Conference system including automated equipment setup

• US 10,044,871 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2016
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crestron Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Crestron Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Bargetzi, Fred, Jackson, Daniel, Donlan, Brian, Hanson, Adam, Seferian, Ara, Leerentveld, Toine
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Tri H
• Application Number:
  US15/266,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20170006162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A conference system leveraging radio frequency communication standards for initiating a conference and controlling conference room presets. The system comprises a processor, a memory, a data storage device, a display, and at least one communication interface configured to enable communications with a remote server and one or more RF beacons, wherein the one or more RF beacons are configured for periodically broadcasting a beacon ID. The system further comprises a program of instructions stored in the memory and executable in the processor, the program of instructions being operable to: receive from at least one of the one or more RF beacons the beacon ID, estimate a distance to the at least one of the one or more RF beacons according to a detected signal strength of the RF beacon broadcast, determine a location based on the distance to the at least one of the one or more RF beacons, accept information defining a conference type from a plurality of conference types, each conference type being associated with preset resources, display at least one preset parameter associated with the conference type, receive preset information including a start time, an end time, and one or more settings for a preset resource, automatically associate the preset information with at least one preset resource based on the determined location and the conference type, and send to the associated preset resources at least one control command comprising the one or more settings in response to the start time.

Claims

1. A conference system comprising:

a plurality of preset resources, each preset resource being associated with a conference type;

one or more RF beacons adapted to broadcast information comprising an application identifier and a beacon ID, wherein each beacon ID is associated with one or more of the preset resources;

a portable electronic device associated with a user ID and comprising a display, at least one processor, a memory associated with the at least one processor, at least one communication interface associated with the at least one processor and memory, wherein the at least one communication interface is adapted to enable communications with the one or more RF beacons, wherein the processor is adapted to load at least one program of instructions stored in the memory, which when executed by the processor, cause acts to be performed comprising;

receive from at least one of the one or more RF beacons the broadcasted information including the application identifier and beacon ID;

transmit the broadcasted information to an application stored on the portable electronic device that is associated with the application identifier;

estimate a distance to the at least one of the one or more RF beacons according to a detected signal strength of the RF beacon broadcast;

determine a location of the portable electronic device based on the distance to the at least one of the one or more RF beacons;

accept information defining a conference type selected from a plurality of conference types;

display at least one preset parameter associated with the conference type;

receive preset information in response to the at least one displayed preset parameter, the preset information including a start time, an end time, and one or more settings for a preset resource;

automatically associate the preset information with at least one preset resource based on a beacon ID received from a nearest RF beacon and the selected conference type; and

send to the associated preset resources at least one control command comprising the one or more settings in response to the start time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the program of instructions further cause acts to be performed comprising:

determine an access level of the user ID to the location by communicating with a remote server.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the conference type includes a discussion, a presentation, an audio call, and a video call.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the conference type comprises a presentation, wherein the one or more settings comprises a shared document, wherein the presentation conference type is associate with preset resources configured for presenting presentations, and wherein the at least one control command comprises a command to display the shared document.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the conference type comprises an audio call, wherein the one or more settings comprises audio call access information, wherein the audio call conference type is associate with preset resources configured for dialing audio calls, and wherein the at least one control command comprises a command to dial an audio call using the audio call access information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the conference type comprises a video call, wherein the one or more settings comprises a video call access information, wherein the video call conference type is associate with preset resources configured for dialing video calls, and wherein the at least one control command comprises a command to dial a video call using the audio call access information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the program of instructions further cause acts to be performed comprising:

receive room environment settings;

automatically associate the room environment settings with at least one preset resource associated with the location and configured for altering environment settings in the room; and

send at least one control command to control the associated at least one preset resource according to the room environment settings in response to the start time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the program of instructions further cause acts to be performed comprising:

access a project file comprising information regarding preset resources associated with the determined location.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control command consists of at least one selected from:

(a) power on/off at least one of video projector, CD player, touch panel, audio system device, camera, DVD/DVR player, and VCR, and (b) control at least one of light system device, touch panel, blinds/shades, HVAC system, security system, sensor system, and local computer.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the program of instructions further cause acts to be performed comprising:

display a start recording icon;

receive an input selecting the start recording icon; and

send at least one command to control a presentation capture device in response to the selection of the start recording icon.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the beacon ID comprises a uniform resource locator (URL) to the remote server.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more RF beacons is configured for periodically transmitting the beacon ID according to Bluetooth 4.0 low energy protocols.

13. A conference system comprising:

a plurality of preset resources, each preset resource being associated with a conference type;

one or more RF beacons adapted to broadcast information comprising an application identifier and a beacon ID, wherein each beacon ID is associated with one or more of the preset resources;

a portable electronic device associated with a user ID and comprising a display, at least one processor, a memory associated with the at least one processor at least one communication interface associated with the at least one processor and memory, wherein the at least one communication interface is adapted to enable communications with the one or more RF beacons, wherein the processor is adapted to load at least one program of instructions stored in the memory, which when executed by the processor, cause acts to be performed comprising;

receive from at least one of the one or more RF beacons the broadcasted information including the application identifier and beacon ID;

transmit the broadcasted information to an application stored on the portable electronic device that is associated with the application identifier;

estimate a distance to the at least one of the one or more RF beacons according to a detected signal strength of the RF beacon broadcast;

determine a location of the portable electronic device based on the distance to the at least one of the one or more RF beacons;

accept information defining a conference type selected from a plurality of conference types;

display at least one preset parameter associated with the conference type;

receive preset information in response to the at least one displayed preset parameter, the preset information including a start time, an end time, and one or more settings for a preset resource;

automatically associate the preset information with at least one preset resource based on a beacon ID received from a nearest RF beacon and the selected conference type; and

send to the associated preset resources at least one control command comprising the one or more settings in response to an indication to start the conference.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the program of instructions further cause acts to be performed comprising:

display a start conference icon;

receive an input selecting the start conference icon; and

send the at least one command to control the associated preset resources in response to the selection of the start conference icon.