Portable presentation system and methods for use therewith

• US 8,610,641 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Hutchinson, Ian G., Hildebrandt, Peter W., Dunn, Michael H.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHENG, TOM V
• Application Number:
  US13/087,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20110279350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.1, 345/2.1, 345/2.2, 345/3.1, 345/173, 345/184, 312/7.2, 312/10.1, 348/789, 353/30, 353/31, 353/74, 353/94, 353/121, 434/408, 434/411, 434/412, 434/416, 434/428, 700/3, 709/208, 709/209, 709220-229, 710/110, 715/735, 715/751, 715/753, 715/758, 715/759, 715/761
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/067 Combinations of audio and projected visual presentation, e.g. film, slides
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/08 providing for individual presentation of information to a plurality of student stations
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/04 Exchange of auxiliary data, i.e. other than image data, between monitor and graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3102 using two-dimensional electronic spatial light modulators micromechanical modulators as such G02B26/0833; liquid crystal modulators as such G02F1/13
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3141 Constructional details thereof details not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 : Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3197 : using light modulating optical valves

Abstract

A method and system for configuring electronic presentation units for cooperative activities, the method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of presentation units in a conferencing space including a master unit and other units, electronically identifying the other units present in the conferencing space, enabling a configuration interface for identifying a sub-set of the other units as slave units, receiving input via the configuration interface identifying the slave unit sub-set and enabling a control interface for transferring images from the master unit to each of the slave units in the selected sub-set.

Claims

1. A method for configuring electronic presentation units for cooperative activities, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of presentation units in a conferencing space including a master unit and other units;

electronically identifying the other units present in the conferencing space;

enabling a configuration interface for identifying a sub-set of the other units as slave units;

receiving input via the configuration interface identifying the slave unit sub-set; and

enabling a control interface for transferring images from the master unit to each of the slave units in the selected sub-set.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing a plurality of presentation units including a master unit and other units includes providing a plurality of units, enabling at least one initial interface for identifying the master unit and receiving a designation via the initial interface identifying the master unit from among the plurality.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each of the presentation units includes a display screen and wherein the step of enabling the initial interface includes providing a selectable icon via at least one of the unit screens that is selectable to indicate that the unit is the master unit.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the master unit includes a display screen and wherein each of the initial interface, the configuration interface and the control interface are provided via the master unit.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of identifying the other units includes transmitting a polling signal from the master unit that causes the other units to transmit identifying information back to the master unit, the step of providing a configuration interface including uniquely identifying each of the other units via the master display screen.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing presentation units includes providing electronic presentation units that each include a wireless transmitter, the step of identifying the other presentation units in the conferencing space including causing the other units in the space to transmit unique identifiers to the master unit.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of causing the other units to transmit includes transmitting a polling signal from the master unit to the other units that causes the other units to transmit the unique identifiers to the master unit.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least the master unit includes a display screen, the step of enabling a configuration interface for identifying a sub-set of the other units as slave units including presenting a separate selectable icon for each of the other units via the master unit display screen and monitoring for the selected subset.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of enabling a control interface includes enabling at least one transfer tool for each of the selected slave units wherein, when a transfer tool associated with one of the slave units is selected, the image displayed via the master unit is transmitted to the associated slave unit and is displayed.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the units includes a display screen, the step of enabling a configuration interface including displaying a unique identifier associated with each of the other units, the method further including causing each of the other units to display the associated unique identifier via the other units display screen.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the units includes a display screen, the step of enabling a control interface including displaying a unique identifier associated with each of the selected units, the method further including causing each of the selected units to display the associated unique identifier via the selected units display screen.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the master unit includes the control interface and wherein the unique identifiers are presented via the master unit display screen and are selectable for transferring images from the master display to the slave displays associated with the unique identifiers.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of enabling a configuration interface for identifying a sub-set of the other units as slave units includes enabling the interface on the master unit.

14. A method for configuring electronic presentation units for cooperative activities, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of presentation units in a conferencing space including a master unit and other units wherein each of the presentation units includes a display screen;

electronically identifying the other units present in the conferencing space;

enabling a configuration interface for identifying a sub-set of the other units as slave units;

receiving input via the configuration interface identifying the slave unit sub-set; and

enabling a control interface for transferring images from the master unit to each of the slave units in the selected sub-set.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein each of the display screens includes a large flat panel display screen.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein each of at least a subset of the presentation units is portable and wherein the step of providing a plurality of presentation units includes moving at least a subset of the presentation units into the conferencing space.

17. A system for facilitating cooperative activities, the system comprising:

a plurality of presentation units in a conferencing space including a master unit and other units wherein each of the presentation units includes a display screen;

a processor programmed to perform the steps of;

identifying the other units present in the conferencing space;

enabling a configuration interface for identifying a sub-set of the other units as slave units;

receiving input via the configuration interface identifying the slave unit sub-set; and

enabling a control interface for transferring images from the master unit to each of the slave units in the selected sub-set.