Initiating Schedule Management Via Radio Frequency Beacons

Abstract

A portable electronic device receives broadcasts from one or more RF beacons to determine a location of a user and communicates with a scheduling server to manage the schedule of a conference room. The portable electronic device receives an address and an application identifier from each RF beacon and opens a scheduling application in response. The portable electronic device then communicates with a scheduling server to receive the schedule of the location determined from the beacon broadcasts. The user may reserve the location and set a number of presets through the scheduling application. Updates to the schedule are communicated to the scheduling server from the portable electronic device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for accessing a schedule of a location:
 (a) one or more RF beacons configured for periodically broadcasting an application identifier and a beacon ID; and   (b) a portable electronic device identified by a user ID and comprising a first network interface configured for enabling communication between the portable electronic device and the one or more RF beacons, a second network interface configured for enabling communication between the portable electronic device and a scheduling server, a display, a memory encoding one or more processor-executable instructions and a processor configured to load the one or more processor-executable instructions when encoded from the memory wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause acts to be performed comprising
 (i) receiving from at least one of the one or more RF beacons a beacon ID and the application identifier via the first network interface of the portable electronic device, 
 (ii) opening a scheduling application associated with the application identifier, 
 (iii) estimating 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, 
 (iv) determining a location of the portable electronic device based on the distance to the at least one of the one or more RF beacons, 
 (v) receiving from a scheduling server, a schedule of the location of the portable electronic device, and 
 (vi) displaying the schedule of the location on the display. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the schedule is displayed as one or more selectable time periods and wherein each of the time periods comprises a status indicator. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising determining an access level of the user ID. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising:
 (a) accepting information detailing a meeting; 
 (b) receiving preset information of the meeting including a start time and an end time; and 
 (c) communicating with the scheduling server to update the schedule of the location. 
 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising:
 (a) communicating the user ID of the portable electronic device to the scheduling server. 
 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising:
 (a) accepting information defining a meeting type, the meeting type being associated with preset resources. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising:
 (a) accepting information defining one or more settings for the preset resource. 
 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising:
 (a) sending at least one command to control the preset resource in response to the start time and the end time. 
 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising:
 (a) receiving an input selecting one or more of the selectable time periods; 
 (b) displaying a menu comprising one or more selectable operational icons; 
 (c) receiving an input selecting one of the one or more selectable operational icons; and 
 (d) sending at least one command to control a preset resource in response to receiving the input selecting one of the one or more selectable operational icons. 
 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the one or more operational icons comprise a start meeting icon and a stop meeting icon. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the one or more operational icons comprises a start recording icon and a stop recording icon and the preset resource is a presentation capture device. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein each of the one or more RF beacons is configured for periodically transmitting the beacon ID and the application identifier according to Bluetooth 4.0 low energy protocols. 
     
     
         13 . A system for accessing a schedule of a location:
 (a) three or more RF beacons each configured for periodically broadcasting an application identifier, a beacon ID and a scheduling server ID; and   (b) a portable electronic device identified by a user ID and comprising a first network interface configured for enabling communication between the portable electronic device and the one or more RF beacons, a second network interface configured for enabling communication between the portable electronic device and a scheduling server, a display, a memory encoding one or more processor-executable instructions and a processor configured to load the one or more processor-executable instructions when encoded from the memory wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause acts to be performed comprising
 (i) receiving from at least three of the three or more RF beacons, the beacon ID of each of the at least three RF beacons and the application identifier via the first network interface of the portable electronic device, 
 (ii) opening a scheduling application associated with the application identifier, 
 (iii) estimating a first distance, a second distance and a third distance to three of the three or more RF beacons according to a detected signal strength of the RF beacon, 
 (iv) determining a location of the portable electronic device based on the first distance, second distance and third distance via trilateration, 
 (v) receiving from a scheduling server a schedule of the location associated with the location of the portable electronic device, 
 (vi) displaying the schedule on the display as one or more selectable time periods and wherein each of the time periods comprises a status indicator, 
 (vii) receiving an input selecting one or more of the selectable time periods, 
 (viii) displaying a menu comprising one or more selectable operational icons, 
 (ix) receiving an input selecting one of the one or more selectable operational icons, and 
 (x) sending at least one command to control a preset resource in response to receiving the input selecting one of the one or more selectable operational icons. 
   
     
     
         14 . A method for managing a schedule of a location comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing one or more RF beacons, each of the one or more RF beacons configured for periodically broadcasting an application identifier and a beacon ID;   (b) receiving at a portable electronic device from each of one or more RF beacons a beacon ID and an application identifier via a first network interface of the portable electronic device;   (c) opening a scheduling application associated with the application identifier on the portable electronic device;   (d) estimating a distance to the at least one of the one or more RF beacons according to a detected signal strength of the RF beacon;   (e) determining a location of the portable electronic device based on the distance to the at least one of the one or more RF beacons;   (f) establishing communication with a scheduling server storing the schedule of the location;   (g) transmitting the location and a user ID of the portable electronic device to the scheduling server;   (h) receiving from a scheduling server the schedule of the location; and   (i) displaying on the display the schedule of the location.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the step of determining whether a user of the portable electronic device may access the schedule of the location according to the user ID. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the schedule comprises one or more selectable time periods further comprising the steps of:
 (a) receiving a user input selecting one or more time periods; and 
 (b) displaying information associated with meeting type if the location is reserved during the selected time periods. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the steps of:
 (a) displaying a start meeting icon as a selectable icon; 
 (b) receiving a user input selecting the start meeting icon; and 
 (c) sending at least one command to control a preset resource in response to the selection of the start meeting icon. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the meeting type is a video call and the at least one command comprises a command to control a video source. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the steps of:
 (a) displaying a start recording icon as a selectable icon; 
 (b) receiving a user input selecting the start recording icon; and 
 (c) sending at least one command to control a presentation capture device in response to the selection of the start recording icon. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the steps of:
 (a) displaying a reservation content page if the location is vacant; and 
 (b) accepting information defining a start time and an end time of a meeting. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising the step of updating the schedule by communicating the start time and the end time to a scheduling server. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising the step of associating the user ID of the portable electronic device with the meeting. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising the step of accepting information defining a meeting type, the meeting type being associated with a preset resource. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising the step of sending at least one command to control the preset resource in response to the start time and the end time. 
     
     
         25 . The method of the  claim 22  further comprising the step of accepting information defining one or more settings of the preset resource. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising the step of sending at least one command to control the preset resource in response to the one or more settings. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising the step of accepting information defining shared documentation comprising a file location. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising the step of sending at least one command to display the shared documentation in response to the start time and the end time.