Patent ID: 8666301

Claim:
A handset for allowing a participant of an event in a local environment to input a response, the handset comprising: a bi-directional wireless communication device having a low transmission range to wirelessly communicate bi-directionally with at least one other said handset in the local environment; a participant input device for allowing a participant to input data representing a response; a program memory containing program code; and a programmable controller for reading and implementing the program code in the program memory to control the handset, said program code including code to configure the handset to operate in one of a plurality of different modes, and code to change the mode in response to a mode changing stimulus, the modes including a base station mode in which the handset serves as a base station and receives responses from a plurality of other said handsets in the local environment using said wireless communication device, and a slave handset mode in which a response input by a participant is transmitted to a base station in the local environment using said wireless communication device.