Microclimate control systems and methods

• US 10,433,646 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Development Inc. (Steelcase Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Ryan, Kelly, Caroline, McKenna, Mark, Norman, Christopher, Scheper, Rob, Swieter, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Lang, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US15/634,027
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 97/00 Furniture or accessories for furniture, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/143 Chaise lounges
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 21/04 Devices for ventilating, cooling or heating
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/72 Adaptations for incorporating lamps, radio sets, bars, telephones, ventilation, heating or cooling arrangements or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/74 for ventilation, heating or cooling actuated by rocking the chair A47C3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/744 with active means, e.g. by using air blowers or liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/748 for heating
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 9/00 Stools for specified purposes with rotatable seats A47C3/18; with vertically adjustable seats A47C3/20 ; other seating furniture for specified purposes A47C15/004; footstools A47C16/02; prayer stools A47C16/04; platforms or seat-boxes specially adapted for angling A01K97/22
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A method and system for temperature control of a microclimate device are disclosed. The temperature control can be integrated into a reservation system for the microclimate device. A user interface can receive a user input of a temperature control setting. The user interface can be integrated into the microclimate device. A processor can receive the user input and control a heating and/or cooling device to execute the temperature control setting.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

retrieve from a scheduling database a schedule for a first furniture item and a second furniture item, the first furniture item having a first microclimate device containing a first heating and/or cooling device, the second furniture item having a second microclimate device containing a second heating and/or cooling device;

communicate the schedule to a user;

receive a first input from the user indicating a first reservation of the first furniture item for a first selected time;

receive a second input from the user indicating a second reservation of the second furniture item for a second selected time

receive from the user a temperature control setting for the first heating and/or cooling device and/or the second heating and/or cooling device;

send instructions to the first heating and/or cooling device to execute the temperature control setting during the first selected time; and

send instructions to the second heating and/or cooling device to execute the temperature control setting during the second selected time.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first or second temperature control setting is a time-varying temperature pattern.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the temperature control setting includes location settings for at least two different locations on the first furniture item and/or the second furniture item.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first or second input comprises an authentication code associated with the first or second microclimate device.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first or second input comprises scanning an identification badge.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first or second input comprises sensing proximity of the user relative to the first or second microclimate device.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first or second input comprises biometric identification.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first or second input comprises a registration and/or login procedure.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, in response to sensing an occupancy status of the first or second furniture item, send instructions to the first or second heating and/or cooling device to provide heating and/or cooling.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, in response to sensing a temperature of the user, control the first or second heating and/or cooling device in response to the temperature of the user.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first or second temperature control setting includes a time-of-day adjustment or a seasonal adjustment.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the temperature control setting is recommended to the user based on one or more properties of the user.

13. A method comprising:

receiving a first input from a user indicating a first reservation of a first affordance to which a first microclimate device is associated for a first selected time;

receiving a second input from the user indicating a second reservation of a second affordance to which a second microclimate device is associated for a second selected time

receiving from the user a temperature control setting; and

sending instructions to the first or second heating and/or cooling device to execute the temperature control setting at the first microclimate device during the first selected time and the second temperature control setting at the second microclimate device during the second selected time.

14. A furniture item comprising:

a heating and/or cooling device; and

a user interface integrated into the furniture item and coupled to a processor, the user interface configured to receive a temperature control input from a user and to provide the temperature control input to the processor and a temperature control settings database, the processor configured to control the heating and/or cooling device to execute the temperature control input, the temperature control input that is communicated to the temperature control settings database is retrievable by the processor or a different processor associated with a different furniture item having a different heating and/or cooling device to control the heating and/or cooling device or the different heating and/or cooling device to execute the temperature control input at a subsequent time without requiring the user to provide the temperature control input.

15. The furniture item of claim 14, the furniture item further comprising a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the user.

16. The system furniture item of claim 15, the processor configured to control the heating and/or cooling device in response to the temperature of the user.

17. The furniture item of claim 14, wherein the furniture item is a chair.

18. The furniture item of claim 14, wherein the user interface includes a location identifier that indicates one or more locations on the furniture item to which heating and/or cooling are applied.

19. The furniture item of claim 14, wherein the user interface comprises a set of lights that illuminate to indicate a degree of heating or cooling.

20. The furniture item of claim 19, wherein the set of lights illuminate blue to indicate a cooling effect and illuminate red to indicate a heating effect.