Abstract:
A method and apparatus for base-lining a calculator, wherein said base-lining configures a calculator to a known configuration. The method includes connecting a calculator to a calculator network, determining the configuration desired for a calculator, and base-lining a calculator, wherein said calculator is configured according to the determined configuration desired.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method and apparatus for base-lining a calculator to a desired configuration. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    In a classroom, teachers utilize calculators for teaching mathematics, finance, geometry and sciences. In many occasions, a teacher has to demonstrate the use of various functions and key sequences. However, calculators can be set to various modes. Function and various keys change depending on the mode the calculator is set to. As a result, in order to properly teach the students, the teacher has to address each student to ensure that the student is utilizing the calculator in the proper mode and configuration. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is a need for a method and/or apparatus for base-lining calculators to a known configurations or mode. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and apparatus for base-lining a calculator, wherein said base-lining configures a calculator to a known configuration. The method includes connecting a calculator to a calculator network, determining the configuration desired for a calculator, and base-lining a calculator, wherein said calculator is configured according to the determined configuration desired 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is an embodiment of a front view of a calculator; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an embodiment of a block diagram of a system for base-lining a calculator; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an embodiment of a classroom calculator network; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram depicting an embodiment of a system method for base-lining a calculator; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram depicting an embodiment of a calculator method for base-lining the calculator. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is an embodiment of a front view of a calculator  100 . The calculator  100  includes a display screen  102  and an input device  104 . The calculator  100  is well known in the art and is utilized in a classroom, for example, for performing calculations related to geometry, algebra, science and/or finance. The calculator  100  may be also coupled or may include an output device and other modules or devices, such as, audio, video, graphical, printer and/or LED display. 
         [0014]    The display screen  102  displays input data and generated results or messages. The display screen  102  may be an LCD screen, a calculator screen, a monitor or any display that may be utilized by the calculator  100 . The input device  104  may be a keypad, an interactive whiteboard, a touch screen or any device that provides data to the apparatus  100 . The input device  104  allows a user to enter data to the calculator  100 . The display screen or the input device may be included within or coupled to the calculator  100 . 
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is an embodiment of a block diagram of a system  200  for base-lining a calculator. The system  200  includes a processor  202 , support circuit  204  and memory  206 . 
         [0016]    The processor  202  may comprise one or more conventionally available microprocessors. The microprocessor may be an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The support circuits  204  are well known circuits used to promote functionality of the processor  202 . Such circuits include, but are not limited to, cache, power supplies, clock circuits, input/output (I/O) circuits and the like. The memory  204  may comprise random access memory, read only memory, removable disk memory, flash memory, and various combinations of these types of memory. The memory  204  is sometimes referred to as main memory and may, in part, be used as cache memory or buffer memory. The memory  204  may store an operating system (OS), database software, various forms of application software, such as, applications  208  and pictorial algebraic module  210 , and the like. It should be noted that a computer readable medium is any medium utilized by a computer system for storing and/or retrieving data. 
         [0017]    The applications  208  may include any applications utilized by the system  200  or calculator  100 . The applications  208  may include graphic and/or algebraic applications. The base-lining module  210  is utilized to base-line calculator on a calculator network to a desired configuration. The base-lining module  210  facilitates system method and performs the calculator method described in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is an embodiment of a classroom calculator network  300 . The classroom calculator network  300  may be utilized by a teacher in a classroom to base-line calculators on the calculator network  300 . A calculator network is similar to a classroom calculator network but is utilized outside the classroom. The classroom calculator network  300  includes a teacher device  302 , a hub  304 , shown as  304   1 ,  304   2  . . .  304   N , and calculator  306 , shown to include calculators  306   1 ,  306   2  . . .  306   N . The classroom calculator network may include any number of teacher devices  302 , hub  304  and/or calculators  306 . The teacher device  304 , hub  304  and calculator  306  may communicate wirelessly, via Ethernet, port cables, combination thereof and the like. 
         [0019]    The teacher device  302  is utilized by a teacher to select calculators, configurations, hubs, functionalities, and the like for the base-lining. The teacher device  302  may be a computer, laptop or a calculator setup to initialize the base-lining, configuring, selecting calculators and/or hubs, and the like. For example, a teacher may utilize the teacher device  302  to select finance mode to all calculators on hub  304   1  and to remove all files that were downloaded to the calculator  306  prior to the teacher base-lining the calculator. The teacher may also load an exam file as part of a configuration to all calculators on hub  304   N  and to calculator  306   2  on hub  304   1 . The calculators  306  may also be automatically base-lined to a specific configuration, including deleting and adding files, once the calculators connect to the classroom calculator network. A teacher may wish to change the desired configuration according to a time, date, date/time and the like. For example, the teacher may not delete pre-existing files as part of a base-line for the Monday 8 am class, but may wish to delete pre-existing files and add an exam file for the same class on Wednesdays, when a quiz is scheduled. Accordingly, the teacher may teach a class or conduct an exam with all the calculators on the classroom calculator network base-lined to a known configuration of the teacher&#39;s choice. 
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram depicting an embodiment of a method  400  for base-lining a calculator. The method  400  starts at step  402  and proceeds to step  404 . At step  404 , a calculator connects to a class calculator network (shown in  FIG. 3 ). At step  406 , the method  400  determined if there is more than one configuration. If there is more than one configuration, the method  400  proceeds from step  406  to step  408 . At step  408 , the method  400  determines which configuration is desired for base-lining the calculator and the method proceeds to step  410 . If there is one configuration, the method  400  proceeds from step  406  to step  410 . At step  410 , the calculator is base-lined to the desired configuration. At step  412 , the method  400  determines if there are more calculators to base-line. If there are more calculators to base-line, the method  400  proceeds to step  404 . Otherwise, the method  400  ends at step  414 . 
         [0021]    The method  400  may configure multiple calculators simultaneously. In addition, the method  400  may be initialized by simply connecting to a calculator network or by a user request that triggers the method  400  to initialize one or more calculator. The method  400  may contain any number of available configurations. As such, a user may select the appropriate configuration for a calculator or may setup a default configuration for a calculator or a network. 
         [0022]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram depicting an embodiment of a calculator method  500  for base-lining the calculator. The method  500  starts at step  502  and proceeds to step  504 . At step  504 , the calculator connects to a calculator network. At step  506 , the calculator receives instructions via the calculator network outlining configuration setting, such as, delete data, add data, change mode, change setting, change functionality and the like. At step  508 , the method  500  base-lines the calculator according to the instructions received via the calculator network. The method  500  ends at step  510 . 
         [0023]    While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.