SEATING STRUCTURE INCLUDING A PRESENCE SENSOR

• US 20180043794A1
• Filed: 08/14/2017
• Published: 02/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Millerknoll Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated
• Inventors: Lilley, Matthew James, Daley-Fell, Adam James
• Granted Patent: US 9,987,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/00 Details or accessories for chairs, beds, or the like, not provided for in other groups of this subclass, e.g. upholstery fasteners, mattress protectors, stretching devices for mattress nets
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/282 with mesh-like supports, e.g. elastomeric membranes
• 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 7/723 with display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems

Abstract

A seating structure includes a base, a seat, a backrest connected to the seat, and an electronic circuit supported by the base. The seat or the backrest includes a carrier and a suspension material secured to the carrier and spanning across an opening formed by the carrier. The suspension material includes a plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers. The electronic circuit is coupled to the electrostatic discharge fibers. The electronic circuit includes an electronic processor and a sensor. The sensor is configured to generate an output signal indicative of an electrical parameter of one of the electrostatic discharge fibers. The electronic processor is configured to apply a drive signal to one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, receive the output signal from the sensor, and determine a state of the seating structure based on the output signal from the sensor.

Claims

1. A seating structure comprising:

a base;

a seat supported by the base;

a backrest coupled to the seat, wherein the seat, the backrest, or both includes a carrier and a suspension material secured to the carrier and spanning across an opening formed by the carrier, the suspension material including a plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers; and

an electronic circuit supported by the base and coupled to at least one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, the electronic circuit including

a sensor configured to generate an output signal indicative of an electrical parameter of one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, and

an electronic processor coupled to the sensor, the electronic processor configured to

apply a drive signal to one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers,

receive the output signal from the sensor, and

determine, based on the output signal from the sensor, a state of the seating structure.

2. The seating structure of claim 1, wherein the carrier includes a fastener to connect the suspension material to the carrier, wherein the fastener is positioned in contact with the at least one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, and wherein the electronic processor is coupled to the at least one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers via the fastener.

3. The seating structure of claim 1, wherein the carrier supports a pressure connector positioned adjacent one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, wherein the pressure connector switches between a first state in which the pressure connector is in contact with the one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, and a second state in which the pressure connector is separated from the one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, and wherein the electronic processor is coupled to the one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers via the pressure connector when the pressure connector is in the second state.

4. The seating structure of claim 1, further comprising a capacitive electrode supported by the carrier and spaced apart from the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers.

5. The seating structure of claim 4, wherein the electronic processor is configured to apply the drive signal to the capacitive electrode such that a capacitive field is formed between the capacitive electrode and a subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, wherein the sensor is coupled to one selected from a group consisting of the capacitive electrode and the subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, and wherein the output signal is indicative of a voltage between the capacitive electrode and the subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers.

6. The seating structure of claim 5, further comprising:

a second capacitive electrode supported by the carrier and spaced apart from the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, wherein the electronic processor is configured to apply the drive signal to the second capacitive electrode such that a second capacitive field is formed between the second capacitive electrode a second subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers; and

a second sensor coupled to one selected from a group consisting of the second capacitive electrode and the second subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, the second sensor configured to generate a second output signal indicative of a second voltage between the second capacitive electrode and the second subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers,

wherein the first subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers is oriented orthogonal to the second subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers.

7. The seating structure of claim 1, wherein the electronic processor is configured to apply the drive signal to a first electrostatic discharge fiber of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, wherein the sensor is coupled to a second electrostatic discharge fiber of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, and wherein the output signal is indicative of a voltage between the first electrostatic discharge fiber and the second electrostatic discharge fiber.

8. The seating structure of claim 1, wherein the electronic processor is configured to

determine whether the output signal exceeds an occupancy threshold,

determine whether the output signal exceeds a proximity threshold, the proximity threshold being lower than the occupancy threshold, and

determine the state of the seating structure based on the whether the output signal exceeds at least one selected from a group consisting of the occupancy threshold and the proximity threshold.

9. The seating structure of claim 1, wherein the drive signal is an applied voltage, and wherein the electronic processor is configured to determine a time of dissipation of the applied voltage, and determine that the seating structure is occupied when the time of dissipation exceeds an occupancy threshold.

10. The seating structure of claim 1, wherein the drive signal is a radio frequency signal, and wherein the electronic processor is configured to measure an amplitude of a response signal received in response to the drive signal, and determine that the seating structure is occupied when the amplitude of the response signal is below an occupancy threshold.

11. A method of sensing occupancy of a seating structure having a suspension material with a plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, the method comprising:

applying, with an electronic processor supported by the seating structure, a drive signal to at least one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers of the suspension material, the suspension material spanning across a back opening, a seat opening, or both of the seating structure;

generating, with a sensor supported by the seating structure, an output signal indicative of an electrical parameter of one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers;

receiving, with the electronic processor, the output signal from the sensor; and

determining, with the electronic processor, a state of the seating structure based on the output signal from the sensor.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising coupling the electronic processor to at least one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers via a fastener, wherein the fastener connects the suspension material to a carrier of the seating structure, and wherein the electronic processor applies the drive signal to the at least one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers through the fastener.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the seating structure includes a pressure connector positioned adjacent one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, and further comprising:

moving the pressure connector between a first state in which the pressure connector is in contact with the one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, and a second state in which the pressure connector is separated from the one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers; and

coupling the electronic processor to at least one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers via the pressure connector when the pressure connector is in the first state.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein applying the drive signal includes applying the drive signal to a capacitive electrode coupled to a subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, the capacitive electrode spaced apart from the subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein applying the drive signal to the capacitive electrode includes generating a capacitive field between the capacitive electrode and the subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, and

wherein generating the output signal includes generating the output signal indicative of a voltage between the capacitive electrode and the subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

applying, with the electronic processor, a second drive signal to a second capacitive electrode such that a second capacitive field is formed between the second capacitive electrode and a second subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, the second subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers being oriented orthogonal to the second subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers; and

generating, with a second sensor, a second output signal indicative of a second voltage between the second capacitive electrode and the second subset of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein applying the drive signal includes applying, with the electronic processor, the drive signal to a first electrostatic discharge fiber of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers;

and

wherein generating the output signal includes generating, with the sensor coupled to a second electrostatic discharge fiber of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, the output signal indicative of a voltage between the first electrostatic discharge fiber and the second electrostatic discharge fiber.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, with the electronic processor, whether the output signal exceeds an occupancy threshold;

determining, with the electronic processor, whether the output signal exceeds a proximity threshold; and

wherein determining the state of the seating structure includes determining the state of the seating structure based on whether the output signal exceeds one selected from a group consisting of the occupancy threshold and the proximity threshold.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein applying the drive signal includes applying, with the electronic processor, a voltage signal to one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, and further comprising:

determining, with the electronic processor, a time of dissipation of the voltage signal, and

wherein determining the state of the seating structure includes determining, with the electronic processor, that the seating structure is occupied when the time of dissipation exceeds an occupancy threshold.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein applying the drive signal includes applying, with the electronic processor, a radio frequency signal to one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, and further comprising:

determining, with the electronic processor, an amplitude of a response signal received by the electronic processor in response to the drive signal, and

wherein determining the state of the seating structure includes determining, with the electronic processor, that the seating structure is occupied when the amplitude of the response signal is below an occupancy threshold.