TECHNIQUE FOR ADJUSTING THE POSTURE OF A SEATED PERSON

• US 20150366350A1
• Filed: 06/19/2014
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: MARTI, Stefan, Di CENSO, Davide
• Granted Patent: US 9,808,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/00 Chairs adapted for special purposes features relating to vertical adjustability A47C3/20; convertible chairs A47C13/00; chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons A61G5/00; operating chairs, dental chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/126 for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/22 Motor vehicles operators, e.g. drivers, pilots, captains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4561 Evaluating static posture, e.g. undesirable back curvature A61B5/1116 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0268 using sensors or detectors for adapting the seat or seat part, e.g. to the position of an occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0273 taking into account user data, e.g. knee height or physical state
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0278 using sensors external to the seat for measurements in relation to the seat adjustment, e.g. for identifying the presence of obstacles or the appropriateness of the occupants position
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/10 using a database
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/20 using a deterministic algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/20 Wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/04 involving the use of models or simulators

Abstract

A posture adjustment system includes a set of sensors coupled to a chair on which a person may sit. The posture adjustment system gathers data from the set of sensors and generates a posture model that reflects a posture associated with the seated person. The posture adjustment system then determines corrections to the posture of the person that could, potentially, improve their posture. The posture adjustment system then indicates those corrections to the person, or, alternatively, applies a set of adjustments to the chair to cause the person to assume a new posture that reflects the posture corrections.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to effect modifications to the posture of a seated person, by performing the steps of:

acquiring sensor data that reflects a current posture associated with the seated person;

determining at least one modification to make to the current posture to change the current posture to a modified posture; and

based on the at least one modification, causing one or more changes in a position or orientation of a chair in which the seated person is sitting to be automatically effected to change the current posture to the modified posture;

or

causing the at least one modification to be communicated to the seated person.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a first posture model that includes a mathematical description of the current posture.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the step of determining the at least one modification comprises:

comparing the first posture model to a second posture model;

identifying one or more differences between the first posture model and the second posture model; and

determining a modification to the first posture model that causes the first posture model to more closely approximate the second posture model.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the step of determining the at least one modification comprises:

comparing the first posture model to a set of preferences associated with the seated person that reflects a preferred posture of the seated person; and

determining a modification to the first posture model that causes the first posture model to more closely approximate the preferred posture.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the step of determining the at least one modification comprises:

comparing the first posture model to a set of posture recommendations received from a medical professional that reflects a recommended posture for the seated person; and

determining a modification to the first posture model that causes the first posture model to more closely approximate the recommended posture.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one modification is communicated to the user, and further comprising, based on the at least one modification, causing one or more changes in a position or orientation of a chair in which the seated person is sitting to be automatically effected to change the current posture to the modified posture.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the step of causing the one or more changes in the position or orientation of the chair comprises:

determining at least one adjustment to a section of the chair in which the seated person is sitting; and

applying the at least one adjustment to the section of the chair to cause the seated person to assume the modified posture.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein determining the at least one adjustment to the section of the chair comprises:

determining that a first position of the section of the chair corresponds to the current posture;

determining that a second position of the section of the chair corresponds to the modified posture;

comparing the first position to the second position to determine a position difference; and

determining an adjustment to the section of the chair based on the position difference.

9. A system for adjusting the posture of a person, the system comprising:

a sensor array configured to generate sensor data that indicates a first location associated with a portion of the person;

a first section of a chair in physical contact with the portion of the person and having a first position; and

a computing device configured to;

cause the first section of the chair to reposition from the first position to a second position to relocate the portion of the person from the first location to a second location, or

cause instructions to be transmitted to the person related to relocating the portion of the person from the first location to a second location.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a motor coupled to the first section of the chair, and wherein the computing device causes the first section of the chair to be repositioned by:

identifying the second location to which the portion of the person should be relocated;

determining that the first section of the chair can be repositioned from the first position to the second position to cause the portion of the person to relocate from the first location to the second location; and

issuing a motor control signal to the motor that causes the motor to move the first section of the chair from the first position to the second position.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein identifying the second position comprises analyzing data that reflects a set of target positions for different portions of the person.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein determining that the first section of the chair can be repositioned from the first position to the second position comprises analyzing a mapping between a plurality of positions associated with the first section of the chair and a plurality of locations associated with the portion of the person.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the chair resides within an automobile.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the chair comprises an office chair residing in an office environment.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensor array is coupled to the first section of the chair and is configured to measure at least one of pressure and heat associated with the person.

16. A computer-implemented method for modifying the posture of a user, the method comprising:

generating a first posture model that reflects a current posture associated with the user;

comparing the first posture model to a second posture model to identify a set of posture modifications; and

causing a first section of a chair in which the user is sitting to be repositioned to change the current posture of the user to a modified posture, wherein the second posture model reflects the modified posture;

or

based on the set of posture modifications, causing instructions to be transmitted the user that are related to relocating one or more body parts of the user to change the current posture to the modified posture.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein generating the first posture model comprises acquiring sensor data that reflects a first set of locations associated with the one or more body parts of the user.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the second posture model comprises a mathematical description of the modified posture, and wherein comparing the first posture model to the second posture model comprises comparing the first set of locations associated with the one or more body parts to a second set of locations associated with one or more virtual body parts associated with the second posture model.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the chair includes a first section and a motor coupled to a first section, wherein the motor is configured to receive motor signals that are based on at least a portion of the set of posture modifications and to reposition the first section of the chair in response to the motor signals.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein causing instructions to be transmitted to the user comprises causing an audio device or a visual device or a haptic device to communicate the set of posture modifications to the user.