METHOD AND SYSTEM OF CONTROLLING MEDIA DEVICES CONFIGURED TO OUTPUT SIGNALS TO SURROUNDING AREA

• US 20120081231A1
• Filed: 12/06/2011
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ronald Paul Harwood
• Original Assignee: Ronald Paul Harwood
• Inventors: Harwood, Ronald Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,071,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/686.6
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

A system of controlling media devices configured for outputting signals to a surrounding area. The system including a control strategy for controlling operation of the media devices to execute operations according to a common schedule and a communications strategy for use in communicating the control strategy between the media devices in such a manner as to facilitate distribution of the control strategy to the media devices desired to operate according to the common timeline.

Claims

1. A system of controlling a plurality of wirelessly connected media devices to output media messages, the plurality of media devices being affixed to a plurality of stationary objects in order to output the media messages to areas surrounding each object, the system comprising:

a control strategy for controlling operation of the media devices to output a media message in response to a triggering event, wherein the media message to be output upon occurrence of the triggering event is stored at each media device prior to occurrence of the triggering event and each media device is configured to independently detect occurrence of the triggering event;

a communications strategy for coordinating wireless communication between the media devices;

a source configured to distribute the control strategy and the communications strategy to at least one of the media devices; and

wherein the communications strategy specifies communication of the control strategy directly from at least a first one of the media devices within a wireless communication range of the source to at least a second one of the media devices beyond the wireless communication range of the source.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the communications strategy specifies instructions for transporting the control strategy from the first one of the media devices to second one of the media devices not receiving the control strategy from the source with direct wireless communications, the direct wireless communications characterized by wireless signals issued from the first one of the media devices being received at the second one of the media devices.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the communications strategy specifies a distribution plan for distributing the control strategy from media devices receiving the control strategy from the source to at least one of the media devices beyond the wireless communication range of the source.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the media devices are lighting fixtures and the control strategy is configured to control operations of the lighting fixtures.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the media devices are audio units and the control strategy is configured to control operations of the audio units, including controlling playback of audio tracks stored on each media device.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the media devices are video units configured to display images on a display, wherein different images and sounds are displayed for different triggering events.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein at least new one of the media devices includes an initialization strategy for obtaining the control and communications strategies from another one of the media devices after the control and communications strategy is transmitted from the source, the new one of the media devices being beyond a wireless communication range of the source.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the control strategy specifies different media messages for different triggering events such that a first portion of the media devices output different media messages from a second portion of the other media devices if different triggering events are detected.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the media devices include chemical sensors for sensing the triggering events based on ambient air quality.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising configuring the media devices to facilitate electronic distribution of the control strategy from a programming source to a first portion of the media devices within a communication range of the programming source, wherein one of the first portion of the media devices then communicates the control strategy to at least a second portion of the media devices, the second portion of the media devices being beyond the communication range of the programming source.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising configuring a first one of the media devices detecting a first one of the triggering events to notify a second one of the media devices of detection of the first one of the triggering events in the event the second one of the media devices fails to detect the first one of the triggering events, wherein each of the first one and the second one of the media devices outputs the message corresponding with the first one of the triggering events specified within the control strategy.

10. A method of controlling a distributed plurality of media devices, the distributed plurality of media devices being positioned within a related geographical area to coordinate outputting messages to individuals present within the related geographical area, the method comprising:

configuring the media devices to output signals to a surrounding area according to triggering events specified within a control strategy, the control strategy specifying output of a plurality of different signals depending on a corresponding plurality of triggering events; and

configuring the media devices to facilitate electronic distribution of the control strategy from one media device to another one of the media devices according to a wireless daisy-chain communication strategy, the daisy-chain communication strategy characterized by at least a portion of the media devices directly transmitting the control strategy to at least another portion of the media devices.

13. A system for generating alerts at a number of geographically spaced apart objects comprising:

a number of alerting devices affixed to a corresponding number of the objects, the alerting devices being configured to output a message to a surrounding area depending on conditions sensed by the alerting devices for the surrounding area;

a controller configured to communicate a control strategy to the alerting devices, the control strategy specifying the messages to be outputted from the alerting devices as a function of sensed conditions; and

wherein the control strategy requires a first one of the alerting devices outputting a first one of the messages to instruct at least a second one of the alerting devices to output the first one of the messages if the at least a the second one of the altering devices fails to sense the conditions that prompted the first one of the alerting devices to output the first one of the messages; and

wherein the controller communicates the control strategy to a first portion of the alerting devices within a communication range of the source and at least a second portion of the first portion of the alerting devices within the communication range of the source communicate the control strategy to a third portion of the alerting devices beyond the communication range of the source.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the control strategy limits the first one of the alerting device to instruct no more than the at least second one of the alerting devices that are within a geographical location likely to be affected by the sensed conditions that prompted the first one of the alerting devices to output the first one of the messages.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the second and third portions of the alerting devices wirelessly communicate with each other without assistance from satellites or other antennae that are not part of the alerting devices.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the alerting devices are powered by energy used to power the objects.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the alerting devices are also powered by a battery in the event the energy used to power the objects is unavailable.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the communication range of the source is 900 feet.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the second portion of the first portion of the alerting devices wirelessly communicates the control strategy to the third portion of the alerting devices.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the objects are light poles and the second portion of the first portion of the alerting devices wirelessly transmit signals to the third portion of the alerting devices in order to communicate the control strategy thereto, wherein the signals are directly received at this third portion of the learning devices without any intermediary manipulation.