Integrated user interface system and method

• US 9,108,733 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sizelove, Steven Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): BENEDIK, JUSTIN M
• Application Number:
  US13/229,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20120132746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 244/118.5, 244/118.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/024 the parts, being the back-rest, or the back-rest and seat unit, having adjustable and lockable inclination
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/18 Chairs or stools with rotatable seat adjustable in height by rotation A47C3/24
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/20 Chairs or stools with vertically-adjustable seats tables with variable height A47B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/38 for the head adjustable coupled to reclining or easy chairs A47C1/036
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/46 with special, e.g. adjustable , lumbar region support profile; "Ackerblom" profile chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/506 of adjustable type
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/54 Supports for the arms
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/62 Accessories for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/624 located on side of seat, e.g. on armrest
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/74 for ventilation, heating or cooling actuated by rocking the chair A47C3/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0228 Hand-activated mechanical switches B60N2/0229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0233 Touchscreens
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0239 using movement detection or gesture recognition
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00155 Individual entertainment or communication system remote controls therefor, located in or connected to seat components, e.g. to seat back or arm rest
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/06 Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0624 Arrangements of electrical connectors, e.g. for earphone, internet or electric supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

An integrated user interface system being disposed at a chair and methods for manufacturing and using same. The user interface system comprises one or more interface elements that are disposed at an armrest or other suitable chair location and that are obscured from view or otherwise de-emphasized when a user is distal from the user interface system. At least one selected interface element becomes emphasized when a user hand becomes proximate to the user interface system. The selected interface element can become emphasized, for example, by becoming visible and/or by forming a raised projection. Upon becoming emphasized, the selected interface element is activated for use and can be manipulated to interact with available system resources. The chair advantageously can appear to be an ordinary chair when the user interface system is not in use and can present the user interface system when the user wishes to access the system resources.

Claims

1. An integrated user interface system suitable for interacting with a system resource, comprising:

a chair region of a user chair; and

a plurality of interface elements being provided at said chair region, said interface elements being obscured from view and inhibited from interacting with the system resource when a user hand is distal from the user interface system, one or more selected interface elements becoming visible and activated for interacting with the system resource in response to the user hand moving proximate to the user interface system and becoming obscured from view and inhibited from interacting with the system resource in response to the user hand moving to a distal location from the user interface system,

wherein said selected interface elements become visible by physically moving from a retracted position to an extended position to form raised projections providing the user interface system with a tactile feel, and

wherein said integrated user interface system is utilized in conjunction with a video interface system for presenting a menu system with control indicia associated with system functions available via the system resource, said selected interface elements being mapped to the control indicia to enable navigation of the menu system via said integrated user interface system.

2. The user interface system of claim 1,

wherein said selected interface elements become visible by at least one of projecting from said chair region, becoming illuminated, presenting control indicia, and presenting a function icon that represents a preselected control function associated with said selected interface elements;

and

wherein said selected interface elements remain visible while the hand of the user is adjacent to the user interface system and become obscured when the hand of the user withdraws from the user interface system.

3. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein said selected interface elements provide a chair control interface for controlling a chair feature of the user chair, the chair control interface controlling at least one of a headrest position, a footrest position, an armrest position, a chair back recline angle, a lumbar support position, a chair elevation, a chair swivel angle, an in-chair massage system, an audio volume level, a light brightness level, in-chair and an in-chair temperature control system.

4. The user interface system of claim 1,

wherein said interface elements are disposed in a matrix arrangement;

and

wherein said selected interface elements comprise a portion of said interface elements, said interface elements including a plurality of boundary interface elements that become visible to define a boundary that at least partially surrounds said selected interface elements when the user hand is proximate to the user interface system.

5. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said interface elements form a composite interface element, said composite interface element comprising at least one of a touch pad system, a gaming interface system, a gamer D-pad system, a chair control system, a pointer control system, a rectangular grid system, and a telephone keypad system.

6. The user interface system of claim 5,

wherein said interface elements are disposed in a matrix arrangement;

wherein, if at least one of said interface elements forming said composite interface element becomes unavailable, a position of said composite interface element within said matrix arrangement is dynamically adjusted to avoid said unavailable interface element.

7. The user interface system of claim 1, further comprising a touch film interface system disposed at said chair region, a projection system projecting said selected interface elements onto respective areas of said touch film interface system as virtual interface elements, a selected area of said touch film interface system detecting an approach of the hand of the user and actuating an associated virtual interface element prior to actual contact with said chair region.

8. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein a projection system projects said selected interface elements onto respective areas of said touch film interface system as virtual interface elements, an camera system detecting the hand of the user approaching a selected area of said chair region and actuating an associated virtual interface element prior to actual contact with said chair region.

9. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein the chair region covering comprises a pliable chair region covering for enabling formation and manipulation of the projections.

10. A user chair, comprising:

a seat; and

a chair region being coupled with said seat; and

an integrated user interface system being disposed at said chair region and being provided in accordance with claim 1.

11. The user chair of claim 10,

wherein said chair region comprises left and right armrests, said seat being disposed between said left and right armrests;

and

wherein said user interface system comprises a first user interface system disposed at said left armrest and a second user interface system disposed at said right armrest, each of said first and second user interface systems being provided in accordance with claim 1.

12. The user chair of claim 11, wherein said first user interface system is provided in the same manner as said second user interface system.

13. A method for manufacturing an integrated user interface system, comprising:

providing a user chair having a chair region; and

disposing a user interface system at said chair region of said user chair, said user interface system being provided in accordance with claim 1.

14. An integrated user interface system suitable for interacting with a system resource, comprising:

a chair region of a user chair; and

a plurality of interface elements being provided at said chair region, said interface elements being obscured from view and inhibited from interacting with the system resource when a user hand is distal from the user interface system, one or more selected interface elements becoming visible and activated for interacting with the system resource in response to the user hand moving proximate to the user interface system and becoming obscured from view and inhibited from interacting with the system resource in response the user hand moving to a distal location from the user interface system,

wherein a plurality of said interface elements are coupled with an actuator assembly configured to selectively physically move each of the interface elements from a retracted position to an extended position; and

wherein said integrated user interface system is utilized in conjunction with a video interface system for presenting a menu system with control indicia associated with system functions available via the system resource, said selected interface elements being mapped to the control indicia to enable navigation of the menu system via said integrated user interface system.

15. An integrated user interface system suitable for interacting with a system resource, comprising:

a chair region of a user chair; and

a plurality of interface elements being provided at said chair region, said interface elements being obscured from view and inhibited from interacting with the system resource when a user hand is distal from the user interface system, one or more selected interface elements becoming visible and activated for interacting with the system resource in response to the user hand moving proximate to the user interface system and becoming obscured from view and inhibited from interacting with the system resource in response the user hand moving to a distal location from the user interface system,

wherein said selected interface elements become visible by physically moving from a retracted position to an extended position to form raised projections providing the user interface system with a tactile feel;

wherein a plurality of said interface elements are configured to form a plurality of different composite interface elements, said composite interface elements being defined by a respective different set of said interface elements being in one of a retracted and fully extended position; and

wherein said integrated user interface system is utilized in conjunction with a video interface system for presenting a menu system with control indicia associated with system functions available via the system resource, said selected interface elements being mapped to the control indicia to enable navigation of the menu system via said integrated user interface system.