INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

• US 20100275132A1
• Filed: 07/06/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Polyvision Corporation (Steelcase Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wilson, Scott E., HILDEBRANDT, Peter W., Watson, James D., Meissner, Richard, Hofmann, Neal A., Dunn, Michael H., Hutchinson, Ian G., Anderson, Brent W., Ashford, Louis
• Granted Patent: US 8,723,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1605 Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves

Abstract

The present invention includes interactive communication systems that incorporate several beneficial embodiments including an interactive tray system, an electronic presentation messaging system, an interactive podium, and a key drive system. The interactive tray system enables a single, transferable interactive unit to be fastened to a communication medium, turning into a fully interactive medium. The electronic presentation messaging system enables the e-mailing of presentations and notes to and from components of the interactive communication system. The interactive podium increases conventional podium mobility, enabling both the presenter, and podium, to move and be moved about the room without attention to wired connections. The key drive system replaces the conventional Y-connector of the key drive technology by effectively integrating the key drive in the device, thus only having one connector, and eliminating the need to change connectors from the key drive, to the USB connector, upon software driver loading.

Claims

1. An interactive communication system comprising:

a display board adapted to display a presentation;

a notation capture system adapted to sense an instrument in proximity to the display board, the notation capture system determining one or more locations of the instrument relative to the display board and interpreting the locations as notations to the presentation; and

a projector configured to project a digital representation of the notations onto the display board; and

a messaging system configured to receive the presentation before presenting the presentation and to send the presentation along with the generated notations after presenting the presentation.

2. The interactive communication system of claim 1, associated with a predetermined, static communications address through which the messaging system facilitates communications.

3. The interactive communication system of claim 1, the messaging system integrated with the display board, and the display board associated with a predetermined, static communications address.

4. The interactive communication system of claim 1, the notation capture system comprising:

the instrument, configured to detect an indicia of the locations of the instrument with respect to the display board; and

a processing device in communication with the instrument, and configured to translate the locations of the instrument into operations performed on the display board.

5. The interactive communication system of claim 1, further comprising an image capture system configured to capture one or more images of objects presented on the display board, wherein the messaging system is configured to transmit the images.

6. The interactive communication system of claim 1, the messaging system configured to transmit the notations automatically in response to receiving an indication that the presentation concluded.

7. The interactive communication system of claim 1, further comprising a scheduling system in communication with the messaging system and configured to receive scheduling information for the interactive system, wherein the messaging system transmits the presentation to a selected location for the presentation.

8. The interactive communication system of claim 7, the scheduling system configured to receive a list of one or more parties associated with the presentation, and the messaging system automatically transmitting the notations to the parties associated with the presentation.

9. The interactive communication system of claim 7, the scheduling system comprising a web server for receiving the scheduling information over the web.

10. A method comprising:

transmitting an electronic presentation to an interactive system;

projecting the electronic presentation on a display board of the interactive display system;

generating digital notations with an input device with respect to the display board; and

transmitting the digital notations and the electronic presentation from the interactive system to one or more predetermined recipients.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising reserving the interactive display system in fulfillment of a request to present the electronic presentation.

12. The method of claim 10, the transmitting of digital notations and the electronic presentation from the interactive system occurring automatically at the conclusion of the presentation.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising capturing one or more images of the electronic presentation and the digital notations, wherein transmitting the digital notations from the interactive system to one or more predetermined recipients comprises transmitting the captured images.

14. The method of claim 10, the recipients of the digital notations including predetermined attendees of the presentation.

15. The method of claim 10, the recipients of the digital notations including a predetermined presenter or administrator of the presentation.

16. A system comprising:

a scheduling system configured to receive a presentation request and to reserve a selected interactive display system based on the presentation request, the selected interactive display system being chosen from a plurality of interactive display systems, and the presentation request comprising;

an electronic presentation; and

a list of attendees associated with the presentation request; and

a messaging system for transmitting the electronic presentation to the selected interactive display system, and for transmitting digital notations to the presentation to the attendees associated with the presentation request at the conclusion of the presentation.

17. The system of claim 16, the scheduling system receiving the presentation request over a web server.

18. The system of claim 16, the selected interactive display system having a communications address, where the electronic presentation is received.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of display devices, each corresponding to one of the plurality of interactive display systems and being positioned proximate the corresponding interactive display systems.

20. The system of claim 19, a first display device of the plurality of display devices corresponding to the selected interactive display system and configured to indicate availability of the selected location.

21. The system of claim 20, the first display device configured to receive a schedule update from a user for the selected room and to transmit the schedule update to the scheduling system.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising a notation capture system configured to create the digital notations during the presentation by tracking positions of an input device relative to a display device in real time.