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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9883740-B2
Application number	US-201414568938-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Oct 12, 2007
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

A system comprising a switching device linked to a common display screen and including a wireless receiver configured to receive content, the switching device configured to use the received content to drive the common display screen and a plurality of interface devices, each interface device including an interface housing, an interface device processor, a control button mounted within the housing and a plug linked to the housing via a cable, the plug receivable within a connection port of a computing device, a first interface device including a first device processor, a first plug and a first control button, the first processor configured to perform the steps of, with the first plug received in the connection port of the first computing device and first content presented on the first display screen while other content is presented on the common display screen, detecting selection of the first control button and, upon detecting selection of the first control button, causing a wireless transmission to the switching device, upon receiving the wireless transmission, the switching device presenting the content from the first computing device display screen on the common display screen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for use with a first computing device, a first control interface, a switching device and a common display screen, the first computing device including a device display screen and an input port, the first control interface including a control button, a processor, a plug and an illumination device, the method comprising the steps of:
with first content presented on the display screen of the first computing device and not presented on the common display screen:
detecting connection of the plug to the input port;
illuminating the illumination device via a first color light to indicate a first state;
detecting selection of the control button;
upon detection of selection of the control button:
(i) illuminating the illumination device via a second color light to indicate a second state; and
(iii) causing wireless transmission of the first content to the switching device to be presented on the common display.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of, with the first content presented on the display screen of the first computing device and the first content presented on the common display screen, detecting a next selection of the control button;
upon detection of a next selection of the control button:
(i) illuminating the illumination device via the first color light to indicate the first state; and
(iii) controlling the switching device to remove the first content from the common display.

3. The method of claim 1 also for use with a second computing device and a second control interface, the second computing device including a second device display screen and a second input port, the second control interface including a second control button, a second processor, a second plug and a second illumination device, the method further comprising the steps of:
with second content presented on the second display screen and not presented on the common display screen:
detecting connection of the second plug to the second input port;
illuminating the second illumination device via the first color light to indicate the first state;
detecting selection of the second control button;
upon detection of selection of the second control button:
(i) illuminating the second illumination device via the second color light to indicate the second state; and
(ii) causing transmission of a wireless signal to the switching device causing the switching device to present the second content on the common display.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of presenting the second content on the common display includes replacing the first content on the common display screen with the second content, the method further including the step of, upon replacing the first content on the common display with the second content, illuminating the first illumination device via the first color light to indicate the first state.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the step of, upon receiving the first content at the switching device, replacing content that was presented on the common display prior to selection of the control button on the first interface device with the first content.

6. The method of claim 1 further including the step of, upon receiving the first content at the switching device, adding the first content to the content that was presented on the common display prior to selection of the control button on the first interface device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of adding the first content includes presenting the first content on a portion of the common display screen adjacent the content presented on the common display screen prior to selection of the control button on the first interface device.

8. A method for use with a common display screen, a plurality of computing devices and a separate control interface for each computing device, each computing device including a display screen, each control interface including at least one control button, the method comprising the steps of:
presenting first and second content from first and second computing devices on first and second different portions of the common display screen, respectively, the first and second content duplicating content presented on the display screens of the first and second computing devices, respectively;
detecting selection of a control button on one of the separate control interfaces associated with one of the computing devices and
removing the first content from the common display screen while persistently presenting the second content on the common display screen in response to selection of the control button on the selected separate control interface.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of detecting selection of a control button includes detecting selection of a control button on a control interface associated with a third computing device, the step of removing the first content including replacing the first content on the common display screen with third content that duplicates content presented on the display screen of the third computing device.

10. The method of claim 8 further including the steps of, while the second content is presented on a portion of the common display screen, detecting selection of a control button on a control interface associated with the second computing device and, upon detection of selection of the control button on the control interface associated with the second computing device, removing the second content from the common display screen.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein each of the control interfaces also includes an illumination device controllable to indicate at least first and second states including a first state when content on the display screen of an associated computing device is duplicated on the common display screen and a second state when content on the display screen of an associated computing device is not presented on the common display screen, the method further including the step of controlling the illumination devices to indicate the first and second states.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the common display screen may be divided into four spaces for presenting content from four different computing devices simultaneously, the method further including the step of presenting content from four different computing devices simultaneously on the common display screen.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein each control interface includes a cable including first and second ends, a plug at one end of the cable and a button at the second end of the cable, the plug receivable within a port of a computing device, the method further including the step of linking first and second plugs from the first and second control interfaces to the first and second computing devices, respectively, via ports in the computing devices.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein each control interface includes a virtual control interface presented on the display screen of an associated computing device, the step of detecting including detecting selection on the display screen.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein each of the control interfaces also includes an indicator controllable to indicate at least first and second states including a first state when content on the display screen of an associated computing device is duplicated on the common display screen and a second state when content on the display screen of an associated computing device is not presented on the common display screen, the method further including the step of controlling the indicators to indicate the first and second states.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the virtual control

Assignees

• Steelcase Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04N5/268

  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