RESPONSE SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH DYNAMIC PERSONALITY ASSIGNMENT

• US 20090040183A1
• Filed: 08/14/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fleetwood Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fleetwood Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Ramon, David L., Glass, Michael S., Buehler, William S., Hall, Michael B., Derks, Harry G., Redder, Troy A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,340,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A response system and method of receiving remotely entered user input selections at a central location includes providing at least one base unit and a plurality of response units. A user input selection is received with each of the response units. The user input selection is communicated to the at least one base unit utilizing wireless communication. Personality data is received at each of the response units. The at least one base unit communicates with each of the response units according to the personality data of the particular one of the response units to receive a user input selection. The personality data is received by an individual one of the response units communicating with the at least one base unit at close proximity to provide personality data to that response unit.

Claims

1. A response system, comprising:

at least one base unit;

a plurality of response units, each of said response units adapted to receive a user input selection and to communicate that user input selection with said at least one base unit utilizing wireless communication;

each of said response units adapted to receive personality data, said at least one base unit communicating with each of said response units according to the personality data of the particular one of said response units to receive a user input selection; and

wherein each of said response units is adapted to communicate with said at least one base unit at close proximity to provide personality data to that response unit.

2. The response system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least one base unit including a proximity transmitter that is adapted to communicate with an individual one of said response units at close proximity to provide the personality data to that response unit.

3. The response system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said proximity transmitter is adapted to communicate with an individual one of said response units at a range of less than approximately three (3) feet.

4. The response system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said proximity transmitter is adapted to communication with an individual one of said response units at a range of less than approximately 12 inches.

5. The response system as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said response units is adapted to receive personality data by listening for communication from said proximity transmitter at close proximity to provide personality data to that response unit.

6. The response system as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said response units is adapted to receive personality data by transmitting a signal to said proximity transmitter requesting personality data for that response unit.

7. The response system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said response units are adapted to communicate with said at least one base unit at a distance greater than close proximity to communicate user input selections to said at least one base unit after personality data is supplied to those response units.

8. The response system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said proximity transmitter is adapted to communicate with that response unit with a low frequency inductive field.

9. The response system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said proximity transmitter is adapted to communicate with that response unit with a magnetic field.

10. The response system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said proximity transmitter includes a radio frequency identification tag or a radio frequency identification tag reader.

11. The response system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said proximity transmitter includes an optical bar code or an optical bar code reader.

12. The response system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said response units is adapted to receive personality data by listening for communication from said at least one base unit at close proximity to provide personality data to that response unit.

13. The response system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said response units is adapted to receive personality data by transmitting a signal to said at least one base unit at close proximity to provide personality data for that response unit.

14. The response system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least one base unit communicates with individual ones of said response units at close proximity to provide personality data to those ones of said response units and communicates with those individual ones of said response units at a distance greater than close proximity to receive the user input selections from those individual ones of said response units.

15. A method of receiving remotely entered user input selections at a central location, said method comprising:

providing at least one base unit;

providing a plurality of response units, receiving a user input selection with each of said response units and communicating that user input selection to said at least one base unit utilizing wireless communication;

receiving personality data at each of said response units, said at least one base unit communicating with each of said response units according to the personality data of the particular one of said response units to receive a user input selection; and

wherein said receiving personality data includes each of said response units communicating with said at least one base unit at close proximity to provide personality data to that response unit.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said at least one base unit including a proximity transmitter, said proximity transmitter communicating with an individual one of said response units at close proximity to provide the personality data to that response unit.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein said proximity transmitter communicates with an individual one of said response units at a range of less than approximately three (3) feet.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein said proximity transmitter communicates with an individual one of said response units at a range of less than approximately 12 inches.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein each of said response units receives personality data by listening for communication from said at least one base unit at close proximity to provide personality data to that response unit.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein each of said response units receives personality data by transmitting a signal to said proximity transmitter requesting personality data for that response unit.

21. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said response units communicate with said at least one base unit at a distance greater than close proximity to communicate user input selections to said at least one base unit after personality data is supplied to those response units.

22. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein said proximity transmitter communicates with an individual response unit with a low frequency inductive field.

23. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein said proximity transmitter communicates with an individual response unit with a magnetic field.

24. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein said proximity transmitter includes a radio frequency identification tag or a radio frequency identification tag reader.

25. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein said proximity transmitter includes an optical bar code or an optical bar code reader.

26. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein each of said response units receives personality data by listening for communication from said at least one base unit at close proximity to provide personality data to that response unit.

27. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein each of said response units receives personality data by transmitting a signal to said at least one base unit at close proximity to provide personality data for that response unit.

28. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said at least one base unit communicates with individual ones of said response units at close proximity to provide personality data to those ones of said response units and communicates with those individual ones of said response units at a distance greater than close proximity to receive the user input selections from those individual ones of said response units.