Interactive Board Wireless Tracking for Meeting Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing conferencing and event management systems face challenges in reducing setup time for meetings, including time for participants to reach the meeting room and log into sessions, as well as file transfer times between participants.
Innovation Solution
A collaboration system that includes an interactive board with an integrated wireless network device to track portable computing devices, provide location information, and facilitate logging into meeting sessions and information sharing, using wireless communication to display maps and guide users to target collaboration sites, and enable seamless file sharing between devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If participants manually navigate to meeting rooms and log into sessions using existing conferencing systems, then the meeting can be conducted, but the setup time including travel time and login time is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically detecting portable computing devices in the collaboration system, determining their locations, and preparing navigation guidance before the user arrives at the meeting room. The system proactively displays maps and directions on the user's device, eliminating the need for manual navigation and reducing setup time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing portable computing devices to automatically connect to the collaboration system without manual login procedures. The device autonomously registers itself, receives location information, and accesses meeting resources, eliminating the time-consuming manual login process that users would otherwise need to perform.
2Ease of operation
If the system tracks and displays location information for portable computing devices, then user navigation to collaboration sites is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies universality by using the portable computing device's existing wireless communication capabilities for multiple purposes: device identification, location tracking, navigation display, and meeting resource access. This multi-functional approach avoids adding specialized tracking hardware, thereby reducing system complexity while improving navigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an intermediary approach by leveraging the portable computing device itself as the mediator for tracking and navigation. Instead of requiring separate tracking devices or complex infrastructure, the system communicates with and displays information on the user's existing device, simplifying the overall system architecture.
3Productivity
If manual file transfer between participants is used in existing conferencing systems, then file sharing is possible, but the transfer time is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the manual mechanical process of file transfer with an automated electronic system. Portable computing devices automatically establish wireless communication links with the collaboration system and exchange files through digital protocols, eliminating the need for manual file copying or physical media transfer, thereby dramatically reducing transfer time and increasing productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method comprises detecting the location of a portable computing device within a collaboration system based on wireless communications between the portable computing device and a plurality of collaboration sites within the collaboration system; and displaying a map on the portable computing device that identifies the location of the portable computing device within the collaboration system and that specifies a path to a target collaboration site.