Instant note capture/presentation apparatus, system and method

• US 20070186147A1
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northwest Educational Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: William Dittrich
• Inventors: Dittrich, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,296,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A live-presentation utterance-capture system includes a microphone accessible to a speaker at a live presentation; a voice-recognition mechanism configured lingually to interpret a vocal utterance received at the microphone from the speaker; a database mechanism configured to store the lingual interpretation of the vocal utterance in a visual form; and, optionally, a presentation mechanism configured to present to an audience at the live presentation a visual representation of the vocal utterance in the visual form. The live lecture notes capture and presentation method includes storing a visual presentation in a memory; converting the visual presentation to a slide show; presenting the slide show to a live audience; vocally augmenting the slide show using a microphone and voice recognition mechanism and storing a representation of the vocal augmentation in a memory; converting the stored augmentation to slide-show-compatible visual presentation that annotates the slide show; and storing the annotated slide show including the representation of the vocal augmentation in a memory. Live audiovisual presentation point capture/display apparatus includes a computer equipped with a microphone; a memory associated with the computer; software instructions residing in the memory and executing in the computer, the software instructions configured to recognize and store in text form an utterance received from a live speaker at the microphone; and a display mechanism configured to display to a live audience the stored text representing the utterance.

Claims

1. A live-presentation utterance-capture system comprising:

a microphone accessible to a speaker at a live presentation;

a voice-recognition mechanism configured linguistically to interpret a vocal utterance received at the microphone from the speaker;

a database mechanism operatively coupled with the voice-recognition mechanism, the database mechanism configured to store the linguistic interpretation of the vocal utterance in a visual form; and

a mixer configured to alter a visual representation of a prepared slide by including within the slide a visual representation of the vocal utterance.

2. The system of claim 1 which further comprises:

a presentation mechanism configured to present to an audience at the live presentation the visual representation of the vocal utterance stored in the visual form.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the database mechanism is operable by the speaker selectively to store the linguistic interpretation of the vocal utterance, the database mechanism including a speaker-actuated switch for selective storage of the linguistic interpretation of the vocal utterance.

4. The system of claim 2 which further comprises:

a prepared slide storage mechanism coupled with the presentation mechanism, the storage mechanism and the presentation mechanism being collectively configured concurrently to present to the audience at the live presentation a visual representation of the prepared slide and the visual representation of the vocal utterance.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the mixer operates to overlay one of the visual representation of the prepared slide and the visual representation of the vocal utterance with the other.

7. The system of claim 6 which further comprises:

a memory configured to store one or more of plural instances of such images; and

an image sequencer configured to sequentially present plural images in succession, at least one of the plural images being the output of the mixer and including the combined visual representation of the prepared slide and the visual representation of the vocal utterance.

8. The system of claim 7 which further comprises:

a website interface mechanism configured to provide access to the plural images by remote users over the world-wide web.

9. The system of claim 8 which further comprises an edit panel configured to enable corrections by the speaker of any misinterpretations made by the voice recognition mechanism and configured to enable altering at least one text characteristic selected from among font, size, color, boldface, underscore, and italics.

5. (canceled)

10. A method of capturing and presenting live lecture notes, the method comprising:

storing a visual presentation in a memory;

converting the visual presentation to a slide show;

presenting the slide show to a live audience;

vocally augmenting the slide show using a microphone and voice recognition mechanism and storing a representation of the vocal augmentation in a memory;

converting the stored augmentation to a slide-show-compatible visual form;

selectively annotating the slide show by mixing the converted augmentation with visual content of the slide show, the selective annotation being selectable by the use of a switch; and

storing the annotated slide show including the representation of the vocal augmentation in a memory.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the augmenting includes engaging a member of the live audience in a vocal dialog, and wherein a representation of the vocal dialog is stored as a vocal augmentation of the slide show in the memory.

12. The method of claim 10 which further comprises:

presenting the stored annotated slide show including the representation of the vocal augmentation to a live audience, the presenting being selective, selection being achieved by the use of a switch.

13. The method of claim 10 which further comprises:

providing access to the stored annotated slide show including the representation of the vocal augmentation to a world-wide web audience.

14. Live audiovisual presentation capture/display apparatus comprising:

a computer equipped with a microphone;

a memory associated with the computer;

software instructions residing in the memory and executing in the computer, the software instructions configured to recognize and store in text form an utterance received from a live speaker at the microphone;

a display mechanism configured to display to a live audience, a member of which is physically present with the live speaker, the stored text representing the utterance;

a stored document residing in the memory, the stored document representing one or more prepared images representing a visual presentation; and

software instructions residing in the memory and executing in the computer, the software instructions configured to mix the contents of the stored text form utterance within the stored visual presentation document in real time during a live presentation to the live audience for selective concurrent display of the mixed contents by the display mechanism.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the display mechanism includes a projector and a video screen.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 which further comprises:

an annotated document residing in the memory, the annotated document representing the mixed contents of the stored text form utterance and the stored visual presentation document.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the annotated document represents one or more slides at least one of which represents the mixed contents, which further comprises:

a slide sequencer configured to display the one or more slides in a defined sequential order.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 which further comprises:

a switch operable by the live speaker, the switch being configured selectively to convey one of the stored document and the annotated document to the display mechanism for the selective concurrent display thereof and for viewing by the live audience.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 which further comprises:

a website interface mechanism configured to provide access over the world-wide web by a user to at least one of the stored document and the annotated document.

16. (canceled)