Interactive method and apparatus for mixed media narrative presentation
An interactive interface for a computing device enables a user to select the medium of expression in which a segment of a narrative will be presented. The narrative has a plurality of presentable narrative segments, at least one of which is presentable in multiple mutually substitutable mediums of expression. The interface includes a control enabling a user to select a narrative segment class containing segments of a first medium expression. The selected segments are presented in substitution for respective segments of another narrative segment class of a second medium expression.
1. A method of presenting a narrative comprising a plurality of successively presentable narrative segments, at least one segment presentable in plural mutually substitutable mediums of expression, the method comprising:
presenting a user interface for a computing device, said user interface comprising:
(i) a media availability indicator indicating availability of mutually substitutable mediums of expression for presenting said at least one segment of said narrative, and
(ii) a medium selector operable by a user of said computing device to select one of said plural mutually substitutable mediums of expression for presenting said at least one segment of said narrative;
recovering the at least one segment in the user selected medium of expression from a memory of the computing device;
transmitting program data enabling presentation of segments of the narrative in a version and an order selected by the user; and
presenting said at least one segment of said narrative in said user selected medium of expression;
wherein, when the user selects one of said plural mutually substitutable mediums of expression in the medium selector, an interface of the media availability indicator presents granularity options for presentation of the narrative.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting said at least one segment of said narrative in said user selected medium of expression comprises:
substituting said at least one segment for one of a succession of segments of a second medium expression of said narrative.
3. The method of claim 2 ,
wherein the granularity options comprise selection of segments representing one or more characters or speakers in an audio track as preferred substitutes for the narrator of an audio book; and
wherein substituting said at least one segment for one of a succession of segments of a second medium expression of said narrative comprises:
substituting said at least one segment for a currently presented segment of said second medium expression of said narrative.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein substituting said at least one segment for one of a succession of segments of a second medium expression of said narrative comprises:
substituting said at least one segment for a segment of said second medium expression of said narrative to be presented following presentation of a segment being currently presented.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting on said interface an identification of a medium with which said at least one segment was presented after presentation of said at least one segment.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting on said interface a progress indicator indicating a relative place of a currently presented segment of said narrative in a plurality of successively presentable segments comprising said narrative.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
presenting on said interface an identification of a medium with which said at least one segment was presented following presentation of said at least one segment.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(a) presenting on said interface plural graphics each graphic representing a respective one of said plural segments of said narrative; and
(b) following presentation of said at least one segment of said narrative, displaying in said graphic representing said at least one segment an indication of the medium in which said at least one segment was presented.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
presenting said media availability indicator indicating available mediums of expression for said at least one segment by selecting said graphic representing said at least one segment.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
presenting said medium selector when said media availability indicator is presented.
11. A method of presenting a narrative comprising a plurality of presentable narrative segments, at least one segment presentable in plural mutually substitutable mediums of expression, the method comprising:
presenting a user interface for a computing device, said user interface comprising a control enabling a user to select a narrative segment class containing plural segments of a first medium expression;
recovering at least one segment in the user selected medium of expression from a memory of the computing device;
transmitting program data enabling presentation of segments of the narrative in a version and an order selected by the user; and
presenting ones of said plural segments of said narrative segment class in substitution for respective ones of plural segments of another narrative segment class of a second medium expression;
wherein, when the user selects the narrative segment class in the user interface, the user interface presents granularity options for presentation of the narrative.
12. An apparatus for presenting a narrative comprising a plurality of successively presentable narrative segments, at least one segment presentable in plural mutually substitutable mediums of expression, the apparatus comprising:
(a) a computer accessible memory for storing a program instruction and a datum;
(b) a data processing unit operable according to a program instruction stored in said memory to present a user interface enabling said user to construct said narrative by selecting ones of said narrative segments, each expressible in a selected medium of expression from the mutually substitutable mediums of expression, the data processing unit further operable to recover at least one segment in the selected medium of expression from the computer accessible memory, and to transmit program data enabling presentation of segments of the narrative in a version and an order selected by the user, wherein, when the user selects the ones of said narrative segments in the user interface, the user interface presents granularity options for presentation of the narrative; and
(c) an output device communicatively connected to said data processing unit to present said selected segments of said narrative to said user, each segment presented in a respective user selected medium of expression from the mutually substitutable mediums of expression.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said data processing unit substitutes at least one segment of a second medium expression of said narrative for a segment of said first medium expression of said narrative being currently presented with said output device.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a second output device communicatively connected to said data processing unit, said data processing unit operable to simultaneously present said at least one segment of said second medium of expression concurrently with said segment of said first medium expression of said narrative.
15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said data processing unit substitutes at least one segment of a second medium expression of said narrative for a segment of a first medium of expression to be presented following presentation of a narrative segment being currently presented with said output device.