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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9871978-B1
Application number	US-201615258599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 7, 2016
Priority date	Oct 12, 2007
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

A content sharing device for use in controlling content replicated from a video source device on a large common display screen, the content sharing device comprising a housing, a processor supported by the housing, at least first and second control buttons supported by the housing and linked to the processor, a cable linked to the processor and having a distal end opposite the processor, the cable including a connector at the distal end for linking to the video source device, wherein, the processor is programmed to enable content from the video source device linked to the connector to be replicated in a first field on the common display screen upon selection of the first control button and to enable content from the video source device linked to the connector to be replicated in a second field adjacent to and separate from the first field upon selection of the second control button.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A content sharing device for use in controlling content replicated from a video source device on a large common display screen, the content sharing device comprising:
a housing having a floor member that forms a substantially flat undersurface and a lateral wall that extends upward from the floor member to form a cavity;
a processor located within the cavity;
at least first and second control buttons supported by the housing and linked to the processor;
a cable operably linked to the processor and having a distal end opposite the processor, the cable including a connector at the distal end for linking to the video source device;
wherein, the processor is programmed to enable content from the video source device linked to the connector to be replicated in a first field on the common display screen upon selection of the first control button and to enable content from the video source device linked to the connector to be replicated in a second field adjacent to and separate from the first field upon selection of the second control button.

2. The content sharing device of claim 1 wherein the processor enables content to be replicated in the first and second fields by causing the content to be replicated in the first and second fields upon selection of the first and second control buttons, respectively.

3. The content sharing device of claim 1 further including at least a first visual indicator supported by the housing and linked to the processor, the processor controlling the at least a first visual indicator to indicate at least a first control state when the content on the video source device linked to the content sharing device is replicated on the common display screen.

4. The content sharing device of claim 3 wherein the at least a first visual indicator includes a light source that is controlled by controlling at least one characteristic of the light generated by the light source.

5. The content sharing device of claim 4 wherein the light source is controllable to indicate at least first and second visually distinguished states.

6. The content sharing device of claim 5 wherein the light source generates a first light effect while content from the video source device linked to the content sharing device is replicated on the common display screen and the second light effect while content from the video source device linked to the content sharing device is not replicated on the common display screen.

7. The content sharing device of claim 1 wherein the first field includes an area along the left edge of the common display screen and the second field includes an area along the right edge of the common display screen.

8. The content sharing device of claim 2 wherein the processor is further programmed to, while content is presented in the first field, upon a next selection of the first control button, remove the replicated content from the first field and, while content is presented in the second field, upon a next selection of the second control button, remove the replicated content from the second field.

9. The content sharing device of claim 8 wherein the content from the video source device linked to the content sharing device may be replicated in each of the first and second fields simultaneously.

10. The content sharing device of claim 1 further including an off button supported by the housing and linked to the processor, the off button, upon selection while content from a video source device linked to the content sharing device is replicated in any field on the common display screen, removing the replicated content from the common display screen.

11. The content sharing device of claim 10 further including at least a first visual indicator supported by the housing and linked to the processor, the processor controlling the at least a first visual indicator to indicate at least a first control state when the content on the video source device linked to the content sharing device is replicated on the common display screen and indicating at least a second control state when the content on the video source linked to the content sharing device is not replicated on the common display screen.

12. The content sharing device of claim 1 further including at least first and second separate visual indicators supported by the housing and linked to the processor, the processor controlling the at least a first visual indicator to indicate at least a first control state while the video source device linked to the content sharing device is replicated in the first field and controlling the at least a second visual indicator to indicate at least a first control state while the video source device linked to the content sharing device is replicated in the second field.

13. The content sharing device of claim 12 wherein each of the first and second visual indicators includes a light source that is controlled by controlling at least one characteristic of the light generated by the light source.

14. The content sharing device of claim 13 wherein each of the first and second light sources is controllable to indicate at least first and second visually distinguished states.

15. The content sharing device of claim 14 wherein the first light source generates a first light effect while content from the video source device linked to the content sharing device is replicated in the first field and the second light effect while content from the video source device linked to the content sharing device is not replicated on in the first field and wherein the second light source generates a first light effect while content from the video source device linked to the content sharing device is replicated in the second field and the second light effect while content from the video source device linked to the content sharing device is not replicated on in the second field.

16. The content sharing device of claim 15 wherein the first light source and the second light source are spatially proximate the first and second control buttons, respectively.

17. The content sharing device of claim 1 further including third and fourth control buttons supported by the housing and linked to the processor, the processor further programmed to enable content from the video source device linked to the connector to be replicated in a third field independent of the first and second fields on the common display screen upon selection of the third control button and to enable content from the video source device linked to the connector to be replicated in a fourth field that is separate from the first, second and third fields upon selection of the fourth control button.

18. The content sharing device of claim 17 wherein content replication in the third and fourth fields is enabled by causing the content to be replicated in the third and fourth fields, respectively.

19. The content sharing device of claim 1 wherein replicated content is enabled by wirelessly transmitting the content from the video source device to a switching device that is linked to the common display screen.

20. The content sharing device of claim 1 wherein the first and second buttons stand proud of and are located above the cavity formed by the housing.

21. The content sharing device of claim 20 wherein the lateral wall forms an opening and wherein the cable extends from the processor through the opening formed by the lateral wall to the connector.

22. The content sharing device of claim 21 wherein the portion of the control cable between t

Assignees

• Steelcase Inc

Inventors

• Epstein Lewis
• Kincaid Brett
• Yoo Hyun
• Stage Suzanne
• Scherrer Lukas
• Cheng Larry

Classifications

• H04N5/268 Primary

  Signal distribution or switching · CPC title

• H04N7/183

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title

• H04N7/152

  Multipoint control units therefor · CPC title

• H04N7/142

  Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display · CPC title

• H04N7/15 Primary

  Conference systems · CPC title