Audience participation system

• US 5,273,437 A
• Filed: 05/14/1993
• Issued: 12/28/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson
• Original Assignee: Johnson & Johnson
• Inventors: Caldwell, Frank, Nolan, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US08/062,487
• Time in Patent Office: 228 Days
• Field of Search: 434/350, 434/351, 434/322, 434/352, 455/2, 358/84, 358/85, 358/86
• US Class Current: 434/351
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/12 different stations being capable of presenting different information simultaneously G09B5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/063 with hand-placed probe or plug
• 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

An audience participation system and method utilizing wireless transmission is provided. The system includes a plurality of modules in the possession of an audience, each module having a keypad or other means which is activated by a member of the audience in order for the audience to respond to a question posed by the speaker during his presentation. After the speaker poses a question, the audience responds by supplying information through a physical input into the module. The module then encodes the information provided into an encoded electrical pattern. This encoded electrical pattern is modulated into an electromagnetic signal which is then electromagnetically transmitted. A base station has a receiver for capturing the electromagnetic signal which is then demodulated into the encoded electrical pattern originally transmitted. The data are retrieved and collected, and then statistically analyzed according to the wishes of the speaker and displayed to present a statistical analysis of the combined audience response to the question posed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communication between a speaker and his audience, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of audience modules, each module having;

input means activatable by a member of the audience, encoding means for transforming the response represented by said input into an encoded electrical pattern, a modulator for producing an electromagnetic signal corresponding to said encoded electrical pattern, means for including module identifying information associated with said audience module in the modulated electromagnetic signal, a first transmitter for sending said electromagnetic signal, where at least two of said plurality of audience modules have first transmitters with the same transmission frequency, means for entering audience member identifying information pertaining to the audience member using said module into said audience module for transmission with the modulated electromagnetic signal, and a first receiver for capturing an electromagnetic signal containing a cue for said first transmitter to initiate transmission of said encoded electrical pattern;

a base station for use by the speaker, said base station having a second transmitter for transmitting an electromagnetic signal containing said cue to said audience module that the base station is prepared to receive a transmission from one of said plurality of audience modules designated by said module identifying information a second receiver for capturing said electromagnetic signals produced by a plurality of audience modules, a demodulator for reproducing said encoded electrical pattern, collection means for storing information encoded in said encoded electrical pattern, a computer for performing statistical analysis upon said information, and a display for presenting the results of said statistical analysis from the computer to the speaker.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said base station further comprises means for associating and presenting said audience member identifying information with said statistical analysis.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said display is a display to the audience.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said base station comprises a file containing an audience dossier individually associated with said identifying information of the audience member using an audience module by said computer.

5. A method of determining at a base station the response of a plurality of members of an audience to a presentation, said members having in their respective possession a module, said module comprising an input means for entering into said module audience member identifying information pertaining to the audience member using said module, means to input into said module a response to said presentation, a first transmitter for sending a modulated electromagnetic signal, means for including module identifying information associated with said audience module in a transmitted electromagnetic signal, and a first receiver for capturing an electromagnetic signal containing a cue to for said first transmitter to initiate transmission of said modulated signal, and said base station comprising a second receiver for receiving an electromagnetic signal, a second transmitter for sending said cue, a computer and a display, said method comprising the steps of:

members of said audience placing identifying information related to the audience member having possession of said module into said module,

posing a question requiring a response to said audience,

members of said audience responding by providing a physical input to the modules in their respective possession,

said second transmitter transmitting an electromagnetic signal containing said cue indicating that the base station is prepared to receive a transmission from one of said plurality of audience modules designated by said module identifying information,

said first receiver capturing said electromagnetic signal containing said cue to for said first transmitter to initiate transmission of said modulated signal,

said first transmitter transmitting said response and said identifying information from said module by means of an electromagnetic signal,

said base station receiving from said audience module the electromagnetic signal containing said response and said identifying information,

compiling said received responses in the computer at said base station,

displaying the results of said compilation of responses on the display during the course of said presentation.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising compilation of said audience member identifying information along with said responses provided and including identifying information in said displayed compilation.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the question requires verbal communication and the response from the audience member is an indication to provide such a verbal exchange.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein said computer comprises a file containing an audience dossier individually associated with said identifying information of the audience member, the method further comprising the step of:

associating the responses of audience members with common dossier characteristics in displaying the audience responses.