Initiating Schedule Management Via Radio Frequency Beacons

• US 20140108084A1
• Filed: 10/14/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Crestron Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Crestron Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Bargetzi, Fred, Jackson, Daniel, Donlan, Brian
• Application Number:
  US14/053,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20140108084A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.19
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/751 Comparing pixel values or logical combinations thereof, or feature values having positional relevance, e.g. template matching
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/12 Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 : Handheld terminals
• 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 7/155 : involving storage of or access to video conference sessions tracking arrangements for later retrieval of a computer conference content or participants activities H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

A portable electronic device receives broadcasts from one or more RF beacons to determine a location of a user and communicates with a scheduling server to manage the schedule of a conference room. The portable electronic device receives an address and an application identifier from each RF beacon and opens a scheduling application in response. The portable electronic device then communicates with a scheduling server to receive the schedule of the location determined from the beacon broadcasts. The user may reserve the location and set a number of presets through the scheduling application. Updates to the schedule are communicated to the scheduling server from the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A system for accessing a schedule of a location:

(a) one or more RF beacons configured for periodically broadcasting an application identifier and a beacon ID; and

(b) a portable electronic device identified by a user ID and comprising a first network interface configured for enabling communication between the portable electronic device and the one or more RF beacons, a second network interface configured for enabling communication between the portable electronic device and a scheduling server, a display, a memory encoding one or more processor-executable instructions and a processor configured to load the one or more processor-executable instructions when encoded from the memory wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause acts to be performed comprising

(i) receiving from at least one of the one or more RF beacons a beacon ID and the application identifier via the first network interface of the portable electronic device,

(ii) opening a scheduling application associated with the application identifier,

(iii) estimating 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,

(iv) determining a location of the portable electronic device based on the distance to the at least one of the one or more RF beacons,

(v) receiving from a scheduling server, a schedule of the location of the portable electronic device, and

(vi) displaying the schedule of the location on the display.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the schedule is displayed as one or more selectable time periods and wherein each of the time periods comprises a status indicator.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising determining an access level of the user ID.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising:

(a) accepting information detailing a meeting;

(b) receiving preset information of the meeting including a start time and an end time; and

(c) communicating with the scheduling server to update the schedule of the location.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising:

(a) communicating the user ID of the portable electronic device to the scheduling server.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising:

(a) accepting information defining a meeting type, the meeting type being associated with preset resources.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising:

(a) accepting information defining one or more settings for the preset resource.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising:

(a) sending at least one command to control the preset resource in response to the start time and the end time.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising:

(a) receiving an input selecting one or more of the selectable time periods;

(b) displaying a menu comprising one or more selectable operational icons;

(c) receiving an input selecting one of the one or more selectable operational icons; and

(d) sending at least one command to control a preset resource in response to receiving the input selecting one of the one or more selectable operational icons.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the one or more operational icons comprise a start meeting icon and a stop meeting icon.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the one or more operational icons comprises a start recording icon and a stop recording icon and the preset resource is a presentation capture device.

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

13. A system for accessing a schedule of a location:

(a) three or more RF beacons each configured for periodically broadcasting an application identifier, a beacon ID and a scheduling server ID; and

(b) a portable electronic device identified by a user ID and comprising a first network interface configured for enabling communication between the portable electronic device and the one or more RF beacons, a second network interface configured for enabling communication between the portable electronic device and a scheduling server, a display, a memory encoding one or more processor-executable instructions and a processor configured to load the one or more processor-executable instructions when encoded from the memory wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause acts to be performed comprising

(i) receiving from at least three of the three or more RF beacons, the beacon ID of each of the at least three RF beacons and the application identifier via the first network interface of the portable electronic device,

(ii) opening a scheduling application associated with the application identifier,

(iii) estimating a first distance, a second distance and a third distance to three of the three or more RF beacons according to a detected signal strength of the RF beacon,

(iv) determining a location of the portable electronic device based on the first distance, second distance and third distance via trilateration,

(v) receiving from a scheduling server a schedule of the location associated with the location of the portable electronic device,

(vi) displaying the schedule on the display as one or more selectable time periods and wherein each of the time periods comprises a status indicator,

(vii) receiving an input selecting one or more of the selectable time periods,

(viii) displaying a menu comprising one or more selectable operational icons,

(ix) receiving an input selecting one of the one or more selectable operational icons, and

(x) sending at least one command to control a preset resource in response to receiving the input selecting one of the one or more selectable operational icons.

14. A method for managing a schedule of a location comprising the steps of:

(a) providing one or more RF beacons, each of the one or more RF beacons configured for periodically broadcasting an application identifier and a beacon ID;

(b) receiving at a portable electronic device from each of one or more RF beacons a beacon ID and an application identifier via a first network interface of the portable electronic device;

(c) opening a scheduling application associated with the application identifier on the portable electronic device;

(d) estimating a distance to the at least one of the one or more RF beacons according to a detected signal strength of the RF beacon;

(e) determining a location of the portable electronic device based on the distance to the at least one of the one or more RF beacons;

(f) establishing communication with a scheduling server storing the schedule of the location;

(g) transmitting the location and a user ID of the portable electronic device to the scheduling server;

(h) receiving from a scheduling server the schedule of the location; and

(i) displaying on the display the schedule of the location.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of determining whether a user of the portable electronic device may access the schedule of the location according to the user ID.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the schedule comprises one or more selectable time periods further comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a user input selecting one or more time periods; and

(b) displaying information associated with meeting type if the location is reserved during the selected time periods.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a start meeting icon as a selectable icon;

(b) receiving a user input selecting the start meeting icon; and

(c) sending at least one command to control a preset resource in response to the selection of the start meeting icon.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the meeting type is a video call and the at least one command comprises a command to control a video source.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a start recording icon as a selectable icon;

(b) receiving a user input selecting the start recording icon; and

(c) sending at least one command to control a presentation capture device in response to the selection of the start recording icon.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a reservation content page if the location is vacant; and

(b) accepting information defining a start time and an end time of a meeting.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of updating the schedule by communicating the start time and the end time to a scheduling server.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of associating the user ID of the portable electronic device with the meeting.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of accepting information defining a meeting type, the meeting type being associated with a preset resource.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of sending at least one command to control the preset resource in response to the start time and the end time.

25. The method of the claim 22 further comprising the step of accepting information defining one or more settings of the preset resource.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of sending at least one command to control the preset resource in response to the one or more settings.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of accepting information defining shared documentation comprising a file location.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of sending at least one command to display the shared documentation in response to the start time and the end time.