PROJECTION HELPER AND THE PROJECTION METHOD THEREOF
This application relies for priority upon Korean Patent Application No. 10-2002-0000152, filed on January 3 , the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to projection systems and, more specifically, to a projection helper providing data, which has been received from a computer system through a USB interface and stored in a memory, to a projector.
Background Art
Projectors (or projection televisions) are widely used in presenting documental sheets for peer review committees or business meetings. For instance, the projector is connected to a notebook or a personal computer that contains documents, which are written out by means of an appropriate application program such as PowerPoint of Microsoft, to be put into presentation states for attendances.
However, as the conventional projection system essentially needs to accompany a notebook or a personal computer, it costs high as well as inconvenience to install such a system and of portability with them.
Disclosure of the Invention
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a projection system convenient of portability and capable of costing lower in use. It is another object of the present invention to provide a projection helper available to reducing a cost for preparing a projection system and to convenience of portability.
In order to attain the above objects, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a projection helper including: a first memory for storing a program; a USB controller for receiving data from a computer; a second memory for storing the data of the USB controller; a central controller for processing the data of the second memory by executing the program stored in the first memory; a graphic controller for offering data from the central controller to a graphic port; and a power supply electrically connected to the first memory, the USB controller, the second memory, the central controller, and the graphic controller. The central controller stores the data, which is provided from the computer through the USB controller, in the second memory by means of the program, and then transfers the data to the USB controller after processing the data.
It is preferred for the projection helper to further include a DAC for converting an audio digital data of the second memory into an audio analogue data that is to be output to a speaker, an ADC
for converting an audio analogue data, which is applied from a microphone, into an audio digital data to be stored in the second memory, or a remocon receiver for turn the power supply on/off and for changing pictures output through the graphic controller. The present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.
Brief Description of the Drawings
A more complete appreciation of the present invention, and many of the attendant advantages thereof, will become readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference symbols indicate the same or similar components, wherein:
Figure 1 is a block diagram of a projection helper according to an embodiment of the invention; and
Figure 2 is a flow chart of a procedure conducting projection sequences by means of the projection helper of the invention.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
In the following description for purposes of explanation,
specific numbers, materials and configurations are set forth in
order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific without the specific details. In other instances, well-known systems are shown in diagrammatic or block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention.
Referring first to Figure 1 , a projection helper 100 of the invention includes memories 1 10 and 1 12, a USB (universal serial bus) controller 160, a central controller 170, a graphic controller 150, and a power supply 180.
The memories 110 and 1 12 store a program to operate the projection helper 100 and data to be processed by the central controller 170. The one of the memories, hereinafter, referred to as ROM 110, as a nonvolatile memory that retains data even during a power-off state, contains the program to drive the projection helper 100. The central controller 170 carries out the program; the data taken into the program is supplied from a computer system through a USB port 162. The data processed in the central controller 170 is transferred into the graphic controller 150.
The other memory (hereinafter, referred to as flash memory) 112, also as a nonvolatile type with continuous power supply, is operative with a high speed, and can be erasable for data by sectors or programmable iteratively. The flash memory 1 12 is
employed in storing the data to be applied into a projector by control of the helper. Storing more data into the flash memory 112 is accomplished by compressing image data that is to be recovered when transferred to a projector. While it is preferred to composite a memory capacity with 32 MB in general, or 64 MB for graphic data, the memory capacity may be magnified, the times by 8 MB, up to a possible dimension with an extension module for itself, in accordance with necessities as practical.
The USB controller 160 controls an interface condition between the projection helper 100 and an external computer system through the USB port 162. The USB port 162 is the one usually employed in enabling plug-and-plug interfaces between a computer system and peripheral devices such as an audio player, a joystick, a keyboard, a telephone, a scanner, or a printer, providing a faster operation and a more convenient usage rather than other kinds of serial ports. The USB assists a data rate of 12 Mbps and is adaptable to an on-state connection (operable even when it is connected to a computer during a normal operation), without a power supply for a peripheral device coupled thereto. Therefore, through the USB port 162, the projection helper
100 receives all kinds of data, e.g., document files written out by PowerPoint, in the environment of networking with a computer system on the condition of printing out the data at the computer. It is general to set a window driver in a computer connected to the
USB port 162 in order to download the data therethrough. Such a window driver has a function of compressing data into a proper document form while downloading. Since there has been already developed the standards of USB for peripheral devices by system manufacturers such as Intel, Compaq, IBM, DEC, Microsoft, NEC, and Northern Telecom, the projection helper is operable with a good flexibility in use with the USB as interfacing means between the computer system and itself.
The central controller 170 processes the data stored in the flash memory 1 12 in terms of the program stored in the ROM 1 10, and then transfers the result to the graphic controller 150.
The graphic controller 150 applies the data, which is provided from the central controller 170, to a graphic port 152. The graphic port 152 connects the projection helper 100 to a projector to send the data about documents or images to the projector. The graphic controller 150, as a functional element for converting characters or graphic patterns (or bitmap data) into signals for reproducing pictures, is characterized with the maximum resolution, reproducing cycles, and the number of colors, which are admittable therein.
General kinds of graphic controllers are CGA (color graphics adapter), EGA (enhanced graphics adapter), and VGA (video graphics array). It would be mostly preferable to apply the VGA mode to the graphic controller 150 because almost computer
manufacturers regards the VGA as a basic standard of graphic mode and all of IBM-compatible personal computers are operable in the VGA standard. The VGA is able to figure 16 colors in a resolution of 640 by 480, or 256 colors in a resolution of 320 by 200, which is more flexible than any other graphic modes. For the higher resolution, the graphic controller 150 also employs advanced graphic modes such as XGA (extended graphic array) or SVGA (super VGA).
The power supply 180 provides operation voltages to the ROM 110, the flash memory 112, the USB controller 160, the central controller 170, and the graphic controller 150. The projection helper 100 is operable with a low-power battery for a long time, being housed within a case smaller than a general desktop computer or a notebook. The projection helper 100 also includes an ADC (analogue- to-digital converter) 130, a DAC (digital-to-analogue converter) 140, and a remocon (remote controller) receiver 120.
The DAC 130 converts an audio digital data, which is stored in the flash memory 1 12, into an audio analogue data that is to be applied to a speaker through a speaker interface port 132. The ADC 140 converts an audio analogue data, which is supplied from a microphone through a microphone interface port 142, into an audio digital data that is to be stored in the flash memory 1 12. Therefore, the projection helper 100 not only displays documents
and images but also records and reproduces audio signals of questions and talks at business meetings.
The remocon receiver 120 applies remote control signals, which are transmitted from a remote controller through a wireless communication, to the central controller 170 so as to turn the power on or off and to change pictures (of a projector) output by the graphic controller 150. It is well known about a technique to prepare the remote controller.
Figure 2 shows a sequence for conducting a projection operation by means of the helper 100 shown in Figure 1 .
Referring to Figure 2, a projection method of the invention includes an initializing step S100, a data downloading step S200, and a data output step S300.
First, at the initializing step S100, a power-up makes the projection helper 100 be set into a standby state for projection. After the initializing step S100, a user determines a download operation for selected data (or document files) from a computer system, which is connected to the helper 100, into the projection helper 100 at a step S150. In the data download step S200, a window driver embedded in the computer system conducts a download operation for the selected data from the computer into the projection helper 100 through the USB port 162. A step S210 receives the selected data of the computer through the USB port 162 installed at the
projection helper 100, and then the received data is compressively stored in the flash memory 1 12 at a step S220. At every completion of the compressive storage for the selected data, it should check out, at a step S230, whether or not a current data is the end of the selected data that has been received from the computer.
The data compression, as a useful tool for saving storage areas or for shortening a downloading time by shrink down a data size, has various applications, where graphic-specific data is usually compressed into the formas of GIF, JPEG, or PNG, or digital video/audio data is done by an MPEG scheme that enables various types of data to be represented for users.
Once the first download has completed through the step S200, a user returns to the step S150 in order to determine that there is another data in need of downloading. If there is no more to be downloaded, the user determines to apply the downloaded data to a projector at a step S160, after connecting the projection helper 100 to the projector through the graphic port 152.
In the data output step S300 where the downloaded data is send out from the projection helper 100 to the projector through the graphic port 152, first, the data compressed in the flash memory 1 12 is released at a step S310. After then, the released data is applied to the projector at a step S320. Next, it checks out, at a step S330, whether or not the current data applied to the
projector is the end of the data to be displayed. If a current data is the end, the projection steps are terminated.
A remote controller that moves the pictures front and rear in order does selecting pictures on the projector. In addition, although not shown, the projection method of the invention includes a step for storing an audio analogue data, which is generated from a microphone that gathers all of speeches and talks about questions and contents in presentation meetings, in the flash memory 1 12 as a digital data. Since the recorded data in the flash memory 1 12 can be output through a speaker, the projection helper 100 is also useful as a portable recording/reproducing apparatus.
As aforementioned, the projection helper according to the invention is advantageous to reduce a cost of a projection system and to enhance convenience of performing presentations. The smaller size of itself provides merits with portability rather than notebooks or personal computers.
Furthermore, it is also available to use as a portable recording/reproducing apparatus capable of storing all of speeches and talks rising from presentation meetings.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the
scope and spirit of the invention as described in the accompanying claims.