Content amplification system and method

• US 10,264,213 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2017
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Sculley, Darrin
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US15/840,730
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 709204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• 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

Abstract

A digital content conference sharing system comprising a first large common emissive surface arranged for viewing by users within a conference space, a first conference table assembly located in the conference space and including at least a first worksurface member and at least first and second user stations including first and second station worksurfaces and first and second indicator devices, the first indicator device controllable to indicate at least first and second visually distinct states, the second indicator device controllable to indicate at least the first visually distinct state and a third visually distinct state that is distinct from the first and second states, a processor programmed to perform the steps of, while a source device is associated with the first station or the second station and capable of sharing but is not sharing content on the common emissive surface, controlling the first and second indicators to indicate the first state, respectively and, while a source device is associated with the first station and the second station and is sharing content on the common emissive surface, controlling the first indicator to indicate the second state and the second indicator to indicate the third state, respectively.

Claims

1. A digital content conference sharing system comprising:

a first large common emissive surface arranged for viewing by users within a conference space;

a first conference table assembly located in the conference space and including at least a first worksurface member and a plurality of indicator devices that form a plurality of user stations including at least first and second user stations, the first and second user stations including first and second station worksurfaces and first and second indicator devices spatially associated with the first and second worksurfaces, the first indicator device controllable to indicate at least first and second visually distinct states, the second indicator device controllable to indicate at least the first visually distinct state and a third visually distinct state that is distinct from the first and second states;

a processor programmed to perform the steps of;

(i) while a source device is associated with the first station and capable of sharing but is not sharing content on the common emissive surface, controlling the first indicator to indicate the first state;

(ii) while a source device is associated with the second station and capable of sharing but is not sharing content on the common emissive surface, controlling the second indicator to indicate the first state;

(iii) while a source device is associated with the first station and is sharing content on the common emissive surface, controlling the first indicator to indicate the second state; and

(iv) while a source device is associated with the second station and is sharing content on the common emissive surface, controlling the second indicator to indicate the third state.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein content is presented in non-overlapping content fields on the common emissive surface, the processor presenting a first indicator that indicates the second state spatially proximate any field including content from a source device associated with the first station and presenting a second indicator that indicates the third state spatially proximate any field including content from a source device associated with the second station.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein each first indicator includes at least a first light bar of a first color along an edge of a content sharing field in which content from a source device associated with the first station is presented and each second indicator includes at least one light bar of a second color along an edge of a content sharing field in which content from a source device associated with the second station is presented.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein each first indicator includes a full illuminated frame about an associated sharing field and each second indicator includes a full illuminated frame about an associated sharing field.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the first, second, third and fourth states are indicated by generating different colored illumination.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the first indicator device includes a plurality of light devices that substantially outline at least a portion of the first worksurface at the first station and the second indicator device includes a plurality of light devices that substantially outline at least a portion of the second worksurface at the second station.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the first and second indicators are light devices capable of generating light in a plurality of different colors and wherein the first, second and third states are indicated by different illumination colors.

8. The system of claim 1 further including a user location sensor linked to the processor, the processor further programmed to control the first and second indicator devices to, upon the processor detecting a user proximate the at least a first worksurface that is not associated with a station, illuminate one of the indicators at one of the stations that is not currently associated with a source device to indicate a fourth state that is visually distinct from the first, second and third states to guide the user toward the associated station.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein each user station further includes an interface assembly that includes selectable buttons for controlling system content sharing states.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein each interface includes at least first and second selectable buttons for identifying first and second fields for sharing content on the common display.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor controls the appearance of the selectable buttons.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the processor controls the first interface first and second buttons to indicate the first state when a source device associated with the first station is not sharing content in the first and second fields, respectively, and to indicate the second state when a source device associated with the first station is sharing content in the first and second fields, respectively, and controls the second interface first and second buttons to indicate the first state when a source device associated with the second station is not sharing content in the first and second fields, respectively, and to indicate the third state when a source device associated with the second station is sharing content in the first and second fields, respectively.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein each interface also includes at least third and fourth selectable buttons for identifying third and fourth fields for sharing content on the common display.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor controls the first interface third and fourth buttons to indicate the first state when a source device associated with the first station is not sharing content in the third and fourth fields, respectively, and to indicate the second state when a source device associated with the first station is sharing content in the third and fourth fields, respectively, and controls the second interface third and fourth buttons to indicate the first state when a source device associated with the second station is not sharing content in the third and fourth fields, respectively, and to indicate the third state when a source device associated with the second station is sharing content in the third and fourth fields, respectively.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the plurality of user stations includes at least a third user station that includes at least a third indicator device and a third interface.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein each interface is integrated into the at least a first worksurface member.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein each interface includes a touch sensitive emissive surface where virtual control buttons are provided graphically on each interface.

18. The system of claim 1 further including at least one wireless transceiver linked to the processor, the transceiver for communicating wirelessly with the source devices.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the wireless transceiver includes first and second separate near field communication devices proximate the first and second user stations.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein each station includes a separate near field communication device.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein each station further includes a content sharing interface integrated into the worksurface member.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least a first worksurface member includes a separate work surface member for each of the user stations.

23. The system of claim 1 further including a second large common emissive surface arranged for viewing by users within a second conference space and at least a second conference table assembly located in the second conference space and including at least a second worksurface member and a plurality of indicator devices that form a plurality of user stations including at least third and fourth user stations, the third and fourth user stations including third and fourth station worksurfaces and third and fourth indicator devices spatially associated with the third and fourth worksurfaces, the third indicator device controllable to indicate at least the first and a fourth visually distinct states, the fourth indicator device controllable to indicate at least the first visually distinct state and a fifth visually distinct state that is distinct from the other states, the content presented on the second common emissive surface replicating the content presented on the first common emissive surface, the processor programmed to further perform the steps of:

(i) while a source device is associated with the third station and capable of sharing but is not sharing content on the common emissive surfaces, controlling the third indicator to indicate the first state;

(ii) while a source device is associated with the fourth station and capable of sharing but is not sharing content on the common emissive surfaces, controlling the fourth indicator to indicate the first state;

(iii) while a source device is associated with the third station and is sharing content on the common emissive surface, controlling the third indicator to indicate the third state; and

(iv) while a source device is associated with the fourth station and is sharing content on the common emissive surface, controlling the fourth indicator to indicate the fourth state.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein the indicators are de-energized when no source device is associated with an associated user station.

25. The system of claim 1 further including at least a first sensor device for sensing when a wireless source device is within any one of the station spaces, the processor programmed to, upon detecting that a source device is located within a station space that is not currently associated with a source device, automatically initiating a process to associated the source device with the station.

26. The system of claim 1 further including at least one power and data connection port integrated into the worksurface adjacent each of the user stations.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the at least one power and data connector port includes a USB-C port.

28. The system of claim 1 wherein the indicators are arranged along rear edge portions of each of the user stations.

29. The system of claim 1 wherein content sharing is egalitarian so that when one user is sharing content in one of the content sharing spaces any other user can take control of that one of the content sharing spaces to share other content in that space.

30. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor presents instructions to system users on the common emissive surface informing users how to share content.

31. A digital content conference sharing system comprising:

a first large common emissive surface arranged for viewing by users within a conference space;

a first conference table assembly located in the conference space and including at least a first worksurface member and a plurality of indicator devices that form a plurality of user stations, each user station including a station specific section of the worksurface member and indicator devices spatially associated with the station, each indicator device controllable to indicate at least first and second visually distinct states wherein each first state is indicated in a first visually distinct manner and each second state is indicated in an indicator specific second visually distinct manner that is different for each of the indicators, each state including the first state and each of the indicator specific second visually distinct states indicated by generating light of a state specific and visually distinct color;

a processor programmed to perform the steps of;

(i) while a source device is associated with a user station and capable of sharing but is not sharing content on the common emissive surface, controlling the indicator associated with the station to indicate the first state;

(ii) while a source device is associated with a user station and is currently sharing content in a field on the common emissive surface, controlling the indicator associated with the station to indicate the indicator specific second state and presenting an on screen indicator that also indicates the indicator specific second state associated with the user station.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein content is presented in non-overlapping content fields on the common emissive surface, the processor presenting a first indicator that indicates the first indicator specific second state spatially proximate any field including content from a source device associated with the first station and presenting a second indicator that indicates the second indicator specific second state spatially proximate any field including content from a source device associated with the second station.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein each first indicator includes at least a first light bar of a first color along an edge of a content sharing field in which content from a source device associated with the first station is presented and each second indicator includes at least one light bar of a second color along an edge of a content sharing field in which content from a source device associated with the second station is presented.

34. The system of claim 32 wherein the first and second indicators are light devices capable of generating light in a plurality of different colors.

35. The system of claim 31 further including a user location sensor linked to the processor, the processor further programmed to control the first and second indicator devices to, upon the processor detecting a user proximate the at least a first worksurface that is not associated with a station, illuminate one of the indicators at one of the stations that is not currently associated with a source device to indicate a state that is visually distinct from the first and second states to guide the user toward the associated station.

36. The system of claim 31 wherein each user station further includes an interface assembly that includes selectable buttons for controlling system content sharing states.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein each interface includes at least first and second selectable buttons for identifying first and second fields for sharing content on the common display.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the processor controls the appearance of the selectable buttons.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the processor controls the first interface first and second buttons to indicate the first state when a source device associated with the first station is not sharing content in the first and second fields, respectively, and to indicate the first station specific second state when a source device associated with the first station is sharing content in the first and second fields, respectively, and controls the second interface first and second buttons to indicate the first state when a source device associated with the second station is not sharing content in the first and second fields, respectively, and to indicate the second station specific second state when a source device associated with the second station is sharing content in the first and second fields, respectively.

40. The system of claim 31 further including at least one wireless transceiver linked to the processor, the transceiver for communicating wirelessly with the source devices.

41. A digital content conference sharing system comprising:

a first large common emissive surface arranged for viewing by users within a conference space;

a first conference table assembly located in the conference space and including at least a first worksurface member and a plurality of indicator devices that form a plurality of user stations, each user station including a station specific section of the worksurface member and indicator devices spatially associated with the station, each indicator device controllable to indicate at least first and second visually distinct states wherein each first state is indicated in a first visually distinct manner and each second state is indicated in an indicator specific second visually distinct manner that is different for each of the indicators, each state including the first state and each of the indicator specific second visually distinct states indicated by generating light of a state specific and visually distinct color, each station further including a station specific user interface integrated into the worksurface member including at least first and second selectable content sharing buttons associated with at least first and second fields on the common emissive surface, the buttons operable to control content sharing in an egalitarian fashion;

a processor programmed to perform the steps of;

(i) while a source device is associated with a user station and capable of sharing but is not sharing content on the common emissive surface, controlling the indicator associated with the station to indicate the first state;

(ii) while a source device is associated with a user station and is currently sharing content in a field on the common emissive surface, controlling the indicator associated with the station to indicate the indicator specific second state and presenting an on screen indicator that also indicates the indicator specific second state associated with the user station.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein content is presented in non-overlapping content fields on the common emissive surface.

43. The system of claim 41 wherein the first and second indicators are light devices capable of generating light in a plurality of different colors.

44. The system of claim 41 wherein each user station further includes an interface assembly that includes selectable buttons for controlling system content sharing states.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein each interface includes at least first and second selectable buttons for identifying first and second fields for sharing content on the common display.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein the processor controls the appearance of the selectable buttons.