Systems and methods for defining a simulated interactive web page

Abstract

The system includes a novel software application interactive representation modeling language, a software application ( 82 ) operative to use the modeling language to create, read and modify interactive representation models of the proposed applications, a memory ( 86 ) to store requirement data and interactive representation model data, a software application ( 92 ) operative to read and update the interactive representation model data across a computer network, a software application ( 76 ) operative to maintain a record of the requirements and to administer operation of the system, a software application ( 78 ) operative to render interactive representations of the proposed applications in browser readable format, a software application ( 82 ) operative to allow multiple instances of other applications to access interactive representation data and requirement data residing in the memory and a software application ( 84 ) operative to allow an individual user's interactions with the system to be broadcast across a networked system to other users.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An interactive model development system comprising:
 at least one computing device; and   a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, if executed by the at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:   presenting to a user a listing of one or more interactive representation models of one or more proposed applications for viewing or modification, wherein the one or more interactive representation models are not the one or more proposed applications;   enabling the user to select a first interactive representation model from the listing of one or more interactive representation models of one or more proposed applications;   enabling the user to add primitives to the selected interactive representation model;   enabling the user to modify attributes associated with the primitives in the selected interactive representation model;   enabling the user to delete instances of primitives in the selected interactive representation model;   enabling the user to define relationships between primitives in the selected interactive representation model;   modifying a visual display of the selected interactive representation model at least partly in response to the user: adding a first primitive to the selected interactive representation model, modifying attributes associated with a second primitive in the selected interactive representation model, or deleting a third primitive in the selected interactive representation model;   generating an HTML version of the selected interactive representation model in response to a user action;   enabling the HTML version of the selected interactive representation model to be rendered in a browser.   
     
     
         2 . The interactive representation modeling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
 providing a user interface via which the user can cause at least one primitive to be hidden and hiding the at least one primitive in response to a user instruction to hide the at least one primitive.   
     
     
         3 . The interactive representation modeling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the selected interactive representation model was generated using a language different than HTML. 
     
     
         4 . The interactive representation modeling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , the operations further comprising enabling a user to make global changes to the selected interactive representation model via a first primitive. 
     
     
         5 . The interactive representation modeling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , the operations further comprising enabling members of a team to access and modify the selected interactive representation model via respective user interfaces of the interactive model development system. 
     
     
         6 . The interactive representation modeling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , the operations further comprising enabling the user to annotate the selected interactive representation model with a first annotation, wherein the first annotation is displayable to the user together with the interactive representation model when the interactive representation model is displayed in a design area, and the first annotation is not displayed to the user when the selected interactive representation model is displayed as an HTML model. 
     
     
         7 . The interactive representation modeling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the interactive representation modeling apparatus is configured to generate and provide for display a navigable listing of pages of the selected interactive representation model. 
     
     
         8 . The interactive representation modeling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the interactive representation modeling apparatus is configured to provide an interface that enables the user to define a user interface flow, wherein the user interface flow is definable prior to user interfaces referred to by the user interface flow being created. 
     
     
         9 . The interactive representation modeling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the interactive representation modeling apparatus is configured to provide an interface that enables the user to define a user interface flow. 
     
     
         10 . The interactive representation modeling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of primitives further comprises a decision primitive, wherein the decision primitive is configurable to make a decision using a Boolean operation based on at least one of a radio button input, a text input, or a check box input. 
     
     
         11 . The interactive representation modeling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the interactive representation modeling apparatus is configured to enable the user to specify a notification list of users who are to receive at least a first type of notification related to the interactive representation model. 
     
     
         12 . The interactive representation modeling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the interactive representation modeling apparatus is configured to enable users to conduct an online discussion regarding the interactive representation model, wherein the online discussion is recorded for reference. 
     
     
         13 . The interactive representation modeling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the interactive representation modeling apparatus is configured to enable at least one user to upload a file, the file comprising at least a diagram, to facilitate an online discussion regarding the interactive representation model, wherein the online discussion is recorded for reference. 
     
     
         14 . The interactive representation modeling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein a defined relationship between a first primitive and a second primitive in the selected interactive representation model is a conditional relationship. 
     
     
         15 . A computer implemented method, the method comprising:
 enabling, by an interactive model development system, the user to select a first interactive representation model of a proposed application;   enabling, by the interactive model development system, the user to add primitives to the selected interactive representation model;   enabling, by the interactive model development system, the user to modify attributes associated with the primitives in the selected interactive representation model;   enabling, by the interactive model development system, the user to delete instances of primitives in the selected interactive representation model;   enabling, by the interactive model development system, the user to define relationships between primitives in the selected interactive representation model;   modifying, by the interactive model development system, a visual display of the selected interactive representation model at least partly in response to the user: adding a first primitive to the selected interactive representation model, modifying attributes associated with a second primitive in the selected interactive representation model, or deleting a third primitive in the selected interactive representation model;   generating, by the interactive model development system, an HTML version of the selected interactive representation model in response to a user action; and   enabling, by the interactive model development system, the HTML version of the selected interactive representation model to be rendered in a browser.   
     
     
         16 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 providing a user interface via which the user can cause at least one primitive to be hidden and hiding the at least one primitive in response to a user instruction to hide the at least one primitive.   
     
     
         17 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the selected interactive representation model was generated using a language different than HTML. 
     
     
         18 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , the operations further comprising enabling a user to make global changes to the selected interactive representation model via a first primitive. 
     
     
         19 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , the operations further comprising enabling members of a team to access and modify the selected interactive representation model via respective user interfaces of the interactive model development system. 
     
     
         20 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , the operations further comprising enabling the user to annotate the selected interactive representation model with a first annotation, wherein the first annotation is displayable to the user together with the interactive representation model when the interactive representation model is displayed in a design area, and the first annotation is not displayed to the user when the selected interactive representation model is displayed as an HTML model. 
     
     
         21 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the interactive representation modeling apparatus is configured to generate and provide for display a listing of pages of the selected interactive representation model. 
     
     
         22 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the interactive representation modeling apparatus is configured to provide an interface that enables the user to define a user interface flow, wherein the user interface flow is definable prior to user interfaces referred to by the user interface flow being created. 
     
     
         23 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the interactive representation modeling apparatus is configured to provide an interface that enables the user to define a user interface flow. 
     
     
         24 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of primitives further comprises a decision primitive, wherein the decision primitive is configurable to make a decision based on at least one of a radio button input, a text input, or a check box input. 
     
     
         25 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of primitives further comprises a decision primitive, wherein the decision primitive is used to process decisions using a Boolean operation. 
     
     
         26 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the interactive representation modeling apparatus is configured to enable the user to specify a notification list of users who are to receive at least a first type of notification related to the interactive representation model. 
     
     
         27 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the interactive representation modeling apparatus is configured to enable users to conduct an online discussion regarding the interactive representation model, wherein the online discussion is recorded for reference. 
     
     
         28 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the interactive representation modeling apparatus is configured to enable at least one user to upload a file to facilitate an online discussion regarding the selected interactive representation model, wherein the online discussion is recorded for reference. 
     
     
         29 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , wherein a defined relationship between a first primitive and a second primitive in the selected interactive representation model is a conditional relationship. 
     
     
         30 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform operations comprising:
 enabling the user to select a first interactive representation model of a proposed application;   enabling the user to add primitives to the selected interactive representation model;   enabling the user to modify attributes associated with the primitives in the selected interactive representation model;   enabling the user to delete instances of primitives in the selected interactive representation model;   enabling the user to define relationships between primitives in the selected interactive representation model;   modifying a visual display of the selected interactive representation model at least partly in response to the user: adding a first primitive to the selected interactive representation model, modifying attributes associated with a second primitive in the selected interactive representation model, or deleting a third primitive in the selected interactive representation model;   generating an HTML version of the selected interactive representation model in response to a user action; and   enabling the HTML version of the selected interactive representation model to be rendered in a browser.