Controlling a presentation of digital content

• US 20050039133A1
• Filed: 08/11/2003
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wells, Trevor, Chapple, Loren D.
• Application Number:
  US10/638,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20050039133A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/740
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The presentation of digital content by a second computing device is controlled by a first computing device that does not present, access, or store any of the digital content controlling a presentation of the digital content by a second computing device according to the selection. The first computing device is supplied with a user interface for controlling the presentation of the digital content. A selection made through the user interface is received from the first computing device. The presentation of the digital content by the second computing device is controlled according to the selection.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium having instructions for:

supplying a user interface for controlling a presentation of digital content to a first computing device that does not present, access, or store the digital content;

receiving, from the first computing device, a selection made through the user interface; and

controlling the presentation of the digital content by a second computing device according to the selection.

2. The medium of claim 1, having further instructions for presenting the digital content.

3. The medium of claim 1, having further instructions for:

receiving an identification of the digital content from the first computing device; and

transferring the identified digital content so that it is available to be presented by the second computing device.

4. The medium of claim 3, wherein the instructions for transferring comprise instructions for transferring the identified digital content to the second computing device.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions for supplying a user interface comprise instructions for generating and sending a command based graphical user interface for controlling the presentation of the digital content.

6. A computer readable medium having instructions for:

supplying, to a first computing device, a command based user interface for controlling a presentation of the digital content;

receiving, from the first computing device, selections made through the user interface; and

controlling the presentation of digital content by a second computing device according to the selections.

7. The medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions for supplying include instructions for supplying the command based user interface from the second computing device.

8. The medium of claim 6, having further instructions for:

supplying, to the first computing device, a user interface for identifying digital content to be presented;

receiving a selection made through the user interface for identifying digital content; and

transferring digital content identified by the selection so that the digital content is available to the second computing device.

9. A computer readable medium having instructions for:

supplying a presentation service interface to a first computing device;

receiving first selections made through the presentation service interface;

transferring digital content identified by the first selections so that the digital content is available to a second computing device;

automatically supplying a command based control interface corresponding to a format of the digital content to the first computing device;

receiving second selections made through the control interface; and

controlling a presentation of the digital content by a second computing device according to the second selections.

10. The medium of claim 9, having further instructions for automatically converting the digital content from a first format to a second format different from the first format.

11. The medium of claim 9, having further instructions for automatically identifying a format of the transferred digital content and generating the control interface according to the identified format.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions for generating the control interface include instructions for generating the control interface according to capabilities of a viewer responsible for presenting the digital content.

13. A computer readable medium having instructions for:

supplying a first computing device with a presentation service interface having controls for identifying digital content to be both transferred and presented by a second computing device and a third computing device;

receiving first selections entered through the presentation interface on the first computing device, the first selections identifying digital content;

making a first copy of the digital content available to the second computing device;

making a second copy of the digital content available to the third computing device;

supplying the first computing device with a command based control interface;

receiving second selections entered through the control interface on the first computing device;

causing the second computing device to present the first copy of the digital content according to the second selections; and

causing the third computing device to present the second copy of the digital content according to the second selections.

14. The medium of claim 13, having further instructions for synchronizing the presentation of the second copy of the digital content by the third computing device with the presentation of the first copy of the digital content by the second computing device.

15. A method, comprising:

supplying a user interface for controlling a presentation of digital content to a first computing device that does not present, access, or store the digital content;

receiving, from the first computing device, a selection made through the user interface; and

controlling the presentation of the digital content by a second computing device according to the selection.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

the first computing device identifying the digital content and conveying the identification to the second computing device; and

transferring the identified digital content so that it is available to be presented by the second computing device.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the second computing device generating the user interface and wherein supplying comprises the second computing device sending the user interface to the first computing device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

the first computing device displaying the user interface; and

the first computing device transferring selections made through the user interface to the second computing device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein generating a user interface comprises generating a command based graphical user interface for controlling the presentation of the digital content on the first computing device.

20. A method, comprising:

supplying a presentation service interface to a first computing device, wherein the first computing device receives and displays the interface;

receiving first selections made through the displayed presentation service interface;

transferring digital content identified by the first selections so that the digital content it is available to a second computing device;

supplying a command based control interface corresponding to a format of the digital content to the first computing device;

receiving second selections made through the control interface on the first computing device; and

controlling a presentation of the digital content by the second computing device according to the second selections.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising automatically converting the digital content from a first format to a second format different from the first format.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising identifying a format of the transferred digital content and generating the control interface according to the identified format.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein generating includes generating the control interface according to the capabilities of a viewer responsible for presenting the digital content using the second computing device.

24. A method, comprising:

supplying a first computing device with a presentation service interface having controls for identifying digital content to be presented by a second computing device and a third computing device;

receiving first selections entered through the presentation service interface;

in response to receiving the first selections, making a first copy of the digital content accessible to the second computing device and a second copy of the digital content accessible to the third computing device;

automatically supplying the first computing device with a control interface;

receiving second selections entered through the control interface on the first computing device;

the second computing device presenting the first copy of the digital content according to the second selections; and

the third computing device presenting the second copy of the digital content according to the second selections.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising synchronizing the presentation of the second copy of the digital content by the third computing device with the presentation of the first copy of the digital content by the second computing device.

26. A presentation system, comprising:

a first computing device operable to present digital content;

a second computing device that does not present, access, or store any of the digital content, that is in network communication with the first computing device and is operable to display a user interface and at least indirectly control a manner in which the first computing device presents the digital content according to selections made through the user interface; and

an interface generator operable to supply the first computing device with the user interface.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the first computing device is further operable to receive selection made through the user interface on the second computing device and to present digital content according to the selections received.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the interface generator is operable to supply a command based graphical user interface for controlling the presentation of the digital content on the first computing device.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein:

the second computing device is further operable to identify the digital content and to convey the identification to the first computing device; and

the first computing device is further operable to transfer the digital content so that it is available to be presented.

30. A system for presenting digital content, comprising:

an interface generator operable to supply a presentation interface and a command based control interface to a first computing device, the presentation interface having controls that, when selected by a user, identify digital content, the control interface having controls that, when selected by a user, direct the manner in which digital content is to be presented;

a downloader operable to transfer digital content identified through the presentation interface on the first computing device so that the digital content is available to be presented by a second computing device; and

a viewer operable to cause the second computing device to present digital content according to selections made through the control interface on the first computing device.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising a converter operable to automatically convert digital content to a format supported by the viewer.

32. The system of claim 30, further comprising a content identifier operable to identify a format of the transferred digital content and wherein the interface generator is further operable to generate the control interface based upon the identified format of transferred digital content.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the interface generator is further operable to generate a control interface according to capabilities of the viewer.

34. The system of claim 30, further comprising a synchronizer operable to cause the digital content to be transferred so that it is available to a remote viewer and to synchronize the presentation of the digital content by the remote viewer with the presentation of the digital content by the viewer.

35. The system of claim 30, further comprising a projector operable at the direction of the viewer to display digital content and wherein the viewer is incorporated into the projector.

36. The system of claim 30, further comprising a synchronizer operable to:

direct a remote downloader to transfer digital content identified through the presentation interface on the first computing device so that the digital content is available to be presented by a third computing device; and

direct a remote viewer to cause the third computing device to present digital content according to selections made through the control interface on the first computing device.

37. A first computing device, comprising:

a means for supplying, to a second computing device, a command based user interface for controlling a presentation of digital content by the first computing device;

a means for receiving, from the second computing device, selections made through the user interface; and

a means for causing the first computing device to present digital content according to selections made through the command based user interface on the second computing device.