Method and device for synchronizing the content of a presentation given by a speaker with the audience.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method (100) for synchronizing the content of a presentation by a presenter (22) with listeners, comprising sharing (101) the content of the presentation, comprising several slides of a presenter (22), with listeners, such that a slide currently shown by the presenter is synchronously displayed in real time on playback devices (24) of the listeners (102). Furthermore, the method (100) comprises making the slide available (103) in such a way that the listeners can save and / or comment on the currently displayed slide, wherein the method (100) includes determining (104) information about the listeners' activity regarding saving and / or commenting on the slide.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and a device for synchronizing the content of a presentation given by a speaker with listeners according to the independent claims.

[0002] Methods for synchronizing the content of a presentation with the audience are generally known in the prior art. For example, US 8,887,052 B1 discloses a method for synchronizing content between different playback devices. However, a disadvantage of the known prior art is that it does not sufficiently address the audience's need to save, comment on, or annotate relevant information from the presentation content, nor the presenter's need to receive feedback on their presentation and to better identify and attract potential customers and interested parties.

[0003] The aforementioned problem is solved by a method for synchronizing the content of a presentation between a speaker and the audience. This method involves sharing the content of the speaker's presentation with the audience by displaying a slide currently being shown by the speaker simultaneously on the audience's playback device in real time. The presentation comprises several slides. The slides are primarily shown during the speaker's presentation. Therefore, the currently displayed slide is preferably shown on the speaker's playback device and simultaneously on the respective playback devices of the audience. The speaker's playback device is assigned to them. It does not necessarily have to be a playback device owned by the speaker, but rather one assigned to them for the purpose of the presentation.

[0004] The playback devices can be mobile devices and / or computers of any kind. Usually, during a presentation, the content is shown on the presenter's playback device and simultaneously projected onto a surface for the audience.

[0005] The slide is provided in such a way that the audience can save and / or comment on the currently displayed slide, e.g. by adding an annotation, whereby the procedure includes determining information about the activity of the audience in relation to saving and / or commenting on the slide.

[0006] The method is, in particular, a computer-implemented procedure that allows the sharing of presentation slides in real time.

[0007] Preferably, at least one slide should be provided in real time. It can be provided as a PDF, image, and / or audio file. The audio file contains the spoken content of the slide, which can be particularly valuable for visually impaired users.

[0008] This allows for the provision of content in various file types, preferably in two different formats: firstly, through different file types, and secondly, through a dedicated application, such as an app, in which a large number of presentations and content will be stored in the future. The file types are compatible with common note-taking applications such as OneNote, Apple Notes, Samsung Notes, Evernote, and GoodNotes. This allows users, in other words, the audience, to flexibly create and manage their content in their preferred applications. Common file formats such as PDF are also supported. In particular, the different file types for storage can be made available to each audience member. Ideally, the slide can be provided in such a way that its content is unalterable, e.g.,...because the slide is provided as an image and / or as a PDF and / or as an audio file, but it is possible to add content to the slide, e.g. comments, preferably annotations.

[0009] The slide is therefore not saved by taking a screenshot (saving an image of the slide), but rather in one of the file types mentioned above. This allows for commenting on, and especially annotating or enriching, the slide. Furthermore, the content of the slide can be extracted, for example, through optical character recognition (OCR), enabling commenting on and / or copying of the text content.

[0010] This feature allows audience members to annotate the slides, meaning they can insert their own text and / or images. These annotations can include spoken content from the presenter, notes, and / or sketches that can be saved directly during the presentation. Crucially, the content of these notes cannot be shared to protect the privacy of the audience.

[0011] Commenting can also include annotating. This means, for example, that content on the slide can be highlighted. The slide can also be annotated with predefined annotations. These annotations can include reactions. For example, viewers can assign a rating to a slide, such as "I like it," "Applause," "I support it," "Wonderful," "Inspiring," or "Funny." In other words, the ratings indicate whether the slide is well-received. An annotation can also be a task and / or a list of tasks, a so-called to-do list, that is linked to a slide and / or the entire presentation.

[0012] Furthermore, saving the slide does not occur via a link and / or data transfer, which is typically enabled after the conclusion of a presentation or lecture so that listeners can download relevant content from a presentation, but rather a listener can directly save and / or comment on the currently displayed slide in real time, e.g. annotate it.

[0013] The present invention thus addresses the need of listeners, or in other words, the audience, to directly save relevant information during a lecture or presentation. In the prior art, this is often done by photographing the slide with a mobile device or by taking screenshots. However, this presents several challenges, such as poor image quality due to unfavorable lighting conditions or the listener's seating position. Listeners are also distracted and less attentive during the recording process. Furthermore, the storage location is unsuitable, as screenshots are saved in the mobile device's private image gallery. Finally, taking a screenshot involves a significant amount of manual effort to link slides with appropriate notes.

[0014] By allowing listeners to save the slide directly in real time, the aforementioned challenges are solved. As soon as a listener sees a slide they wish to save, they can save it directly to their own playback device in a desired file format, preferably in a desired location (e.g., Apple Notes, OneNote), and simultaneously add comments, notes, or other annotations.

[0015] In a further step, information regarding audience activity, specifically saving and / or commenting on the slides, can be shared with the presenter and / or an event organizer. The event organizer could be, for example, the organizer of the lecture or lecture series.

[0016] The activity information serves primarily as feedback for the presenter and / or the organizer. This information can be slide-specific, meaning it can relate to each individual slide. For example, the information might include how often a slide was saved by the audience. It could also include how often a slide was commented on and / or how often a slide was annotated with a predefined annotation. Furthermore, it might include information on the type of annotations used. The information could also include the number of saved slides from a presentation. Specifically, this information can be used to analyze how many slides from a presentation were saved, which slides were saved, and whether the audience liked the slides.

[0017] The information can also include the average viewing time of the audience in relation to a slide. Specifically, it allows audience members to exit synchronization mode, in which the currently displayed slide is shown simultaneously on their own device, and to view and / or comment on a slide for a longer period. Viewing time thus refers to the time the audience member spent engaging with a slide outside of synchronization mode.

[0018] Furthermore, the information can include when, for example, from which slide, how many listeners left the presentation. Ideally, at least some of the listeners are participating remotely. Leaving the presentation can therefore be determined, for example, by closing a relevant application on the playback device.

[0019] The process can collect and store the aforementioned information and then forward it to the presenter and / or event organizer. Specifically, the aforementioned information relating to audience activity, such as saving and / or commenting on the slides, can be shared with the presenter and / or event organizer along with personal information about the audience. This personal information may include contact details, profile information (e.g., from social media), and / or professional or employment-related data, such as industry, job title, employer, or company. Specifically, information regarding audience activity, such as saving and / or commenting on the slides, is considered presentation feedback.This allows the presenter to obtain information about how many slides were saved, which slides were saved most frequently, and which slides generated the most interaction. This data is a valuable tool for optimizing future presentations. Combined with personal data, the presenter can adapt and optimize the content of future presentations. The personal data can be used for analyses regarding potential customers and / or prospects. The presenter can receive a pre-filtered selection of contacts for potential sales and / or networking activities.

[0020] In particular, the procedure can involve gathering the aforementioned information regarding a large number of presentations, preferably from the same event. Specifically, information about the numerous presentations by different speakers can be shared with the speakers and / or the event organizer, for example, within the context of an event. For instance, in a lecture series, this information could include how actively an attendee saved and / or commented on slides during the series. This information could, for example, be presented in a chronological format.

[0021] The information can also include an audience evaluation of the presenter. Information about the numerous presentations is preferably passed on to the presenters or the organizer. This constitutes event feedback that allows conclusions to be drawn about which presentations and / or presenters were rated particularly positively. This feedback can be understood as speaker feedback or a speaker review and may also include an explicit evaluation of the presenter.

[0022] Presentations and lectures can also be assigned to predefined topics, for example, automatically assigned and analyzed using algorithms. Based on the corresponding information, such as the frequency with which slides were saved, commented on, and / or annotated, it's possible to determine which topics were most popular. This can be deduced, for example, from which presentation was saved most frequently, or at least a large proportion of its slides, or which lecture generated the most audience reactions. Using the aforementioned information regarding activity such as saving, commenting, and / or rating the presenters, verified data about the presenters can be obtained.The more saved slides and positive feedback a presentation and its presenter receive, the stronger the signal, especially for the event organizer, to invite that presenter for future presentations. This allows for the long-term development of a database that significantly simplifies the search for presenters for events.

[0023] In particular, the procedure can include providing a selection option based on presenter. For example, if a topic area is specified, the presentations already given on that topic and / or the corresponding presenters can be displayed based on the information about the aforementioned activity, thus facilitating the selection of the presenter or presentations.

[0024] In another aspect, the invention relates to a device for synchronizing the content of a presentation given by a presenter with the audience. The device comprises a slide management module that enables the sharing of the presentation content, comprising several slides, with the audience, such that a slide currently being shown by the presenter is displayed synchronously in real time on the audience's playback devices. Furthermore, it is possible to directly load and play a presentation from the slide management system via an interface.

[0025] The slide is presented in such a way that the audience can save and / or annotate the currently displayed slide. Furthermore, the device includes an evaluation module designed to detect audience activity related to saving and / or annotating the slides. Specifically, the device can be understood as an application on a playback device that allows presentation content displayed on the presenter's device to be simultaneously displayed on the audience's device. As described above, saving in the aforementioned file types is also enabled. The audience can thus save the currently displayed slide in a previously selected file type and / or annotate it as described above.The evaluation module serves to determine information about the activity of the listeners and preferably to view the collected personal data of the listeners, and is designed to pass the relevant information on to the speaker and / or the organizer.

[0026] The slide management module primarily includes an interface that allows data uploads by the organizer and / or presenter and data downloads by the audience. Furthermore, the slide management module enables a real-time connection between the presenter's (at least one) playback device and the audience's playback devices, and at least one interface for transmitting the corresponding feedback.

[0027] In the case of internal presentations—that is, presentations intended solely for internal use within a company or organization and therefore requiring a higher level of confidentiality—the identity of the organizer and presenter may be revealed. Further information can be gathered, such as which department within the company has saved the most slides, which and how many slides and / or presentations were saved and / or forwarded and / or shared within the company, and when which saved slides were viewed again. In such cases, the content of comments can also be disclosed, provided consent has been given. Furthermore, the device may...

[0028] Furthermore, the device allows for the creation of departmental and / or team accounts where important presentations and content can be stored centrally. This facilitates communication within a department and promotes optimized knowledge transfer, as relevant topics are stored centrally. It also significantly simplifies the process when team members want to present new content after a conference, as this content is immediately accessible.

[0029] The device can comprise two application modules, preferably software modules: one for the presenter and one for the organizer, and / or a combined version for organizations. The organizer module allows for the automated processing and collection of various presentations and file formats from individual presenters. Presentations in different formats, such as PDF, PowerPoint, or Apple Keynote, can be automatically captured and presented live to the audience centrally during the event. The presenter module allows them to upload and optimize their presentations for the audience. This includes making changes such as hiding specific slides and / or adding content before and / or after the presentation—for example, a short biography or a link to their latest book for sales and networking purposes.Both tools offer the possibility to analyze and evaluate the activities of the listeners.

[0030] In summary, the present invention enables a novel communication link between the audience (in other words, the listeners), the presenter, and an event organizer, creating added value for all parties. This is primarily due to the novel data analysis and evaluation capabilities, which benefit both the presenter and the organizer, made possible by saving and annotating slides. The collected data thus serves as optimized data sources for the presenter and / or the organizer.

[0031] They show in a purely schematic representation Fig. 1. A procedural diagram of a process for synchronizing the content of a presentation by a speaker with the audience; Fig. 2. a device for synchronizing the content of a presentation given by a speaker with the audience; and Fig. 3. Another device for synchronizing the content of a speaker's presentation with the audience.

[0032] Fig. Figure 1 shows a method 100 for synchronizing the content of a presentation given by a presenter with the audience, where the presentation comprises several slides. In a first step, the content of a presentation is shared with the audience 101, such that a slide currently shown by the presenter is synchronously displayed in real time on the audience's playback devices 102.

[0033] A feature is provided that allows listeners to save and / or comment on the slide being shown. The slide can be made available in real time, for example, as a PDF, image, and / or audio file (for visually impaired people). For instance, a PowerPoint presentation can be converted into a PDF or an image.

[0034] Procedure 100 involves gathering information 104 about audience activity related to saving and / or commenting on the slides and forwarding 105 the relevant information to the presenter and / or organizer. Furthermore, personal information may be forwarded 106.

[0035] The procedure 100 can include the relevant information about the activity relating to a large number of presentations by different speakers, so that this relevant information can be determined 110 and passed on to the speakers and / or the organizer 111.

[0036] Fig. Figure 2 shows a device 10 for synchronizing the content of a presenter's presentation with the audience. The device 10 includes a slide management module 13, which can receive presentations 30 by uploading them. A presenter 22 can retrieve the relevant content of a presentation 30 from the slide management module 13 on their playback device 23. A real-time link 16 is established between the presenter's 22 playback device 23 and the audience's playback devices 24, so that the content of the currently displayed slide 31, which is schematically shown in Fig. Figure 2 shows the presentation simultaneously and in real time on the playback devices 24 of the audience. The diagram illustrates how the audience can annotate and save the slides with notes 17. Information about audience activity is evaluated and stored using the evaluation module 12. Presentation feedback 14 is sent back to the presenter 22, while event feedback 15 can also be forwarded to the organizer 25. This event feedback 15 can also include ratings and / or personal data of the presenter.

[0037] In Fig. Figure 3 shows another device for synchronizing the content of a presentation by a speaker with the audience, analogous to the Fig.2 is trained, and a database 50 is also shown here, to which information about the activity, including person-specific data, can be evaluated and stored using the evaluation module 12. The slide management module 13 is shown again, as are the playback devices 24 of the audience and the playback device 23 of the presenter. The database 50, the playback device 24 of the audience, and the slide management module 13 are connected via a network 40.

[0038] Furthermore, the presenter 22 and the organizer 25 are shown receiving the corresponding feedback, namely the presentation feedback 14 for the presenter and the event feedback 15 for the organizer 25.

[0039] If it is an internal presentation or a lecture series, the organizer 25 and the speaker 22 are combined in one person, whereby the feedback is also issued together, i.e. the presentation feedback 14 and the event feedback 15 are passed on together. Reference symbol list 100 methods for synchronizing the content of a speaker's presentation with the audience 101 parts of the presentation content comprising several slides of a presenter with audience 102 Displaying a slide currently being shown by the presenter synchronously on a playback device of the audience 103 Providing the slide in real time 104 Identifying information about audience activity regarding saving and / or commenting on the slides 105 Passing on the information to the speaker and / or an organizer 106 Disclosure of personal information about the audience to the speaker and / or organizer 110 Identifying information about audience activity in relation to saving and / or commenting on slides across a large number of presentations by different speakers 111. Dissemination of information about the numerous presentations to speakers and / or organizers 10 Device for synchronizing the content of a presentation by a speaker with the audience 12 Evaluation module 13 Slide Management Module 14 Presentation feedback 15 Event Feedback 16 Real-time linking 17 notes 22 Speaker 23 Playback device Presenter 24 playback device listener 25 organizers 30 Presentation Slide 31 40 Network 50 database QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] US 8,887,052 B1

[0002]

Claims

[1] Method (100) for synchronizing the content of a presentation by a presenter (22) with the audience, characterized by that, the method (100) comprises sharing (101) the content of the presentation comprising several slides of a presenter (22) with listeners, such that a slide currently shown by the presenter is synchronously displayed in real time on playback devices (24) of the listeners (102), wherein the method (100) comprises making the slide available (103) in such a way that the listener can save and / or comment on the slide currently shown, and wherein the procedure (100) includes obtaining (104) information about an activity of the audience relating to saving and / or commenting on the slides. [2] Method (100) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the procedure (100) includes making (103) the slide available in real time. [3] Method (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the procedure (100) includes the disclosure (105) of the information to the presenter (22) and / or an organizer (25). [4] Method (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the information includes the frequency with which a slide was remembered by the audience. [5] Method (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the information includes the frequency with which a slide was commented on. [6] Method (100) according to claim 5, characterized by , that the information (100) includes the type of previously defined annotations used. [7] Method (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the information includes the number of saved slides of a presentation. [8] Method (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the information includes the average viewing time of the audience in relation to a slide. [9] Method (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the procedure (100) involves the disclosure (106) of personal information about the audience to the speaker (22) and / or organizer (25). [10] Method (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the procedure (100) involves identifying (110) information about an activity of the audience relating to saving and / or commenting on the slides relating to a large number of presentations by different speakers. [11] Method (100) according to claim 10, characterized by that the information includes the audience's respective evaluation of the speakers. [12] Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims 10 or 11, characterized bythat the procedure (100) includes the disclosure (111) of the information to the presenters (22) and / or the organizer (25). [13] Device (10) for synchronizing the content of a presentation by a presenter (22) with listeners, characterized by that, the device (10) comprises a slide management module (13) which is configured to share the content of the presentation comprising several slides of a presenter (22) with listeners, such that a slide currently shown by the presenter is synchronously shown in real time on playback devices of the listeners, wherein the slide management module (13) is further configured to make the slide available in such a way that the audience can save and / or comment on the currently shown slide, and wherein the device (10) comprises an evaluation module (12) designed to determine information about the activity of the audience in relation to saving and / or commenting on the slides.

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