Method of and apparatus for actuating an operation
First Claim
1. A method of actuating an operation of a system and for use with a plurality of spatially distributed indicators for providing a user-perceivable indication, comprising the steps of:
- (a) selecting, within an environment for personnel within which said personnel are able to move substantially freely, at least one arbitrary region having no association with said operation at a time of selection;
(b) storing in a memory said at least one selected region;
(c) determining a position of at least one transponder anywhere within said space; and
(d) actuating said operation when said position of said at least one transponder is determined to be within said at least one selected region, wherein said method comprises selecting, in response to an actuation of said operation, one of said indicators nearest said at least one transponder whose position is determined to be within said at least one selected region to produce an indication of acknowledgement of said actuation of said operation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A technique is provided for providing total flexibility of control of any desired operation within an environment where personnel work, such as an office suite. The location of transponders is determined by a location system. A user arbitrarily selects a convenient region for controlling an operation and the location system registers this in a memory. The location system then determines the position of each transducer and, when a transducer is within one of the selected regions, the location system responds by controlling the operation. For example, a region may be selected entirely arbitrarily so as to control room lighting.
19 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method of actuating an operation of a system and for use with a plurality of spatially distributed indicators for providing a user-perceivable indication, comprising the steps of:
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(a) selecting, within an environment for personnel within which said personnel are able to move substantially freely, at least one arbitrary region having no association with said operation at a time of selection;
(b) storing in a memory said at least one selected region;
(c) determining a position of at least one transponder anywhere within said space; and
(d) actuating said operation when said position of said at least one transponder is determined to be within said at least one selected region, wherein said method comprises selecting, in response to an actuation of said operation, one of said indicators nearest said at least one transponder whose position is determined to be within said at least one selected region to produce an indication of acknowledgement of said actuation of said operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for actuating an operation, comprising:
- at least one transponder;
a transponder location system for determining a location of said at least one transponder anywhere within an environment for personnel within which said personnel are able to move substantially freely, said system including a memory for storing data identifying at least one arbitrary selected region having no association with said operation at a time of selection; and
a comparator for comparing said location of said at least one transponder with said at least one selected region and for actuating said operation when said location of said at least one transponder is within said at least one selected region,wherein said apparatus comprises a plurality of spatially distributed indicators for providing a user-perceivable indication, each of said indicators having a respective transponder, said location system determining a distance between said transponder of each of said indicators perceivable by a user and said at least one transponder and actuating said indicator whose transponder is nearest said at least one transponder to produce an indication of acknowledgement of said actuation of said operation. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
- at least one transponder;
Specification