Control devices and systems incorporating secure contactless remote control and associated methods

1. A method of controlling an audio-visual system, the method comprising:

displaying, on an audio-visual control device, an authorization code;

receiving geolocation data indicative of a location of a user;

determining whether the user is within a predefined proximity to the audio-visual control device;

receiving, at the audio-visual control device and from a remote server, instructions to change a setting of the audio-visual system, the instructions having been received by the remote server from a user device that has been authenticated by the remote server via the authorization code;

outputting, from the audio-visual control device and to the audio-visual system, the instructions to change a setting of the audio-visual system; and

outputting, from the audio-visual control device and to the remote server, data indicative of a status of the audio-visual system,

wherein the audio-visual control device is configured to (1) display the authorization code only during a predetermined time period that is based on a scheduled meeting time, (2) deauthorize the authorization code at a time outside of the predetermined time period, and (3) deauthorize the authorization code in response to determining that the user is outside of the predefined proximity to the audio-visual control device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authorization code comprises a Quick Response (QR) code displayed on the audio-visual control device, and

wherein the user device connects to, and is authenticated by, the remote server in response to a user scanning the QR code with the user device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authorization code comprises a code displayed on the audio-visual control device, and

wherein the user device connects to, and is authenticated by, the remote server in response to a user opening a browser on the user device and inputting the authorization code.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending, by the audio-visual control device and to the remote server, a request for the authorization code; and

receiving, at the audio-visual control device and from the remote sever, the authorization code, wherein the audio-visual control device is configured to display the authorization code in response to having received the authorization code from the remote server.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio-visual control device is configured to display the authorization code after a predetermined amount of time since an input was last received by the audio-visual control device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio-visual control device is configured to display the authorization code in response to detecting a presence of a user.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user device comprises a smart phone.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting, by the audio-visual control device, one or more equipment of the audio-visual system in communication with the audio-visual control device; and

in response to detecting the one or more equipment, displaying, on the audio-visual control device, an option to control the one or more equipment.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the audio-visual control device, a request to de-authorize the user device; and

in response to receiving the request to de-authorize the user device, de-authorizing the user device.

10. An audio-visual control system comprising:

one or more audio-visual equipment;

a presence sensor; and

an audio-visual control device, the audio-visual control device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory in communication with the one or more processors and storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the audio-visual control device to:

send, to a remote server, a request for an authorization code;

receive, from the remote sever, the authorization code;

in response to receiving an indication from the presence sensor that a user is present near the audio-visual control device, display the authorization code;

receive geolocation data indicative of a location of the user;

determine whether the user is within a predefined proximity to the audio-visual control device;

in response to determining that the user is outside of the predefined proximity to the audio-visual control device, deauthorize the authorization code;

receive, from the remote server, instructions to change a setting of the one or more audio-visual equipment, the instructions having been received by the remote server from a user device that has been authenticated by the remote server via the authorization code;

output the instructions to the one or more audio-visual equipment to change a setting of the one or more audio-visual equipment; and

output, to the remote server, data indicative of a status of the one or more audio-visual equipment.

11. The audio-visual control system of claim 10 , wherein the authorization code comprises a Quick Response (QR) code displayed on the audio-visual control device, and

wherein the user device connects to, and is authenticated by, the remote server in response to a user scanning the QR code with the user device.

12. The audio-visual control system of claim 10 , wherein the authorization code comprises a code displayed on the audio-visual control device, and

wherein the user device connects to, and is authenticated by, the remote server in response to a user opening a browser on the user device and inputting the authorization code.

13. The audio-visual control system of claim 10 , wherein the audio-visual control device is configured to display the authorization code at a predetermined time.

14. The audio-visual control system of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined time is based, at least in part, on a scheduled meeting time.

15. The audio-visual control system of claim 10 , wherein the audio-visual control device is configured to display the authorization code after a predetermined amount of time since an input was last received by the audio-visual control device.

16. The audio-visual control system of claim 10 , wherein the user device comprises a smart phone.

17. The audio-visual control system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to cause the audio-visual control device to:

detect the one or more audio-visual equipment in communication with the audio-visual control device; and

in response to detecting the one or more audio-visual equipment, display an option to control the one or more audio-visual equipment.

18. The audio-visual control system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to cause the audio-visual control device to:

receive a request to de-authorize the user device; and

in response to receiving the request to de-authorize the user device, de-authorize the user device.