Patent ID: 8150380

Claim:
An audience response system comprising: a base unit a plurality of handheld devices that are like in kind and perform a same function, each handheld device including: a handheld device transceiver, an input selection control, a unique address associated with a single handheld device, and handheld device logic configured to receive a user selection from the input selection control and instruct the handheld device transceiver to transmit a wireless selection signal encoding the unique address and the user selection according to a defined wireless profile between each handheld device and the base unit; wherein the base unit includes: a base unit transceiver configured to receive the wireless selection signal, and base unit logic configured to decode the wireless selection signal into the unique address and the user selection after receipt by the base unit device transceiver, generate a wireless acknowledgment signal including a representation of the unique address, and instruct the base unit transceiver to transmit the wireless acknowledgment signal according to the defined wireless profile, wherein the defined wireless profile between each handheld device and the base unit includes: a distinct period of no wireless transmission, a first period of wireless transmission following the distinct period of no wireless transmission, the first period of wireless transmission including transmission of the wireless selection signal, where the first period of wireless transmission occurs upon receipt of the user selection at the input selection control, without receipt of a signal from the base unit to initiate transmission, and a second period of wireless transmission following the first period of wireless transmission, the second period of wireless transmission including transmission of the wireless acknowledgement signal.