Participant response system employing battery powered, wireless remote units

• US 8,639,961 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Doerksen, Hannah, Boyle, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, ALBERT C
• Application Number:
  US12/522,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20100281287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,210 Days
• Field of Search: 702/63, 713/340, 434/351
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/073 all student stations being capable of presenting the same questions simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions

Abstract

A participant response system (50) comprises at least one host computer (52) and a plurality of battery-powered remote units (62) communicating wirelessly with the host computer (52). Each remote unit (62) executes a diagnostic routine in response to a received status request broadcast by the host computer (52) to detect the status thereof. Any remote unit (62) that detects an unhealthy state, returns health information to the host computer (52).

Claims

1. A participant response system for remote unit diagnostics during an assessment, the participant response system comprising:

an interactive whiteboard comprising a touch surface on which said assessment is displayed;

at least one host computer running said assessment and communicating with said interactive whiteboard; and

a plurality of battery-powered, handheld remote units communicating wirelessly with said at least one host computer, each said remote unit configured to display assessment queries, to receive user input responsive to said assessment queries and to transmit received user input to said at least one host computer, each said remote unit further configured to execute a diagnostic routine in response to a received status request broadcast by said at least one host computer in a general broadcast beacon frame directed to all said remote units to detect the status thereof, any remote unit detecting an unhealthy state returning health information to said host computer.

2. The participant response system according to claim 1 wherein status requests are broadcast by said at least one host computer at intervals.

3. The participant response system according to claim 2 wherein each remote unit detecting a healthy state also returns health information to said at least one host computer.

4. The participant response system according to claim 1 wherein said at least one host computer uses said returned health information to identify remote units that are in an unhealthy state.

5. The participant response system according to claim 4 wherein said host computer maintains a list of said remote units, said list being updated to identify said remote units that are in an unhealthy state.

6. The participant response system according to claim 4 wherein said at least one host computer generates a prompt in response to returned health information identifying each remote unit that is in an unhealthy state.

7. The participant response system according to claim 6 wherein said prompt is a pop-up window displayed on a monitor of said at least one host computer.

8. The participant response system according to claim 6 wherein said prompt is a pop-up window displayed on said interactive whiteboard.

9. The participant response system according to claim 8 wherein said pop-up window is also displayed on a monitor of said at least one host computer.

10. The participant response system according to claim 6 wherein said prompt is selectively generated.

11. The participant response system according to claim 10 wherein said prompt is generated at the start of a significant event.

12. The participant response system according to claim 11 wherein said significant event is at least one of participant response system power up, the start of a diagnostic process and the start of said assessment.

13. The participant response system according to claim 1 wherein the health information returned by remote units that are in an unhealthy state comprises at least one of a low power message and a low signal strength message.

14. The participant response system according to claim 13 wherein said health information returned by remote units that are in an unhealthy state comprises a low power message.

15. The participant response system according to claim 14 wherein said low power message signifies a remote unit battery power level below a threshold value.

16. The participant response system according to claim 1 wherein health information returned by one or more of said remote units is sent directly to said at least one host computer.

17. The participant response system according to claim 1 wherein health information returned by one or more of said remote units is sent indirectly to said at least one host computer.

18. A participant response system for remote unit diagnostics during an assessment, the participant response system comprising:

an interactive whiteboard comprising a touch surface on which said assessment is displayed;

at least one host computer running said assessment and communicating with said interactive whiteboard; and

a plurality of battery-powered, handheld remote units communicating wirelessly with said host computer, each said remote unit configured to display assessment queries, to receive user assessment response input and to transmit received user assessment response input to said at least one host computer, each said remote unit further configured to execute a diagnostic routine at regular intervals in response to status requests broadcast by said at least one host computer in general broadcast beacon frames addressed to all remote units to detect the status thereof, and in response at each interval returning health information to said at least one host computer.

19. The participant response system according to claim 18 wherein said at least one host computer uses said returned health information to identify the remote units that are in an unhealthy state.

20. The participant response system according to claim 19 wherein said at least one host computer maintains a list of the remote units, the list being updated to identify the remote units that are in an unhealthy state.

21. The participant response system according to claim 19 wherein said at least one host computer generates a prompt in response to returned health information identifying each remote unit that is in an unhealthy state.

22. The participant response system according to claim 21 wherein said prompt is a pop-up window displayed on a monitor of said at least one host computer.

23. The participant response system according to claim 21 wherein said prompt is a pop-up window displayed on said interactive whiteboard.

24. The participant response system according to claim 23 wherein said pop-up window is also displayed on a monitor of said at least one host computer.

25. The participant response system according claim 21 wherein said prompt is selectively generated.

26. The participant response system according to claim 25 wherein said prompt is generated at the start of a significant event.

27. The participant response system according to claim 26 wherein said significant event is at least one of participant response system power up, the start of a diagnostic process and the start of said assessment.

28. The participant response system according to claim 18 wherein said health information returned by remote units that are in an unhealthy state comprises at least one of a low power message and a low signal strength message.

29. The participant response system according to claim 28 wherein said health information returned by remote units that are in an unhealthy state comprises a low power message.

30. The participant response system according to claim 29 wherein said low power message signifies a remote unit battery power level below a threshold value.

31. The participant response system according to claim 18 wherein health information returned by one or more of said remote units is sent directly to said at least one host computer.

32. The participant response system according to claim 18 wherein health information returned by one or more of said remote units is sent indirectly to said at least one host computer.

33. A method of notifying a host computer of low battery conditions in hand-held wireless devices communicating with said host computer during an assessment, the method comprising:

displaying an assessment on a touch surface of an interactive whiteboard;

receiving, from said wireless devices at the host computer, assessment answers entered by users of said wireless devices;

monitoring the status of a battery of each wireless device at regular intervals during the assessment in response to status requests broadcast by the host computer in general broadcast beacon frames directed to all wireless devices; and

at each interval, sending a battery status message from each wireless device to said host computer, each battery status message identifying one of a normal battery condition and a low battery condition.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising displaying a prompt identifying each remote unit sending a battery status message to said host computer that identifies said low battery condition.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said prompt is a pop-up window.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said pop-up window is displayed only at times signifying significant events.

37. The method of claim 33 further comprising prior to said monitoring, broadcasting status requests by said host computer at said regular intervals and in response to said status requests, performing said monitoring.

38. A participant response system for remote unit replacement during an assessment, said participant response system comprising:

at least one host computer; and

a plurality of battery-powered, handheld remote units communicating wirelessly with said at least one host computer in a communication session, each of said remote units configured to display assessment queries, to receive user input responsive to said assessment queries and to transmit received user input to said at least one host computer;

wherein said at least one host computer is configured to;

receive a request from a new remote unit to join said communication session;

determine that said new remote unit is a replacement of one of said plurality of remote units in said communication session; and

transfer to said new remote unit data associated with said one of the said plurality of remote units being replaced, said data comprising assessment data.

39. The participant response system in claim 38, wherein said assessment data comprises:

queries associated with said assessment; and

said received user input responsive to at least some of said queries, said received user input previously received from said one of the said plurality of remote units being replaced.

40. The participant response system in claim 39, wherein said new remote unit is configured to continue said assessment by displaying a first unanswered one of said queries.

41. The participant response system in claim 38, wherein said at least one host computer determines that said new remote unit is a replacement of one of said plurality of remote units by determining that a participant identified in a log-on message received from said new remote unit matches a participant identified in a log on-message received from said one of said plurality of remote units in said communication session.

42. The participant response system in claim 41, wherein said at least one host computer is further configured to transmit a log-off message to said one of said plurality of remote units in said communication session.