Personal control apparatus and method for sharing information in a collaborative workspace

• US 9,462,883 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barco NV
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Epstein, Lewis, Kincaid, Brett, Yoo, Hyun, Stage, Suzanne, Scherrer, Lukas, Cheng, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V
• Application Number:
  US14/568,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20150144034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 108/50.01, 108/50.02, 108/23, 348/14.07, 348/14.05, 348/14.1, 348/705, 348/E5.057
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 13/08 Table tops; Rims therefor not restricted to table tops A47B95/04
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/066 with power or communication connection interface
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2083/003 Table combination having a central power access component
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2083/006 having an incorporated display screen
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/00 Tables or desks for office equipment, e.g. typewriters, keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 37/00 Tables adapted for other particular purposes glass cutting tables C03B33/03
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/001 Office desks or work-stations combined with other pieces of furniture, e.g. work space management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/66 Transforming electric information into light information scanning details H04N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/104 Switchers or splitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 : Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A video source control assembly for use with at least a first display screen and a plurality of video source devices, the control assembly including a deck member forming a top surface and at least one cable passing opening, a switching device, a plurality of control cables, each control cable including first and second ends, each first end linkable to at least one source device and the second end linked to the switching device to provide video content thereto and a separate housing mounted to an intermediate portion of each of the control cables so that flexible portions of the associated control cable extend from the housing to each of the first and second ends, a separate selection button mounted in each of the housings that provides a control signal to the switching device causing the switching device to modify the content presented on the display screen, wherein, the portion of each cable between the housing and the second end passes through the cable passing opening and the housing has dimensions such that the housing is blocked from passing through the cable passing opening.

Claims

1. A video source control assembly for use with at least a first display screen and a plurality of source devices including at least a first source device, the control assembly comprising:

a switching device including at least a first output port linkable to the at least a first display screen and a plurality of inputs for receiving video content from source devices;

a plurality of control cables, each control cable including first and second ends, each first end linkable to at least one of the source devices and the second end operatively linked to the switching device to provide video content thereto; and

a separate selection button mounted to an intermediate portion of each of the control cables that, upon selection, provides a control signal to the switching device causing the switching device to modify a content presented on the at least a first display screen, each selection button including a separate illumination source, each illumination source controlled to indicate at least first and second different states in which content from an associated source device is presented on the at least a first display screen and is not presented on the at least a first display screen, respectively, wherein each selection button includes a top button selection surface and each illumination source includes a ring about the button selection surface that illuminates to indicate at least the first state.

2. The control assembly of claim 1 further including a deck member forming a top surface, the top surface forming a plurality of cable passing openings, each control cable passing through one of the cable passing openings, the deck member including structure for mounting the deck member to an undersurface of a table top below an opening formed by the table top, the first ends of the control cables located above the top surface of the deck member upon installation.

3. The assembly of claim 2 further including a separate housing mounted to an intermediate portion of each of the control cables between the first and second ends of an associated control cable so that flexible portions of the associated control cable extend from the housing to each of the first and second ends of the associated control cable, a separate one of the selection buttons mounted to each of the housings, wherein, the portion of each cable between the housing and the second end passes through one of the cable passing openings and wherein the housing has dimensions such that the housing is blocked from passing through the cable passing opening.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein each control cable is moveable between an extended position wherein an associated housing is pulled up and spaced from the deck member and a stowed position in which the associated housing rests on a top surface of the deck member adjacent one of the cable passing openings.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein each of the buttons includes a flat top surface and wherein each illumination source circumscribes an associated button.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the switching device only provides content from one of the control cables to the display screen at a time.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein only an illumination source associated with the control cable that provides content to the display screen is illuminated to indicate the first state while all other illumination sources indicate the second state.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the switching device includes a processor programmed to perform the steps of:

while content from the first control cable is being presented on the display screen and an illumination source associated with the first control cable is controlled to indicate the first state, receiving a control signal from the selection button associated with the second control cable, removing the content from the first control cable from the display screen and causing the illumination source associated with the first control cable to indicate the second state.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the steps of:

while content from the first control cable is being presented on the display screen and the illumination source associated with the first control cable is controlled to indicate the first state, upon receiving the control signal from the selection button associated with the second control cable, presenting a content from the second control cable on the display screen and causing the illumination source associated with the second control cable to indicate the first state.

10. The control assembly of claim 1 further including a separate housing mounted to an intermediate portion of each of the control cables between the first and second ends of an associated control cable so that flexible portions of the associated control cable extend from the housing to each of the first and second ends of the associated control cable, a separate one of the selection buttons mounted to each of the housings.

11. The control assembly of claim 10 wherein, upon linking a control cable to a source device, the top button selection surface of the selection button coupled to the linked control cable faces substantially upward and is spaced from the linked source device by a section of the control cable between the housing and the second end of the control cable.

12. The control assembly of claim 1 wherein a section of each control cable between the selection button and the first end of the control cable is substantially longer than a section of each control cable between the selection button and the second end of the control cable.

13. The control assembly of claim 1 wherein each illumination source indicates the first and second different states by generating light having first and second different colors, respectively.

14. The control assembly of claim 1 wherein each illumination source is turned off to indicate the second state.

15. A video source control assembly for use with at least a first display screen and a plurality of video source devices, the control assembly comprising:

a switching device including at least a first output port linkable to the at least a first display screen and a plurality of input ports for receiving video content from video source devices;

a plurality of control cables, each control cable including first and second ends, each first end linkable to at least one of the source devices and the second end operably coupled to the switching device via one of the inputs to provide video content thereto; and

a retractor assembly including a plurality of structural members, a separate pulley for each of the control cables and a separate mechanism for applying a force to each of the pulleys, the structural members forming a separate elongated channel for each of the control cables, each elongated channel having first and second ends, each pulley located within a separate one of the channels and each mechanism for applying a force located in one of the channels and contacting the pulley in the channel to apply a force thereto tending to move the pulley in a direction from the first end to the second end of the channel, an intermediate portion of each control cable between the first and second ends contacting one of the pulleys, the first and second ends of each cable extending from the first end of an associated channel.

16. The control assembly of claim 15 wherein the elongated channels include at least first and second elongated channels and wherein the structural members that form the first and second elongated channels include at least one plate between the first and second channels that includes opposite first and second surfaces that form walls of the first and second channels, respectively.

17. The control assembly of claim 15 further including structural members that form a well having an open top end and forming at least an opening in a bottom end, the retractor assembly mounted to the structural members proximate the opening in the bottom end so that at least the first ends of the control cables pass through the opening in the bottom end and can be pulled up through the opening to be connected to video source devices.

18. The control assembly of claim 17 further including a deck member mounted within the opening in the bottom end of the well, the retraction assembly mounted to the deck member.

19. The control assembly of claim 17 wherein at least one power receptacle is mounted within the well.

20. The control assembly of claim 15 wherein each separate mechanism for applying a force includes a weight.

21. The control assembly of claim 20 wherein each of the channels is vertically oriented so that each pulley moves downward within an associated channel as the first end of an associated control cable moves toward a stowed position and moves upward within the associated channel as the first end of an associated control cable is pulled upward and into an extended position.

22. The control assembly of claim 21 further including a separate housing mounted to an intermediate portion of each of the control cables between the first and second ends of an associated control cable so that flexible portions of the associated control cable extend from the housing to each of the first and second ends of the associated control cable, a separate selection button mounted in each of the housings that, upon selection, provides a control signal to the switching device causing the switching device to modify the content presented on the at least a first display screen.

23. The control assembly of claim 22 wherein the portion of each cable between the housing and the second end passes through one of a plurality of cable passing openings and wherein the housing has dimensions such that the housing is blocked from passing through the one of a plurality of cable passing openings.

24. The control assembly of claim 22 wherein each control cable is moveable between an extended position wherein an associated housing is pulled up and spaced from the first end of an associated channel and the stowed position in which the associated is proximate the first end of an associated channel.

25. The control assembly of claim 15 further including a separate selection button mounted to an intermediate portion of each of the control cables that, upon selection, provides a control signal to the switching device causing the switching device to modify a content presented on the at least a first display screen, each selection button including an indicator device, each indicator device controlled to indicate at least first and second different states in which content from an associated source device is presented on the at least a first display screen and is not presented on the at least a first display screen, respectively.

26. The control assembly of claim 25 wherein each indicator device includes an illumination device and wherein each selection button includes a top button selection surface and each illumination source includes a ring about the button selection surface that illuminates to indicate at least the first state.

27. The control assembly of claim 26 wherein each illumination source indicates the second state by cutting power from the illumination source.

28. The control assembly of claim 25 wherein repetitive selection of a selection button causes the switching device to toggle between replicating content from a source device linked to an associated cable on the display screen and removing content from the source device linked to the associated cable from the display screen.

29. A video source control assembly for use with at least a first display screen and a plurality of video source devices, the control assembly comprising:

a deck member forming a top surface, the top surface forming at least one cable passing opening;

a switching device including at least a first output port linkable to the at least a first display screen and a plurality of input ports for receiving video content from linkable video source devices;

a plurality of control cables, each control cable including first and second ends, each first end linkable to at least one of the source devices and the second end operably connected to the switching device via one of the inputs to provide video content thereto;

a separate housing mounted to an intermediate portion of each of the control cables between the first and second ends of an associated control cable so that flexible portions of the associated control cable extend from the housing to each of the first and second ends of the associated control cable, a separate selection button mounted in each of the housings that, upon selection, provides a control signal to the switching device causing the switching device to modify a content presented on the at least a first display screen, each selection button including an illumination device, the illumination devices controlled together to indicate which control cable provides content on the display screen at any time; and

a retraction assembly mounted below the deck member and including a separate pulley assembly for each of the control cables, the retraction assembly forming a separate elongated channel member for each control cable, each pulley assembly including a pulley mounted within one of the elongated channels for motion along at least a portion of the length of the elongated channel;

wherein, the portion of each cable between the housing and the second end passes through the cable passing opening and contacts one of the pulleys at a height below the deck member, a force applied to each cable by an associated pulley tending to pull the cable and an associated housing toward a stowed position with the housing adjacent the deck member; and

wherein each housing has dimensions such that the housing is blocked from passing into an associated elongated channel.

30. The control assembly of claim 29 wherein the deck member forms a plurality of cable passing openings and wherein each control cable passes through a different one of the cable passing openings.

31. The control assembly of claim 29 wherein each of the elongated channels is substantially vertically oriented.

32. The control assembly of claim 29 wherein each elongated channel includes first and second ends proximate to and distal from an undersurface of the deck member, respectively, and wherein each pulley moves away from the deck member and toward a distal end of an associated elongated channel as an associated housing moves toward the stowed position.

33. The control assembly of claim 32 wherein each of the elongated channels is substantially vertically oriented.

34. The control assembly of claim 32 further including a separate mechanism for applying a force to each of the pulleys tending to move each pulley along an associated channel away from the deck member.

35. The control assembly of claim 29 wherein each illumination device is illuminated to indicate that content from a source device linked to an associated cable is presented on the first display screen and wherein power is cut off to the illumination device to indicate that content from a source device linked to the associated cable is not presented on the first display screen.

36. The control assembly of claim 35 wherein each of the illumination devices generates light that circumscribes an associated selection button when indicating that content from a source device linked to an associated cable is presented on the first display screen.

37. The control assembly of claim 36 wherein control of first display screen content is egalitarian so that any selection button linked to a source device is selectable at any time to replicate content from the linked source device on the first display screen irrespective of content presented on the first display screen when the selection button is selected.

38. The control assembly of claim 29 wherein a section of the control cable between the housing and the first end of the control cable is substantially shorter than a section of the control cable between the housing and the second end of the control cable.

39. A video source control assembly for use with at least a first video source device, the control assembly comprising:

a control cable including first and second ends, the first end linkable to the at least a first video source device; and

an elongated retractor assembly including first and second ends, a pulley assembly and structural members that form an elongated channel having first and second channel ends, the pulley assembly including a pulley and a mechanism for applying a force positioned within the channel, the first and second ends of the control cable extending out the first end of the elongated channel with an intermediate portion of the control cable located within the elongated channel, a portion of the control cable proximate the second end of the control cable secured proximate the first end of the elongated channel so as to be stationary with respect to the channel, the pulley contacting the intermediate portion of the control cable within the elongated channel, each mechanism for applying a force contacting an associated pulley and tending to move the associated pulley and the intermediate portion of the control cable in the direction from the first end of the elongated channel toward the second end of the elongated channel.

40. The control assembly of claim 39 further including a housing mounted to a portion of the control cable proximate the first end of the control cable with at least a flexible section of the control cable separating the housing and the first end of the control cable, a selection button mounted in the housing, the control cable moveable between an extended position wherein an associated housing is pulled up and spaced from the first end of the retractor assembly and a stowed position in which the associated housing is proximate the first end of the retractor assembly.

41. The control assembly of claim 40 further including a light source mounted within the housing, the light source controllable to toggle between indicating first and second different states when the selection button is consecutively selected.

42. The control assembly of claim 39 wherein the light source is controlled to generate light of a first color to indicate selection of a video source device linked to the first end of the control cable.

43. The control assembly of claim 39 wherein the elongated retractor assembly is a first elongated retractor assembly, the assembly further including at least a second control cable and a second elongated retractor assembly arranged to extend substantially parallel to the first elongated retractor assembly.