Virtual flip chart method and apparatus

Abstract

A presentation system for presenting information to an audience within a space, the system comprising a control interface, a master presentation unit including a flat panel display screen and a processor, the screen including a master space and a slave presentation assembly including a slave presentation surface and a first projector for projecting images on the slave presentation surface, the master unit processor linkable to the interface to receive commands therefrom, the processor programmed to monitor for a command from the interface to flip an image from the master space to the slave space and, when a command to flip an image is received, causing the image from the master space to be presented in the slave space.

1 . A presentation system for presenting information to an audience within a space, the system comprising: 
 a control interface;    a master presentation unit including a flat panel display screen and a processor, the screen including a master space; and    a slave presentation assembly including a slave presentation surface and a first projector for projecting images on the slave presentation surface, the master unit processor linkable to the interface to receive commands therefrom, the processor programmed to monitor for a command from the interface to flip an image from the master space to the slave space and, when a command to flip an image is received, causing the image from the master space to be presented in the slave space.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the slave space is divided into at least two separate slave spaces and wherein the projector projects separate images into each of the first and second slave spaces.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the interface includes controls that facilitate flipping to either of the first and second slave spaces and, wherein, the processor flips to the selected one of the first and second slave spaces when associated controls are selected.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the interface includes controls that facilitate retrieving images from either of the first and second slave spaces back to the master space and, wherein, the processor represents an image from the selected one of the first and second slave spaces via the master space when associated controls are selected.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  further including at least a second projector wherein the first projector projects images on a first section of the slave space and the second projector projects images on a second section of the slave space, the processor programmed to monitor for commands from the interface to flip an image from the master space to either of the first and second sections of the slave space and, when a command to flip an image to one of the sections is received, causing the image from the master space to be presented in one of the first and second sections of the slave space.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the first slave space section is divided into first and second different slave spaces and the second slave space section is divided into third and fourth different slave spaces and wherein the first and second projectors project separate images into the first and second, and the third and fourth, slave spaces, respectively.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the interface includes controls that facilitate flipping to any one of the first, second, third and fourth slave spaces and, wherein, the processor flips to the selected one of the first, second, third and fourth slave spaces when associated controls are selected.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the interface includes a sensor for sensing activity adjacent the surface of the master screen.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the interface includes command icons presented via the master display screen and the sensor monitors for icon selection activity.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the command icons include at least one flip icon for the slave presentation space.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the command icons include at least one retrieve icon for the slave presentation space.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 2  wherein each slave presentation space has dimensions similar to the dimensions of the master presentation space.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  further including an augment interface by which a presenter may augment images presented via the master display screen.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the control interface is separate from the master display screen.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the control interface is a hand held device and wherein the control interface communicates with the master unit via wireless communication.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the control interface includes a display and wherein information presented via the master display screen is identical to the information presented via the control interface display.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein edits to the information on the control interface are immediately observable by the audience via the master display screen.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the processor is further programmed to monitor for a command from the interface to retrieve an image from the slave space to the master screen and, when a command to retrieve an image is received, presenting the image via the master screen.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the processor is further programmed to, when a command to retrieve an image is received, render the image from the slave space unobservable.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1  wherein, when an image is presented via a slave presentation space, the image is correlated with the slave presentation space and is stored in a memory as an image-slave space set.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20  further including a memory for storing images.  
     
     
         22 . A presentation system for presenting information to an audience within a space, the system comprising: 
 a display screen including a master presentation space;    a slave presentation surface including at least first and second slave spaces;    at least one projector for projecting first and second separate images onto the first and second slave spaces; and    a control interface for receiving control commands and controlling images presented via the master and slave presentation spaces wherein, when a command is received that indicates that an image presented via the master presentation space should be displayed via one of the first and second slave spaces, the image presented via the master presentation space is displayed via the one of the slave presentation spaces.    
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22  wherein, when a command is received that indicates that an image presented via the master presentation space should be displayed via one of the slave spaces, the image is removed from the master presentation space.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the interface includes a sensor for sensing activity adjacent at least the master presentation space and selectable icons displayed on the master presentation space that are associated with specific system commands and wherein the sensor senses activity intended to select separate ones of the icons.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the selectable icons include icons for flipping images from the master presentation space to the at least first and second slave presentation spaces and for retrieving images form the slave presentation spaces to the master presentation space.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 22  further including an augment interface for sensing activity intended to alter at least the image on the master presentation space.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26  wherein, when the augment interface senses altering activity, the image in the master presentation space is altered accordingly.  
     
     
         28 . 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.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  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.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  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.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28  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.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  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.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28  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.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28  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.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29  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.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  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.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 28  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.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 28  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.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  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.  
     
     
         40 . A presentation system for presenting information to first and second audiences located within first and second different spaces, the system comprising: 
 a first sub-system including: 
 a first master presentation unit including a first master display screen juxtaposed within the first space so as to be viewable by the first audience within the first space;  
 at least a first slave presentation unit including a first slave image presenter operable to present images to the audience within the first space;  
 a control interface;  
   a second sub-system including 
 a second master presentation unit including a second master display screen juxtaposed within the second space so as to be viewable by the second audience within the second space;  
 at least a second slave presentation unit including a second slave image presenter operable to present images to the audience within the second space;  
   at least one processor;    an interface operable to cause the processor to manipulate images displayed via the first master and first slave presentation units; and    a network linked to the processor, the first and second master presentation units, the first and second slave presentation units and the interface;    wherein, the processor is programmed to replicate the first master and first slave presentation unit images on the second master and second slave presentation units, respectively.    
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 40  wherein the processor is programmed to replicate the first master and first slave presentation unit images on the second master and second slave presentation units essentially in real time.  
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 40  wherein the interface is a first interface and wherein the system further includes a second interface and wherein the second interface is operable to cause the processor to manipulate the images displayed via the second master and second slave presentation units and also to replicate the second master and second slave presentation unit images on the first master and second first presentation units, respectively.  
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 40  wherein image manipulation includes at least one of displaying different images and altering displayed images.  
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 40  wherein the first sub-system further includes at least a second first sub-system slave presentation unit and the second sub-system further includes at least a second sub-set slave presentation unit and wherein the interface is operable to cause the processor to manipulate the images displayed via the first master and first and second slave presentation units of the first sub-system and also to replicate the first master and first and second slave presentation unit images of the first sub-system on the second master and first and second slave presentation units of the second sub-system, respectively.  
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 44  wherein the interface is operable to flip an image from the first master presentation unit to either of the first and second slave units of the first sub-system causing the processor to similarly flip an image from the second master presentation unit to a corresponding one of the first and second slave units of the second sub-system.  
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 40  wherein the network is at least in part wireless.  
     
     
         47 . An apparatus for displaying information, the apparatus comprising: 
 a master presentation unit including a display screen having a height dimension that is greater than a width dimension, the master unit mounted for rotation between portrait and landscape orientations wherein the height dimension is vertical and horizontal, respectively;    a slave presentation unit that includes a slave presentation space and a slave image presenter wherein the slave image presenter is capable of presenting images in one of landscape and portrait formats wherein images in the portrait format have a height dimension that is greater than a width dimension and images in the landscape format have a width dimension that is greater than the height dimension; and    an interface that enables transfer of images between the master unit and the slave space;    wherein, when the master presentation unit is in the portrait orientation, the slave presenter presents slave images in the portrait format and when the master presentation unit is in the landscape orientation, the slave presenter presents slave images in the landscape format.    
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 47  wherein the slave presenter simultaneously presents different numbers of images in the landscape format and in the portrait format.  
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 48  wherein the slave presenter simultaneously presents at least two adjacent images in the slave presentation space when in the portrait format and one image in the slave presentation space when in the landscape format.  
     
     
         50 . A presentation system for presenting information to an audience located within a space, the system comprising: 
 a master presentation unit including a master display screen juxtaposed within the space so as to be viewable by the audience within the space;    at least a first slave presentation unit including a first slave image presenter operable to present images to the audience within the space;    at least one processor;    an interface operable to cause the processor to transmit an image displayed via the master display screen to the slave presenter; and    a network linked to the processor, the master presentation unit, the first slave presentation unit and the interface;    wherein, the slave presentation unit displays images received from the processor.    
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 50  wherein the processor is separate from each of the master and slave presentation units.  
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 50  wherein the network is at least in part wireless.