Interactive workspace integration system and method

A controller device for integrating a physical workspace having at least one electronic device therein with a virtual workspace corresponding to at least one remote or local location to create an interactive workspace communicating with a plurality of controller devices disposed in the physical workspace, comprising:

• a programmable processor operably coupled to at least one memory device and interfacing with the virtual workspace, wherein the programmable processor is configured to receive media signals from the at least one electronic device and is further configured to generate a control signal based on at least one of the media signals and user input to control the at least one electronic device;
• a base platform having a length extending from a front edge to a back edge along a horizontal axis, wherein an entirety of the length is parallel to and in contact with a supporting surface, the base platform comprising a first multi-directional beam-forming microphone disposed on the front edge and a second multi-directional beam-forming microphone disposed on the back edge, wherein the first and the second multi-directional beam-forming microphones are configured to capture sound from the physical workspace and convert the sound to audio signals;
• a first status bar disposed on the front edge of the base platform and configured to illuminate to provide information to a first user;
• a display panel fixably coupled to the front edge of the base platform and extending upwardly from the front edge towards the back edge at a fixed acute angle, wherein the display panel comprises a front surface, a back surface, and a display screen, wherein the display screen is disposed on the front surface and the fixed acute angle tilts the display screen upwards to optimize a view of the first user, wherein the display screen is configured to display a user control interface and receive user input;
• and
• a second status bar disposed on the back surface of the display panel and configured to illuminate to provide information to a second user, wherein the display screen is not visible to the second user;
• wherein the status bars are programmable to selectively illuminate continuously or intermittently, in a chosen color or combinations of colors, in response to user input in the control interface including at least one of the following:
• powering on of the multi-directional microphone;
• requesting of the floor;
• and
• voting, wherein the status bars may be configured to intermittently illuminate a particular color for a vote of no or continuously illuminate a particular color for a vote of yes or vice versa;
• wherein the status bar is further programmable to selectively illuminate continuously or intermittently, in a chosen color or combinations of colors, in response to the availability of a physical workspace.