Patent Publication Number: US-2006010387-A1

Title: Projection apparatus with support for media content on portable storage devices

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
      The non-provisional application claims the benefit/priority of provisional application No. 60/586,362, entitled “Projection Apparatus with Support for Media Content on Portable Media Storage Devices, filed Jul. 7, 2004. The specification of said &#39;362 provisional application is hereby fully incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
      The present invention relates generally to the field of image projection.  
     BACKGROUND  
      Before the digital age, images, such as photographs, are often viewed through the use of slides and slide projectors, whereas, images, such as text and/or graphic documents, are often viewed through the use of foils (transparencies) and foil (transparency) projectors. With the advent of the digital age, in particular, with the ubiquitous availability of laptop computers and digital projectors, often, photographs and presentations are viewed through the use of these devices. The images would be rendered by the laptop computers, and projected by the digital projectors, with the laptop computers providing the images to the digital projectors in the form of image signals. These advances were particularly appreciated by the professionals who have to present in conferences and/or at customer/client sites. The presentations are readily available on the laptop computers, which are typically traveled with the professionals anyway. The only support they would need from the conference organizer or the customer/client is the digital projector.  
      Recently, advances in storage technology have dramatically reduced the cost as well as the form factors of storage devices. Solid state portable storage devices in the form of compact disk and the like are widely available, at increasing capacity and low cost. Moreover, they are plug and play, e.g. through popular standard compliant connectors, such as universal serial bus (USB) connectors. However, the benefit of the technology still yet to be fully realized for image projection, especially for the professionals who have to present in conferences and/or customer/client sites. They still have to travel with their laptop computers, or one would have to be provided by the “host” (i.e. the conference organizer, the customer/client).  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The present invention will be described by way of exemplary embodiments, but not limitations, illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like references denote similar elements, and in which:  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram view of the projection apparatus of the present invention, in accordance with various embodiments;  
       FIG. 2  illustrates the controller of  FIG. 1  in further detail, in accordance with various embodiments;  
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart of selected operations of the controller of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with various embodiments; and  
       FIGS. 4   a - 4   b  illustrate two example projections for facilitating selection of a media content type and a media content of a media content type, in accordance with various embodiments.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS  
      Illustrative embodiments of the present invention include but are not limited to projection apparatus equipped with direct support for media content stored in a portable storage device, and methods practiced thereon.  
      Various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described using terms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that alternate embodiments may be practiced with only some of the described aspects. For purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials, and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that alternate embodiments may be practiced without the specific details. In other instances, well-known features are omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the illustrative embodiments.  
      Further, various operations will be described as multiple discrete operations, in turn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the present invention; however, the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations need not be performed in the order of presentation.  
      The phrase “in one embodiment” is used repeatedly. The phrase generally does not refer to the same embodiment; however, it may. The terms “comprising”, “having”, and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictates otherwise.  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram view of a projection apparatus equipped with direct support for media content stored in a portable storage device, in accordance with various embodiments. As illustrated, projector  100  includes controller  102  and projection engine  104  coupled to each other. As will be described in more detail below, controller  102  is endowed with features to enable projector  100  to provide direct support for the projection of media content  110  on a portable storage device  108 . For the purpose of this application, the term “direct support” refers to the fact that the media content  110  stored on portable storage device  108  may be projected by projector  100  without the further provision of another rendering device, such as a laptop computer in the prior art.  
      As illustrated, controller  102  is endowed with one or more media player  106  equipped to support media content of one or more media types. For ease of understanding, one media player  106  is illustrated. In various embodiments, the one or more media player  106  support rendering or playing of media content of multiple media types. In particular, in various embodiments, one or more media players  106  support media content in at least the formats of a bitmap type, a JPEG/JPG type, a PCX type, a GIF type, and a TIF type. In alternate embodiments, other data formats may be supported in addition to the enumerated formats or in lieu of one or more of the enumerated formats. [JPEG=Joint Photographs Expert Group, PCX=PC Paintbrush Format; GIF=Graphics Interchange Format, and TIF=Tagged Image File Format.] 
      As will be described in more detail below, in various embodiments, portable storage device  108  is designed to mate with a standard compliant plug-and-play connector, and projector  100  is equipped with the plug-and-play connector, and corresponding software support, if any, for media content  110  to be accessed on attachment of portable storage device  108  to projector  100 . In various embodiments, portable storage device  108  is a non-volatile solid state storage device. In particular, it is designed to be mated with a universal serial bus (USB) connector. Accordingly, projector  100  is complementarily equipped, that is with at least one USB connector, host controller, USB device driver and so forth.  
      In alternate embodiments, portable storage device  108  may be a Memory Stick, a Memory Stick Pro, a Solid State Floppy Disk Card (SSFDC), a Multi Media Card (MMC), a Secured Digital (SD™ Card), a CompactFlash™, or a xD-Picture Card™, instead.  
      Further, for the embodiment, projector  100  is equipped to enable a user to control its operation through remote control  112 . In various embodiments, remote control  112  provides the user controls to projector  100  in the form of infrared (IR) signals. Accordingly, projector  100  is equipped with the appropriate IR receiver. In alternate embodiments, other forms of controls, including wired based controls may be provided and employed instead.  
      Projection engine  104  is employed to project images of media content, including media content  110  read off an attached one of the portable storage devices  108 . Projection engine  104  includes conventional optical and electro-opto elements, such as light source(s), lens, light tunnels, color wheels, projection valves, and so forth, electro-optically coupled to each other. Accordingly, projection engine  104  represents a broad range of the element known in the art or to be designed, as long as controller  102  may be equipped with an appropriate interface to control it. An example of projection engine  104  is anyone of the various projection engines used in the projectors available from InFocus Corp of Wilsonville, Oreg.  
      In various embodiments, controller  102  and projection engine  104  are encased in a single casing body (not shown). In alternate embodiments, controller  102  may be packaged as an external unit, e.g. an adapter, to be mated/attached to projection engine  104 .  
       FIG. 2  illustrates controller  102  in further detail, in accordance with various embodiments. As illustrated, controller  102  includes processor  202 , memory  204  coupled to each other via bus  212 . Further, controller  102  includes portable storage device connector  206 , remote control interface  208  and projection engine interface  210  coupled to earlier and the earlier described elements as shown. Memory  204  includes portable storage device (PSD) device driver (DD)  214 , file services  216 , and one or more media players  106 .  
      As described earlier, in various embodiments, PSD connector  206  and PSD device driver  214  are USB connector/host controller, and USB device driver respectively. Further, remote control interface  208  is an IR receiver, and projection engine interface  210  is a conventional interface, e.g. an internal or external connector.  
      In various embodiments, file services  216  including file services for determining the file contents on portable storage device  108 , including recognition of the file types, and reading the data blocks of media contents  110 . In various embodiments, file services  216  support at least the bitmap, JPG, GIF, TIF and PCX file types. In alternate embodiments, file services  216  may provide other additional services.  
      In various embodiments, portable storage device (PSD) device driver (DD)  214 , file services  216 , and one or more media players  106  are implemented using a high level programming language, such as C. In alternate embodiments, they may be implemented using other high level programming languages, assembler and/or machine instructions.  
       FIG. 3  illustrates a flow chart of selected operations of controller  102 , in accordance with various embodiments. As illustrated, on power on/reset, controller  102  detects for attachment of a portable storage device  108 , block  302 . In various embodiments, this is accomplished by PSD DD  214  monitoring PSD connector  206  for the presence of a portable storage device  108 , and on or after detection, notifies file service  216 .  
      After detecting the presence of a portable storage device  108 , controller  102  determines the media content  110  present in portable storage device  108 , block  304 . In various embodiments, this is accomplished by file service  216  reading the file directory of portable storage device  108 , including the file type of each file present.  
      Then, for the embodiments, controller  102  facilitates a user in first selecting a media content type, block  306 , and on selection of a media content type, a media content of the selected media content type, block  308 , for rendering, i.e. projection. In various embodiments, if only one media content type is supported or present in portable storage device  108 , controller  102  proceeds directly to block  308 , skipping block  306 .  
      On selection of the media content, controller  102  causes the content of the selected media content to be projected, block  310 . The projection may be rendered under the control of the user provided using remote control  112 , i.e. forward, backward, pause, stop, and so forth.  
      On completion of rendering/projecting of the selected media content, controller  102  may return the user to select another media content of the previously selected media content, block  308 , or to select another media content type, block  306 . The process may continue until the portable storage device  108  is detached. At such time, controller  102  returns to detecting for the attachment of another portable storage device  108 , block  302 .  
       FIG. 4   a  illustrates an example projection  402 , controller  102  may employ to facilitate a user in selecting a media content type, in accordance with various embodiments. For the embodiments, controller  402  causes a number of icons  404 - 412  to be projected, one for each of the media content type supported and present on a detected portable storage device  108 . Additionally, for the embodiments, controller  402  causes an indicator  414 , e.g. a highlighter, to highlight a current “in focus” media content type. The user may use remote control  112  to cause indicator  414  to be moved from one icon to another, changing the icon that is “in focus”, and eventually selecting the icon “in focus”, thereby selecting the media content type represented.  
       FIG. 4   b  illustrates an example projection  422 , controller  102  may employ to facilitate a user in selecting a media content of a selected media content type, in accordance with various embodiments. For the embodiments, controller  402  causes a number of thumbnails  424 - 432  to be projected, one for each of the media content of the selected media content type. In various embodiments, the thumbnails are the corresponding first pages of the media content present, of the selected media content type. Additionally, for the embodiments, controller  402  causes an indicator  434 , e.g. a highlighter, to highlight a current “in focus” media content. The user may use remote control  112  to cause indicator  434  to be moved from one thumbnail to another, changing the thumbnail that is “in focus”, and eventually selecting the thumbnail “in focus”, thereby selecting the media content represented.  
      Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.