Patent ID: 7496845

Claim:
An interactive, multi-media presentation viewing system, comprising: a general purpose computing device comprising a display, user interface selection device and user interface data entry device; and a computer program comprising program modules executable by the computing device, wherein the computing device is directed by the program modules of the computer program to display a presentation viewing system window on the display comprising a plurality of sectors comprising, a presentation video sector which plays a video, audio, or audio and video program (collectively referred to hereinafter as the A/V program) associated with the presentation, a presentation slide sector which displays presentation slides, each of which is associated with a different portion of the presentation, the presentation slide sector automatically displays the particular slide that is scheduled to be shown when the A/V program reaches a prescribed elapsed running time, unless a contrary user-generated control instruction directs otherwise, and a content sector which in a first mode comprises a display of a list of subject matter topics each of which is associated with a different portion of the presentation; and wherein said content sector is employed by a user using said selection and data entry devices to control the playing of the A/V program and the display of presentation slides, wherein upon selecting one of said subject matter topics by the user, the A/V program being played in the presentation video sector is caused to start playing at a point corresponding to the elapsed running time assigned to the selected topic, and the slide that is scheduled to be shown when the A/V program is at the point corresponding to the elapsed running time assigned to the selected topic is caused to be displayed in the presentation slide sector; and wherein displaying the first mode of the content sector, further comprises displaying one or more links to A/V programs, other than the A/V program being played in the presentation video sector, within the list of subject matter topics, each link being assigned an elapsed running time of the A/V program; and whenever the A/V program playing in the presentation video sector reaches the elapsed running time assigned to a link, pausing the A/V program playing in the presentation video sector, opening a demonstration window and playing the A/V program associated with a link in the demonstration window, and closing the demonstration window and starting the previously paused A/V program playing in the presentation video sector when the A/V program associated with a link is finished playing.