Method and apparatus for remote projector administration and control

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates generally to presentation projectors for projecting computer generated presentations and other images to a viewing surface. In particular, the present invention relates to technology that enables the remote administration and control of presentation projector resources in a networked enterprise.

[0004] 2. Background Information

[0005] The widespread acceptance of using computers to facilitate group communications has created a large demand for devices that project computer displays. As a result, corporate enterprises have installed sophisticated projector equipment in many workplace conference rooms, or provide access to portable presentation equipment that can be used in conference rooms as needed. To display their presentations, users tote portable computers such as laptops into the conference room, and connect to the projector using a serial cable or other communication link.

[0006] Another trend in the use of computers to facilitate group communications is the extension of the corporate network into the conference room, thereby providing access to the resources of the entire corporate enterprise. In a natural next step, many conference rooms are now equipped with a permanently installed conference room computer that functions as a “projector server.” Connected to both the network and the projector, the projector servers have easy access to other computers, online storage, printers, intranets, and the Internet. With virtually all internal corporate resources and the external resources of the Internet available from all corporate conference rooms, the full benefits of computer-based presentation start to emerge.

[0007] Despite these advances in conference room technology, the logistics of properly setting up the projector server and projection equipment can still be a difficult task. Users may be unfamiliar with the proper procedure to set up the projector or the projector server, or with the proper use of the remote control device used to operate the projector. Unexpected problems may arise, such as bulb or other equipment failure. There may also be security concerns with transferring presentation files to the conference room projector server, or scheduling concerns with providing controlled access to presentation projector resources. What is still missing is true integration. Just as an effective system is not merely a collection of components that must be “integrated” by a user before every use, an effective conference room presentation system is not merely a collection of projection equipment, cables, and networked computers. True integration of the presentation projector in the modern corporate enterprise is a presentation system that solves the larger problem of managing and controlling computer-based presentation projector resources.

[0008] There are a number of devices that attempt to facilitate the management and use of computer-based presentation projector resources that are known in the art. For example, there are software applications developed for the projector server that provide a user-friendly graphical user interface to the hardware features of the presentation projection equipment. Such applications can automatically synchronize the resolution of the projector server to the presentation projector and adjust other hardware settings such as color, brightness, etc. One of the many limitations of these prior art applications is that they are principally standalone applications dedicated to the control of only the currently connected presentation projector equipment. Prior art projector server applications do not take advantage of recent advances in networking technologies, including web-based technology for distributing applications over a corporate intranet. While the prior art projector server applications may succeed in making the projector easier to use, they simply do not address the larger problem of managing and controlling the use of computer-based presentation projector resources in a networked enterprise.

[0009] Accordingly, a new approach to providing remote projection administration and control that facilitates the maintenance, operation and security of enterprise presentation projector equipment is desirable. What is needed is a way to truly integrate presentation projector resources into the corporate enterprise network, as have printers and other types of peripheral equipment. Administrators will save significant time and energy not only by keeping the equipment properly maintained and secured, but also by helping to solve routine setup problems encountered by users, and by allowing the debugging of such problems from a remote location. Users will be able to more easily prepare for presentations by not only remotely sending the necessary presentation files to the appropriate conference room, but also by automatically configuring the projector with the proper settings for their presentation in advance of the scheduled presentation. The integration of presentation projector resources in the corporate enterprise network in an effective and user-friendly way presents a unique set of challenges, requiring a new and novel solution.

[0010] According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided in which a client remotely locates and controls the operation and administration of a presentation projector resource in an enterprise network. A projector server facilitates the remote location and control of the presentation projector by the client using data obtained from interfaces to the projector equipment and the other projector servers on the network, as well as data stored on a repository accessible to the projector server. The projector server serves the data to the clients using the facilities of a graphical user interface such as a browser-based Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP)/web server.

[0011] 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:

[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of the Remote Projector Administration and Control (RPAC) method and apparatus in an operating environment configured in accordance with one embodiment;

[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of the functional components of the present invention in accordance with one embodiment;

[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of the functional components of the present invention in accordance with another embodiment;

[0015] FIG. 4 illustrates a general-purpose computer system upon which an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented;

[0016] FIG. 5aillustrates an example of a display of an Administration web page, in accordance with one embodiment;

[0017] FIG. 5billustrates an example of a display of an System Setup web page, in accordance with one embodiment;

[0018] FIG. 5cillustrates an example of a display of an Usage Notes web page, in accordance with one embodiment;

[0019] FIG. 5dillustrates an example of a display of an Delete Presentation web page, in accordance with one embodiment;

[0020] FIG. 5eillustrates an example of a display of an Projector Setup web page, in accordance with one embodiment;

[0021] FIG. 5fillustrates an example of a display of an Projector Power Management web page, in accordance with one embodiment;

[0022] FIG. 5gillustrates an example of a display of a Settings/Video Standard web page, in accordance with one embodiment;

[0023] FIG. 5hillustrates an example of a display of a Settings/Projector Location web page, in accordance with one embodiment;

[0024] FIG. 5iillustrates an example of a display of a System Status web page, in accordance with one embodiment;

[0025] FIG. 5jillustrates an example of a display of an Edit Administration Password web page, in accordance with one embodiment.

[0026] In the following description various aspects of the present invention, a remote projector administration and control (RPAC) method and apparatus, will be described. Specific details will be set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced with only some or all of the described aspects of the present invention, and with or without some or all of the specific details. In some instances, well known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the present invention.

[0027] Various operations will be described as multiple discrete steps performed 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 performed in the order they are presented, or even order dependent. Lastly, repeated usage of the phrase “in one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may.

[0028] Referring now to FIG. 1, wherein an overview of the RPAC method and apparatus 100 in an operating environment configured in accordance with one embodiment is shown. As illustrated, a plurality of projector server hosts 105 and network enabled data/video projectors 110 in communication with a presenter client 115, an administrator client 120, or a network server 125, either via a secure intranet connection 130 or over the Internet 135, or a combination thereof, are used to control a selected data video projector 140 or a network enabled data video projector 110. The data video projectors 140 and network enabled data video projectors 110 may be liquid crystal display (LCD), digital mirror device (DMD), liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) projectors or the like that include a light source and transmissive or reflective projection optics to form and project display images on a display surface 145 in both rear and front display applications. Examples of such presentation projectors are sold under the trademark LIGHTPORT by In Focus Systems, Inc., of Wilsonville, Oreg., the assignee of the present application.

[0029] The projectors are typically located in a conference room in a networked corporate enterprise and connected to the projector server host 105 via a communications link 150, which may be either a serial cable, universal serial bus (USB), infrared, or other wireless/wired connection. The network enabled projectors 110 may be connected directly to the corporate intranet 130, and typically operate using a real-time operating system (RTOS) such as Wind River or Microsoft's Windows CE. The projector server hosts 105 are either desktop personal computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or other type of computer appliance capable of running an operating system with a graphical user interface such as Microsoft's Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows CE platforms. The network server 125 is typically a server computer capable of running an operating system platform with a graphical user interface such as Microsoft's Windows 98, Windows 2000, or server operating system platform such as Windows NT. A network server 125 can function both as a projector server host to one or more data video projectors 140 and network enabled data/video projectors 110 in addition to functioning as a network server.

[0030] In one embodiment, a client such as the administrator client 120 may be further connected to the Internet 135 to connect to a projector customer support server 155 operated by a third party, such as the manufacturer of the projectors 110 and 140. The Internet connection can facilitate troubleshooting of projector problems by enabling the administrator to access web sites hosted by the customer support server 155 and uploading diagnostic projector health information obtained from the projector server host 105 that controls the failed data video projector 140, or directly from the network enabled data video projector 110. In addition, projector software and the software components of RPAC may be periodically updated automatically from the customer support server 155 or corporate network server 125.

[0031] In one embodiment, certain selected projector server hosts 105 or network servers 125 may be designated as super-node network servers to serve projector profiles to the enterprise as well as the status of the enterprise's projector fleet through automated host discovery. It should be understood that further variations of the configuration in the illustrated embodiment in FIG. 1 may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention.

[0032] Referring now to FIG. 2, wherein a block diagram illustrating the functional components of the RPAC method and apparatus 100 are shown. The functional components include a projector server 210 residing on a projector server host 105 that is connected to a data video projector 140. The projector server 210 interacts with three interfaces: the projector interface 220, the host discover interface 230, and the host interface 240. Also residing on the projector server host 105 are a repository for storing presentation data and user profiles 215 and an HTTP/web server 217 for serving information to and from the three interfaces. As such projector server 210 provides the RPAC users with an entry point through which the RPAC users interact with the data video projector 140 and all of the other components of the RPAC method and apparatus 100.

[0033] The projector interface 220 communicates with the hosted data/video projector 105 or a network enabled data/video projector 110. The host discovery interface 230 discovers other projector server hosts 105, network enabled projectors 110, and other compliant presentation collaboration devices (not shown) on the corporate intranet 130. The host interface 240 interacts with the identified projector server hosts 105, network enabled projectors 110, and other compliant presentation collaboration devices to obtain detailed information, which is then served to a client 115/120 or network server 125 using the facilities of the projector server 210 and the HTTP web server 217.

[0034] The projector interface 220 communicates with the existing prior art command line 250 or product host command interfaces 260 embedded in the data video projector 140 or network enabled data video projector 110 using whatever communication link is available and enabled by the particular model and make of the projector, such as a serial cable, universal serial bus (USB), or wireless/wired connection.

[0035] The host interface 240 uses the information provided by the host discovery interface 230 to enable clients 115/120 or a network server 125 to get or set information controlling the projectors 110 and 140 through the identified active projector server hosts 105 or the network enabled projector 110 itself, including administering the security, operation, and maintenance of the projectors 110 and 140. The projector server 105 serves web content obtained from the three interfaces to clients 115/120 or a network server 125 using a standard HTTP/web server 217 or other type of messaging protocol (e.g. Extended Markup Language (XML), or simple network message protocol (SNMP)) (not shown). Users of the clients 115/120 or a network server 125 are therefore able to browse to the active presentation projector resources 110 and 140 using the information served over the corporate intranet 130 to the client 115/120 by the HTTP/Web server 217.

[0036] The command line interface (CLI) 250 is known in the art, and allows for raw ASCII strings to provide the mechanisms to retrieve projector setting and status information. The CLI 250 is embedded in many different models of presentation projectors that are widely used in corporate enterprise settings. The product host command interface (PCHI) 260 is a proprietary command language developed to extend the feature set of presentation projector control and administration, and is also embedded in the data video projectors 140 or network enabled projectors 110. Examples of CLI and PCHI embedded presentation projectors are sold under the trademark LIGHTPORT by In Focus Systems, Inc., of Wilsonville, Oreg., the assignee of the present application. The projector interface 220 is responsible for interacting with the CLI 250 and PCHI 260 to read and write certain well-defined values physically located in the projector hardware.

[0037] The RPAC projector server 210 and host 240, host discovery 230 and projector interfaces 220 perform together to maintain in the repository 215 various customized user profiles for users of the data video projectors 110 and 140. Also maintained are the presentation files (e.g. the Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, or Word documents, or Adobe Acrobat portable data format (pdf) files) and related security information (i.e. passwords) for files that may be selected by clients 115/120 for storage and presentation on the projector server hosts 105 and data video projectors 110 and 140.

[0038] The repository 215 may also contain identification information identifying other projector server hosts 105 and network enabled projectors 110 discovered on the network by the host discovery interface 230. The identifying information may include the host name, location, contact person, power schedule, security passwords and the like, as obtained by the host interface 240. The repository 215 may further contain diagnostic information relating to presentation file transfer and projector management and administration as captured by the host interface 240.

[0039] Referring now to FIG. 3, wherein a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the functional components of the RPAC method and apparatus 100 as implemented in a network enabled data video projector 110. As shown, the projector server 210, repository 215, and HTTP web server 217 components may reside in the client 115/120 used by the presenter or administrator. The projector server 210, in communication over a corporate intranet 130 interacts with the host discovery interface 230, host interface 240 and projector interface 220 in the manner previously described. A similar embodiment of the RPAC method and apparatus 100 may be implemented as a personal application that enables a mobile user, such as a salesperson using a laptop computer or PDA to temporarily connect directly to a projector server host 105 or network enabled projector 110 in order to deliver a presentation stored on the laptop or PDA in accordance with a user profile for the projector, both of which are uploaded to the projectors 110 or 140 using the facilities of the RPAC method and apparatus 100. Similarly, a customer support representative may use the personal application implementation of the RPAC 100 to diagnose a problem with the projector using the facilities of the projector server 210 in conjunction with the projector interface 220, CLI 250, and/or the PCHI 260.

[0040] Referring now to FIGS. 1-3 together, it should be apparent that some or all of the above-described functions of the RPAC method and apparatus 100 may be performed by one or more of the various projector servers 210 and associated host interface 240, host discover interface 230, and projector interface 220, in conjunction with a variety of configurations of projector server hosts 105, clients 115/120, network servers 125 and projectors 110 and 140. In particular, some of the functional components 210, 220, 230, and 240 may reside in part on the RPAC clients 115/120 and/or network servers 125, which communicate over a intranet 130 as shown, or over the Internet 140, or over a local area or wide area network or combination of networks, or any other network configuration capable of connecting them. The physical database(s) comprising the repository 215 may reside on one or more of the various projector server hosts 105 or network server 125, and portions of the database(s) may be replicated on one or more of the various other RPAC components including the clients 115/120 and the projectors 110/140, and periodically synchronized as needed with the data residing on the servers.

[0041] Referring now to FIG. 4, wherein a block diagram of a general-purpose computer system upon which an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented is shown. As illustrated, general-purpose computer system 400 comprises a bus 401, or other communications hardware and software, for communicating information, and a processor 402 coupled with bus 401 for processing information. Computer system 400 further comprises a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device 402 (referred to as main memory), coupled to bus 401 for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor 402. Computer system 400 also comprises a read only memory (ROM) 403, and/or other static storage device, coupled to bus 401 for storing static information and instructions for processor 402. Mass storage device 404 is coupled to bus 401 for storing information and instructions. In one embodiment, mass storage device 404 includes the repository 215 of presentation files and user profiles used to control and administrate the presentation projector resources 110 and 140 by various RPAC clients 115/120.

[0042] Furthermore, mass storage device 404, such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, and its corresponding disk drive, can be coupled to computer system 400. Computer system 400 can also be coupled via bus 401 to a display device 421 for displaying information to a computer user such as a network manager. Display device 421 is used to display windows containing a graphical user interface to the available electronic assets managed by the electronic asset lending library. Display device 421 can include a frame buffer, specialized graphics rendering devices, a cathode ray tube (CRT), and/or flat pane display. An alphanumeric input device 422, including alphanumeric and other keys, is typically coupled to bus 401 for communicating information and command selections to processor 405. Another type of user input device is cursor control device 423, such as a mouse, a trackball, a pen, a touch screen, or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information and command selections to processor 405, and for controlling cursor movement on display device 421. This input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., the x-axis) and a second axis (e.g., the y-axis), which allows the device to specify positions in a plane. However, this invention should not be limited to input devices with only two degrees of freedom.

[0043] Another device that may be coupled to bus 401 is a hard copy device 424 which may be used for printing instructions, data, or other information on a medium such as paper, film, or similar types of media. Additionally, computer system 400 can be coupled to a device for sound recording, and/or playback 425, such as an audio digitizer coupled to a microphone for recording information. Further, the device may include a speaker that is coupled to a digital to analog (D/A) converter for playing back the digitized sounds.

[0044] Network interface card 426 is coupled to bus 401. Network interface card 426 is further coupled to an external computer network (not shown). Network interface card 426, in conjunction with appropriate data communications protocols (e.g., the TCP/IP suite of internetworking protocols), provide the means by which a electronic asset lending library operating on a general-purpose computer system 400 exchanges information with other devices coupled to the same computer network. Modem 427 is coupled to bus 401, and provides an alternate means of exchanging information with other devices for which a modem connection to an external computer network or device (not shown) can be established.

[0045] Computer system 400 and RPAC application software stored and executed therein as part of the RPAC method and apparatus operate in conjunction with an operating system with graphics capability, such as Microsoft's Windows operating system. Commercially available computer systems implementing the features of general-purpose computer system 400 include a broad range of operating system-based computers, including server computers, desktop computers, workstations, personal digital assistants, devices, or appliances. Furthermore, the present invention may be used in conjunction with various browser (e.g. Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator) and electronic mail applications (e.g. Microsoft Outlook, and Lotus Notes) or other messaging applications to yield an operational platform upon which an embodiment of the RPAC method and apparatus 100 may be implemented.

[0046] Referring now to FIGS. 5a-5j,wherein one embodiment of the projector administration and control web pages generated by the HTTP/Web server 217 in response to the projector server 105 operating in conjunction with the host interface 240, the host discover interface 230 and the projector interface 220. Using a menu-based or other navigational aid, the RPAC user/administrator desiring to perform administrative tasks for a projector in the corporate enterprise's projector resources, navigates through the RPAC user interface to cause the display of an Administration page 510, as illustrated in FIG. 5a.The RPAC user/administrator can be a corporate employee other individual responsible for managing the projector resources for the corporate enterprise.

[0047] The Administration page 510 contains, among other items, at least five possible selections including a system setup selection 511 for entering projector host 105 information as shown in the System Setup page 516, and as illustrated in FIG. 5b;a projector setup selection 512 for entering projector specific information for the data video projector 140 itself as shown in the Projector Setup page 532, and as illustrated in FIG. 5e;the system status selection 513 for viewing the diagnostic and log information obtained through the projector interface 220 as shown in the System Status page 551, and as illustrated in FIG. 5i;the edit admin password selection 514 for editing the password for accessing the data video projector 140 as shown in the Edit Administration Password page 552, and as illustrated in FIG. 5j;and the logout selection 515.

[0048] With reference to FIG. 5b,input areas on the System Setup page 516 are provided to enter the system name of the projector 517, the contact person 518, the location 519 (e.g. name of conference room) and to designate whether the projector server 105 is a supernode 520. Additional selections include Usage Notes 521, Presentation Security 522, and Delete Presentation 523. A command button or other graphical visual icon is provided for affirmatively entering a command 524 (“Submit”) to update the entries to the input areas. With reference to FIG. 5c,an input area 526 is provided to enter a free-form text message that is associated with the projector. With reference to FIG. 5d,a list of presentation files 529 on a Delete Presentation page 528 is provided to enable the identification and deletion of presentation files on the projector server host 105.

[0049] With reference to FIG. 5e,a Projector Power Management web page 535 is provided with a display of the current scheduling for powering off the projector, and input areas 536 to select and edit the date and time. Further provided is an indicator 537 whether the projector enables power off settings. With reference to FIGS. 5g-5h,two Settings pages 539 and 545 are provided to view and alter the various video standard and projector location. For example, The projector room location for Conference Room A may be indicated as Ceiling Mount On 541 to insure that the projector display is oriented 180 degrees from the normal desktop orientation, to insure the proper orientation of the image.

[0050] With reference to FIG. 5i,a System Status page 551 is provided to display all of the diagnostic and log information that has been captured by the host interface 240. The captured information is retrieved through the services of a projector server in communication with a projector interface and projector host interface. As is illustrated, an example of the type of captured information is “The projector has been on for 0 hours 10 minutes.” Lastly, with reference to FIG. 5j,an Edit Administration Password page 552 is provided to allow a client to add or change the password for the selected projector.

[0051] It should be understood that the web pages illustrated in FIGS. 5a-jas shown is for descriptive purposes only, and that other variations for accomplishing the described entry, selections or commands to the features of the RPAC method and apparatus may be employed without departing from the principles of or exceeding the scope of the present invention.

[0052] Example Implementation

[0053] The present invention may be implemented using a variety of programming languages or programming techniques. One example of an implementation of the projector server 210 and the interfaces to the projector server, the host interface 240, the host discover interface 230, and the projector interface 220, is using Component Object Model (COM) objects. COM is a model for object-oriented programming. The COM specifies how objects interact and communicate witin a single application, a distributed application or between applications (e.g. client/server applications) by defining a set of standard interface. Object interfaces are groupings of semantically related functions through which a client application accesses the services of a server application.

[0054] In the COM implementation of the present invention consists of COM objects to represent the projector server 210, the projector interface 220, the host discover interface 230, and the host interface 240. A selection of the various object interfaces for these COM objects are listed below in Table 1.

[0055] Accordingly, a novel method and apparatus is described for a remote projector administration and control method and apparatus, so as to enable the remote administration and control of presentation projector resources installed in a networked enterprise environment. From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art will recognize that many other variations of the present invention are possible. In particular, while the present invention has been described as being implemented in RPAC projector server 210, and interfaces 220, 230, and 240, some of the logic may be distributed in other components of a general-purpose computer system 400. Thus, the present invention is not limited by the details described. Instead, the present invention can be practiced with modifications and alterations within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.