Electronic presentation system using portable storage media

• US 5,539,658 A
• Filed: 05/16/1995
• Issued: 07/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Inventors: McCullough, Timothy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peeso, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US08/442,012
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 364/514 C, 364/514 A, 359/148, 348/12, 348/13, 395/600
• US Class Current: 715/730
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/74 Projection arrangements for image reproduction, e.g. using eidophor

Abstract

A method of facilitating electronic presentations using portable storage media. An array of images to be displayed to an audience is converted into a database and stored on the presenter'"'"'s computer hard drive. A copy of the image database is transferred to a portable storage medium, such as a personal computer (PC) card, which is then inserted into a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel equipped to accept a PC card. When the presenter selects which image is to be displayed to the audience, the selection is communicated to the LCD panel which displays the corresponding image in the database copy on the PC card for viewing by the audience. The present invention also includes a system for giving electronic presentations.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating electronic presentations, including the steps of:

storing a first database of images on a first storage medium;

providing a unique address for each image in the first image database;

storing the unique addresses on the first storage medium;

making a second image database which is a copy of the first image database, the images in the second image database each having the same unique addresses as the images in the first database;

storing the second image database and the unique addresses on a second storage medium, wherein the second storage medium is portable;

providing a computer and a monitor associated therewith, the computer having access to the first storage medium;

inserting the second storage medium into a display device;

displaying on the monitor information helpful to a person giving an electronic presentation;

selecting an image in the first image database on the first storage medium for display to an audience;

identifying the unique address of the selected image;

communicating from the computer to the display device (1) the unique address of the image, and (2) a command to display the image; and

retrieving the selected image at the unique address in the second image database on the second storage medium and displaying the selected image to the audience.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second storage medium is a personal computer card.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the various images are displayed to the audience by a liquid crystal display device configured to accept the second storage medium.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating (1) and (2) is performed via wireless modem.

6. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of selecting additional images in the image database on the first storage medium and locating the additional images in the second image database on the second storage medium and displaying the additional images in turn to the audience.

5. The method of claim 14, further including the steps of selecting additional images in the image database on the first storage medium and locating the additional images in the second image database on the second storage medium and displaying the additional images in turn to the audience.

7. A system for giving electronic presentations, comprising:

a computer including a graphical user interface associated therewith;

a first storage medium including a first database of images stored thereon, the first database including a unique address for each image in the first database;

a second storage medium, which is portable, including a second image database, which is a copy of the first image database, stored thereon;

a monitor for displaying information, including at least one image from the first image database, to a person giving an electronic presentation;

an input means for instructing the computer to select an image from the first storage medium to be displayed onto a screen for viewing by an audience;

a first communication device associated with the computer for sending signals (1) indicating the unique address of the selected image in the first database and (2) commanding that the selected image be displayed;

a second communication device for receiving and interpreting signals from the first communication device; and

a device associated with the second communication device for retrieving the selected image from the second database on the second storage medium and displaying it onto the screen for viewing by the audience.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the display device is a liquid crystal display device configured to accept the second storage medium.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first and second communication devices communicate via wireless modem.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer is a portable computer.