Fleetwood Group, Inc.

Fleetwood Furniture Company, Inc.

Versus Technology, Inc.

Harry G Derks

William S Buehler

Michael B Hall

Michael S Glass

Troy A Redder

David L Ramon

Thomas H Morell

Patrick L Moody

Hugh D Harper

Michael J Mc Kanna

Ann Elizabeth Hall, Legal Representative

Nicholas W Medendrop

A real-time method and system for locating a mobile object or person in a tracking environment. The method includes modulating a first carrier signal with a first packet including a first set of data to obtain a modulated first signal and transmitting the first signal. The first signal contains the first packet and has a first precision and a first range within the environment. The steps of modulating and transmitting are repeated until a modulated second signal is received within a time period after the step of transmitting. The second signal contains a second packet including a second set of data and has a second precision and a second range within the environment. The second signal is demodulated to obtain the second packet. Location is determined within the environment based on the second packet.

Real-time method and system for locating a mobile object or person in a tracking environment

A response system and method of receiving remotely entered user input selections at a central location includes providing at least one base unit and a plurality of response units. A user input selection is received with each of the response units. The user input selection is communicated to the at least one base unit utilizing wireless communication. Personality data is received at each of the response units. The at least one base unit communicates with each of the response units according to the personality data of the particular one of the response units to receive a user input selection. The personality data is received by an individual one of the response units communicating with the at least one base unit at close proximity to provide personality data to that response unit.

Response system and method with dynamic personality assignment

A real-time method and system of determining and validating location of a relocated mobile object or person in a tracking environment in which a plurality of sensors are located are provided. The method includes modulating a first carrier signal with a first packet including a first set of data to obtain a modulated first signal. The first signal contains the first packet and has a first precision and a first range within the environment. A modulated second signal is received from at least one of the sensors including the nearest sensor. The second signal contains a second packet including a second set of data and has a second precision and a second range within the environment. The method further includes determining and validating current location of the relocated tag within the environment based on a plurality of second packets.

Real-time method and system for determining and validating location of a relocated mobile object or person in a tracking environment

A wireless response system and method of receiving user responses from a plurality of users at a base unit includes providing a base unit having a base transceiver that is adapted to wireless signal transmitting and wireless signal receiving and providing a plurality of response units. Each of the response units includes a response unit transceiver and a user input device. The response unit transceiver is adapted to wireless signal transmitting and wireless signal receiving. User input selections are received with the user input device. A response user transmission is transmitted with the response unit transceiver in response to the user input device receiving a user input selection. A base transmission is transmitted with the base unit transceiver. The user response transmissions are asynchronously transmitted after receipt of a base transmission.

Asynchronous response system with acknowledge

A response system and method of retrieving user responses from a plurality of users includes providing a plurality of base units and a plurality of response units, each of the response units adapted to receive a user input selection and to communicate that user input selection with at least one base unit utilizing wireless communication. Personality data is provided for the response units. The personality data facilitates communication with a particular base unit. The personality data of a particular one of the response units is changed in order to change which of the base units that response unit communicates. This allows a response unit to become grouped with a particular base unit at a particular time and become grouped with another base unit at another particular time. The personality data may be obtained from a database.

A wireless communication system and method includes providing at least one master unit and a plurality of slave units communicating with the at least one master unit over at least one wireless communication link. The at least one master unit sends polling signals to the slave units over the at least one wireless communication link. The slave units send data to the at least one master unit over the at least one communication link in response to one of the polling signals. The communication link is made up of at least one master transceiver at the at least one master unit and a plurality of slave transceivers each at one of the slave units. The at least one master transceiver and the slave transceivers communicate with a spread-spectrum hopping protocol.

Wireless polling system using spread-spectrum communication

A wireless response system includes a base unit and a plurality of handheld response units communicating with the base unit over a wireless communication link. The base unit sends polling commands to the response units over the wireless communication. The response units send the response data to the base unit over the wireless communication link in response to the polling signals. The response data is entered in the respective response units by a user.

Wireless response system and method

A remote site interactive system includes a host system having an instructor console, at least one remote system having a base unit and a communication system between the host system and the base unit which is adapted to communicate an instructor audio signal from the host system to the base unit and a responding audio signal from the base unit to the host system. The communication system includes an audio enhancer which enhances the audio signals by regulating signal level, signal muting and/or signal authenticity.

Remote site interactive system

An interactive response system includes a central control host system and one or more wireless remote systems geographically separated from the host system and interconnected with the host system through a communication network. Each remote system includes a base unit and a plurality of response units coupled with the base units through a wireless communication link. Each of the response units includes a microphone, a user input device and a control. Audio signals entered through the microphone are communicated over the wireless communication channel to the base unit and over the communication network to the host system. Any inputs entered on the input device are communicated over the wireless communication channel to the base unit. The host system includes an instructor selection device and a display. At least one call list is displayed on the display. The instructor may select characteristics of individuals for inclusion on the call list. Individuals requesting to have an audio link with the instructor are placed on the call list if a characteristic of theirs from a database roster matches the characteristic set up by the instructor for that call list.

Multiple site interactive response system

A wireless remote response system includes a base unit which retrieves user-entered responses from a plurality of remote response units, each of which is provided to a user. The base unit transmits a base data package over a wireless communication link to the plurality of remote response units, which decode the base packet and load into memory a portion of the decoded base package at each response unit. Each response unit examines the characters loaded into the memory and determines any character in the portion of the decoded base package that pertains to that particular response unit. Each remote response unit then processes any character that pertains to that particular response unit. Each bit of data exchanged between the base unit and the response unit is encoded as a particular time interval for at least one cycle of a periodic waveform by varying the time interval either between successive rising edges or between successive falling edges of the periodic waveform. Decoding is carried out by measuring the time intervals between rising edges or between falling edges of successive waveforms. It is then determined whether each measured time interval falls within one of at least two distinct non-overlapping time ranges in order to determine a value of each bit.

Remote response system and data transfer protocol

A test scoring system and method of testing a plurality of individuals utilizes a hand-held answer recording unit for each individual including a user operable input device for receiving and storing user answers. A scoring processor is provided for receiving answer data from each answer recording unit and comparing the answers with an answer key in order to determine conforming answers. A data transfer unit is connected with the scoring processor to receive answer data from the answer recording unit and transfer the answer data transparently to the scoring processor. Each student is provided a hand-held answer recording unit, along with a test, which is typically in written format. The user scrolls through the answer locations in the hand-held answer recording unit and inputs in each location an answer to each question. When the test is completed, the answer recording unit is juxtaposed with the data transfer unit and the data transfer unit produces a single bit discharge signal that is transferred to the answer recording unit across a physically impervious boundary. The answer recording unit responds to the discharge signal by transferring in sequential order all of the answer data across the physically impervious boundary to the data transfer unit. The data transfer unit includes a decoding circuit that responds to only the leading edges of the answer data signal in order to accurately decode the signal and, thus, allow a faster rate of data transfer. The decoded answer data is transferred to the scoring processor.

Test scoring system and method

A remote response system includes a central control unit and a plurality of remotely-located response units each having keypads for entering a selection from a user. The central control unit sequentially transmits distinct address words and includes redundant receivers for receiving data words transmitted by response units. Each response unit becomes powered-up upon the entry of a user response and transmits a data word, corresponding to the user selection, upon receipt of its unique address word. The central control unit examines the validity of each data bit received and the validity of an entire data word to determine if both a character and its complement are received. If a valid data word is received, the central control unit transmits an acknowledge bit, which powers-down the response unit that sent the valid word. Each response unit transmits its data word simultaneously with the central control unit transmitting the address word for the next unit that is to respond with the transmissions occurring over distinct frequency channels. A clock signal for controlling data word serial bit transmission is derived at each response unit from the address word signal.

Remote response system

A wireless signaling between one or more remote locations and a central location includes a transmitter at each remote location and switches for providing signals indicating status information on each remote location. A logic circuit coupled to the switches and to the transmitter provide signals effecting transmission of a signal modulated to uniquely identify the remote location and the status represented by the switches. A receiver at the central location is coupled to a second logic circuit for decoding the signals received from the transmitter and is coupled to indicators for providing an indication of the status at the first location.

Wireless signaling system

A wireless electrical teaching system includes an instructor operated console with a plurality of lesson sources and means for transmitting the lesson source information to students, each having a transceiver unit which can be used to select one of the desired lesson sources. The console includes means for generating a unique student identification code transmitted on a common carrier frequency for all students but identifying an individual student for purposes of monitoring the student's progress during a lesson or for intercommunications between the instructor and a student. Each of the student transceivers include code detecting means responsive only to the unique code indentifying the student for generating a control signal which actuates a student transmitter for transmitting the student's voice back to the instructor during a monitoring mode of operation. The console also includes an intercom transmission circuit and a circuit for modifying the student code. The student's transceiver includes control means for automatically muting the lesson source when a modified code is received and tuning the student receiver to the intercom transmission circuit pemitting intercommunications between the instructor and the student at the same adjustable audio level as the lesson source selected by the student.

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Holland, MI, United States of America

Harry G Derks