Multimedia training system and apparatus

• US 8,356,068 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2010
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alchemy Systems, L.P. (Intertek Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Alchemy Systems, L.P. (Intertek Group PLC)
• Inventors: Acosta, Carlos A., Barrett, Archie D. Jr., Merkord, Brandon, Silver, Erin, Perl, David I., Eastman, Jeffery A., Donelson, Robin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B
• Application Number:
  US12/683,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20110167103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709217-219, 709/248, 434/350
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/10 all student stations being capable of presenting the same information simultaneously G09B5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/12 different stations being capable of presenting different information simultaneously G09B5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for providing interactive training, whereby a video display and a base station are coupled in communication with a computer. A plurality of wireless handheld remotes are configured for wirelessly communicating with the base station, and each of the remotes is operable by a respective trainee of a group of trainees. Each remote has a remote ID unique from all other remotes and is stored in non-volatile memory of the computer; and the base station includes a base station ID code unique from all other base stations, and the base station ID is stored in non-volatile memory of each remote. Each remote remains in an inactive state and is operable to be activated via a respective activate signal transmitted from the base station, and the base station is operable to transmit an activate signal to one or more of the remotes, the activate signal being effective for enabling the remote to transmit a signal, wherein the remote is deactivated upon completion of transmission of signal. Using unique IDs prevents interference from other wireless devices including remotes paired with other base stations. It also makes it unnecessary for one training system to operate on a different channel from another training system.

Claims

1. A system for providing interactive training, the system comprising:

at least one computer;

at least one display coupled to said at least one computer;

one or more base stations coupled to said at least one computer;

one or more remotes configured for wireless communication with a respective one of said one or more base stations, each of said one or more remotes being operable by a respective trainee of a group of trainees;

wherein each of said one or more remotes is defined by a respective remote ID that is unique from the remote ID of any other of said one or more remotes, and wherein the remote ID of each of said one or more remotes is stored in a computer memory of said a respective one of said at least one computer;

wherein said one or more base stations includes a respective one of one or more base station ID codes unique from the base station ID codes of all other of said one or more base stations, and said respective one of said one or more base station IDs is stored in a remote memory of each of said one or more remotes, thereby pairing each of said one or more remotes with a respective one of said one or more base stations;

wherein said at least one computer includes a computer processor coupled to said computer memory configured for storing a computer software code which, when executed by said computer processor, causes said computer processor to respond to at least one remote signal received from one of said one or more remotes, comprising steps of;

determining if said at least one remote signal includes an ID which matches an ID stored in said computer memory of one of said one or more remotes;

upon a determination that said at least one remote signal includes an ID which matches an ID stored in said computer memory of one of said one or more remotes, processing said remote signal; and

upon a determination that said at least one remote signal does not include an ID which matches an ID stored in said computer memory of one of said one or more remotes, ignoring said remote signal; and

wherein said at least one remote includes a remote processor coupled to said remote memory configured for storing a remote software code, which when executed by said remote processor, causes said remote processor to respond to at least one base station signal received from one of said one or more base stations, comprising steps of;

determining if said at least one base station signal includes an ID which matches an ID stored in said remote memory of a respective one of said one or more base stations;

upon a determination that said at least one base station signal includes an ID which matches an ID stored in said remote memory of a respective one of said one or more base stations, processing said at least one signal; and

upon a determination that said at least one base station signal does not include an ID which matches an ID stored in said remote memory of a respective one of said one or more base stations, ignoring said at least one base station signal.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one data center server coupled via a network to said at least one computer, said at least one data center server being configured for hosting training and learning management system software, said at least one computer being configured for hosting group-based training software which cooperates said training and learning management system software.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

each remote remains in an inactive state wherein it is disabled from transmitting, and is activated to transmit upon receipt an activate signal transmitted from a respective one of said one or more base stations; and

each respective one of said one or more base stations is configured to transmit an activate signal to a respective one or more of said one or more remotes, said activate signal being effective for placing said respective one or more of said one or more remotes in an active state wherein said respective one or more of said one or more remotes may transmit a signal to said respective one of said one or more base stations.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said one or more base station IDs and each of said one or more remote IDs is a unique machine address ID (“

MAC ID”

).

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said one or more base stations is effective for transmitting a power-off signal to all respective ones of said one or more remotes to cause each of said respective one of said one or more remotes to power-off.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said one or more remote IDs associated with each of said one or more remotes in the memory of said at least one computer is also associated with a respective one of one or more trainees.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one computer includes a memory, a processor, and a computer-readable medium having software code, which, when said code is loaded into said memory and run by said processor, causes said processor to perform a binding sequence comprising steps of:

establishing communication between each of said one or more remotes and each respective one of said one or more base stations;

associating at each respective one of said one or more base stations each respective one of said one or more remotes with a respective one of said one or more trainees; and

including a respective one of said one or more base station IDs in communications from said one or more base stations to said respective ones of said one or more remotes.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one computer includes a memory, a processor, and a computer-readable medium having software code, which, when said code is loaded into said memory and run by said processor, causes said one or more remotes to change channel, comprising steps of:

synchronizing the operating frequency of each of said one or more remotes to the operating frequency of a respective one of said one or more base stations.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more remotes includes a processor, a memory, and software code stored in said memory and executable by said processor for causing said one or more remotes to determine a frequency on which a respective one of said one or more base stations operates, comprising steps of:

subsequent to sending by each of said one or more remotes a signal at each of one or more frequencies at which a respective one of said one or more base stations operates, awaiting a response from said respective one of said one or more base stations indicating that a signal had been received by said a respective one of said one or more remotes at a particular frequency.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more remotes includes a processor, a memory, and software code stored in said memory and executable by said processor for causing said one or more remotes to determine a frequency on which a respective one of said one or more base stations operate, comprising steps of:

subsequent to sending by each of said one or more remotes a signal at each of one or more frequencies at which said one or more base stations operate, beginning with a frequency at which a respective one of said one or more base stations used in a last successful communication, awaiting a response from said respective one of said one or more base stations indicating that a signal had been received by said remote at a particular frequency.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory of each of said one or more remotes into which the ID associated with a respective one of said one or more base stations is stored is non-volatile memory, and further wherein the frequency at which a respective one of said one or more base stations operates is stored in the non-volatile memory of each of said one or more remotes.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the last logical state at which each respective remote is operating is stored in the non-volatile memory of each of said one or more remotes.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one computer includes a memory, a processor, and a computer-readable medium having software code, which, when said code is loaded into said memory and run by said processor, causes said processor to perform steps of:

receiving by a respective one of said one or more base stations a new frequency selection at which to operate;

transmitting said new frequency selection to each of said one or more remotes for operating at said new frequency; and

changing the frequency at which said respective one of said one or more base stations and each of said respective one or more remotes operates to be at said new frequency.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one display is a video display for displaying video presentations generated by said at least one computer.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said one or more remotes is a handheld remote.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said remote ID is stored in non-volatile memory of said at least one computer.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein a respective one of said one or more base station IDs is stored in non-volatile memory of each of said one or more remotes paired with a respective one of said one or more base stations identified by said respective one of said one or more base station IDs.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote is deactivated from transmitting signals upon completion of transmission of said signal from said remote.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote is deactivated from transmitting signals upon receipt of an inactive state signal received from a respective one of said one or more base stations.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein each remote is defined by a “

friendly”

ID and said computer includes a memory, a processor, and a computer-readable medium having software code, which, when said code is loaded into said memory and run by said processor, causes said processor to perform steps of;

determining which remotes have not answered a question;

determining the “

friendly”

ID of said remotes that have not answered a question;

displaying a list of said “

friendly”

ID'"'"'s of said remotes that have not answered a question; and

automatically updating said list as remotes submit answers.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein each remote is defined by a “

friendly”

ID and said computer includes a memory, a processor, and a computer-readable medium having software code, which, when said code is loaded into said memory and run by said processor, causes said processor to perform steps of;

determining which remotes have not answered a question;

determining the “

friendly”

ID of said remotes that have not answered a question;

associating a name of a trainee with each “

friendly”

ID;

displaying a list of said “

friendly”

ID'"'"'s and associated names of trainees assigned to said remotes that have not answered a question; and

automatically updating said list as remotes submit answers.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein said memory of said at least one computer comprises a computer-readable medium and said memory of said at least one remote comprises non-volatile memory and said remote ID of each of said one or more remotes is stored in said computer-readable medium of said at least one computer, and said respective base station ID is stored in said non-volatile memory of each of said one or more remotes so that no future pairing between said one or more remotes, said one or more base stations, and said at least one computer is necessary.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said one or more remotes is assigned in an assignment to a respective trainee of one or more trainees, said memory of said at least one computer comprises a computer-readable medium and said memory of said at least one remote comprises non-volatile memory, and said remote ID of each of said one or more remotes and said assignment is stored in said computer-readable medium of said at least one computer, and said respective base station ID is stored in said non-volatile memory of each of said one or more remotes so that no future pairing between said one or more remotes, a respective one of said one or more base stations, and said at least one computer is necessary, and no future assignment between one or more trainees and one or more remotes is necessary, provided that each of said one or more trainees retains his or her own unique remote.