Audio-visual multimedia network examination system and method

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no.91103103, filed on Feb. 22, 2002.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to an on-line examination system acting through an audio-visual multimedia network. More particularly, the present invention relates to an examination system capable of reading an examination paper through a computer and providing correct answers in real-time through an audio-visual multimedia network.

[0004] 2. Description of Related Art

[0005] A computer network is really a wide area network that spans the entire globe. The network is connected to various educational institutes, government organizations and various research units around the world through telephone lines or dedicated high-speed links. Anyone familiar with networking techniques can easily exchange information, send out e-mail or transfer documents by hooking up to this network.

[0006] At present, the popularity of the World Wide Web (WWW) and multimedia renders remote education possible. A number of research units are currently exploring the possibility of remote education. However, the possibility of remote examination is rarely investigated. Although a few English tests for gauging the standard of students are conducted through the network, the programs are typically written in a close type language such as Microsoft”s visual basic. Consequently, the program cannot be applied to a wide area network.

[0007] In addition, a few institutes that conduct on-line examinations of a subject closely related to mathematics often need to attach formulae and graphs on the electronic paper manually leading to awkward textual format and non-aesthetic organization. Furthermore, answers to questions are often provided in a stilted textual form contrary to the interesting teacher-student communication in a classroom setting.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0008] Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a multimedia network examination system and method capable of carrying out examinations on a wide area network. In addition, the electronic paper provided for the examination has an aesthetically appealing appearance and its content is tidy and precise. Answers are provided through video files or data streams so that the entire explanations given by a lecturer is reproduced audio-visually at a client user site, such as the user”s terminal, rather than limited to textual means.

[0009] To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides a multimedia network examination system. The system comprises a user editor, a user browser, a network server and an application server. The user editor edits multimedia examination information and the user browser has an embedded examination program for calling the user editor and transferring the multimedia examination information upstream.

[0010] The application server further includes an analyzer/converter for analyzing the multimedia examination information and converting the information into a cross platform language format suitable for an information format file. The network server, including the aforementioned application server, is connected to the user browser through a wide area network. The network server receives the multimedia examination information from the user browser and transfers back an examination paper from various information format files to the user browser.

[0011] The aforementioned architectural arrangement of the multimedia network examination system is suitable for processing information such as formulae, graphs, texts and data tables only. Provision for processing audio-visual information is absent. To solve this problem, an audio-visual server is provided. The audio-visual server is connected to the network server. The network server is also connected to a user browser through a wide area network for transmitting audio-visual format files and audio-visual examination question data streams to the user browser.

[0012] Since the application server inside the network server does not need format conversion of audio-visual information, the included analyzer is only required to determine whether the type of multimedia examination information is audio-visual information.

[0013] This invention also provides an audio-visual multimedia network examination method for transmitting audio-visual multimedia examination information upstream from a user terminal. The multimedia network examination method includes using an examination program to call an audio-visual multimedia editor window. A word processing software or an audio-visual processing software drives the audio-visual multimedia editor window. The edited audio-visual multimedia examination information is sequentially transmitted upstream. Thereafter, the user terminal receives an electronic examination paper written in a cross platform language format. The electronic paper actually comprises a plurality of format converted information format files.

[0014] This invention also provides an alternative audio-visual multimedia network examination method for processing multimedia examination information at a network server terminal. The multimedia network examination method includes analyzing received multimedia examination information, converting the multimedia examination information into an information format file written in a suitable cross platform language format according to the type and returning an electronic paper using a cross platform language. The electronic paper actually comprises a plurality of format converted information format files.

[0015] In brief, this invention utilizes a cross platform language format to carry out on line examination. Hence, the examination can be conducted in a wide area network. In other words, as long as a user has a computer, examinations can be carried out simply through a browser hooked up to a wide bandwidth network. Meanwhile, the word processing software edited multimedia examination information is automatically converted into fixed format information file. Hence, the electronic paper has an aesthetically appealing appearance and an accurate content. In addition, audio-visual information can be transmitted through the audio-visual server. Thus, animated explanations provided by a lecturer may reappear on a display screen at a user”s terminal instead of the conventional stilted textual reply. Moreover, on-line examination is possible in the presence of audio-visual transmission.

[0016] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings,

[0018]FIG. 1 is a flow diagram showing on-line question editing in a system having a master-slave architectural design according to this invention;

[0019]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the flow of a multimedia network examination system according to this invention;

[0020]FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the flow of an audio-visual network examination system according to this invention;

[0021]FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing user”s on-line question editing and examination in a system having a master-slave architectural design according to this invention;

[0022]FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the window screen of a user browser according to FIG. 4;

[0023]FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing on-line question editing and examination at a server terminal in a system having a master-slave architectural design according to this invention; and

[0024]FIG. 7 is a table that lists out the corresponding information format files after information analysis and conversion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

[0026]FIGS. 1 and 2 together illustrate a multimedia network examination system and its method of operation according to one embodiment of this invention. In fact, FIG. 1 is a flow diagram showing on-line question editing in a system having a master-slave architectural design according to this invention and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the flow of a multimedia network examination system according to this invention.

[0027] According to the multimedia network examination system of this invention, the client user site, such as the user terminal, <b>200</b> includes a multimedia editor <b>206</b> and a browser <b>202</b>. An examination program <b>204</b> is embedded within the browser <b>202</b>. The server terminal <b>230</b> includes a network server <b>235</b> and an application server <b>240</b>. The application server further includes an analyzer/converter comprising an analyzer <b>244</b> and a converter <b>245</b>. In addition, the application server <b>240</b> further includes an assembler <b>241</b>, a timer <b>242</b> and a comparator <b>243</b>.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, a user such as examiner or tutor wishing to make up questions needs to trigger the browser <b>202</b>. The browser <b>202</b> can be Internet Explorer (IE) or Netscape software. When a network web address of the server terminal <b>230</b> is keyed in through the browser <b>202</b>, a desire to establish a communicative channel between the browser <b>202</b> and the server terminal <b>230</b> is indicated. After consulting the application server <b>240</b> inside the network server <b>235</b>, the server <b>235</b> is ready to take care of the user”s request and set up a transaction channel <b>210</b>. Thereafter, information and data can be exchanged between them via a wide area network spanning the Internet world.

[0029] After a transaction channel <b>210</b> is established between the user terminal <b>200</b> and the server terminal <b>230</b>, a suggestive message is issued inquiring the user terminal <b>200</b> about the intention to set up an examination program if the server terminal <b>230</b> cannot detect any examination program <b>204</b> from the user terminal <b>200</b>. If the user terminal issues a “yes” message, the network server <b>235</b> will automatically assist the user terminal <b>200</b> to install the examination program <b>204</b>.

[0030] After a proper installation of the examination program <b>204</b>, the examination program <b>204</b> is embedded under the browser <b>202</b>. If the question setting tutor wants to edit a question database, the examination program <b>204</b> will call up the multimedia editor <b>206</b> in step s<b>100</b>. The multimedia editor <b>206</b> can be a word processing software and the question setting tutor can use the multimedia editor <b>206</b> to edit the multimedia examination questions individually. After editing a single multimedia examination question, an upstream forwarding function is set up inside the examination program <b>204</b> so that the multimedia examination question data <b>212</b> can be transmitted to the network server <b>235</b> in step s<b>102</b>. Question editing and question transmission is repeated until the entire question database is edited.

[0031] As the multimedia examination question data <b>212</b> is transmitted to the network server <b>235</b> at the server terminal <b>230</b> one by one, the network server <b>235</b> will also receive multimedia examination question data <b>212</b> from the browser <b>202</b> at the user terminal. Thereafter, the network server <b>235</b> will immediately transfer the multimedia examination question data <b>212</b> to the analyzer/converter <b>244</b> inside the application server <b>240</b> for further processing. Because the network server <b>235</b> only processes data in the cross platform language format such as hypertext markup language (HTML), extensible markup language (XML) and major languages for wide area network communication, the analyzer/converter <b>244</b> needs to analyze and convert each multimedia examination question data <b>212</b> into an information format file suitable for the particular cross platform language format.

[0032] The analyzer <b>245</b> inside the analyzer/converter <b>244</b> needs to determine the data type of the multimedia examination question data <b>212</b> in step s<b>104</b>. According to the data type, the converter <b>246</b> converts the data into corresponding information format files such as a graphic interchange file (Gif), a text format file or a table format file in step s<b>106</b>.

[0033] The converter <b>246</b> transfers the converted information format files into the database <b>248</b>. When the question setting tutor decides to edit an examination paper, one might draw out a few information files and assemble them into a few electronic paper versions through the assembler <b>240</b>. Thereafter, the electronic examination papers are transmitted to the network server <b>235</b>. The network server <b>235</b> transmits these electronic papers in a cross platform language format through the transaction channel <b>210</b> to the browser <b>202</b> of the question setting tutor. The question setting tutor then selects a proper typesetting method so that that version is sent back to the network server <b>235</b> for storage inside the database <b>248</b>.

[0034] Because the aforementioned system architecture is good only for processing formulae, graphs, text and data table, audio-visual information is disregarded. To solve this problem, this invention provides an audio-visual network examination system. Detailed explanation is illustrated with respect to FIGS. 1 and 3. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the flow of an audio-visual network examination system according to this invention.

[0035] The audio-visual examination system includes elements having functions that are similar to the ones in FIG. 2. The additional audio-visual server <b>316</b> inside the system connects with the user browser <b>302</b> through a wide area network. Ultimately, audio-visual information format files and audio-visual examination question data may be directly transferred to the user browser <b>302</b> for viewing and listening.

[0036] The audio-visual system also uses question setting and question answering operations similar to the system as shown in FIG. 2. The only major difference is that the examination program <b>304</b> in step s<b>100</b> of FIG. 1 for calling the editor is an audio-visual editor <b>306</b> (such as Microsoft”s Media Player) instead. Hence, a user may use the audio-visual editor <b>306</b> to edit audio-visual examination question data such as audio information for hearing/writing and visual data for speaking. In step s<b>102</b> of FIG. 1, the examination information transmitted from the browser <b>302</b> to the network server <b>312</b> is audio-visual examination information <b>308</b>. When the analyzer <b>315</b> within the application server <b>314</b> determines that the received examination information is really audio-visual data in step s<b>104</b>, no conversion by the converter <b>246</b> is required. Instead, the examination information is transferred to the audiovisual server <b>316</b> where the audio-visual examination information is stored inside a database <b>318</b>.

[0037] If a question setting tutor wishes to select an audio-visual examination question from the database <b>318</b> and produce an electronic examination paper, audio-visual examination questions are selected from the database <b>318</b> through the audio-visual server <b>316</b> and directly transferred to the user-end browser <b>302</b>. Alternatively, if a group of users such as students wishes to take part in an on-line examination and if the analyzer <b>315</b> detects a question related to audio-visual information, transactions are directly processed by the audio-visual server <b>316</b>. Similarly, the audio-visual server <b>316</b> will download audio-visual information format files from the database <b>318</b> or convert the audio-visual information format files into an audio-visual examination question data stream and transfer such data to the students” browser.

[0038] The multimedia system in FIG. 3 and the audio-visual system in FIG. 3 further include a timer <b>242</b> and a comparator <b>243</b>. The timer <b>242</b> is used for synchronizing the examination paper distribution and answering period. The comparator <b>243</b> is a device for comparing the returned electronic paper with standard answers after the allotted time for answering the examination paper ends. The results of comparison are returned to the browser of each student through the network server <b>235</b>.

[0039]FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing user”s on-line question editing and examination in a system having a master-slave architectural design according to this invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the window screen of a user browser according to FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the audio-visual multimedia network examination method includes a number of steps. In step s<b>400</b>, the examination program calls up an audio-visual multimedia editor window. If the question setting tutor desires to edit multimedia examination information, a multimedia editor icon <b>502</b> is clicked to show a multimedia editor window <b>506</b>. The multimedia editor window <b>506</b> is supported by word processing software such as Microsoft Word. On the other hand, if the question setting tutor desires to edit audio-visual examination information, the audio-visual editor icon is clicked to show an audio-visual editor window <b>506</b>. The audio-visual editor window <b>506</b> is supported by audio-visual processing software such as Microsoft”s Media Player.

[0040] In step s<b>402</b>, the “send” icon is clicked so that the audio-visual multimedia examination question data edited through the audio-visual multimedia editor window <b>506</b> is transmitted. In step s<b>404</b>, various combinations of electronic examination papers are displayed on the browser screen <b>500</b> as shown in FIG. 5. In step s<b>406</b>, the question setting tutor selects one of the electronic paper arrangements. In step s<b>408</b>, the same question setting tutor chooses the paper distribution time and answering period for that particular examination paper. In other words, on-line examination time and examination duration are set. These settings will be returned to the server as a record.

[0041] When a student starts an on-line examination at the examination distribution time, the user terminal may receive an electronic paper from the server written in a cross platform language format. The electronic paper actually comprises an assembly of the aforementioned format converted information format files.

[0042] At the end of the answering period, the user terminal transmits the electronic paper back to the server in step s<b>412</b>. The server then carries out a series of statistical calculations to compare answers, assign marks and rank the student. When such calculations are finished, the results are returned to the browser screen of the individual student accordingly.

[0043]FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing on-line question editing and examination at a server terminal in a system having a master-slave architectural design according to this invention. FIG. 7 is a table that lists out the corresponding information format files after information analysis and conversion. As shown in FIG. 6, the alternative audio-visual multimedia network examination method includes a number of steps. In step s<b>600</b>, the received audio-visual multimedia examination question data is examined to determine the type of information. In step s<b>602</b>, the data are converted into an information format file suitable to a cross platform language format according to the data type as shown in FIG. 7. When the analyzed audio-visual multimedia examination question data belongs to a data table type, the data are converted to a table file such as *.xls. When the analyzed audio-visual multimedia examination question data belongs to a textual type, the data is converted to a text file such as *.txt. When the analyzed audio-visual multimedia examination question data belongs to an audio-visual type, the data are converted to an audio-visual file such as *.WMA or *.WMV or the data are downloaded to the user terminal as an audio-visual data stream. In addition, when the analyzed audio-visual multimedia examination question data does not belong to any of the above types, the data is converted to a graphic interchange file such as *.gif.

[0044] After analysis and conversion of data, the questions are assembled into various electronic paper versions according to the selection of the question setting tutor in step s<b>604</b>. Thereafter, various electronic paper versions are returned in cross platform language format. The question setting tutor then picks up a particular version to serve as the questions in an on-line electronic examination. The tutor also needs to set the distribution time and answering duration of the examination in step s<b>606</b>. As soon as the on-line examination starts at the distribution time, the timer <b>242</b> (as shown in FIG. 2) will initiate the counting of the examination period. When the scheduled examination time is finally expired in step s<b>608</b>, the timer <b>242</b> informs the network server <b>235</b> to retrieve back all the electronic papers in step s<b>610</b>. The comparator <b>243</b> (as shown in FIG. 2) then makes a comparison of the answers on each returned examination paper with the actual ones and returns the results to individual user taking the examination.

[0045] The aforementioned user client site, such as user terminal, can be, for example, a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a pocket computer, a set-top box or a third generation mobile telephone.

[0046] In conclusion, major advantages of this invention includes:

[0047] 1. Question setting, examination and question answering can be carried out through a wide area network.

[0048] 2. The electronic paper provided for the examination is aesthetically appealing and its content is accurately arranged.

[0049] 3. The answer to a question presented by a tutor may appear audio-visually at the user”s terminal.

[0050] 4. An audio-visual on-line examination is possible.

[0051] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.