Programmed apparatus and system for dynamic display of presentation files

Abstract

A method of preparing and displaying a cumulative presentation and a presentation system are provided. A listing of available individual presentation files is provided through a user interface. Each of the presentation files comprises a plurality of presentation slides. A user is queried through the user interface to select presentation files from the available individual presentation files for inclusion in a cumulative presentation in a selected presentation order. A listing of presentation files selected by the user is displayed in the user interface. In response to a first command received from the user, a first slide from a first presentation from the cumulative presentation is provided to a display device for display thereon. In response to a second command received from the user, a second slide from the cumulative presentation is provided to the display device for display thereon.

1 . A method of preparing and displaying a cumulative presentation, comprising the following steps:
 providing through a user interface a listing of available individual presentation files, each of said presentation files comprising a plurality presentation slides;   querying a user through said user interface to select presentation files from said available individual presentation files for inclusion in a cumulative presentation in a selected presentation order;   displaying a listing of presentation files selected by said user in said user interface;   in response to a first command received from said user, providing a first slide from a first presentation from said cumulative presentation to a display device for display thereon; and   
     in response to a second command received from said user, providing a second slide from said cumulative presentation to the display device for display thereon. 
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing said listing step includes the step of receiving a listing of available individual presentation files from at least one input source and displaying said listing to said user in said user interface. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of copying said selected presentation files to local storage from respective input sources. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said first slide providing step comprises the following steps:
 providing to a presentation software application an identification of said first presentation and a command to display said first slide; and   retrieving said first slide from said local storage.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said step of providing a second slide from said cumulative presentation comprises the following steps:
 providing to said presentation software application a command to display said second slide; and   retrieving said second slide form said local storage.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of providing to said presentation software application an identification of a second presentation if said second slide is part of said second presentation. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said first presentation file is a POWERPOINT presentation file and said presentation software application is a POWERPOINT software application. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the steps of:
 receiving said first command from a first input device configured to interface with said user interface; and   receiving said second command from a second input device.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the steps of:
 receiving a selection of said presentation files for inclusion in said cumulative presentation in response to said querying from a first input device configured to interface with said user interface; and   receiving said first and second commands from a second input device.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of copying each of said selected presentation files from said cumulative presentation from said local storage to an external storage medium. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each of said selected presentation files copied to said external storage medium is associated with a respective file name representative of its order in said cumulative presentation. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of copying to said external storage medium a list identifying an ordering of said selected presentations in said cumulative presentations. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said list is a linked list. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the steps of:
 concatenating each of said presentations from said cumulative presentation into a single presentation file; and   copying said presentation file to an external storage medium.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 before said first slide is provided to said display device for display, querying said user through said user interface to modify said selected presentation order of said cumulative presentation; and   displaying a modified listing of presentation files in a modified selected presentation order in response to a modification command received from said user through said user interface, said modification command directing that a selected presentation file be added to said cumulative presentation, a selected presentation file be deleted from said cumulative presentation or presentation files from said cumulative presentation be reordered.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of creating a linked list representative of said modified listing of presentations files. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , before said first slide is provided to said display device for display, generating a linked list representing the presentation order of presentation files in said cumulative presentation defined by said user. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said second slide is a first slide included in a second presentation from said cumulative presentation, said method further comprising the step of:   in response to a third command received from said user, providing a last slide from a presentation immediately before said second presentation in said presentation order to said display device for display thereon, said last slide provided directly following display of said second slide.   
   
   
       19 . A method of manipulating a presentation order of presentations in a cumulative presentation, said cumulative presentation comprising a plurality of presentation files each including a plurality of presentation slides, comprising the following steps:
 providing to a user through a user interface a listing of presentations included in said cumulative presentation; and   without interrupting a presentation currently being displayed from said cumulative presentation, reconfiguring said presentation order of said presentations in said cumulative presentation in response to a reconfiguration command received from said user.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said reconfiguring step includes the following steps:
 defining said cumulative presentation as a linked list of said plurality of presentation files; and   modifying said linked list to conform to a new presentation order defined by said user.   
   
   
       21 - 62 . (canceled)