WIRELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20030153321A1
• Filed: 01/30/2003
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fleetwood Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fleetwood Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Glass, Michael S., Derks, Harry G.
• Application Number:
  US10/248,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20030153321A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A wireless response system includes a base unit and a plurality of handheld response units communicating with the base unit over a wireless communication link. The base unit sends polling commands to the response units over the wireless communication. The response units send the response data to the base unit over the wireless communication link in response to the polling signals. The response data is entered in the respective response units by a user.

Claims

1. A wireless response system, comprising:

at least one base unit and a plurality of handheld response units communicating with said at least one base unit over at least one wireless communication link;

said at least one base unit sending polling signals to said response units over said at least one wireless communication link;

said response units sending response data to said at least one base unit over said at least one wireless communication link in response to one of the polling signals, the response data being entered in the respective response unit by a user;

said at least one communication link comprising a plurality of transmitters at said at least one base unit and at least one receiver at each of said response units, said transmitters being synchronized in order to send polling signals having a particular temporal relationship with each other thereby avoiding one of said transmitters sending polling signals while another of said transmitters is attempting to receive response data.

2. The response system of claim 1 wherein said at least one wireless communication links comprises at least two communication links and wherein said transmitters are operable on separate frequency channels.

3. The response system of claim 2 wherein said at least one base unit comprises at least two base units and including at least one of said transmitters at each of said at least two base units.

4. The response system of claim 1 wherein at least two of said transmitters are at each of said at least one base unit.

5. The response system of claim 4 wherein said at least two of said transmitters send said polling signals at separate times.

6. The response system of claim 5 wherein said transmitters are physically spaced apart.

7. The response system of claim 1 wherein said temporal relationship comprises said polling signals being sent substantially concurrently.

8. The response system of claim 1 wherein said temporal relationship comprises said polling signals being sent sequentially.

9. A wireless response system, comprising:

a base unit and a plurality of handheld response units communicating with said base unit over a wireless communication link;

said base unit sending polling signals to said response units over said wireless communication link;

said response units sending response data to said base unit over said wireless communication link in response to one of the polling signals, the response data being entered in the respective response unit by a user;

said communication link comprising at least two transmitters at said base unit and at least one receiver at each of said response units, said at least two transmitters sending a same one of said polling signals from each of said at least two transmitters at separate times.

10. The response system of claim 9 wherein said polling signals are encoded with information identifying the one of said at least two transmitters from which they were sent.

11. The response system of claim 10 wherein said polling signals are also encoded with information identifying which of the response units should act upon the respective polling signal.

12. The response system of claim 9 wherein said at least two transmitters being physically spaced apart.

13. The response system of claim 9 wherein said at least two transmitters comprise at least two two-way transceivers.

14. The response system of claim 9 wherein said communication link includes response transmitters at said response units for transmitting the response data.

15. The response system of claim 14 wherein said at least two transmitters and said response transmitters have substantially equal transmission power levels.

16. The response system of claim 14 including one of said response transmitters at each of said response units.

17. The response system of claim 9 wherein said wireless communication link comprises at least one chosen from an RF link and IR link.

22. The response system of claim 14 wherein each of said communication links comprising at least two transmitters at the respective one of said base units and at least one receiver at each of the corresponding said response units, said at least two transmitters sending a same one of said polling signals from each of said at least two transmitters at separate times.

23. The response system of claim 22 wherein said polling signals are encoded with information identifying the transmitter from which they were sent.

24. The response system of claim 23 wherein said polling signals are also encoded with information identifying which of the response units should act upon the respective polling signal.

25. The response system of claim 22 wherein said at least two transmitters being physically spaced apart.

26. The response system of claim 22 wherein said at least two transmitters comprise at least two two-way transceivers.

18. A wireless response system, comprising:

a plurality of base units and a plurality of handheld response units, said response units communicating with said base units over a plurality of wireless communication links;

said base units sending polling signals to said response units over said wireless communication links;

said response units sending response data over said wireless communication links to corresponding ones of said base units in response to the polling signals, the response data being entered in the respective response unit by a user;

said plurality of base units being synchronized in order to send polling signals having a particular temporal relationship with each other, thereby avoiding one of said base units sending polling signals while another of said base units is attempting to receive response data.

19. The response system of claim 18 wherein said base units are synchronized by direct cable connection between the base units.

20. The response system of claim 18 wherein said base units are synchronized by a network supplying a global command simultaneously to said base units.

21. The response system of claim 18 wherein said communication links occupy different frequency channels.

27. The response system of claim 18 wherein said communication links include response transmitters at said response units for transmitting the response data.

28. The response system of claim 18 wherein said temporal relationship comprises said polling signals being sent substantially concurrently.

29. The response system of claim 18 wherein said temporal relationship comprises said polling signals being sent sequentially.

30. The response system of claim 18 wherein said wireless communication link comprises at least one chosen from an RF link and an IR link.

31. A wireless method of retrieving response data from a plurality of users, comprising:

providing at least one base unit and a plurality of handheld response units;

communicating between said response units and said at least one base unit over at least one wireless communication link;

sending polling signals from said at least one base unit to said response units over said at least one wireless communication link;

entering response data in the respective response unit by a user;

sending response data from said response units to said at least one base unit over said at least one wireless communication link in response to one of the polling signals;

said at least one communication link comprising a plurality of transmitters at said at least one base unit and at least one receiver at each of said response units,

synchronizing said transmitters in order to send polling signals having a particular temporal relationship with each other thereby avoiding one of said transmitters sending polling signals while another of said transmitters is attempting to receive response data.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said at least one wireless communication link comprises at least two communication links and wherein said transmitters are operable on separate frequency channels.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said at least one base unit comprises at least two base units and including at least one of said transmitters at each of said at least two base units.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein at least two of said transmitters are at each of said at least one base unit.

35. The method of claim 34 including sending said polling signals from said at least two of said transmitters at separate times.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said transmitters are physically spaced apart.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein said temporal relationship comprises sending said polling signals substantially concurrently.

38. The method of claim 31 wherein said temporal relationship comprises sending said polling signals sequentially.

39. A wireless method of retrieving response data from a plurality of users, comprising:

providing a base unit and a plurality of handheld response units;

communicating between said response units and said base unit over a wireless communication link;

sending polling signals from said base unit to said response units over said wireless communication link;

entering response data in the respective response unit by a user;

sending response data from said response units to said base unit over said wireless communication link in response to the polling signals;

said communication link comprising at least two transmitters at said base unit and at least one receiver at each of said response units; and

sending a same one of said polling signals from each of said at least two transmitters at spaced separate times.

40. The method of claim 39 including encoding said polling signals with information identifying the one of said at least two transmitters from which they were sent.

41. The method of claim 40 including encoding said polling signals with information identifying which of the response units should act upon the respective polling signal.

42. The method of claim 39 wherein said at least two transmitters being physically spaced apart.

43. The method of claim 39 wherein said at least two transmitters comprise at least two two-way transceivers.

44. The method of claim 40 wherein said communication link includes response transmitters at said response units for transmitting the response data.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein said at least two transmitters and said response transmitters have substantially equal transmission power levels.

46. The method of claim 44 including providing one of said response transmitters at each of said response units.

47. The method of claim 39 wherein said wireless communication link comprises at least one chosen from an RF link and an IR link.

48. A wireless method of retrieving response data from a plurality of users, comprising:

providing a plurality of base units and a plurality of handheld response units;

communicating between said response units and said base units over a plurality of wireless communication links;

sending polling signals from said base units to said response units over said wireless communication links;

entering the response data in the respective response unit by a user;

sending response data from said response units over said wireless communication links to corresponding ones of said base units in response to the polling signals; and

synchronizing said plurality of base units in order to send polling signals having a particular temporal relationship with each other, thereby avoiding one of said base units sending polling signals while another of said base units is attempting to receive response data.

49. The method of claim 48 including synchronizing said base units by direct cable connection between the base units.

50. The method of claim 48 including synchronizing said base units by a network supplying a global command simultaneously to said base units.

51. The method of claim 48 wherein said communication links occupy different frequency channels.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein each of said communication links comprising at least two transmitters at the respective one of said base units and at least one receiver at each of the corresponding said response units, said at least two transmitters sending a same one of said polling signals from each of said at least two transmitters at separate times.

53. The method of claim 52 including encoding said polling signals with information identifying the transmitter from which they were sent.

54. The method of claim 53 including encoding said polling signals with information identifying which of the response units should act upon the respective polling signal.

55. The method of claim 52 wherein said at least two transmitters being physically spaced apart.

56. The method of claim 52 wherein said at least two transmitters comprise at least two two-way transceivers.

57. The method of claim 48 wherein said communication links include response transmitters at said response units for transmitting the response data.

58. The method of claim 48 wherein said temporal relationship comprises sending said polling signals being substantially concurrently.

59. The method of claim 48 wherein said temporal relationship comprises sending said polling signals sequentially.

60. The method of claim 48 wherein said communication links comprise at least one chosen from an RF link and an IR link.