# US 11,112,949 B2 · Personal control apparatus and method for sharing information in a collaborative workspace > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,112,949 B2 - Document ID: US11112949B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/986,047 - Filed: 2018-05-22 - Published: 2018-09-20 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2009-05-29 - Assignees: Steelcase Inc. - Applicants: Steelcase Inc. - Inventors: Lewis Epstein - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11112949B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0484: for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range - G06F 3/023: Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes - G06F 3/1454: {involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay} - H04M 7/0027: {Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication} - G09G 5/14: Display of multiple viewports - G09G 2340/0464: Positioning - G09G 2354/00: Aspects of interface with display user - G09G 2370/16: Use of wireless transmission of display information - G09G 2370/20: Details of the management of multiple sources of image data - H04M 3/563: {User guidance or feature selection} - H04N 7/15: Conference systems - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A method and apparatus for use with a presentation system including at least first and second display screens, the method comprising the steps of receiving a wireless association request signal from a user device identifying the user device, identifying the presentation system and requesting that the user device be associated with the presentation system, associating the user device with the presentation system, providing first presentation system specifying information to the user device, receiving a selection signal from the user device indicating a subset of the presentation system display screens, associating the user device with the selected subset of display screens, receiving data from the user device and using the received data from the user device to present information via the selected subset of display screens. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A presentation system comprising: a display screen in communication with a computer system and viewable from locations within a space defined by a corresponding egress; at least one mobile user device programmed with a sharing application and adapted to wirelessly communicate with the computer system, the mobile user device including a display screen for presenting content; at least one system identifying device positioned adjacent the corresponding egress and producing a system identifying signal which is received by the mobile user device whenever the mobile user device is located proximate the space defined by the corresponding egress; wherein, upon receiving the system identifying signal, the mobile user device uses the system identifying information to initiate a process to automatically associate the mobile user device with the computer system; and wherein, upon association, content presented on the mobile user device display screen is sharable via the display screen in the space defined by the corresponding egress. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The presentation system of claim 1, wherein the system identifying signal is a signal within a defined frequency range. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The presentation system of claim 2, wherein the frequency range is less than 20 kHz. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The presentation system of claim 2, wherein a plurality of frequencies within the frequency band correspond to a plurality of spaces defined by a corresponding plurality of egresses. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The presentation system of claim 1, wherein the system identifying signal is a code. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The presentation system of claim 1, wherein the mobile user device is programmed to produce a device/presentation system data packet. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The presentation system of claim 6, wherein the data packet comprises an identifier for the mobile user device and information that can be used to uniquely identify the system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The presentation system of claim 1, wherein the system identifying device is coupled to the egress defining the space containing the display screen. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The presentation system of claim 1 wherein the space defined by the egress defines an opening into a presentation space that includes the display screen and wherein the display screen is viewable within the presentation space. ### Claim 10 A presentation system comprising a computer; at least one mobile user device programmed with a sharing application; a display screen in communication with the computer and located for viewing within a space defined by a corresponding egress; at least one system identifying device corresponding to the display screen, mounted adjacent the corresponding egress, and producing a system identifying signal proximate the egress which is received by the mobile user device whenever the mobile user device is located proximate the egress; wherein the mobile user device is programmed to: upon receiving the system identifying signal, use the system identifying signal to initiate a process to automatically associate the mobile user device with the computer system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The presentation system of claim 10, wherein there are a plurality of display screens, a corresponding plurality of egresses, and a corresponding plurality of system identifying devices, and the system identifying devices are mounted adjacent the egresses identifying the spaces corresponding to the display screens. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The presentation system of claim 11, wherein the system identifying devices are each mounted to the one of the plurality of egresses defining the space including the corresponding display screen. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The presentation system of claim 10, wherein the system identifying signal comprises at least one of an identifying frequency or a code. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The presentation system of claim 10, wherein the mobile user device is programmed to produce a data packet comprising the device identifying information and at least some information for identifying the display screen. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The presentation system of claim 10 wherein the space defined by the egress defines an opening into a presentation space that includes the display screen and wherein the display screen is viewable within the presentation space. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The presentation system of claim 10 wherein the at least one mobile user device includes a mobile device display screen for presenting information and wherein, upon association, content presented on the mobile device display screen is sharable via the display screen in the associated space. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The presentation system of claim 16 wherein, upon association, the mobile user device automatically presents a content sharing tool on the mobile device display screen that is selectable to share the content presented on the mobile device display screen on the display screen in the associated space. ### Claim 18 A presentation system comprising a computer; at least one mobile user device programmed with a sharing application; a plurality of display screens in communication with the computer, each display screen associated with a different one of a plurality of defined spaces, each of the defined spaces identified by a corresponding egress; a plurality of system identifying devices corresponding to the plurality of defined spaces, each system identifying device corresponding to one of the plurality of presentation display screens, each of the system identifying devices producing a system identifying signal adjacent the corresponding egress which is received by the mobile user device whenever the mobile user device is located proximate the egress space, wherein the mobile user device is programmed to: upon receiving a system identifying signal, use the system identifying signal to initiate a process to automatically associate the mobile user device with the defined space associated with the identifying signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The presentation system of claim 18, wherein the computer is adapted to access a database correlating the system identifying signals and the display screens. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The presentation system of claim 18, wherein the system identifying signals comprise at least one of a frequency and a code. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The presentation system of claim 18 wherein the system identifying devices are each mounted proximate the egress to an a ssociated defined space. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The presentation system of claim 18, further comprising a plurality of access points in communication with the computer, and wherein the mobile user devices communicate with the computer via the access points. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The presentation system of claim 18, wherein the system identifying devices are at least one of sound generating devices and RF devices. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The presentation system of claim 18 wherein the at least one mobile user device includes a mobile device display screen for presenting information and wherein, upon association, content presented on the mobile device display screen is sharable via the display screen in the associated space. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The presentation system of claim 24 wherein, upon association, the mobile user device automatically presents a content sharing tool on the mobile device display screen that is selectable to share the content presented on the mobile device display screen on the display screen in the associated space. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The presentation system of claim 25 wherein, upon the mobile user device moving away from an associated space, the computer discontinues the association between the mobile user device and the defined space and automatically removes the content sharing tool from the mobile device display screen. ### Claim 27 (depends on 18) The presentation system of claim 18 wherein the mobile user device initiates the process to automatically associate the mobile user device with the defined space by transmitting the identifying signal along with mobile device identifying information to the computer which then associates the mobile user device with the defined space. ### Claim 28 (depends on 18) The presentation system of claim 18 wherein, upon the mobile user device moving away from an associated space, the computer discontinues the association between the mobile user device and the defined space. ### Claim 29 (depends on 24) The presentation system of claim 24 including a plurality of mobile user devices, each including a mobile device display screen and, wherein, a plurality of mobile user devices may be simultaneously associated with the defined space where content presented on each mobile device display screen is sharable via the display screen in the associated space. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The presentation system of claim 29 wherein more than one associated mobile user device can simultaneously share content on a single display screen in the associated space. ### Claim 31 (depends on 18) The presentation system of claim 18 wherein each identifying signal includes a signal at a unique frequency that is uniquely associated with a specific one of the defined spaces.