Method and apparatus for wireless mobile seating platform

• US 20030025601A1
• Filed: 07/31/2001
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McFaddin, Herbert Scott, Levas, Anthony, Moskowitz, Paul Andrew, Wong, Danny Chan Yong, Gruteser, Marco O.
• Granted Patent: US 6,870,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 15/004 Seating furniture for specified purposes not covered by main groups A47C1/00 or A47C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/008 Use of remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/126 for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor

Abstract

A system (and method) includes a seating platform, at least one sensor for detecting a state of the seating platform connected to a first wireless communications device, the first wireless communications device for conveying information on the state of the seating platform, and a second wireless communications device for receiving information from the first wireless communications device, and a computing system. The second wireless communications device is for receiving the information carrying signal and is connected to the computing system. The computing system is for initiating an action based upon the information.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a seating platform;

at least one sensor for detecting a state of said seating platform connected to a first wireless communications device, said first wireless communications device for conveying information on the state of said seating platform;

a second wireless communications device for receiving information from said first wireless communications device; and

a computing system, said second wireless communications device for receiving said information carrying signal and connected to said computing system,

said computing system for initiating an action based upon said information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said second wireless communications device returns an information carrying signal to said first communications device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein information returned by said information carrying signal is conveyed to an occupant of said seating platform.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said action comprises notifying an occupant of said seating platform of one of the length of time that said occupant has occupied said seating platform, and that said occupant has occupied said seating platform for an excessive length of time, and that physical injury may be incurred by said occupant.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises at least one of a sensor for sensing a position of an on/off switch, a sensor for sensing a force, a sensor for sensing a pressure, a sensor for sensing a weight, and a sensor for sensing a heartbeat of an occupant of said seating platform.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor is used to distinguish a human occupant from a non-human occupant.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said non-human is one of a cat and a dog.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said state comprises said seating platform being one of occupied and unoccupied.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said occupied state is one of occupied by a human, a non-human and an inanimate object.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said non-human is one of a cat and a dog

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said state comprises one of a position, orientation, movement, and length of time of occupation of said seating platform.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said state comprises at least one physical characteristic of an occupant of said seating platform.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said at least one physical characteristic comprises one of a heartbeat characteristic and the weight of said occupant.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein said occupied state is occupied by a specific person.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second wireless communications devices comprises one of a cellular phone, a Bluetooth device, an IrDA device, an IEEE 802.11 device, and a radio communications device.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said action comprises controlling an environmental parameter including at least one of the parameters of lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, temperature, humidity, air flow, and displays for said system.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said action comprises communicating the state to other computing systems.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said seating platform includes wheels.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said seating platform comprises one of a chair, a sofa, a stool, and a wheel chair.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said computing system is connected to a network.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said network comprises one of the Internet, an intranet, a Bluetooth network, an IEEE 802.11 network, and a Local Area Network.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein said seating platform is located in one of a business, a home, a restaurant, and a public space.

23. A system, comprising:

a seating platform;

a wireless power supply coupled to said seating platform for powering said seating platform; and

a remote system for receiving a communication from said seating platform.

24. A system, comprising:

a seating platform;

electronic devices within said seating platform and requiring energy; and

a wireless energy transfer device for transferring energy to said devices.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising an energy storage device embedded within the seating platform.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein said wireless energy transfer unit for energy transfer employs inductive coupling

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the inductive coupling employs a coil associated with a floor on which said seating platform is located.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein said wireless energy transfer unit for energy transfer employs solar cells.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein said wireless energy transfer unit for energy transfer employs a movement of an occupant in the seating platform.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein said wireless energy transfer unit for energy transfer employs a movement of the seating platform.

31. A system, comprising:

a seating platform;

a communications system embedded within said seating platform for receiving an information carrying communication from a remote system; and

a haptic system embedded in said seating platform for communicating information carried by said information carrying communication to an occupant of said seating platform.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said haptic system comprises one of at least one vibrator and a deformable surface.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein said communications system comprises a wireless communications system.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein said seating platform is mobile.

35. A method of communicating between a seating platform and a remote system, comprising:

sensing a characteristic of said seating platform;

communicating said characteristic from said seating platform to said remote system; and

providing a feedback loop between said seating platform and said remote system.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said sensing comprises sensing whether the seating platform is one of vacant, occupied, occupied by a non-human, and occupied by a particular individual, said method further comprising measuring a characteristic of the seating platform.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said characteristic comprises at least one of color, intensity, and distribution of light derived from a lighting system, temperature or humidity in an area of the seating platform, or a presence of a sound level for a particular sound or a particular musical composition.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein if the characteristic is judged to need adjustment, then initiating an exchange of communications with a communications device of said remote system.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

notifying the remote system that a request has been made to adjust at least one environmental parameter.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

instructing an effector of the remote system to adjust the at least one parameter.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

determining whether the at least one parameter has been adjusted properly.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said determining comprises:

after the at least one parameter is adjusted, notifying a computing system of said remote system; and

exchanging communications between the remote system and the seating platform so that the at least one environmental parameter may be re-measured and re-analyzed.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein, if the state indicates that an occupant or a particular occupant is present in the seating platform, then adjusting a setting for the environmental parameter and reinitiating said measuring and analyzing of said environmental parameter.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said adjusting is performed by one of a manually adjusted user interface and a speech recognition system.

45. A method, comprising:

detecting a state of a chair;

measuring at least one environmental parameter;

analyzing the at least one parameter to judge whether it is appropriate for the state detected of the chair; and

adjusting said at least one parameter if it is judged to be inappropriate.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein said detecting comprises detecting whether the chair is one of vacant, occupied, occupied by a particular individual, and occupied by a non-human.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein said state comprises one of a position and an orientation of said chair.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein said parameter comprises at least one of color, intensity, and distribution of light derived from a lighting system, temperature or humidity in an area of the chair, and a presence of a sound level for a particular sound or a particular musical composition.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein if the parameter is judged to need adjustment, then initiating an exchange of communications with a communications device of a remote system.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein said exchange is performed wirelessly.

51. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

notifying a remote computing system that a request has been made to adjust one or more environmental parameters.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising instructing an effector of the remote system to adjust the parameter.

53. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

determining whether the at least one parameter has been adjusted properly.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein said determining comprises:

after the at least one parameter is adjusted, notifying the remote system; and

exchanging communications between the remote system and the chair so that the at least one parameter is re-measured and re-analyzed.

55. The method of claim 53, further comprising, if the state indicates that an occupant or a particular occupant is present in the chair, then adjusting a setting for the at least one parameter and reinitiating said measuring and analyzing of said at least one parameter.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein said adjusting is performed by one of a manually adjusted user interface and a speech recognition system.