Response system and method with dynamic personality assignment

• US 8,340,059 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2008
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fleetwood Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fleetwood Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Buehler, William S., Derks, Harry G., Hall, Michael B., Redder, Troy A., Ramon, David L., Glass, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWEET, LONNIE V
• Application Number:
  US12/191,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20090040183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A response system and method of receiving remotely entered user input selections at a central location includes providing at least one base unit and a plurality of response units. A user input selection is received with each of the response units. The user input selection is communicated to the at least one base unit utilizing wireless communication. Personality data is received at each of the response units. The at least one base unit communicates with each of the response units according to the personality data of the particular one of the response units to receive a user input selection. The personality data is received by an individual one of the response units communicating with the at least one base unit at close proximity to provide personality data to that response unit.

Claims

1. A response system, comprising:

a plurality of base units and a proximity transmitter;

a plurality of response units, each of said response units adapted that receives user input selection communicates that user input selection with one of said base units utilizing wireless communication;

each of said response units that receives personality data when in a first mode communicates with one of said base units according to the personality data, the personality data determining which of said base units that particular one of said response units communicates, wherein said base units communicating with said response units according to the personality data of said response units to receive user input selections; and

wherein each of said response units that communicates with said proximity transmitter at close proximity when that response unit is in said first mode is provided personality data to that response unit in order to join that response unit to one of said base units and wherein each of said response units that communicates with the one of said base units to which that response unit is joined when that response unit is in a second mode transmits a user input selection to that one of said base units.

2. The response system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said proximity transmitter is adapted to communicate with an individual one of said response units only at close proximity to provide the personality data to that response unit.

3. The response system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said close proximity is a range of not greater than approximately three (3) feet.

4. The response system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said close proximity is a range of not greater than approximately 12 inches.

5. The response system as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said response units is adapted to enter said first mode to receive personality data by listening for communication from said proximity transmitter at close proximity to provide personality data to that response unit.

6. The response system as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said response units is adapted to enter said first mode to receive personality data by transmitting a signal to said proximity transmitter requesting personality data for that response unit.

7. The response system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said proximity transmitter is adapted to communicate with that response unit with a low frequency inductive field when that response unit is in said first mode.

8. The response system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said each of said response units is adapted to transmit a first distance in order to communicate with said proximity transmitter when in said first mode and to transmit at a second distance that is greater than said first distance to communicate user input selections to the one of said base units to which that one of said response units is joined when that one of said response units is in said second mode.

9. The response system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said response units is adapted to enter said first mode to receive personality data by listening for communication from said proximity transmitter at close proximity to provide personality data to that response unit.

10. The response system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said response units is adapted to enter said first mode to receive personality data by transmitting a signal to said proximity transmitter at close proximity to provide personality data for that response unit.

11. The response system as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said base units includes a low power transmission channel thereby defining said proximity transmitter that communicates with individual ones of said response units at a particular power level to provide personality data to those ones of said response units and wherein said one of said base units includes a high power transmission channel that communicates with those individual ones of said response units at a power level that is higher than said particular power level to receive the user input selections from those individual ones of said response units.

12. The response system as claimed in claim 1 including a trigger associated with said proximity transmitter in order to place one of said response units in said first mode in response to said trigger.

13. The response system as claimed in claim 12 wherein said trigger includes one chosen from a magnet and a magnetic sensor, wherein said magnet is adapted to generate a magnetic field and said magnet sensor is adapted to sense a magnetic field, wherein each of said response units include the other chosen from a magnet and a magnetic sensor and wherein each of said response units enters said first mode in response to said magnetic field.

14. The response system as claimed in claim 12 wherein said trigger comprises once chosen from a radio frequency identification tag and a radio frequency identification tag reader and wherein each of said response units includes the other chosen from a radio frequency identification tag and a radio frequency tag reader and wherein each of said response units enters said first mode in response to said radio frequency tag reader reading said radio frequency tag.

15. The response system as claimed in claim 12 wherein said trigger comprises one chosen from an optical bar code r and an optical bar code reader and wherein each of said response units includes the other chosen from an optical bar code and an optical bar code reader and wherein each of said response units enters said first mode in response to said optical bar code reader reading said optical bar code.

16. A method of receiving remotely entered user input selections at a central location, said method comprising:

providing a plurality of base units and a proximity transmitter;

providing a plurality of response units, receiving a user input selection with each of said response units and communicating that user input selection to one of said base units utilizing wireless communication;

receiving personality data at each of said response units, including placing individual ones of said response units in a first mode, the personality data determining which of said base units that particular one of said response units communicates, wherein said base units communicating with said response units according to the personality data of the particular response units to receive user input selections; and

wherein said receiving personality data includes each of said response units communicating with said proximity transmitter at close proximity when that response unit is in said first mode to provide personality data to that response unit in order to join that response unit to one of said base units and wherein each of said response units is adapted to communicate with one of said base units to which that response unit is joined when that response unit is in a second mode in order to transmit a user input selection to that one of said base units.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein said proximity transmitter communicating with an individual one of said response units only at close proximity to provide the personality data to that response unit.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein said close proximity is a range not greater than approximately three (3) feet.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein said close proximity is a range of not greater than approximately 12 inches.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein each of said response units enters said first mode to receive personality data by listening for communication from said at least one base unit at close proximity to provide personality data to that response unit.

21. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein each of said response units enters said first mode to receive personality data by transmitting a signal to said proximity transmitter requesting personality data for that response unit.

22. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein said proximity transmitter communicates with an individual response unit with a low frequency inductive field when that response unit is in said first mode.

23. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein each of said response units transmits up to a first distance in order to communicate with said proximity transmitter when in said first mode and transmits up to a second distance that is greater than said first distance to communicate user input selections to the one of said base units to which that one of said response units is joined when that one of said response units is in said second mode.

24. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein one of said base units includes a low power transmission channel thereby defining said proximity transmitter that communicates with individual ones of said response units at a particular power level to provide personality data to those ones of said response units and wherein said one of said base units includes a higher power transmitter that communicates with those individual ones of said response units at a power level that is higher than said particular power level to receive the user input selections from those individual ones of said response units.

25. The method as claimed in claim 16 including a trigger associated with said proximity transmitter and including placing one of said response units in said first mode in response to said trigger.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25 wherein said trigger includes one chosen from a magnet and a magnet sensor, wherein said magnet is adapted to generate a magnetic field and said magnet sensor is adapted to sense a magnetic field, wherein each of said response units include the other chosen from a magnet and a magnetic sensor and including placing each of said response units in said first mode in response to said magnetic field.

27. The method as claimed in claim 25 wherein said trigger includes one chosen from a radio frequency identification tag and a radio frequency identification tag reader and wherein each of said response units includes the other chosen from a radio frequency identification tag and a radio frequency tag reader and including placing each of said response units in said first mode in response to said radio frequency tag reader reading said radio frequency tag.

28. The method as claimed in claim 25 wherein said trigger includes one chosen from an optical bar code and an optical bar code reader and wherein each of said response units includes the other chosen from an optical bar code and an optical bar code reader and wherein each of said response units enters said first mode in response to said optical bar code reader reading said optical bar code.

29. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein each of said response units enters said first mode to receive personality data by listening for communication from said at least one base unit at close proximity to provide personality data to that response unit.

30. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein each of said response units enters said first mode to receive personality data by transmitting a signal to said at least one base unit at close proximity to provide personality data for that response unit.