Portable presentation system and methods for use therewith

• US 9,116,656 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US13/968,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20140085166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 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: 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

An assembly for sharing information in a conference space, the assembly comprising a single large presentation display assembly including a single and contiguous large presentation surface juxtaposed within the conference space for viewing by an audience, a processor linked to the display assembly and programmed to perform the steps of presenting a master sub-space on the presentation surface wherein the master sub-space includes only a portion of the presentation surface, enabling an interface that allows movement of an image from the master sub-space to another location outside the master sub-space, wherein, upon movement of an image from the master presentation sub-space to another space outside the master presentation sub-space on the presentation surface, the processor creates a slave presentation space proximate the another location for presenting the image moved from the master presentation sub-space.

Claims

1. An assembly for sharing information in a conference space, the assembly comprising:

a single large presentation display assembly including a single and contiguous large presentation surface juxtaposed within the conference space for viewing by an audience within the conference space;

a processor linked to the large presentation display assembly and programmed to perform the steps of;

presenting a master presentation sub-space on the presentation surface wherein the master presentation sub-space includes only a portion of the presentation surface;

enabling an interface that allows movement of an image from the master presentation sub-space to another location outside the master presentation sub-space on the presentation surface;

wherein, upon movement of an image from the master presentation sub-space to another space outside the master presentation sub-space on the presentation surface, the processor creates a slave presentation space proximate the another location for presenting the image moved from the master presentation sub-space.

2. The assembly of claim 1 further including a wireless remote control device that provides the interface.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein movement of an image includes selection of an image on the master presentation sub-space and dragging the image to another location on the presentation surface that does not currently include a presentation sub-space.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein, when an image is moved from the master presentation sub-space to another location, a blank image is presented in the master presentation sub-space for persistently delineating the master presentation sub-space after the image is moved to the another location and for receiving another image.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the step of enabling an interface includes presenting tools for flipping an image from the master presentation sub-space to the another location on the presentation surface.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the non-master presentation sub-space has a uniform appearance prior to creation of a slave presentation sub-space.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the processor is further programmed to, subsequent to creating a first slave presentation space, upon movement of a second image from the master presentation sub-space to yet another space outside the master presentation sub-space on the presentation surface, create another slave presentation space proximate the yet another location for presenting the second image moved from the master presentation sub-space.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed to create a plurality of slave presentation sub-spaces as the interface is used to move images from the master presentation sub-space to other locations on the presentation surface outside the master presentation sub-space.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the plurality of slave presentation sub-spaces include at least first and second slave presentation sub-spaces.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the presentation sub-spaces has substantially the same dimensions.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the sub-space dimensions have pre-defined default dimensions.

12. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the slave presentation sub-spaces form a single row with the master presentation sub-space.

13. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the dimensions of each presentation sub-space are substantially similar to the dimensions of a flip chart sheet.

14. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the locations of the slave presentation sub-spaces are predetermined prior to visually distinguishing the locations of those sub-spaces on the presentation surface.

15. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the interface enables an image to be dragged from any slave presentation sub-space to the master presentation sub-space to move the dragged image to the master presentation sub-space.

16. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the image presented on the master presentation sub-space is the output of a computer application program and wherein the application program may be run to alter the master presentation sub-space image substantially in real time.

17. The assembly of claim 1 for use during a conferencing session to generate a plurality of session images, the processor further programmed to present a tool area including a separate thumbnail icon for each session image where a thumbnail icon may be selected to present a session image associated therewith in the master presentation sub-space.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein thumbnail icons associated with images presented via the master and slave presentation sub-spaces are visually distinguished in the tool area from other session images.

19. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the interface enables modification to an image presented in the master presentation sub-space.

20. A method for sharing information in a conference space, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a single large presentation display assembly including a single and contiguous large presentation surface juxtaposed within the conference space for viewing by an audience within the conference space;

providing a processor linked to the large presentation display assembly and programmed to perform the steps of;

presenting a master presentation sub-space on the presentation surface wherein the master presentation sub-space includes only a portion of the presentation surface;

enabling an interface that allows movement of an image from the master presentation sub-space to another location outside the master presentation sub-space on the presentation surface;

wherein, upon movement of an image from the master presentation sub-space to another space outside the master presentation sub-space on the presentation surface, the processor creates a slave presentation space proximate the another location for presenting the image moved from the master presentation sub-space.