Wireless communication system

• US 8,150,380 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Responsive Innovations LLC (Echo 360, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Responsive Innovations LLC (Echo 360, Inc.)
• Inventors: Adkins, Kevin G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Application Number:
  US12/884,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20110140854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 455/571, 455/572, 455/573, 455/500, 455/575.1, 455/90.3, 455/92, 455/95, 455/103, 455/73, 429/99, 434/322, 434/332, 434/350, 434/362
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers

Abstract

A handheld device is configured to communicate with a base unit in an audience response system having a multiplicity of handheld devices that are like in kind and perform a same function. The handheld device includes a transceiver, a user interface configured to receive a user response, a unique address identifying the handheld device, and signal generating logic configured to generate a radio frequency signal encoding the user response and the unique address. The handheld device further includes transmission logic configured to instruct the transceiver to repeatedly transmit the radio frequency signal upon receipt of the user response, without receiving a signal from the base unit to initiate transmission, until a termination event occurs. The termination event consists of one of a receipt of an acknowledgment signal from the base unit and an expiration of a predetermined period of time.

Claims

1. An audience response system comprising:

a base unit

a plurality of handheld devices that are like in kind and perform a same function, each handheld device including;

a handheld device transceiver,

an input selection control,

a unique address associated with a single handheld device, and

handheld device logic configured to receive a user selection from the input selection control and instruct the handheld device transceiver to transmit a wireless selection signal encoding the unique address and the user selection according to a defined wireless profile between each handheld device and the base unit;

wherein the base unit includes;

a base unit transceiver configured to receive the wireless selection signal, and

base unit logic configured to decode the wireless selection signal into the unique address and the user selection after receipt by the base unit device transceiver, generate a wireless acknowledgment signal including a representation of the unique address, and instruct the base unit transceiver to transmit the wireless acknowledgment signal according to the defined wireless profile,

wherein the defined wireless profile between each handheld device and the base unit includes;

a distinct period of no wireless transmission,

a first period of wireless transmission following the distinct period of no wireless transmission, the first period of wireless transmission including transmission of the wireless selection signal, where the first period of wireless transmission occurs upon receipt of the user selection at the input selection control, without receipt of a signal from the base unit to initiate transmission, and

a second period of wireless transmission following the first period of wireless transmission, the second period of wireless transmission including transmission of the wireless acknowledgement signal.

2. The audience response system of claim 1, wherein the first period of wireless transmission includes repeated retransmissions of the wireless selection signal.

3. The audience response system of claim 2, wherein the first period of wireless transmission includes a transmission interval separating each of the repeated retransmissions of the wireless selection signal.

4. The audience response system of claim 1, wherein the first period of wireless transmission has a duration between 100 microseconds and 8 seconds.

5. The audience response system of claim 1, wherein the second period of wireless transmission has a duration of 100 microseconds.

6. The audience response system of claim 1, wherein the second period of wireless transmission is followed by a distinct period of no RF transmission.

7. The audience response system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of handheld devices includes an output display.

8. The audience response system of claim 7, wherein the output display of each of the plurality of handheld devices includes at least one light emitting diode.

9. The audience response system of claim 7, wherein the output display of each of the plurality of handheld devices includes a liquid crystal display.

10. The audience response system of claim 1, wherein the input selection control of each of the plurality of handheld devices is a plurality of buttons.

11. A handheld device configured to communicate with a base unit in an audience response system having a multiplicity of handheld devices that are like in kind and perform a same function, the handheld device comprising:

a transceiver;

a user interface configured to receive a user response;

a unique address identifying the handheld device;

signal generating logic configured to generate a radio frequency signal encoding the user response and the unique address; and

transmission logic configured to instruct the transceiver to repeatedly transmit the radio frequency signal upon receipt of the user response, without receiving a signal from the base unit to initiate transmission, until a termination event occurs,

where the termination event consists of one of a receipt of an acknowledgment signal from the base unit and an expiration of a predetermined period of time.

12. The handheld device of claim 11, wherein the transmission logic is further configured to generate a transmission interval, and wherein the radio frequency signal is repeatedly transmitted according to the transmission interval.

13. The handheld device of claim 11, further comprising an output display.

14. The handheld device of claim 13, wherein the output display is a liquid crystal display.

15. The handheld device of claim 13, wherein the output display is at least one light emitting diode.

16. The handheld device of claim 11, wherein the predetermined period of time is between 5 and 8 seconds.

17. The handheld device of claim 11, wherein the user interface is an alphanumeric keypad.

18. A base unit configured to communicate with a multiplicity of handheld devices in an audience response system, the base unit comprising:

a transceiver;

processing logic configured to instruct the transceiver to operate in a non-transmission mode until a response signal is wirelessly received from one of the multiplicity of handheld devices in the audience response system;

signal decoding logic configured to decode the response signal into address data that identifies one of the multiplicity of handheld devices and response data that identifies a user response,

wherein the processing logic is further configured to;

generate an acknowledgment signal including acknowledgment data and the address data,

instruct the transceiver to transmit the acknowledgment signal, and

instruct the transceiver to return to a non-transmission mode until a new response signal is wirelessly received from one of the multiplicity of handheld devices in the audience response system.

19. The base unit of claim 18, further comprising a memory configured to store the response data.

20. The base unit of claim 18, further comprising an interface for a computer.

21. The base unit of claim 18, further comprising a display.

22. The base unit of claim 21, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display.

23. The base unit of claim 21, wherein the display is at least one light emitting diode.