Method and apparatus for master-slave control in a educational classroom communication network

• US 6,195,687 B1
• Filed: 03/18/1998
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Plato, Inc. (Edmentum Ultimate Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: NetSchools Corporation (Edmentum Ultimate Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Moore, David R., Schade, Fred B., Milewski, Richard A., Greaves, Thomas W., Law, Timothy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C.
• Application Number:
  US09/044,698
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/227, 709/208, 709/209, 709/228, 709/203, 709/226, 709/229, 709/223, 709/224, 709/211, 709/225, 709/244, 364/132, 345/504, 434/350, 434/365
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas

Abstract

A master-slave network control system and method of operation wherein the master node element has substantially absolute invasive control over functions and capabilities of slave node elements which are logged onto the network and wherein the master node element can exercise latent control over slave node elements when not logged on to the network by controlling reacceptance onto the network in order to promote selected pedagogical and like functions facilitated through networked communication between the master node elements and the slave node elements.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access to and behavior of application programs located on slave node computer devices via a wireless educational classroom computer network, said network being bounded by physical spatial boundaries, which network comprises master node devices and slave node computer devices, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an assignment of slave node devices physically located within selected physical boundaries to a selected one of said master node devices, each said slave node device being selected for assignment to one of said slave nodes according to combined control criteria relating to time period of use and of physical location of use so as to define a scope of controlled influence in location and in time by said master node device over said slave node devices, said scope of controlled influence extending beyond said physical boundaries and being unlimited in time, said master node device exercising control over access to and behavior of said application programs and system level programs located on said slave node computer devices whether or not said master node device is in communication with said slave node devices; and

upon said slave node computer device either exiting said physical location or by expiration of said time period whether or not within said physical location, causing said slave node computer device to change to a state of limited autonomous control, said limited autonomous control state of said slave node computer device including limitations on access to said application programs located on said slave node computer device and being in a mode to at least reaccept slave node device reassignment from one of said master node devices.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said control criteria include one set of the following criteria:

during a preselected period and within a preselected geographic region bounded by a room enclosure;

during a preselected period and within a preselected geographic region and slave node device identity;

during a preselected period and having a specific slave node device identity;

during a preselected period and within a preselected region limited by range and directional orientation.

3. The method according to claim 1 further including configuring said master node devices through at least one configuration master node device which is at least occasionally coupled in a controlling mode to said master node devices.

4. The method according to claim 1 further including configuring said slave node computer devices through at least one configuration master node device which is at least occasionally coupled in a controlling mode to said slave node computer devices.

5. The method according to claim 3 further including invoking supervisory control of said master node devices and said slave node computer devices via said configuration master devices as a default.

6. The method according to claim 1, in an object-oriented environment, relating, by associating or attaching via said master node device control, criteria to an object, said object being communicated to said slave node device.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein each one of said slave node computer devices communicates, to said master node device, system level status for interactive control in response to setting commands from said master node device.

8. An educational classroom computer network system comprising:

at least one master node device;

at least one slave node computer device;

means for at least occasionally coupling said master node device and said slave node device;

means for providing an assignment of said slave node device physically located within selected physical boundaries to a selected one of said master node devices, each said slave node device being selected for assignment to one of said slave nodes according to combined control criteria relating to time period of use and of physical location of use so as to define a scope of controlled influence in location and in time by said master node device over said slave node devices, said scope of controlled influence extending beyond said physical boundaries and being unlimited in time, said master node device exercising control over access to and behavior of said application programs and system level programs located on said slave node computer devices whether or not said master node device is in communication with said slave node devices; and

means in each said slave node device for causing said slave node computer device to change to a state of limited autonomous control, said limited autonomous control state of said slave node computer device including limitations on access to said application programs located on said slave node computer device and being in a mode to at least reaccept slave node device reassignment from one of said master node devices upon said slave node computer device either exiting said physical location or by expiration of said time period whether or not within said physical location.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein said time/locale control criteria include one set of the following criteria:

during a preselected period and within a preselected geographic region bounded by a room enclosure;

during a preselected period and within a preselected geographic region and slave node device identity;

during a preselected period and with a specific slave node device identity;

during a preselected period and within a preselected region limited by range and directional orientation.

10. The system according to claim 8 further including at least one configuration master node device for configuring said master node devices, said configuration master node device being at least occasionally coupled in a controlling mode to said master node devices.

11. The system according to claim 8 further including at least one configuration master node device for configuring said slave node devices, said configuration master node device being at least occasionally coupled in a controlling mode to said slave node devices.

12. The system according to claim 8, said system including an object-oriented environment, further including means for relating control criteria to an object (a wrapper), said object being communicated to said slave node device so that said slave node device can be preset prior to processing said object.

13. The system according to claim 8 wherein each one of said slave node computer devices communicates, to said master node device, system level status for interactive control in response to setting commands from said master node device.

14. The network system according to claim 9 wherein said coupling means is an infrared wireless communications network wherein coupling is within an enclosed space.

15. The network system according to claim 9 wherein said coupling means is an infrared wireless communications network wherein coupling is physically bounded by range and direction.