COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20110096138A1
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intaglio, LLC
• Original Assignee: Intaglio, LLC
• Inventors: Grimshaw, Kirk T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,508,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• 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 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A communication system that may be integrated or otherwise combined with a piece of furniture, such as a conference table, desk or credenza. The communication system may provide a combination of audio, video, telephony, presentation and/or other conferencing functions and may include a number of separate user modules, a control module, a display module and a network connection. According to an exemplary embodiment, each of the separate user modules is a compact device that is integrated into the piece of furniture and includes a button that, when activated, allows a user to take control of certain aspects of the communication system. For example, a user may take over the display module or the information that is sent via the network connection by activating their user module.

Claims

1. A communication system for integration with a piece of furniture, comprising:

a plurality of user modules, each of the user modules includes a button;

a network connection; and

a control module being electronically coupled to both the user module and the network connection, wherein activation of a button on a user module causes the control module to give at least some control of the network connection to the user module with the activated button.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of user modules is integrated with the piece of furniture and includes a housing and a speaker, the housing is firmly attached to the piece of furniture so that the user module is generally immovable and includes one or more walls that direct audio output from the speaker in a particular direction.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of user modules includes at least one input device that provides the communication system with input from a user and is selected from the group consisting of:

a data port, a data connection, a wireless data connection, a microphone or a camera.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of user modules includes at least one output device that provides a user with output from the communication system and is selected from the group consisting of:

a speaker or a visual indicator that indicates which user module currently has control of the communication system.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of user modules includes an electrical outlet that provides alternating current (AC) electrical energy.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the control module is integrated with the piece of furniture and includes a housing and a plurality of input and output connections exiting the housing, the housing is firmly attached to the piece of furniture so that the control module is generally immovable and the plurality of input and output connections exiting the housing all use the same type of cabling.

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of input and output connections exiting the housing all use Category V (CAT-V) cabling with RJ45 jacks.

8. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the control module includes a switch controller electronically coupled to the plurality of user modules and the network connection, and activation of a button on a first user module causes the switch controller to connect an input device of the first user module with the network connection, and activation of a button on a second user module causes the switch controller to connect an input device of the second user module with the network connection.

9. The communication system of claim 8, wherein the input device of the first user module is a data connection electronically coupled to a first portable computing device and activation of the button on the first user module causes the switch controller to connect the data connection of the first user module with the network connection so that a remote user can view output from the first portable computing device, and the input device of the second user module is a data connection electronically coupled to a second portable computing device and activation of the button on the second user module causes the switch controller to connect the data connection of the second user module with the network connection so that a remote user can view output from the second portable computing device.

10. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the control module further includes a controller electronically coupled to the plurality of user modules and the switch controller, the controller senses and interprets activation of the button on the first user module and instructs the switch controller to connect the data connection of the first user module with the network connection, and the controller senses and interprets activation of the button on the first user module and instructs the switch controller to connect the data connection of the second user module with the network connection.

11. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the control module includes an audio processor that both receives and sends audio signals, the audio processor receives audio signals from at least one of the following sources:

a microphone, a network connection, or a communication accessory, and the audio processor sends audio signals to at least one of the following destinations;

a speaker or a network connection.

12. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the control module includes a video processor that both receives and sends video signals, the video processor receives video signals from at least one of the following sources:

a camera, a network connection, or a communication accessory, and the video processor sends video signals to at least one of the following destinations;

a display module or a network connection.

13. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising a display module that displays visual and/or audio output from at least one source selected from the group consisting of:

a video camera, a communications accessory, or a network connection.

14. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising a camera and a microphone that provide, wherein both the camera and the microphone provide output to at least one destination selected from the group consisting of:

a display module, a speaker, or a network connection.

15. The communication system of claim 1, wherein both the plurality of user modules and the control module are integrated with a conference table, the plurality of user modules are firmly attached to the conference table and protrude from a top surface of the conference table, the control module is firmly attached to the conference table and is located underneath the top surface of the conference table, and the plurality of user modules and the control module are electronically coupled together via a plurality of connections that are generally located beneath the top surface of the conference table and are out of sight from a user.

16. A communication system for integration with a piece of furniture, comprising:

a plurality of user modules being integrated with the piece of furniture, each of the plurality of user modules includes a button and an input device;

a display module;

a network connection; and

a control module being integrated with the piece of furniture, the control module includes a switch controller electronically coupled to the plurality of user modules, the display module and the network connection;

wherein activation of a button on a first user module causes the switch controller to connect an input device of the first user module with at least one of the display module or the network connection so that at least some control of the communication system is given to the first user module, and activation of a button on a second user module causes the switch controller to connect an input device of the second user module with at least one of the display module or the network connection so that at least some control of the communication system is given to the second user module.

17. A method of operating a communication system, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving data from a first portable computing device at a display module and/or a network connection, wherein the data is received through a first user module;

(b) receiving a status signal from a second user module indicating that the second user module has been activated by a user; and

(c) in response to the activation of the second user module, stopping receiving data from the first portable computing device and starting receiving data from a second portable computing device at the display module and/or the network connection, wherein the data is received through the second user module.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving data from the first portable computing device at the display module so that the display module shows the same content as is currently on the first portable computing device, and step (c) further comprises stopping receiving data from the first portable computing device, and starting receiving data from the second portable computing device at the display module so that the display module shows the same content as is currently on the second portable computing device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving data from the first portable computing device at the network connection so that a remote user will the same content as is currently on the first portable computing device, and step (c) further comprises stopping receiving data from the first portable computing device, and starting receiving data from the second portable computing device at the network connection so that a remote user will see the same content as is currently on the second portable computing device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving data from a first portable computing device and a video camera at the display module so that the display module simultaneously shows the same content as is currently on the first portable computing device and the video content.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving data from a first portable computing device and a video camera at the network connection so that a remote user can simultaneously see the same content as is currently on the first portable computing device and the video content.