RF Beacon Conference System Using NFC for Automated Equipment Setup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for managing conference rooms and hoteling workstations in corporate facilities are inefficient due to the need for expensive touch panels and lack of utilization of smart portable devices' short-range communication capabilities, such as NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy, which could provide a more robust and cost-effective solution for scheduling and control.
Innovation Solution
A conference system using RF beacons that allow users to connect to conference room devices via their portable electronic devices, enabling the management of conference room schedules, resource control, and preset settings through a scheduling application, leveraging NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy protocols for communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If dedicated touch panels are installed at each conference room, then scheduling and control access is improved, but installation cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses NFC tags as simplified copies of the full touch panel functionality. Instead of installing complex touch panels at every location, the system places simple NFC tags that can be read by smartphones, providing the same scheduling and control access without the complexity of dedicated hardware installations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/electronic touch panel system with a wireless communication system using NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy. Users interact with the system through their smartphones via short-range wireless communication, eliminating the need for dedicated physical access points with sophisticated processors.
2Ease of operation
If dedicated touch panels are installed at each conference room, then control capability is improved, but installation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs inexpensive NFC tags and low-power Bluetooth beacons instead of expensive touch panels. These simple, low-cost devices provide the necessary control capabilities through wireless communication, dramatically reducing installation costs while maintaining full functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the system universal by allowing any smartphone with NFC or Bluetooth capability to access conference room controls. Instead of requiring dedicated touch panels at each location, the system works with the universal devices users already carry, eliminating installation costs while maintaining control capability.
3Ease of operation
If touch panels are installed at hoteling workstations, then employee access to workstation status is improved, but installation cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies NFC tags at workstation locations that can be read by employees' smartphones. This provides the same workstation status access functionality as touch panels would, but without the complexity and cost of installing dedicated display and control hardware at each workstation.
4Device complexity
If NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy are used for communication, then device complexity is reduced, but communication range and data rate are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the facility into zones with NFC tags and Bluetooth beacons placed at strategic locations. This segmentation allows the short-range communication technology to effectively serve users within close proximity while maintaining system simplicity. The beacons and tags are distributed throughout the facility to ensure coverage without requiring long-range communication.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables efficient and cost-effective management of conference rooms and workstations, allowing users to easily access and control resources using their smartphones, reducing the need for dedicated touch panels and enhancing the utilization of smart devices' communication capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
one or more radio frequency (RF) beacons... configured for periodically broadcasting a beacon identifier
Implementation Method 2
NFC is a set of standards for short-range wireless communication technology that employs magnetic field induction to enable communication between electronic devices in close proximity
Data Source
AI summary
A conference system leveraging radio frequency communication standards for initiating a conference and controlling conference room presets. The system comprises a processor, a memory, a data storage device, a display, and at least one communication interface configured to enable communications with a remote server and one or more RF beacons, wherein the one or more RF beacons are configured for periodically broadcasting a beacon ID. The system further comprises a program of instructions stored in the memory and executable in the processor, the program of instructions being operable to: receive from at least one of the one or more RF beacons the beacon ID, estimate a distance to the at least one of the one or more RF beacons according to a detected signal strength of the RF beacon broadcast, determine a location based on the distance to the at least one of the one or more RF beacons, accept information defining a conference type from a plurality of conference types, each conference type being associated with preset resources, display at least one preset parameter associated with the conference type, receive preset information including a start time, an end time, and one or more settings for a preset resource, automatically associate the preset information with at least one preset resource based on the determined location and the conference type, and send to the associated preset resources at least one control command comprising the one or more settings in response to the start time.