System architecture for office productivity structure communications

• US 10,398,233 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Millerknoll Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated
• Inventors: Hoyt, Christopher, Rucker, Daniel, Doran, Joseph, Alexander, Brian, Daley-Fell, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Yi, Changhyun
• Application Number:
  US14/982,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20160183687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03 the parts being arm-rests conversion into a bed A47C17/12
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/126 for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/56 Parts or details of tipping-up chairs, e.g. of theatre chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/62 Accessories for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4561 Evaluating static posture, e.g. undesirable back curvature A61B5/1116 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture

Abstract

A furniture system includes a chair having a seat, a backrest coupled to the seat, and a base supporting the backrest and the seat. The furniture system also includes a plurality of sensors and a processor. Each sensor is operable to detect a physical force imparted by a user on the chair, and generate an output signal indicative of the physical force. The processor is coupled to the plurality of sensors, and is operable to receive the output signals generated by the plurality of sensors, and determine, based on at least one of the output signals, a current posture of the user sitting in the chair.

Claims

1. A furniture system comprising:

a chair including

a seat,

a backrest coupled to the seat, and

a base supporting the backrest and the seat;

a plurality of sensors coupled to the chair, each sensor operable to detect a physical force imparted by a user on the chair, and generate an output signal indicative of the physical force; and

a processor coupled to the plurality of sensors, and the processor operable to receive the output signals generated by the plurality of sensors,

determine, based on at least one of the output signals, a current posture of the user sitting in the chair,

determine, based on at least one of the output signals, a focus profile of the user;

determine a period of time that the user remains in the current posture,

generate a notification for the user to change postures when the period of time exceeds a time threshold, and

generate a notification for the user to change postures when the focus profile of the user indicates the user is distracted.

2. The furniture system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to determine, based on the at least one of the output signals, a position parameter of the chair, the position parameter corresponding to a tilt of the seat relative to the base, a distribution of weight on the backrest, or a tilt of the seat relative to a horizontal level, and

wherein the current posture and the focus profile of the user are determined based on the position parameter.

3. The furniture system of claim 1, wherein the chair further includes a first armrest and a second armrest,

wherein a first sensor of the plurality of sensors is coupled to the first armrest and operable to determine a first force vector acting on the first armrest, and

wherein the processor is operable to determine the current posture and the focus profile of the user based on the first force vector.

4. The furniture system of claim 3, wherein a second sensor of the plurality of sensors is coupled to the second armrest and operable to determine a second force vector acting on the second armrest, and wherein the processor is operable to

determine a difference between the first force vector and the second force vector and

determine the current posture and the focus profile of the user based on the difference.

5. The furniture system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to

periodically store the current posture of the user,

generate a report including information regarding stored postures of the user, and transmit the report to a display.

6. The furniture system of claim 5, wherein the report includes a length of time spent in each of the stored postures.

7. The furniture system of claim 5, wherein the report includes information regarding a time spent standing by the user and a time spent sitting by the user, and wherein the time spent sitting is subdivided into the time spent sitting in different postures.

8. The furniture system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to

indicate a target posture to the user, and

determine, based on the output signals from the plurality of sensors, whether the user moves toward the target posture in response to indicating the target posture to the user.

9. The furniture system of claim 1, wherein the current posture of the user is one selected from a group consisting of:

an upright position, a chair recline position, a recline position with feet on the base, a perch position with elbows on knees, and upright and off-backrest position, a lean left position, a lean right position, a cross leg left position, a cross leg right position, and a slouch position.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to perform at least one of a group of actions consisting of controlling a furniture piece with mobile capabilities to move, adjusting a height of the chair, adjusting a distance between the user and a monitor, adjusting a back stiffness of the chair, limiting an angle of movement of the chair, and limiting a speed of rotation of the chair.

11. A method of determining a posture of a user sitting in a chair, the chair including a seat, a backrest, and a base, the method comprising:

detecting, by a plurality of sensors coupled to the chair, a physical force imparted by the user on the chair;

generating, by each of the plurality of sensors, an output signal indicative of the physical force;

receiving, by a processor coupled to the plurality of sensors, the output signals generated by the plurality of sensors;

determining, by the processor, a current posture of the user sitting in the chair based on at least one of the output signals received by the processor;

determining, by the processor, a focus profile for the user based on the output signals;

periodically storing, by the processor, the current posture and the focus profile of the user;

generating, by the processor, a report including information regarding stored postures of the user and the focus profile of the user; and

transmitting the report to a human resources department to determine at least one ergonomic aspect of the user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, a position parameter of the chair based on the at least one of the output signals received by the processor, the position parameter corresponding to a tilt of the seat relative to the base, a distribution of weight on the backrest, or a tilt of the seat relative to a horizontal level; and

wherein determining the current posture of the user includes determining the current posture of the user based on the position parameter; and

wherein determining the focus profile of the user includes determining the focus profile of the user based on the position parameter.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the chair further includes a first armrest and a second armrest, and further comprising:

detecting, by a first sensor of the plurality of sensors coupled to the first armrest, a first force acting on the first armrest; and

detecting, by a second sensor of the plurality of sensors coupled to the second armrest, a second force acting on the second armrest;

determining a difference between the first force and the second force; and

wherein determining the current posture of the user includes determining the current of the user based on the difference first force; and

wherein determining the focus profile of the user includes determining the focus profile of the user based on the difference first force.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting, by a second sensor of the plurality of sensors coupled to the second armrest, a second force acting on the second armrest;

determining a difference between the first force and the second force; and

wherein determining the current posture of the user includes determining the current posture of the user based on the difference; and

wherein determining the focus profile of the user includes determining the focus profile of the user based on the difference.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the report includes generating the report including a length of time spent in each of the stored postures.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, a period of time that the user remains in the current position; and

generating, by the processor, a notification for the user to change postures when the period of time exceeds a time threshold.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the report includes generating the report including information regarding a time spent standing by the user and a time spent sitting by the user;

and further comprising subdividing the time spent sitting into the time spent sitting in different postures.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

indicating, by the processor, a target posture to the user; and

determining, by the processor and based on the output signals from the plurality of sensors, whether the user moves toward the target posture in response to indicating the target posture to the user.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the current posture of the user includes determining whether the current posture of the user corresponds to one selected from a group consisting of:

an upright position, a chair recline position, a recline position with feet on the base, a perch position with elbows on knees, and upright and off-backrest position, a lean left position, a lean right position, a cross leg left position, a cross leg right position, and a slouch position.

20. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising:

performing, by the processor, at least one of a group of actions consisting of controlling a furniture piece with mobile capabilities to move, adjusting a height of the chair, adjusting a distance between the user and a monitor, adjusting a back stiffness of the chair, limiting an angle of movement of the chair, and limiting a speed of rotation of the chair.

21. A furniture system comprising:

a chair including

a seat,

a backrest coupled to the seat, and

a base supporting the backrest and the seat;

a plurality of sensors coupled to the chair, each sensor operable to detect a physical force imparted by a user on the chair, and generate an output signal indicative of the physical force; and

a processor coupled to the plurality of sensors, and the processor operable to receive the output signals generated by the plurality of sensors,

determine, based on at least one of the output signals, a current posture of the user sitting in the chair,

compare the current posture to a known user posture signature,

determine a period of time that the user remains in the current posture, and

generate a notification for the user to change postures when the period of time exceeds a time threshold and the current posture matches the known user posture signature.