a label in said set.

57. The method of claim 28 wherein one of said segments comprises another said set of labels which itself corresponds to other segments of stored information.

58. A system comprising storage containing
a body of information comprising segments,
said storage also containing
a set of labels, each label indicating the content of a corresponding one of said segments, said labels being arranged in an organized model reflecting relationships among corresponding said segments, and
software for displaying said model and for enabling a user to access a selected said segment by invoking a corresponding label in said model.

59. A computer-based method for providing assistance to a user of an application program comprising
in response to a user requesting assistance in the course of using said program, displaying a set of labels, each label indicating the content of a corresponding segment of assistance information, said labels being displayed in an organized model, and
simultaneously while displaying said set of labels, displaying a segment of assistance information corresponding to one of said labels selected by said user.

60. The method of claim 59 wherein said model comprises a hierarchy of at least two levels.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein said hierarchy comprises an outline.

62. The method of claim 59 wherein said model comprises a time sequence.

63. The method of claim 59 wherein said tokens comprise textual phrases.

64. A computer-based method for aiding a user to scan a set of displayed data items,
portions of said set being expressable at two levels of detail, some of said items being included at one level of detail and excluded at the other level of detail,
said method comprising displaying selected portions of said set at said different levels of detail in response to user commands,
simultaneously displaying other information, and
responding to said user by compressing or expanding the display of each item in said set to an appropriate level of detail in response to the user selecting an item in said set.

65. The method of claim 64 further comprising
varying the proportions of said levels of detail in response to user commands.

66. The method of claim 65 further comprising
displaying a controllable range indicator which indicates a range within said set for which said display is at said higher level of detail, and
adjusting the span of said indicator in response to user commands.

67. The method of claim 66 further comprising providing a marker within said range which indicates a user selection of a label in said set.

68. The method of claim 64 further comprising
displaying a controllable range indicator which indicates a range within said set for which said display is at one said level of detail, and
adjusting the span of said indicator in response to user commands.

69. The method of claim 68 further comprising
providing a marker within said range which indicates a user selection of a data item in said set.

70. A computer-based apparatus for providing assistance to a user of an application program comprising
in response to a user requesting assistance in the course of using said program,
means for displaying a set of labels, each label indicating the content of a corresponding segment of assistance information, said labels being displayed in an organized model, and
means for, simultaneously while displaying said set of labels, displaying a segment of assistance information corresponding to one of said labels selected by said user.

71. A computer-based apparatus for aiding a user to scan a set of displayed data items while simultaneously performing another interactive task using the display, portions of said set being expressable at two levels of detail, some of said items being included at one level of detail and excluded at the other level of detail, said method comprising
means for displaying selected portions of said set at said different levels of detail in response to user commands, while
means for simultaneously displaying other information and responding to said user with respect to said other interactive task.

72. A computer-based apparatus for facilitating the organization, distribution, and use of
digital information of the kind that can be displayed by a computer, comprising
means for dividing said information into discrete segments, various segments being represented respectively by incompatible digital representational schemes,
means for providing said segments to a user in accordance with a unified digital representational scheme, means for associating with each segment a label indicative of the content of the segment,
means for collecting a set of segments that are related by subject matter,
mens for organizing the labels associated with said segments in accordance with a model based on the content of said segments,
means for distributing the collected segments and model to a second user,
means for displaying the collected segments to said second user, and
means for altering the organization of the labels in accordance with a revision of said model in response to said second user.

73. A computer-based method for facilitating the organization, distribution, and use of digital information of the kind that can be displayed by a computer, comprising
dividing said information into discrete segments, various segments being represented respectively by incompatible digital representational schemes,
providing said segments to a user in accordance with a unified digital representational scheme,
associating with each segment a label indicative of the content of the segment,
collecting a set of segments that are related by subject matter,
organizing the labels associated with said segments in accordance with a model based on the content of said segments,
distributing the collected segments and model to a second user,
displaying the collected segments to said second user, and
altering the organization of the labels in accordance with a revision of said model in response to said second user.

74. A computer-based apparatus for aiding a user in assembling a customized body of information from a larger available body of available information segments, comprising
means for displaying a set of labels, each label providing an abbreviated indication of information content of a corresponding one of said segments in said available information segments in said larger body,
means for enabling a user to point to individual labels in said set using an electronic pointing technique,
for each label to which said user points, means for displaying to the user, for previewing, information content of the corresponding segment
means for enabling a user to choose to include in the customized body of information, selected ones of said available information segments, while excluding from the customized body of information other available information segments, and
means for assembling said customized body of information in response to choices of information segments made by a user.

75. A computer-based apparatus for aiding a user in assembling a customized body of information from a larger body of available information segments, comprising
means for displaying a set of labels, each label providing an abbreviated indication of information content of a corresponding one of said available information segments in said larger body,
means for enabling a user to point to individual labels in said set using an electronic pointing technique,
means for displaying, for each label to which said user points, to the user, for previewing, information content of the corresponding segment, and
means for simultaneously while displaying said information content of a segment corresponding to a label to which the user is pointing, displaying information content for a segment corresponding to a label to which the user had previously pointed.

76. A computer-based apparatus for producing an annotated body of stored information comprising
means for specifying keys each of which may appear within said body of stored information,
means for searching said body of stored information for instances of each of said keys,
means for defining boundaries of segments of said stored information, each said segment including at least one of said instances,
means for assigning to each segment a label based on a key found within said segment,
means for displaying each segment to a user, in response to commands from said user, and
means for adjusting the boundaries of at least one of said segments.

77. A computer-based apparatus for aiding a user in accessing a body of stored information which includes segments of related information, comprising
means for displaying a set of labels, each label providing an abbreviated indication of information content of a corresponding one of said segments, said labels being displayed in an organized model reflecting relationships among information contents of said corresponding segments,
means for enabling a user to point to individual labels in said model using an electronic pointing technique, and
for each label to which said user points, means for displaying to the user, for previewing, the information content of the corresponding segment.

78. The method of claim 3 wherein said set and said second set comprise lists.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to computer-based systems for assembling, organizing, and distributing information.

Conventionally, as outlined in Luconi, Malone, and Morton, (Fred L. Luconi, Thomas W. Malone, and Michael S. Scott Morton, "Expert Systems and Expert Support Systems: The Next Challenge for Management," in John F. Rockart and Christine V. Bullen, ed., The Rise of Managerial Computing: The Best of the Center for Information Systems Research, Sloan School of Management, MIT (Homewood, Ill.: Dow Jones Irwin, 1986), pp. 365-371), computers are used to solve problems using several different paradigms. In traditional data processing, the input, output, and procedure for generating the output from the input are well-defined and thus suited to conventional programming.

A second paradigm, decision support systems, uses the decision making ability of people to control the problem solving goals of the computer.

A third paradigm of computing, expert systems, is directed to even less structured problems.

The fourth, closely related, paradigm of computing, expert support systems, closely resembles expert systems. They actively process knowledge, draw conclusions, and make recommendations, thereby supporting experts rather than replacing them.

Other problems exist that do not fit into one of the four paradigms. These problems 40, shown in the upper right quarter of FIG. 4, are highly unstructured, complex, and often involve new or rapidly changing products, competitors, markets, technologies, employees, and procedures. Multiple objectives overlap and sometimes conflict, such as the market share of established products, launching next generation products, lowering costs, and profitability.

Software applications are available that permit the creation of novel projections and models, such as spreadsheets which are used to project "what if" financial models. Simulations permit computerized modeling of real phenomena where the computer simulation can be compared to a natural event such as weather (a thunderstorm) or a scientific experiment where the outcome is unknown (DNA splicing). Industrial design illustrates how imagined constructs can be simulated on computers (air flow over a new airplane wing design or the performance of an integrated chip schematic). In many situations, favorable results on the computer result in real-world implementations.

A highly structured example is project management software, which permits a series of tasks to be named in a sequence, resources and personnel allocated to them, and their implementation tracked. One of these systems is the critical path method (CPM), in which a network of activities is created that shows the sequence of operations and the interdependencies of a manufacturing process. A variation of this basic method is PERT (Project Evaluation and Review Technique) which uses multiple estimates to provide a probabilisitic output. These systems are frequently computerized and searched to find the critical item; i.e., the item that is, in effect, the latest, and which determines the final completion date. Project management software establishes a schedule of activities, assigns a time duration estimate to each activity, and establishes baseline dates for the start and completion of each activity.

Computer technologies increasingly permit the nature of work and planning to be originated in mental and abstract concepts. Software to accomplish this includes Computer Aided Design (CAD) which allows new mechanical or electronic conceptions to be constructed on the computer screen. Some CAD software is integrated with manufacturing machinery, indicating the potential for rapidly manufacturing and marketing certain types of computer-expressed ideas. CAD's approach has also been extended into areas like software design, engineering design, and architectural drafting. Imaginative ideas that have been designed on computers have been introduced and developed successfully in a variety of fields.

HyperCard is a new kind of software application that can create information linkages in which individual titles, words, pictures, and parts of pictures are each linked to a related screen of information. Each of these screens must be designed, written, and created; together they form the HyperCard "stack" that can be accessed by an individual application. The HyperCard links are individual "buttons" that are fixed on each screen and each link is individually programmed to call a specific screen in a "stack" of screens. Good examples of flexible software applications are word processing and spreadsheets, which permit users both broad scope and ease of use.

Known software applications to aid learning include on-line help, Expert Systems, Computer Aided Instruction (CAI), and Computer Based Training (CBT).

On-line help is used to teach software applications to computer users when they need guidance. Its rapidly accessed instructions help users read the steps they should take in using the software; by trying the steps they may be able to learn unfamiliar parts of the software quickly.

Expert Systems are used to capture expertise and deliver it via the computer. Expert Systems have succeeded in enabling computers to reason from knowledge within specific domains, and they have been applied to specialized areas like medicine, geology, and financial planning. The power of an Expert System depends on the quality of the decision-making rules used to construct its inferences, and the breadth of its knowledge base. Because the knowledge is stored in active, rule-based form, there is an unfortunate relationship between the quantity of knowledge, the number of rules, and the resulting search time. The greater the scope of an Expert System, the more complicated its programming and the slower the response time.

Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) and Computer Based Training (CBT) are uses of the computer for education and training. Unlike on-line help or Expert Systems, with CAI and CBT one stops work and uses the computer to learn, then returns to work. CAI and CBT are typically separated from an ongoing situation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, in one aspect, the invention features assembling a body of stored information by selecting segments from a larger available group of information segments, by (a) displaying a set of tokens, each token indicating the content of a corresponding one of the segments in the available group, (b) enabling a user to point to a succession of tokens in the set using an electronic pointing technique, (c) for each token to which the user points, immediately and simultaneously displaying the corresponding segment to the user, and (d) assembling the body in response to selections made by a user.

In general, in another aspect, the invention features assembling such a body by steps (a) and (b) and (c) for each token to which the user points, displaying the corresponding segment to the user, and (d) simultaneously while displaying the segment corresponding to the token to which the user is pointing, displaying a segment corresponding to a token to which the user had previously pointed.

Preferred embodiments of the invention include the following features. Simultaneously while displaying the set and the segment to which the user is pointing, a second set is displayed comprising an accumulation of tokens to which the user has previously pointed. There are a plurality of available groups of information, and, for each group, an associated set of tokens is displayed. The second set comprises a user selected or independently developed accumulation of tokens corresponding to selections made with respect to all of the groups. The second set is organized either by the user or independently in accordance with a model, such as a hierarchy (e.g., an outline) of at least two levels. or a time sequence. In response to a user's commands, the organization of the tokens in the second set may be revised to modify the model. Also in response to commands of a user, the content of the tokens in the second set may be changed. The group of information segments may be available on-line from a remote location. Only the segments corresponding to the tokens in the second set are compiled into the body of stored information. In response to commands of a user, a token may be eliminated at a higher level of the hierarchy. The second set may be displayed by placing each token in a visual position (e.g., indented) which reflects its position in the model relative to the visual positions of other tokens. In response to commands of a user, either the set or the second set may selectively be made active to said user. The set, the second set, and the segments may be displayed in windows. The proportions of the display occupied respectively by the windows may be altered. Multiple models of the second set may be established and displayed selectively to the user. The tokens comprise textual phrases that are organized, such as into heirarchies, lists, and time sequences. Multiple bodies of stored information may be assembled, each body being assembled by selecting segments from a larger available group of information segments; a name is assigned to each body of stored information, and the names are displayed in an organized model.

In general, in another aspect, the invention features production of an annotated body of stored information by (a) specifying keys each of which may appear within the body of stored information, (b) searching the body of stored information for instances of each of the keys, (c) defining boundaries of segments of the stored information, each segment including at least one of said instances, (d) assigning to each segment a token based on a key found within the segment, (e) displaying each segment to a user, (f) in response to commands from the user, adjusting the boundaries of at least one of the segments.

Preferred embodiments of the invention include the following features. The boundaries are defined on the basis of criteria specified by the user. The keys comprise textual phrases. The stored information comprises text and other forms of data. The boundaries may be, e.g., beginnings and ends of paragraphs. In response to user commands, selected segments and corresponding tokens are compiled, each token indicating the content of the corresponding segment.

In general, in another aspect, the invention features aiding a user in accessing a body of stored information which includes segments of related information by (a) displaying a set of tokens, each token indicating the content of a corresponding one of the segments, the tokens being displayed in an organized hierarchical model reflecting relationships among the corresponding segments, (b) enabling a user to point to a succession of tokens in the model using an electronic pointing technique, and (c) for each token to which the user points, immediately and simultaneously displaying the corresponding segment to the user.

Preferred embodiments of the invention include the following features. In some embodiments,. the user may be prevented from changing the order or content of the set of tokens or the content of the segments. In other embodiments the order or content of the set or the content of the segments is altered based on user commands. One of the tokens may comprise another set of tokens which itself corresponds to other segments of stored information.

In general, in another aspect, the invention features storage containing a body of information comprising segments, the storage also containing a set of tokens, each token indicating the content of a corresponding one of the segments, the tokens being arranged in an organized model reflecting relationships among corresponding segments, and software for displaying the model and for enabling a user to access a selected segment by invoking a corresponding token in the model.

In general, in another aspect, the invention features providing assistance to a user of an application program by (a) in response to a user requesting assistance in the course of using the program, displaying a set of tokens, each token indicating the content of a corresponding segment of assistance information, the tokens being displayed in an organized model, and (b) simultaneously while displaying the set of tokens, displaying a segment of assistance information corresponding to one of the tokens selected by the user.

In general, in another aspect, the invention features aiding a user to scan a set of displayed data items while simultaneously performing another interactive task using the display, portions of the set being expressible at two levels of detail, some of the items being included at one level of detail and excluded at the other level of detail. Selective portions of the set are displayed at different levels of detail in response to user commands, while simultaneously displaying other information and responding to the user with respect to the other interactive task.

Preferred embodiments include the following features. A controllable range indicator is displayed which indicates a range within the set for which the display is at one level of detail, and the span of the indicator is adjusted in response to user commands. A marker is provided within the range which indicates a user selection of a data item in the set.

In general, in another aspect, the invention features facilitating the organization, distribution, and use of digital information of the kind that can be displayed on a computer, by (a) dividing the information into discrete segments, various segments being represented respectively by incompatible digital representational schemes, (b) providing the segments to a user in accordance with a unified digital representational scheme, (c) associating with each segment a token indicative of the content of the segment, (d) collecting a set of segments that are related by subject matter, (e) organizing the tokens associated with the segments in accordance with a model based on the content of the segments, (f) distributing the collected segments and model to a second user, (g) displaying the collected segments to the second user, and (h) altering the organization of the tokens in accordance with a revision of the model in response to the second user.

Other advantages and features will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

We first briefly describe the drawings.

FIGS. 1 through 3 illustrate principles of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows the types of software needed to satisfy different types of business needs.

FIG. 5 shows a current computing paradigm.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show this invention's leverage points for improving corporate and global economic performance.

FIG. 8 illustrates a new relationship between imagination and computing.

FIG. 9 shows the traditional lag between hardware and software development.

FIG. 10 illustrates the new evolution of "imagination-driven computing".

FIGS. 11 through 14(B) show the Main Menu.

FIG. 15(A)-(B) shows the on-line Alternate.

FIGS. 16 through 38 show the operation of Context Collection.

FIGS. 39 through 52 show the operation of the Context Positioning.

FIGS. 53 through 65(C) show the operation of running an Alternate.

FIGS. 66(A) through 67 show the Cognitive Window.

FIGS. 68 through 75 show the operation of Management of Alternates.

FIGS. 76 through 87(C) show the operation of Create Context Bases.

FIGS. 88 and 89 show alternative models.

FIGS. 90 and 91 illustrate the new information environment proposed by the invention.

FIGS. 92 through 95 and 112, show menus and menu operations.

FIGS. 96 through 98, 122, and 123 show Context Collection.

FIGS. 99, 100, 102 through 106, and 124 show Context Positioning.

FIGS. 101 and 107 through 111, show Time-Sequencing.

FIGS. 113 through 121(B) show Alternates.

FIGS. 125 through 126(B) and 142 show Managing Alternates, including Outline Modeling and Time-Sequencing Situation Shifts.

FIGS. 127 through 131 show Cognitive Windows.

FIGS. 132 through 136 show the creation of Context Bases and information sources.

FIGS. 137 through 139 show the control of screen displays.

FIGS. 140(A) and 140(B) show the Copyright Payment System.

FIGS. 141 and 142 show the on-line Context System (i.e., the on-line Alternate).

PRINCIPLES OF THE CONTEXTUALIZER

The new computing paradigm of the present invention starts from a new kind of world view: A global economy is emerging with rapid flows of capital, knowledge, products, and competitive pressures. A growing number of companies and industries face new needs to leapfrog their limits and become effective competitors on a global level, transforming their performance, productivity, adaptation, and innovation capabilities. Is it possible for a single leverage point to help fill part of these needs?

FIG. 6 illustrates the proposed leverage point 50 for the global economy, while FIG. 7 illustrates this leverage point 60 for a single corporation.

The leverage point is a so-called Contextualizer which can be embodied as a single mass-manufactured product that can be distributed through established marketing channels to those who might want to use it to transform their situation.

The Contextualizer operates in a fundamentally new way, and empowers its users to employ imagination-driven computing in the best ways to create their Preferred Situations. It assumes that modern society has developed sufficient knowledge and know-how that many desirable ends might be imagined and implemented, and it provides a tool to express desires, along with a method to reach our preferred situations. In a phrase, this software shifts the origin of reality to our imaginations.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the conventional computing paradigm, managers and users of computing 48 apply software technology 41 on top of existing organizations, manufacturing processes, services, office work, and situations 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47. In the new computing paradigm of the invention, the starting point is the active conception of new goals and combinations. The computer becomes a tool used to express and implement the transformations desired. With the Contextualizer, users create so called "Alternates" interactively and those Alternates may be used to produce material transformations in the world, in organizations, and in relationships.

Turning now to FIG. 8, in this new computing paradigm, computers 72 are used as a tool to express and produce shifts from current situations to preferred situations. At a computer workstation 72 running this software and offering sufficient on line Contexts, one or more users 70 might interactively formulate a transformation of the current situation. The "Contexts" are collected from so called Context Bases 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84 and re-arranged into imagination-driven arrangements called Alternates 84. This is a transformation in which the imagination of the user directs the re-assembly of elements and knowledge from the existing world, as well as novel creations, to create Preferred Situations.

Some of the objectives of the Alternates 84 created by this invention's imagination-driven computing might include: improve personal, group, or organizational performance; solve various types of personal, operating, or group problems; respond to rapid technological or social change; initiate advantageous changes in an organization; and create and introduce innovations in a situation. The Alternates 84 may be ordered in a sequence to create a Situation Shift 86. The Alternates 84 are distributed to the end users on disk, on-line, or by other digital media (88).

At one end of the spectrum, some of the preferred situations may resemble existing situations while introducing only small improvements. At the other end of the spectrum, users may attempt to shift the Contextual rearrangement into an entirely imagined situation. Regardless of where a transformation lies on this spectrum, the invention may be used to conceive novel combinations of Contexts, and implement specific, concrete innovations.

The invention may be useful in transforming materials (manufacturing based), products (design or R&D based), organizations (organization based or relationship based), markets (marketing based), overall situations ("Situation Shifting"), people (individual goal based), and may provide other imagination-driven opportunities.

In all these cases, the Contextualizer may provide a growing opportunity for individuals, employees, and organizations to create transformations in one or more dimensions, including: their material transformations; their structure and processes; the organization's structure and relationships; their performance and productivity; their adaptation to new situations and responsibilities; their ability to create and implement innovation; and new ways to provide imagination-driven information products and services.

This new type of software is defined by its novel purposes: the improvement or fabrication of reality based on its users' ideas and imaginations.

The following outline of terms and concepts will aid the reader's understanding. (A) The Contextualizer: An interactive development "engine" used to collect Contexts, arrange and link them appropriately, plan and schedule their implementation, compile Alternates for distribution, and modify the Alternates.

(1) Contexts: The elements of a situation (segments of a body of information) that may be stored in a digital format and used in Alternates, including skills, methods, tasks, goals, internal and external relationships, tactics, explanations, graphics, pictures, video, audio and other essential factors communicated in various types of data. Contexts may either resemble the current situation (the "current situation"), or they may express a goal (the "preferred situation"). The transition is achieved by "situation shifting". The current or preferred situation may apply to an individual, group, job category, department, business unit, corporation, or organization.

(2) Contexts Selected: The Contextualizer is used to collect Contexts.

(3) Origin of Contexts:

(a) If a Context has been computerized and imported into the Contextualizer, it can be directly selected and used to develop Alternates.

(b) If a Context has been computerized but not imported into the Contextualizer it can be imported and "templated" using the "Create Context Bases" features.

(c) If a Context has not been computerized, two options are available: First, it may be scanned or typed, thus computerizing it. Then it can be imported into the Contextualizer and "templated" using the "Create Context Bases" feature. Second, a "placeholder" and a note may be included in the Alternate instead of the Context. These may offer information such as the title of the Context and where to find its contents.

(4) Context Bases: The following sources of Contexts are available or can be developed using the "Create Context Bases" tools (discussed below):

(a) Previously created Alternates may be accessed as sources of Contexts to create or modify other Alternates. This permits rapid sharing of information, Contexts, Outline Models, or Time-Sequence Models between many different users of Alternates.

(b) Many corporations already have word processor files and data bases containing an array of internal manuals, reports, memos, and data used in many jobs.

(c) Many trade publications cover individual industries and professions in detail, and the full text of hundreds of these are available on-line, searchable to locate specific information.

(d) On-line databases offer rapid access to an enormous range of specialized information and publications.

(e) Future sources: Modern societies publish vast amounts of Contextual information including "how to" skills, analyses, data, and explanations covering a vast array of industries, jobs, personal improvements, and many other types of situations. As computer technology evolves, it may be possible for an increasing variety of books, magazines, and other publications to continue growing in on-line availability or on computer-readable media. (Most publications are already captured electronically by their creation in word processing or their production in typesetting. The question of rapid availability is answered by market demand and vendor development. The technological barriers are significant but not as great.) Related technologies are improving, such as distribution of large volumes of information via optical (CD) discs, OCR text scanning, and automated text parsing.

(5) Context Collection: This is a simplified way to search Context Bases and collect Contexts. While this was developed for the Contextualizer, it may have wider application. Here it is used to examine and collect Contexts.

(6) Context Positioning: Once appropriate Contexts have been collected, they can be rearranged into an Alternate. This is a flexible process that includes two independent parts: Rearranging and Time-Sequencing Modeling. First, the Contexts can be Rearranged into Alternates based on current or preferred situations, as imagined by the user. Second, they can be Time-Sequenced to schedule their implementation or use. While Context Positioning was developed for the Contextualizer, it may have wider application then rearranging the items found from searches of large Context Bases. Here it is used to rearrange Contexts to create Alternates.

(B) (An) Alternate: An Alternate is a free-standing computer program that includes collected contexts and may include a software "engine" for accessing the Contexts collected and organized within the Alternate. The Alternate's goal may be to improve one part of a current situation, several parts of a situation, or transform the situation. An Alternate may have up to three components which together define its structure, access, content, and implementation:

(1) (The) Model: The Model is the structure and layout of an Alternate that has been interactively created or modified by a user. The Model is also the access pattern to its Context Clusters and single Contexts. A Model may be an Outline Model, arranged hierarchically, a Time-Sequence Model, or another kind of Model.

(2) (The) Guide: The guide is the text and graphics (graphics, pictures, video, etc.) in each Context.

(3) (The) Time-Sequence Model: The Time-Sequence Model is the implementation plan for shifting from the current situation to the preferred situation. Time Sequence Models are interactively created or modified by a user.

(C) Situation Shifting: The process of using the Contextualizer and Alternates to transform the Current Situation into a Preferred Situation.

(1) Computing Infrastructure and Distribution System: Contextualizer software is intended to run on current and faster computer systems, including the next generation of microcomputers. Software development generally lags behind hardware development in each generation of computer technology (see FIG. 9); this invention may leapfrog that cycle and create a potentially productive new type of computing that takes advantage of faster CPU speeds and the increased capacity from optical disc storage and other types of massive data storage and retrieval systems.

Alternates may be (a) run on the same computers that run the Contextualizer, (b) distributed on-line, or (c) distributed or sold on floppy disks to run on older generation computers, including widely installed business microcomputers. This harnesses the majority of the rapidly growing computer infrastructure as a distribution system for the potential improvement of situations according to the imagination and desires of people who utilize this type of computing.

(D) Create Context Bases: At this time, computer readable sources of Contexts are significant but limited. This is a separate component of the Contextualizer developed to overcome this limitation. Its specific domain is semi-automating the templating of Contexts into Context Bases to make them suitable for the Contextualizer.

(E) Copyright Tracking: This was created so users may take advantage of many valuable copyrighted Context Bases. This tracks the use, amounts due, and payments for copyrighted information. Including it in the software protects intellectual property and it may also stimulate some publishers to make some Context Bases available for developing Alternates.

The present invention is specifically a system for users to rapidly collect and rearrange a wide variety of specific Contexts into flexible, imagination driven patterns and then to access them rapidly for guidance when needed to improve performance or to transform situations. The present invention both captures new ideas in "how-to" arrangements and provides access to this know-how. This invention seeks to give a wide variety of casual users the capacity to interactively capture learning and apply it to improve their performance or transform their situation. It permits these unique constructs to, in turn, be used as sources if Contexts, Outline Models, or Time-Sequence Models to be used in creating or modifying other imaginative constructions. This permits the rapid sharing of imagination patterns of information, time-sequence implementation plans, how-to guidance, etc. on a large scale.

One example of a user of the invention may be an executive or a staff specialist in the headquarters of a corporation or another type of organization. That person might use the invention from the "top down" to develop Alternates centrally, then distribute them to users who run them locally to improve or change their situations. In this "top down" pattern, central management implements specific sequences of Alternates to achieve the Situation Shifts they desire. Where economies of scale are important, similar or related Alternates can be deployed across departments. This approach mirrors the conventional top-down management of some managers. It supports their centralized control despite the decentralizing influence of information systems.

A second example user creates Alternates locally, where external conditions (such as market proximity or the rate of technological innovation) are crucial, i.e., where decentralized or "bottom up" use is preferred. In local situations, the Contextualizer may be used by individuals and work groups to make themselves more effective leaders, competitors, and innovators. "Decentralized" individuals know the local bottlenecks in products, services, customer response, or ineffective links between divisions of a company. They might construct and share Alternates and implementation sequences that include local "how to" skills, methods, analyses, and other types of targeted procedures that transform performance, products, or the situation. With the Contextualizer, on-the-spot individuals or groups might use their local knowledge more effectively to imagine and plan small or large breakthroughs, while shifting their situation step-by-step.

With software that more closely connects imagination with reality, it may be possible to increase the creative potentials of key people and groups in many organizations. Today, the ability to remain in the lead economically means creating innovations and reshaping organizations to commercialize them successfully. In our age of innovation, the value of the creative imagination and on-the-spot adaptation may be growing. This invention may help people master new situations and leverage available human and financial resources to achieve the higher level of performance required today.

Five additional examples illustrate possible ways to apply the invention to personal, business, and non-profit needs.

The first example is personal use by a new employee in a new job, or by that employee's manager. The invention is used to assemble and compile one or more Alternates that provide on-the-fly access to skills, relationships, explanations, underlying technology, performance guides, and background information that is specific for the new employee's job. As is typical in many corporations, that employee's responsibilities may change often. As new responsibilities are added and old ones dropped, the Contextualizer may be used to modify the employee's current Alternate(s). In this manner, the Alternate functions as a learning tool that operates at the edge of the employee's new knowledge and performance, providing guidance and support in becoming productive earlier when each new responsibility is added. The design of the employee's tool may be directed by management, by the employee, or by blending their combined insights and experience.

The next example is personal use by an independent professional such as a corporate attorney who repeatedly encounters new situations and Contexts, for example, in drafting agreements with foreign corporations, defending against unexpected product liability lawsuits, or spinning off a high technology work group as a separate company that markets new information systems. This attorney may modify his Alternate to include the Contexts he needs in each new legal project, to boost his productivity in the unfamiliar areas. If a rush project arises, he might rapidly create a new Alternate for that project, collecting the preferred Contexts he needs and rapidly organizing them into a framework for both early progress and later rapid advance to sophisticated results.

Two examples of corporate uses illustrate the two sides of technology-based competition. One example is of a company that wants to drive innovation; the second is of a company that must respond to it.

The first example is a business unit dedicated to doubling the life of small consumer batteries while cutting their price in half (this is comparable to what has been achieved in many products, with numerous examples in consumer electronics). This battery business unit is attempting to use innovation strategically, to leapfrog its industry with a next-generation product and establish itself as the leading company while defeating its competition. To succeed, it might use the Contextualizer both centrally and locally to create and manage a time-phased transformation of its situation first internally and then externally. This begins with developing Alternates that start from the present skills and relationships in each department: research and development (R&D), product design and marketing, manufacturing, distribution channel control, etc. The Alternates introduce initial situation shifts in each department, with successive Alternates introduced to stimulate a comprehensive transformation to the preferred situation: research, developing and manufacturing the new products, market testing, launching them to establish market share, and capitalizing on every type of competitive advantage that they imagine. Thus, this invention might help companies leapfrog their competitors by developing and commercializing new technologies.

The next example illustrates how competitors might use the Contextualizer to respond to the new battery technology quickly to avoid losing market share (as happened when products like radial tires were introduced by Michelin, faster supercomputers by Cray Research, Ready Asset Accounts by Merrill Lynch, etc.). To accelerate their response, the Contextualizer might be used to develop Alternates that include the new skills, procedures, internal and external relationships, and implementation sequences needed to respond in key jobs and departments. To increase the speed of response and provide enhanced performance at an earlier date from many key areas throughout the corporation, the Alternates may be distributed and accessed on local microcomputers or terminals at employees' desks. Thus, this invention might help the organization accelerate its adaptation to sudden technological attacks.

A final example is a nonprofit environmental group which wants to launch a new program of setting up wildlife shelters for injured animals outside of major cities across America. It uses the Contextualizer to access Context Bases to collect Contexts it needs about non-profit organization fund raising and growth, wildlife feeding and habitats, veterinary care, ecology, and zoo management. It then rearranges the Contexts into appropriate Alternates: volunteer recruitment, fund raising and membership drives, animal helpers (veterinarians, daily staff, and part-time volunteers), zoological management, and Alternates for other functions needed to develop this new program.

Built on the foundation of these examples, the larger vision is clearer. The capabilities of individuals, groups, and organizations are often underestimated. In virtually every kind of situation, people display competence and creativity in dealing with both routine and novel difficulties. An extraordinary richness of talent is advancing a wide diversity of interests in modern societies. Extensive personal and organizational abilities create and drive the changes.

The invention is useful as a practical tool for those who lead or are involved in personal, group, or organizational change--especially adjustments or alterations based on new types of goals or new technologies. The users of the Contextualizer project (1) what they prefer their situation to be, and (2) how they want to model and implement the changes. The Contextualizer may be used in free-form exploratory ways, or it might be applied via structured methodologies. The Contextualizer is flexible in empowering the forces of individual imagination and belief.

Consider the potential role of imagination in a rationally managed business that is (partly) planned and developed using this new software. First, managers determine the preferred situation for the business. This includes defining goals and understanding the factors that cause various strategies to succeed in reaching the goals. With this in mind, models can be built to implement situation shifting. Once a conceptual model is developed, operating procedures and implementation sequences are specified along with systems to measure results and compare the outcome to milestones. If the outcome is above or below reasonable limits, new situations must be imagined and new models constructed to shift into them. If the outcome approximates what was desired, management succeeded in creating their preferred situation. A process like this might merge the imaginations of individuals, the belief systems of groups, the implementation talents of organizations, and traditional management sciences.

The invention will help extend the span of control over change itself to individuals and organizations which may prove useful in an age of rapid and strategic innovation.

Referring to the top of FIG. 10, it is clear that the conventional software development 102 and predictions for future software development 106, 108 include only three of these four circles; the imagination circle 104 is only minimally included and its potential contribution is not explicitly supported by software 102. The invention specifically recognizes, includes, and empowers the fourth circle 104; the human imagination is intimately merged with information technology and economic activity
109 until it increasingly becomes a potential source of everyday improvements in reality.

It is proposed that this new synthesis may become essential as the process of innovation and commercialization of new technologies increasingly merge to drive global competition. While science and technology are widely recognized as the foundation for global economic leadership and geopolitical power, it is "the differential ability of nations to carry out and capitalize on the results of R&D" that determines global leadership.

The imagination is a central part of this process, but this process has not been explicitly developed as a software application, nor has the imagination been empowered as the central feature of such software prior to this invention. A key element for modern commercial success may not be whether a company has powerful information processing systems, but whether information technology extends employees' abilities to transform the organization and the world by expressing and implementing new ideas and learning.

While this new type of software may move the origin of reality toward people's imaginations, may also produce greater control over the process of change. Since Alternates are designed in a flexible mental space (the imagination) that is represented on the computer's screen, many Alternates will start with the current situation and move incrementally, by a series of small situation shifts, to create the preferred situation. Other Alternates may leap ahead to the preferred situation, and attempt to design and introduce it as rapidly as possible. Alternates may or may not be realistic; it is up to each user to determine the preferred situations that are viable, when they should be implemented, by whom, and why. Though this invention may empower the imagination to shape reality, our dreams are kept reasonable by what is possible, desirable, and morally right for each user in each situation.

Executives, for example, normally work on a job in parallel by including many sources of information that may come from people, on paper, or from the computer screen. While the Contextualizer offers more Context Bases, it also provides tools for quickly narrowing what is collected, and rapidly focusing it into an Alternate that models the preferred situation, prioritizes tasks and sequences its implementation. Thus, it might make some contribution to concentrating the stream of parallel activities and controlling planned transformations.

The key situation shift that may be stimulated by this invention is a shift from being acted upon to acting on. Individuals, groups, and organizations in a variety of situations may be empowered to select more important or more appropriate goals and develop Alternates that may help them shift into their preferred situations. In a dynamic and free society, this is potentially a valuable capability for rapid progress, economic performance, and many types of human improvements. This may also be a strategic advantage that is only available to free societies. Cultures that support individual freedom may gain new personal and economic potentials from "imagination-driven" computing, and this may not be available to those that are organized to restrict and control human beings.

Implementation Example

Referring to FIG. 1 imagine that a new Editorial Assistant 10 has been hired at a magazine publisher. This publisher is reorganizing itself to launch a major new magazine. Throughout the publishing company and in the Editorial Department, a series of shifts in operations are planned to accomplish the creation and launching of a new magazine with the current staff and resources. Conventional ways to teach and train the new Assistant are inadequate for the imaginative re-organization 14
conceived by the Managing Editor 12. Conventional ways to teach the new Editorial Assistant include on the job training, attending seminars and lessons, courses in schools, reading books and magazines, CBT (computer-based training), CAI (computer-aided instruction), interactive videodisc, and expert systems.

The limitations of the conventional approaches are (1) none of them leads directly and rapidly to the Editor's concept of what the Assistant ought to be, and (2) none of them takes advantage of the many information sources available in modern society that might help the Assistant learn faster on the job, and perform better. Modern society offers increasing ranges of useful information 16 to help create, describe, and implement the Managing Editor's conception (14) of the Editorial Assistant's job, but the conventionally available ways to teach and train her fail to use these resources adequately.

Referring to FIG. 2, the present invention is based on a new paradigm for computing: Imagination Driven computing. There are twin inputs, information 20 and imagination 22 to "The Contextualizer 24". The Context Bases come from modern society's accelerating generation of new knowledge and Context based information. The Editor's imagination 22 is capable of accessing and manipulating many sources of information to describe and explain the Editor's ideas for her job, and how it ought to be done. The Contextualizer 24 provides an interactive tool for creating and implementing imagination-driven concepts by rearranging Contexts from many areas. The Contextualizer 24 is used to create and deliver an "Alternate" 26 to a computer or terminal 28 at the new Editorial Assistant's desk. An Alternate 26 is an imagination driven construct that is used interactively, in this example to: (1) teach the new employee to perform the job as the Managing Editor envisions sees it ought to be performed; (2) increase the Assistant's span of responsibility rapidly, as desired; and (3) assist her in growing rapidly today and in adapting to change in the future. The Contextualizer may be run interactively at any time to modify and improve her Alternate to drive change (as in this example) or to respond to future needs.

Referring to FIG. 3, the Contextualizer thus enables an overall transformation from a current situation 29 (with inputs in the form of imagination 30--and access to information and knowledge 32) to the preferred situation 36. The transformation is achieved by a set of operations and processes 34. The paradigm of computing represented by FIG. 3 is named "imagination driven computing." It starts from the current situation 29 at the beginning and assists in expressing and transforming it into the preferred situation 36. At its deepest conceptual level, the computer becomes a tool that helps move the source of everyday reality into the imagination. On a practical level, the invention provides a new type of tool for creating and introducing the changes and improvements that are desired by its users in jobs, work groups, organizations, and people's lives.

The preferred embodiment is illustrated through this prototypical example, which exhibits three principle advantages of the invention:

1. Enhanced performance in material transformations: The Alternate describes the accelerated assumption of a range of responsibilities by a new Editorial Assistant. She must rapidly become proficient at a wide range of specific new tasks according to the unique standards and rules of her new employer. Quality performance of a large span of activities is promoted by the invention.

2. Rapid learning and adaptation: The Alternate supports the new employee in learning her new job at a rapid rate and in carrying out additional tasks at an earlier date than otherwise. The invention may increase her ability to respond rapidly to new situations and requirements in a rapidly changing company and job.

3. Innovation: The job definition, scope, and range of responsibilities may be expanded or changed by creating or modifying Alternates. The process of creating an Alternate is a Context-filled opportunity to conceive new ways to re-organize responsibilities, job definitions, and performance, and to implement them productively. As the employee learns how to use the Alternate, she will use many of the same skills to modify her Alternate in the future. The process of using a series of Alternates may evoke new personal growth: the user may conceptualize a succession of new methods and procedures that increasingly expand performance and productivity.

The invention adds to the work environment a potential alignment of interests between management and employees. First, by using the invention, management may gain a computerized capacity to visualize the expansion of a job (or the organization) with additional responsibilities and expertise that benefit both the employee and the company. Second, by using the invention, the employee may gain accelerated career growth that may benefit the individual in income, managing changing responsibilities, and career satisfaction.

In other words, the invention may be used by management (top-down innovations, which express centralized expertise), or by employees (bottom-up innovations, which express decentralized familiarity with local conditions and needs), or by both, to imagine and implement a variety of organizational potentials.

The Main Menu

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 92, the "Main Menu" 120 of the Contextualizer is shown. The user knows his location in the software from the screen's top line 120, which identifies this as the Main Menu.

The menuing system is a multiple window system. In FIGS. 11 and 12 there is a Context Window 122, (2300 in FIG. 92) on the left, and there is a Guide Window 124, (2302 in FIG. 92) on the right. Each of these windows is labeled above its top border on the left.

The Context Window has a highlighted cursor bar that goes across the window from border to border. This cursor illuminates in reverse video the line on which the cursor is located. The highlighted cursor bar is represented on the FIGS. by an ">" arrowhead symbol 126. In FIG. 11, the arrowhead is located in the left margin of the Context Window and points to "Create Alternates:" 128 (3002 in FIG. 93).

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 137, as each choice or Context is highlighted in the Context Window 122, 9002, its contents are simultaneously displayed in the right Guide Window 124, 9003.

(As opposed to most software where one operation generally occurs at a time on a computer screen, the normal operation of The Contextualizer often involves two (or sometimes more) related operations occurring on the screen at a time.)

The right-hand Guide Window 124, 9003, shows the first screen of the guide to "Create Alternates." In the lower right-hand corner of the Guide Window, it shows that this is screen 1 of 2 (130). By using a function key 9010 to switch windows
9011, the user switches from the Context Window 122, 9002, to the Guide Window 124, 9003. Now, referring to FIGS. 12 and 138, when the user has activated the Guide Window 124, 9010, the user can press <PgDn> 9028, 9029 to show the second screen of the "Create Alternates" guide. See the second screen of FIG. 11, which shows the second screen in the "Create Alternates" guide 132.

Guides may be much larger than two screens. Referring to FIG. 138 when they are larger than one screen, the user can use a <Home> key 9024, 9025, to move to the top of the guide, an <End> key 9024, 9025, to move to the bottom of the guide, and <PgUp/PgDn> keys 9028, 9029, to move from screen to screen within it. As described in FIG. 139, the user may also zoom the guide up so that it fills the entire computer screen 9040, 9044. After moving around a zoomed guide and using it, the user may zoom the window back down to its previous size 9040, 9041.

In FIGS. 11 and 92, below the Context Window is a window 134, 2304, which indicates functions that will be triggered by certain keys.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 137, the user has returned to the Context Window 140, 9002, and has moved the cursor down one line to the "Run Alternates:" selection 142 (3006 in FIG. 93). Note that each possible selection represents a "token" that corresponds to an underlying segment of information in the context base. This automatically displays the Run Alternates Guide for this selection in the Guide Window 144, 146, 9003.

Referring to FIG. 13 and 93, the user has moved the cursor down to "Manage Alternates:" 150, 3010 and sees the two Guide Window screens for "Manage Alternates:" 152, 154, 3011.

Referring now to FIGS. 14 and 93, the two Guide Window screens 162, 164, 3015 for the choice called "Create Context Bases" 160, 3014 are displayed.

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 93, the Contextualizer Alternate choice 170, 3018 has been selected, displaying the "Contextualizer Alternate" 170, 3018, and FIG. 141 which is, in itself, an Alternate that is built into a software program. Unlike an on-line "Help" system, the built-in Alternate provides an imaginatively conceived collection of Contexts from the skills, situations, expertise, products, markets, specific customers, technologies, and other possible Contexts that relate to the use of that software application 172, 3019.

Just as an Alternate may be a free-standing software application or program, it may also be included within a software program as a different and new type of on-line Contextual assistance for the users of that software program. The bottom half of FIG. 15 shows a screen 174 from the on-line "Contextualizer System". Two example uses for Alternates, built into other software as on line tools, are described below.

First, customer support can be provided with an on-line product and procedure guides that support staff can access quickly while providing phone support, and do this seamlessly from within their Customer Support software.

Second, to handle phone calls about questions like slow checks, Accounts Payable clerks can branch from accounting software to the contexts such as the company's payment and other business policies that might be included in an on-line Alternate. This prevents supervisors from being interrupted for trivial questions while clerks provide higher quality relationships with vendors.

Making Alternates available within other software provides interactive, on-the-spot access to the Contextual information people need when working as a knowledgeable and competent part of a complex business system, especially when that system changes rapidly or often.

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 93, the first choice from the Main Menu is called "Create Alternates:" 176, 3002. Pressing the <Enter> key brings up that portion of the Contextualizer 3002, 3003, 3004.

Context Collection

Turning now to FIGS. 16 and 137 the user now sees the available "Create Alternates:" selections 182 in the left Context Window 180, 9002. As the cursor is moved up and down to the different Contexts 184 in the left window, the content of each selection is displayed in the right Guide Window 186, 9003. This general function of the two windows is followed consistently throughout the Contextualizer.

In the Context Window, 180, 9002, the end of each line has one of two punctuation symbols. These symbols indicate whether or not additional choices are subsidiary to that item. If the punctuation is a "colon" (:) 187, 9012, 9013, then additional choices are subsidiary to it. For example, the first line "Create Alternates:" ends in a colon 187. The first topic below that shows why that colon is there, 9012, 9013.

If the punctuation is a "period" (.) 188, 9012, 9013, then there are no additional choices subsidiary to it. For example, the third item in the list, called "Context Collection/ Positioning." 188 ends in a period. There are no items subsidiary to that 9012, 9013.

Referring to FIG. 138, to show additional choices on the screen, or to remove them, the list is expanded or contracted using the "Plus" <+> key 9018 to expand the list to its next level of detail 9019, or the "Minus" <-> key 9018 to contract the list to the next higher level 9019. The list may be expanded to its maximum detail using the <Shift-Plus> key 9021, 9022 or contracted to its minimum level of detail using the <Shift Minus> key 9021, 9022.

Turning now to FIG. 17 and referring to FIG. 138, the list in the Context Window 190 has been expanded one level of detail 196 by pressing the <Plus> key 9018, 9019. As shown, the "Create Alternates:" portion of the software may have within it many various options and functions.

The user scrolls down to the second 192 and 10 third 194 screens of the "Create Alternates:" expanded menu by pressing <PgDn> 9028, 9029. All three screens of this menu 190, 192, 194 are printed in FIG. 17.

Now referring to FIGS. 17 and 94, the user returns to the top screen of the "Create Alternates:" menu 190 and places the cursor highlight bar on "New Alternate" 196, 3104 and presses <Enter>.

Turning now to FIG. 18, the top screen is the blank catalog for starting a new Alternate 200. To fill in this screen, the user types in the fields 202, 3105 individually. The second screen in this FIG. 204 shows a filled in sample screen for a sample Alternate for Julie Smith.

In the filled-in sample screen on the bottom of FIG. 18, the user has answered "Y" for the last field, "Project Description" 206. When the last field is selected as "Yes" and the user completes this screen, FIG. 19 shows that a "Notes/Concept" window 219 will be opened.

The Notes/Concepts sub-window 210 is shown in the lower right corner of the lower window 209 of FIG. 19. These Notes/Concepts are attached to this Alternate and may be opened at any time. They may also be modified at any time prior to compiling an Alternate for distribution.

These Notes/Concepts preserve information that describes the usefulness, origin, or any other aspect of this particular Alternate.

As shown in the Notes/Concepts 212 window in the second screen printed in FIG. 19, this Alternate is based on the specific experience level of the newly hired employee for whom the Alternate 211 was created. An Alternate may be created for an individual (by management or by that individual); a general job position (created by management or by the employee); a department (created by management); to distribute new perspectives, responsibilities, or information (by the Context Base); or to influence many other purposes, situations, or processes.

This Alternate 211 is specific to this individual. It is based on her experience in writing, copyediting, and publishing. It is also based on her motivation level, which reflects the pace at which she is expected to learn and grow. As a result of adding this description, it is possible to use this Alternate in the future, without changing it, if similar high-potential Editorial Assistants are hired again.

In the future, the Alternate may be modified by adding or removing specific Contexts that are needed or not needed by future Editorial Assistants. As a result, this Alternate is both re-usable and modifiable. If used as the basis for another Alternate, this Notes/Concepts description 212 assists in creating a similar but somewhat different Alternate.

After returning to the main "Create Alternates:" menu, the user selects the "Choose Context Bases:" screen 220, 3302, which is shown in FIGS. 20 and 112. This screen 220, 3302 offers access to different Context Bases 223, 3306, 225, 3310, 227,
3314, 229, 3318 when creating a single Alternate.

This screen depicts a method for selecting up to four different Context Bases at one time. This process may be repeated if needed. The ability to access a larger number of Context Bases from this screen could be expanded.

The bottom screen 222 in FIG. 20 shows the Context Bases after they have been entered, including the display or entry of each Base s "Description" 224, 226, 228.

The first Context Base 224 in the bottom screen 222 of FIG. 20 is a simulated CD-ROM disc of "how-to" skills information for editors and writers that has been compiled by the present inventor as an "Editorial Department Context Base". FIG. 21
shows an excerpt from one of the "Context Bases" simulated. The "Editorial Department Context Base" (as shown in FIG. 21) is based on a variety of published books, but it could include sources such as articles from periodicals, entire periodicals, or other types of information such as text, graphics, audio, or video. The type of information that can be accessed and displayed is limited only by the capacity of the computer to access and display it.

The second Context Base 226 in the bottom screen 222 of FIG. 20 is the company's unique internal policies and procedures. This source will generally originate from one or more information systems or other internal sources owned by the company, including its computers and other information media.

The third Context Base 228 in FIG. 20 is an "unlocked Alternate" (defined in more detail later) containing expertise in the specific field in which this new Editorial Assistant will work. This field is CBT (Computer Based Training). This Context Base provides her rapid access to expert answers to all types of questions. This will help her (1) learn about CBT on a "need to know" basis, and (2) appear (in her writing, research, and dealing with writers) functional at a greater level of expertise than would be possible without extensive reference sources.

This third Context Base illustrates that any Alternate can serve as a Context Base from which Contexts and Guides can be collected to create or modify other Alternates. This supports the creation of a rich, inter-linked information environment. Complex organizations function like the links in a chain with the work output of one group typically forming the input of other groups. In a similar way, the Alternates used to guide or assist the work of one employee or group are likely to offer Contexts and Guides that are useful for others in the organization. With this invention this information may be rapidly accessed and flexibility rearranged for the purposes and use of other departments or individuals throughout an organization.

Many types of Contexts and Context Bases are possible. The prototype in FIG. 20, for example, has three different types of Context Bases: job skills 224 (those generally needed in an Editorial Department), company Contexts 226 (how that particular department in that company wants the job of Editorial Assistant done), and expertise Contexts 228 (the field of CBT in which that Editorial Assistant will work). Additional types of Context Bases might concern processes, relationships, products, and market.

Processes

These might include Contexts an employee may need to use for new or existing manufacturing processes, such as in biochemistry: if biologists are working with unfamiliar chemicals, the Alternate might provide Contexts that relate to chemicals used [when A is mixed with B it produces a carcinogen that must not touch your skin], safety [now that you are using chemical C, it is toxic and must be disposed of properly; press <F#> function key to call up the appropriate procedures]; new procedures [the quantity of liquid in the new tank must not fall below level X nor rise above level Y]; systems [record the manufacturing errors by using the following new codes . . . ], etc.

Relationships

Contexts that describe how to function better with others in complex organizations. For example, relationship formation in a complex, multi-divisional or multi-national business unit, corporation, or organization. Relationships Contexts might be cross-cultural, including customs, unique technical jargon in a foreign language, specific business customs or procedures, and knowledge about expanding relationships with a particular person or group (whether inside or outside of one's company).

Products: (Supply-Side Improvements)

New Contexts could apply to current or new products or services that are being manufactured or sold. By using an Alternate, the range of Contexts that apply to new or current products may be expanded. This may improve the value or usefulness of a company's product(s) to customers by providing faster responsivenes, a wider diversity of product uses, and more accurate information to assist with individual customer needs.

Markets: (Demand-Side Improvements)

New Contexts could apply to rapidly evolving market segments. For example, if one is in the health care industry and is selling to respiratory therapists in hospitals, specialized expertise Contexts may be needed to understand the procedures used with a new product. In addition, buyer Contexts include hospital purchasing procedures, capital budgeting, and payment options. By preparing an Alternate, a company might be able to launch a new product for respiratory therapists and before the first day give its nationwide sales force an Alternate that enables them to customize the specific Contexts of each buyer relationship for this new product, no matter what the responsibilities of the person they are communicating with (which may blend medical specialization, purchasing responsibility, and department administration).

These and other types of Context Bases (such as technologies or competitors) may be accessed and blended together through the Contextualizer to create supportive and useful Alternates.

Referring to FIG. 22 and our example, the user returns to the "Create Alternates:" menu 240 and moves the cursor down to "Context Collection/Positioning" 242. By pressing <Enter> the bottom screen in this Figure offers two choices: First, collect Contexts 244,3110 and second, position Contexts 246,3112. The user presses <1> to begin Context Collection.

Referring to FIGS. 23 and 112, entering Context Collection starts automatically at the first source, the "Editorial Department Context Base" (previously selected by the user) 224, 3307. For the user's clarity in navigation, the prototype shows this in the left Context Collection window 250, on its first (top) line 252. The number "1:" means the first Context Base, and the name of that Context Base is also displayed.

Referring now to FIGS. 23 and 138, in the right-hand Guide Window 254, 9017, general how-to instructions 256 may be displayed when the cursor in the left window is not on a specific Context 9016. Since the user is in the Context Collection window250, this Guide Window explains some of the steps in how to collect Contexts from Context Bases. As a result, the user sees the main keys to operate the process of collecting Contexts.

The two screens in left Context Collection Window show the structure of the Editorial Department Context Base 250, 258, which is the structure of this Context Base. One page from that Context Base is also displayed in FIG. 21 230.

Turning now to FIG. 24 the user sees in reverse highlight (arrows in the Figure) 260 the specific clusters of Contexts that he tagged one at a time (4006, 4007, 4008, in FIG. 97). These relate to the job skills that the new Editorial Assistant will need in her job. In the printed screens they are marked with an arrow pointing to the right. These may be explored one at a time or they may be explored all together. In the following text, the user will explore them one at a time.

Referring to the top screen 270 in FIG. 25 and also to FIG. 138, by putting the cursor on the first cluster selected ("Departments:") and pressing the <Plus> key 9018 twice, this cluster expands to show all of its individual Contexts 9019. Referring to FIGS. 25 and 137, the user now sees the working of the punctuation at the end of each line in the Context Collection Window 9012, 9013. Both "Departments:" 272 and "Design:" 274 have colons after them because they have additional Contexts below them. Each of the individual Contexts 276 has a period after it because it does not have subsidiary Contexts below it. The cursor is on the first Context, which is "Design Relationships to the Magazine" 276,9002. The content of that Context is displayed in the top right Guide Window 278, 9003. In the Guide Window 278, 9003, the bottom line 280 shows the source of that guide and the page number in that source on which it begins.

In FIGS. 25 and 96 there is also a third window 282, 2404 on the lower right, called "Collected Contexts." This window is displayed automatically as part of the process of Context Collection. The user may examine, at any time, the Contexts that have been collected for that Alternate.

At the bottom of FIG. 25 and referring also to FIG. 137, the user has moved to the Guide Window 278, 9003, by using <F2> 9010, the "switch window Function Key" 9011. The user then zoomed the Guide Window to fill the entire screen 284. In FIG. 139, the zooming function 9040-9044 is described. The fact that this is a zoomed window is displayed in the upper left 286.

As shown in FIG. 138, the user may use a zoomed Guide Window to examine the content of any Context 9024-9034. Keys such as "Page-down" or "Page up" may be used to examine various portions of the guide 9028, 9029. Keys such as "Home" or "End" may be used to jump rapidly to the guide's beginning or end 9024, 9025. Based on examining the guide, the user has decided to "collect" this Context.

Turning now to the top screen 290 in FIG. 26, the window has been zoomed back down (9040-9044 in FIG. 139) and the user has switched (9010, 9011 in FIG. 137) to the left Context Collection window 292. Referring to FIG. 26 with FIG. 97, with the cursor on the desired Context 294, the user presses the <Insert> key 4010, 4011 which collects this Context to the Collected Contexts window 296 at the lower right of the screen.

Context Collection is a scaffold that makes it possible for users to move rapidly through large and diverse Context Bases and rapidly collect the Contexts they will use to fabricate Alternates.

Context Collection involves at least three simultaneously interacting windows 292, 2400, 298, 2402, 296, 2404, as illustrated in FIG. 26 and 96. In the invention, the primary use of these windows is to provide simultaneous access to information at different stages of its identification, collecting, rearrangement, and management in real-world situations. In general, the user whose window display is configured as in FIGS. 26 and 96 would select Contexts in the left window 292, 2400 and switch to the top right window 298, 2402 to examine the Guides in detail. As described in FIG. 137, the user switches from one window to the next by pressing a Function Key 9010, 9011. (In the prototype, keys are named and numbered based on IBM PC/AT/PS2 and compatible keyboards.) FIG. 97 shows that Contexts are collected by pressing the <Ins> key 4010, 4011 when they are highlighted in the left window or are being examined in the top right window. In FIGS. 26 and 96, the bottom right window 296, 2404
shows the Contexts that have been collected.

In FIGS. 26 and 96, the left window 292, 2400 is called the "Context Collection" window. This window shows the items in the Context Bases in outline form with one item per line. In the left window, the items are listed according to subject. FIG. 97 illustrates a custom search 4016-4023. The user can rapidly do custom searches, as explained later. (An optional display format for the left window, called the "Cognitive Window," is explained below.)

In FIGS. 26 and 96, the top right window 298, 2402, is called the "Guide" window. This displays the text and graphics and other data in each Context. The Guides are the information that is collected and put to practical use in the Alternates.

The bottom right window 296, 2404 is called the "Collected Contexts" window. This is where the Contexts are collected so that Alternates can be constructed. (See the section on Context Positioning.) In actual use, a user moves seamlessly back and forth between Context Collection and Context Positioning simply by operating in different windows, which automatically changes their views and relationships, though these processes are described separately here. While this description makes it appear as if a user collects Contexts first and fabricates an Alternate separately in Context positioning, the user may follow any order of collecting and positioning Contexts desired.

The use of Contexts to create preferred situations is a complex process that may be done with multiple views and Contexts. The use of multiple windows (which may be overlapping windows instead of separate as shown in the Figure) provides access to simultaneous views and Contexts that are an essential part of gathering the Contexts needed to represent the user's conceptions.

Turning now to the top screen 300 in FIG. 27 and also to FIG. 138, the user reads the rest of the titles in the (left) Context Collection Window 302. Most of them have to do with graphics, which are not among the responsibilities of the new Editorial Assistant. The last Context, however, is "The Editor's View" 304 and this appears relevant. By pressing the <End> key 9024 to go to the end of the list of Contexts, the user jumps to the bottom of the list 9025. This is displayed in the bottom screen 306 printed in FIG. 27. "The Editor's View" is highlighted by the cursor bar 308, and the content of this Context is displayed in the Guide Window 310.

Referring to FIG. 97, because "The Editor's View" is valuable for the new Editorial Assistant while she is learning her job, this Context is collected to the lower right window by pressing the <Insert> key 4010, 4011. The bottom screen 306
in FIG. 27 shows that "The Editor's View" has been collected to the Collected Contexts window 310 on the lower right of the screen.

Referring now to FIG. 138, the user then uses the <Minus> key 9018, 9019 to condense the "Departments:" list. Turning now to the top screen 320 in FIG. 28, the user has condensed the list 322 to show the Context clusters in the Editorial Department Context Base. The user moves the cursor down to the cluster titled "Letters to the Editor" 324. By pressing the <Plus> key 9018, 9019, this section is expanded to show the one Context within it. This expansion is shown in the bottom screen 326 in FIG. 28.

Still referring to FIGS. 28 and 138, the one Context in this cluster concerns the readability of Letters to the Editor. The user does not believe that this information 328 is relevant to the Assistant Editor's job. The user rejects this by pressing the <Minus> key 9018, 9019 to condense the list and exit this cluster. This returns the list to the outline of the Editorial Department Context Base 322 as shown in the top screen 320 of FIG. 28. The user then moves the cursor highlight down to the next cluster 330, which is "New Products:".

Turning now to FIGS. 29 and 30, the user knows that the Editorial Assistant will be responsible for writing the "New Products" departments of the magazine. This is an essential area for the new employee to learn rapidly.

The user scrolls down this list of Contexts one line at a time in the left Context Collection window 340, 342, 344, 346, 348, 350. At the same time, the user examines the content of each of the Guides in the Guide Window 352, 354, 356, 358, 360,
362 to verify that it is appropriate and helpful. These Guides are displayed in FIGS. 29 and 30.

The user decides that all of these Contexts are valuable for the new Editorial Assistant. Using the Method shown in FIG. 97, 4006, 4007, 4008 the user tags all of them. Turning now to the top screen 370 in FIG. 31, the FIG. shows all of the Contexts are selected (an arrow is displayed to the left of each Context selected 372). Referring to FIG. 97, the user then collects all the Contexts by pressing the <Insert> key 4010, 4011. The screen 374 that shows this process has taken place is at the bottom of FIG. 31. The first Context that was just collected is displayed in the lower right window 376, and all the small tagging arrows have been removed 378, indicating that the Contexts were collected.

At any time, the user may examine the Contexts that have been collected into the Collected Contexts window at the bottom right of the screen. Referring to FIG. 137, the user uses the "switch window Function Key" 9010 to shift between the windows in a clockwise direction 9011. By pressing this key once, the user moves from the Context collection (left) window to the Guide Window (top right). By pressing this key a second time, the user moves to the Collected Contexts (bottom right) window.

Now referring to FIG. 139, when the user goes into this latter window and zooms it up to fill the screen 9040-9043, the system seamlessly goes into Context Positioning mode 9043. This is shown in the top screen 380 of FIG. 32. In Context Positioning, the Alternate's name is listed on the top line of the left Context Positioning Window 382. The collected Contexts are listed in the Context Positioning window on the left 384. The content of each Context is displayed in the Guide Window on the right 386. As the user moves the cursor to highlight each Context (in the left window) 388, the guides are displayed in the right window 390. In this view the user may keep or discard any of the Contexts or switch windows to explore any of the Guides. As shown in FIG. 102, screen display functions in Context Positioning are described by FIGS. 137-139. The process of Context Positioning will be described below.

FIG. 32 shows screens from three of the Contexts that have been collected so far. The top printed screen 380 shows the cursor on the first Context, "Design Relationships to the Magazine" 388. The middle screen 389 shows the cursor on the second Context, "The Editor's View" 392. The bottom screen 393 shows the cursor on the third Context, "A Vital Reader Interest" 394.

The user then goes through the same process of returning to the main menu of the first Context Base 260, "1: Editorial Department Context Base", moves to each cluster of Contexts that relates to this Alternate, and selects the appropriate Contexts. This would be a fairly rapid process for a user who is this new employee's manager and simultaneously: (1) either knows or imagines the job the new employee ought to do, (2) has a basic familiarity with the skills available in the Editorial Department Context Base, and (3) understands how to use this invention to collect helpful Contexts for the new employee.

Later the user will return to the Contexts selected. Now the user will select the Contexts from the other Context Bases. (If interrupted, the user may save the work in process and return to it.) In FIG. 102, the user presses the key that returns to the "Create Alternates:" menu 5002, 5003. As shown in the top screen 400 in FIG. 33 and also in FIG. 94, the user moves the cursor up to "Choose Context Bases" 402, 3107, and presses <Enter> to go to this function.

Turning to the bottom screen