Abstract:
A display system includes a presentation display and a remote control for operating the presentation display. The remote control includes a connector for receiving a memory device and a preview display, the remote control can send wireless communications to said presentation display in a first mode for controlling the presentation display, and sending wireless communications to said presentation display in a second mode for displaying data stored in the memory device.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to the field of electronics, more specifically it relates to display systems and remote control devices for use therewith. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    With the storage of picture data on tiny memory cards such as SD cards in a majority of digital still cameras, it is becoming a trend for these inexpensive cards to mount up in piles around the home, in drawers or in storage boxes. Today a very high storage capacity memory card is relatively inexpensive. Thus, it is easy to go and purchase more when a current one has reached its capacity. Currently, there are game systems such as the Nintendo Wii that accept SD cards for the viewing of pictures on a television set. Panasonic also has televisions that have memory card readers on the TV that can receive memory cards directly. However, previewing and scrolling through content with the audience present can lead to accidental sharing of photos and video that may not be intended for viewing by a television audience. Thus, what is needed is an easy solution to privately preview data in memory or external sources before displaying the data to the audience in front of the television. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  is a system view of a presentation display and remote control in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0004]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram for the method for displaying data on a presentation display in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0005]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram for a remote control in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]      FIG. 1  illustrates a system view of a presentation display  10  and remote control  20  that can implement the present invention in one embodiment. In  FIG. 1 , the remote control  20  accepts memory device  75  such as an SD card  25  using an memory device input port such as a connector  70 . Upon insertion of SD card  25 , images stored as data within the card  25  are visible on preview display  35 . Remote control  20  contains a user interface  22  including multiple control keys or switches such as  50 ,  55 ,  60  and  65  for data viewing and navigation. Using scroll buttons  55  a user can preview the images on preview display  35 . Once data such as an image is chosen using preview display  35  for presentation display  10  viewing, a user can press the share button  50  for displaying the image on presentation display  10 . Sending data such as images and video to presentation display  10  can be performed using a wireless protocol  40  of which an infrared protocol is a subset thereof. Examples of IrDA (Infrared Data Association), compliant infrared protocols include; IrSimple, and DeepCore which have been implemented in a wide range of devices, both consumer and industrial. Additional wireless protocols that can be used include, but are not limited to WIFI protocols and generations under the IEEE 802.11-based standards. 
         [0007]    In one embodiment, when an image is sent to the presentation display  10  using share switch/button  50 , the channel or input mode on presentation display  10  is changed to image or video viewing. Furthermore, videos can also represent data on the memory device  75 . In the case of videos for transfer, remote control  20  can enable previewing the videos on preview display  35  in advance of sending the video to presentation display  10  when the send button  20  is depressed by a user. In another embodiment, the video is selected by the user using user interface  22 . The user can play the video on the remote screen  35  using remote play button  65 . Upon previewing the desired video clip, user presses send button  50  for viewing on presentation display  10 . Also shown in  FIG. 1 , remote control  10  can also access data using wireless protocols from external source  80  for preview on preview display  35 . External source  80  can be a computer such as a personal computer. This computer can be connected to a broadband connection  81 . External source  80  can also be a remote server (not shown) in wireless connection with the remote control  20  providing images and video embedded in web pages via the internet. 
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram for the method for displaying data on a presentation display  10  controlled by a remote control  20  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In block  100  memory device  75  is attached to connector  70  wherein the data within memory device  75  is selected using user interface  22 . Memory device  75  can be a USB thumbdrive  30  or SD card  25  or similar portable digital data storage memory. In step  110 , data such as videos, images, music and documents is previewed on the preview display  35 . Upon approval of the data shown on preview display  35 , the data is sent using share button  50  for presentation on the presentation display  120 . Step  130  is an embodiment of changing the mode on the presentation display  10  saving the previous setting on the presentation display  10  and this saved data is recorded to memory  95  (shown on  FIG. 3 ) on remote  20  or to memory device  75 , (Step  135 ). In alternative embodiment, the previous settings can be stored in presentation display  10  using wireless communication system  15  (shown on  FIG. 3 ) to transfer any previous control setting information to the presentation display  10 . Previous control setting can include channel information, volume level, etc. Although not shown in the process, the remote control  20  can send a request to the external source  80  for “related data” shown in the preview display  35  or the presentation display  10 . Related data can for example be data having some similarity or having associated data to a picture currently being displayed. As an illustrative example, if pictures of a birthday party are being displayed, the remote control  20  can query the metadata associated with the images and send a request to the external source  80  for images or videos having similar metadata information. 
         [0009]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a block diagram for a remote control  20  of the present invention in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Controller  90  which can comprise a microprocessor, microcontroller, etc., accesses data from memory device  75  via connector  70 , data is then sent to display controller  92  for displaying on preview display  35 . Controller  90  controls the operation of remote control  20  and can include control software stored therein or in external memory such as memory  95 . User interface  22  enables control of data on preview display  35  and audio on speaker  91 . Data is transferred via infrared communication system  85  and WIFI communication system  15  to presentation display  10  or external source  80 . User interface  22  also enables control of data presented on presentation display  10 . In one embodiment, Data on the preview display  35  can be manipulated using controls on the remote control  20  when mode switch  37  is set to control information on the preview display  35 . Data on the presentation display  10  can be manipulated when mode switch  37  is set to control the data shown on the presentation display  10 . In another embodiment, two sets of user interfaces  22  can be on remote control  20 . One user interface  22  can be dedicated to data on preview display  35 , wherein another user interface  22  can be dedicated to data on presentation display  35 . 
         [0010]    Additionally, data on remote source  80  or presentation display  10  can be stored to remote memory  95  or memory device  75  via connector  70 . Data stored to the remote control memory  95  or memory device  75  from external source  80  can be then be manipulated and shared to presentation display  10  using share button  50  on remote  20 . Remote control memory  95  can be sized to enable users to store their favorite images and video in the on-board memory for later sharing without locating a specific memory device  75 . 
         [0011]    The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
       PARTS LIST 
       [0000]    
       
           10  presentation display 
           20  remote control 
           22  user interface 
           25  memory card 
           30  USB thumbdrive 
           35  preview display 
           37  mode switch 
           40  wireless protocol 
           50  send button 
           55  control key 
           60  control key 
           65  control key 
           70  input port/connector 
           75  memory device 
           80  external source 
           81  broadband connection 
           90  controller 
           91  speaker 
           92  display controller 
           95  memory 
           100  data selection 
           110  preview data 
           120  present data 
           130  change mode on presentation display 
           140  store previous control settings