Interactive system for collecting responses from a plurality of remote units

Claim 2

An interactive response system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wireless communication link includes a wireless data channel and a wireless audio channel, wherein each said response unit issues a talk request to request an audio connection with the host system and said base unit issues a talk command to cause a response unit to communicate said audio signal, said talk requests and said talk commands being communicated over said data channel, said audio signals being communicated over said audio channel; preferably wherein said audio channel includes an audio receiver in said base unit and an audio transmitter in each said response unit which becomes active upon receipt of said talk command by that response unit; and preferably wherein said data channel includes a first transmitter in said base unit and a first receiver in each response unit for communicating data signals including any talk commands from said base unit to said response units, and wherein said data channel includes a second transmitter in each of said response units and a second receiver in said base unit for communicating any inputs entered on each said input device, including a talk request from said response units to said base unit.

Claim 3

An interactive response system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, including a talk indicator (68b) on each of said response units, said talk indicator being activated in response to a talk command.

Claim 4

An interactive response system as claimed in any preceding claim which includes a display on said host system having at least one call list for displaying response units sending talk requests; preferably including a call/wait indicator on each of said response units wherein said base unit sends a wait command to each response unit on said call list and said wait indicator is activated in response to a wait command; preferably wherein each of said response units includes a sleep mode during which power consumption is reduced and wherein each of said response units is inhibited from said sleep mode while on said call list and further wherein said host system monitors the length of time each response unit is on said at least one call list and takes action after said length of time exceeds a particular value; preferably wherein said action includes one of providing an indication to an instruction and terminating the request for an audio connection; and preferably wherein said action includes providing an indication to the instructor after a first predetermined length of time and deleting the response unit from the at least one call list after a second predetermined length of time, wherein said second predetermined length of time is greater than said first predetermined length of time.

Claim 5

An interactive response system for retrieving at a central location responses from a plurality of users located at least one geographically separated site and providing interaction between an instructor at the central location and said users, comprising: a central control host system; at least one wireless remote system geographically separated from said host system and interconnected with said host system through a communication network, said remote system including a base unit and a plurality of response units; each response unit includes a microphone and a wireless audio transmitter which is responsive to a talk command from the base unit to transmit audio signals received in said microphone to an audio receiver, each response unit further including a first wireless data transmitter to transmit a call request and a first data receiver; and said base unit including an audio receiver for receiving an audio signal from one of said response units, a second data receiver to receive call requests from response units and a second data transmitter for transmitting a talk command to a selectable response unit.

Claim 6

An interactive response system for retrieving at a central location responses from a plurality of users located at least one geographically separated site and providing interaction between an instructor at the central location and said users, comprising: a central control host system and at least one remote system geographically separated from said host system and interconnected with said host system through a communication network; said at least one remote system including a base unit and a plurality of response units coupled with said base unit through a communication link, each said response unit including a microphone and a user input device wherein a user enters a call request for an audio connection with said host system using said user input device and said base unit establishes an audio connection between said microphone of one of said response units and said host system in response to a talk instruction from said host system; said host system including a computer, an instructor selection device and a display, said computer defining a roster database of individuals including at least one characteristic of each individual, said computer generating at least one call list displayed on said display and receiving a selection of characteristics of individuals entered by said instructor selection device for inclusion on said at least one call list, wherein said computer retrieves individuals from said roster database who have entered a call request and also match the at least one characteristic entered by the instructor and displays the selected individuals on the at least one call list.

Claim 7

An interactive response system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said computer generates a plurality of said call lists and receives a selection of characteristics of individuals independently for each of said call lists.

Claim 8

An interactive response system as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 wherein said computer provides a status indicator on said display for said at least one call list; preferably wherein said status indicator produces a first indication if individuals listed on said at least one call list are fewer than a first level, a second indication if the individuals listed on said at least one call list are more than said first level and fewer than a second level and a third indication if the individuals listed on said at least one call list are more than said second level, said second level being greater than said first level.

Claim 9

An interactive response system as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 or claim 8 wherein said computer monitors the length of time each individual is listed on said at least one call list and takes action after said length of time exceeds a particular value; preferably wherein said action includes one of providing an indication to an instruction and terminating the request for an audio connection; and preferably wherein said action includes providing an indication to the instructor after a first predetermined length of time and deleting the response unit from the at least one call list after a second predetermined length of time, wherein said second predetermined length of time is greater than said first predetermined length of time.

Claim 10

An interactive response system as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9 wherein said instructor selection device provides for the selection of at least one individual on said at least one call list and wherein said host system provides a talk instructor to the response unit associated with a selected individual, whereby an audio connection is established between the selected individual and the host system; preferably wherein said instructor selection device provides for the selection of a plurality of individuals on said at least one call list and wherein said host system provides a talk instruction to the response unit associated with each of the selected individuals, whereby the plurality of selected individuals are conferenced together; preferably including an echo suppression system for suppressing an audio signal from said host system when an audio signal from the response unit of the selected individual is present and for suppressing an audio signal from the response unit of the selected individual when an audio signal from the host system is present; and preferably wherein said instructor selection device provides an override for said echo suppression system to suppress an audio signal from the response unit of the selected individual.

Claim 11

An interactive response system for retrieving at a central location responses from a plurality of users located at at least one geographically separated site and providing interaction between an instructor at the central location and said users, comprising: a central control host system and at least one remote system geographically separated from said host system and interconnected with said host system through a communication network; said at least one remote system including a base unit and a plurality of response units coupled with said base unit through a communication link, each said response unit including a microphone and a user input device wherein a user enters a call request for an audio connection with said host system using said user input device and said base unit establishes an audio connection between said microphone of one of said response units and said host system in response to a talk instruction from said host system; and said host system including a computer, an instructor selection device and a display, said computer generating a list displayed on said display of individuals who have entered a call request and including a status indicator on said display which produces a first indication if individuals listed on said list are fewer than a first level, a second indication if individuals listed on said list are more than said first level and fewer than a second level and a third indication if the individuals listed on said list are more than a second level, said second level being greater than said first level.

Claim 12

An interactive response system for retrieving at a central location responses from a plurality of users located at at least one geographically separated site and providing interaction between an instructor at the central location and said users, comprising: a central control host system and at least one remote system geographically separated from said host system and interconnected with said host system through a communication network; said at least one remote system including a base unit and a plurality of response units coupled with said base unit through a communication link, each said response unit including a microphone and a user input device wherein a user enters a call request for an audio connection with said host system using said user input device and said base unit establishes an audio connection between said microphone of one of said response units and said host system in response to a talk instruction from said host system; said host system including a computer, an instructor selection device and a display, said computer generating a list displayed on said display of individuals who have entered a call request and said selection device provides for the selection of at least one individual on said at least one call list, wherein said host system provides a talk instruction to the response unit associated with the selected individual in order to establish an audio connection between the selected individual and the host system; and an echo suppression system which suppresses an audio signal from said host system when an audio signal from the selected individual is present and suppresses an audio signal from the response unit of the selected individual when an audio signal from the host system is present, said echo suppression system including a manual override for the instructor to suppress an audio signal from the response unit for the selected individual.

Claim 13

An interactive response system for retrieving at a central location responses from a plurality of users located at at least one geographically separated site and providing interaction between an instructor at the central location and said users, comprising: a central control host system including an instructor console adapted to producing instructions for establishing audio connections; at least one wireless remote system geographically separated from said host system and including a base unit, a plurality of response units and a wireless communication link between said base unit and said response units, each of said response units including a user input selection device and a microphone; said wireless communication link including a data communication channel for communicating data signals between said base unit and said response units and an audio communication channel for communicating audio signals between said base unit and said microphone of each of said response units; and a data link and an audio link between said host system and said base unit; wherein said base unit selectively communicates over said data communication channel to said response units an instruction for activating the microphone of one of said response units and said one of said response units responds to an instruction for activating the microphone of that response unit by opening said audio communication channel between the microphone of that response unit and said base station, and wherein each of said response units communicates over said data communication channel to said base unit any user input selection entered with said user input selection device of a request for an audio connection with said host system; wherein said base unit communicates over said data link to said host system any requests for an audio connection with said host system, said host system communicates over said data link to said base unit an instruction for establishing an audio connection between said host system and any response unit and said base unit responds to an instruction for establishing an audio connection by activating the microphone of one of said response units and by opening an audio connection between said audio communication channel and said host system over said audio link.

Claim 14

An interactive response system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said base unit communicates an instruction for activating the microphone of one of said response units by sending a base data packet including a selectable data bit specific to that response unit; preferably wherein each of said response units communicates a response data packet in response to a base data packet, said response data packet including any request for an audio connection with said host system; preferably wherein said response data packet includes user responses entered with said user input selection device to inquiries originating from said host system; preferably wherein said response data packet includes user identification entered with said user input selection device; preferably wherein said base data packet includes an acknowledge character indicative of whether a valid response was previously received from a particular response unit; preferably wherein said base data packet includes a correctness character indicative of whether a previously received response matches a correct answer in an answer key; preferably wherein each response unit displays the value of the correctness character pertaining to that particular response unit; and preferably wherein said remote response units are divided into groups and wherein said base data packet includes a designation of a particular group of response units to respond to the base data packet by communicating a response data packet.

Claim 15

An interactive response system as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14 including a combination audio and video feed from said host system to said base unit and a monitor at said geographically separated site for displaying audio and video information provided by the instructor.

Claim 16

An interactive response system as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14 or claim 15 wherein said audio link is a POTS service.

Claim 17

An interactive response system as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 15 wherein said data link is selected from a group consisting of a wide area network, a local area network, a packet network, an Internet network, and an asynchronous transfer mode network.

Claim 18

An interactive response system as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 15 wherein said audio and data links are combined in a digital simultaneous voice and data transmission over a POTS line.

Claim 19

An interactive response system as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 15 wherein said audio and data links are combined in an ISDN transmission.

Claim 20

An interactive response system as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 19 wherein said display console is further adapted to display information identifying individuals requesting audio connection with said host system; preferably wherein said information identifying individuals is derived from a roster of individuals each identified by name and an identifying number and from identifying numbers entered by users in said response units.

Claim 21

An interactive response system as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 20 wherein each of said response units must continue to communicate a response data packet including any request for an audio connection with said host system in response to each base data packet until said base unit communicates to that response unit an instruction for activating the microphone of that response unit; preferably wherein said host system monitors the length of time since initiation of each request for an audio connection with the host system and takes action after the length of time since initiation of a request exceeds a particular value; preferably wherein said action includes one of providing an indication to the instructor and terminating the request for an audio connection; and preferably wherein said action includes providing an indication to the instructor after a first particular value of length of time since initiation of a request and terminating the request for an audio link after a second particular value of length of time since initiation of a request, wherein said second particular value is greater than said first particular value.

Claim 22

An interactive response system for retrieving at a central location responses from a plurality of users located at at least one geographically separated site and providing interaction between an instructor at the central location and said users, comprising: a central control host system; at least one remote system geographically separated from said host system and including a base unit, a plurality of response units and a communication link between said base unit and said response units, each of said response units including a user input selection device and a microphone; said communication link for communicating data signals between said base unit and said response units and for communicating audio signals between said base unit and said microphone of each of said response units; a data link and an audio link between said host system and said base unit; wherein each of said response units communicates to said base unit any user input selection entered with said user input selection device of a request for an audio connection with said host system and wherein said base unit communicates over said data link to said host system any requests for an audio connection with said host system, said host system communicates over said data link to said base unit an instruction for establishing an audio connection between said host system and any response unit and said base unit responds to an instruction for establishing an audio connection by activating the microphone of one of said response units and by opening an audio connection between said audio communication channel and said host system over said audio link; wherein said host system includes a display which displays at least one call list to an instructor and a computer which receives an instructor's selection of a characteristic of individuals for inclusion on said call list, defines a roster of individual files and at least one characteristic of each individual in that individual's file and retrieves from said roster and display on said call list only individuals requesting an audio connection with said host system who have the selected characteristic in their roster file.

Claim 23

An interactive response system as claimed in claim 22 wherein said computer receives an instructor's selection of at least one individual displayed on said at least one call list and communicates over said data link to said base unit an instruction for establishing an audio connection between said host system and said at least one individual; preferably wherein said computer receives an instructor's selection of a plurality of individuals displayed on said at least one call list and said computer communicates instructions for establishing an audio connection between said host system and said plurality of individuals, whereby said plurality of individuals are conferenced together.

Claim 24

An interactive response system as claimed in claim 22 or claim 23 wherein said display includes at least one status indicator which indicates to an instructor if the number of individuals listed on said at least one call list exceeds a predetermined level; preferably wherein said status indicator produces a first indication to an instructor if individuals listed on said at least one call list are fewer than a first level, a second indication to an instructor if individuals listed on said at least one call list are more than said first level and fewer than a second level and a third indication to an instructor if the individuals listed on said at least one call list are more than said second level, said second level being greater than said first level; preferably wherein said first indication is green colored, said second indication is yellow colored and said third indication is red colored; and preferably wherein each of said first, second and third levels is selectable by an instructor.

Claim 25

An interactive response system as claimed in any one of claims 22 to 24 wherein said display means displays a plurality of call lists, said criterion establishing means receives an instructor's selection of a characteristic of individuals for inclusion on each of said call lists and said retrieval means retrieves from said roster and displays on each of said call lists only individuals requesting an audio connection with said host system who have the selected characteristic for that call list in their roster file.