Emissive shapes and control systems

• US 9,261,262 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2014
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Baloga, Mark A
• Primary Examiner(s): DZIERZYNSKI, EVAN P
• Application Number:
  US14/159,589
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/0076 the screen being incorporated in the desk top
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2083/006 having an incorporated display screen
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/00 Tables or desks for office equipment, e.g. typewriters, keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/007 with under-desk displays, e.g. displays being viewable through a transparent working surface of the table or desk
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0071 Booth like
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0073 Desk with integrated computer
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/001 Office desks or work-stations combined with other pieces of furniture, e.g. work space management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/70 Multimodal biometrics, e.g. combining information from different biometric modalities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

An apparatus for sharing information in a space comprising a first two dimensional outer emissive surface, a first two dimensional inner emissive surface, a support structure resting on and extending upward from the support floor, the support structure supporting the first outer emissive surface with a first outer surface bottom edge at a work surface height, a first outer surface top edge at a ridge height above the work surface height and supporting the first inner emissive surface with a first inner surface bottom edge at a valley height below the work surface height, a first inner surface top edge at a height above the work surface height, the first inner emissive surface spaced behind the first outer emissive surface by at least twelve inches to form a space between the first outer emissive surface and the first inner emissive surfaces.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sharing information in a space including a support floor, the apparatus comprising:

a first two dimensional outer emissive surface having a first outer surface top edge and a first outer surface bottom edge, the first outer emissive surface having a first outer surface height dimension between the first outer surface top edge and the first outer surface bottom edge;

a first two dimensional inner emissive surface having a first inner surface top edge and a inner surface bottom edge, the first inner emissive surface having a first inner surface height dimension between the first inner surface top edge and the first inner surface bottom edge;

a support structure resting on and extending upward from the support floor, the support structure having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the support structure;

(i) supporting the first outer emissive surface with the first outer surface bottom edge at a work surface height, the first outer surface top edge at a ridge height above the work surface height and with the first outer emissive surface sloping upward from the first outer surface bottom edge to the first outer surface top edge along a direction from the first to the second sides of the support structure to form a first outer surface angle with the first outer emissive surface facing a space to the first side of the support structure; and

(ii) supporting the first inner emissive surface with the first inner surface bottom edge at a valley height below the work surface height, the first inner surface top edge at a height above the work surface height and with the first inner emissive surface sloping upward from the first inner surface bottom edge to the first inner surface top edge along a direction from the first to the second sides of the support structure to form a first inner surface angle with the first inner emissive surface facing in substantially the same direction as the first outer emissive surface, the first inner emissive surface spaced behind the first outer emissive surface by at least twelve inches to form a space between the first outer emissive surface and the first inner emissive surfaces.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a first substantially horizontal emissive surface supported by the support structure adjacent the first outer surface bottom edge and extending from the side of the first outer emissive surface opposite the side on which the first inner emissive surface resides.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first outer and first inner emissive surfaces form parts of a single emissive surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the ridge height is less than fifteen inches above the work surface height.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the ridge height is less than ten inches above the work surface height.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first inner surface top edge is at substantially the ridge height.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the valley height is at least eight inches below the work surface height.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 further including a first substantially horizontal emissive surface supported by the support structure adjacent the first outer surface bottom edge and extending from the side of the first outer emissive surface opposite the side on which the first inner emissive surface resides.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first substantially horizontal emissive surface includes front and rear edges where the rear edge is adjacent the first outer surface bottom edge and where a width dimension between the front and rear edges is within the range of eight inches and twenty-four inches.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the first outer surface angle is between 60 and 85 degrees with a horizontal plane through the first outer surface bottom edge.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a second inner emissive surface supported by the support structure and having a second inner surface top edge and a second inner surface bottom edge and a second inner surface height dimension between the second inner surface top and bottom edges, where the second inner surface top edge is adjacent the first outer surface top edge, the second inner surface bottom edge is at the valley height and wherein the second inner emissive surface is supported to face in a direction substantially the opposite of the direction in which the first outer emissive surface faces so that the second inner emissive surface is viewable from a second side of the support structure opposite the first side.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the second inner emissive surface is spaced apart from the first inner emissive surface by at least twelve inches and wherein the second inner emissive surface substantially faces the first inner emissive surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the second inner emissive surface slopes upward from the second inner surface bottom edge to the second inner surface top edge along a direction from the second to the first sides of the support structure to form a second inner surface angle.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the second inner surface top edge is at the ridge height.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 further including a second outer emissive surface supported by the support structure, the second outer emissive surface portion having a second outer surface top edge and a second outer surface bottom edge and a second outer surface height dimension between the second outer surface top and bottom edges, the second outer surface top edge adjacent the first inner surface top edge and located on a side of the first inner emissive surface opposite the side on which the second inner emissive surface resides, the second outer surface bottom edge at the work surface height, the second outer surface top edge at the ridge height, and wherein the second outer emissive surface slopes upward from the second outer surface bottom edge to the second outer surface top edge along a direction from the second to the first sides of the support structure to form a second outer surface angle.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further including first and second substantially horizontal emissive surfaces, the first substantially horizontal emissive surface having a rear edge that is adjacent the first outer surface bottom edge at the work surface height and extending away from the first outer emissive surface, the second substantially horizontal emissive surface having a rear edge that is adjacent the second outer surface bottom edge at the work surface height and extending away from the second outer emissive surface.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first inner surface top edge is at the ridge height, the apparatus further including a second inner emissive surface extending having a second inner surface top edge and a second inner surface bottom edge and a second inner surface height dimension between the second inner surface top and bottom edges, a second outer emissive surface extending having a second outer surface top edge and a second outer surface bottom edge and a second outer surface height dimension between the second outer surface to and bottom edges, a first substantially horizontal emissive surface having a first horizontal surface rear edge and a second substantially horizontal emissive surface having a second horizontal surface rear edge, the support structure supporting the second inner emissive surface with the second inner emissive surface substantially facing the first inner emissive surface, the second inner surface top edge adjacent the first outer surface top edge and the second inner emissive surface sloping upward from the second inner surface bottom edge to the second inner surface top edge along a direction from the second to the first sides of the support structure to form a second inner surface angle, the second outer emissive surface supported on the side of the first inner emissive surface opposite the side on which the second inner emissive surface resides and facing a space adjacent the second side of the support structure, the second outer surface top edge adjacent the first inner surface top edge and the second outer emissive surface sloping upward from the second outer surface bottom edge to the second outer surface top edge along a direction from the second to the first sides of the support structure to form a second outer surface angle, the first horizontal surface rear edge adjacent the first outer surface bottom edge and the first horizontal emissive surface extending from the side of the first outer emissive surface opposite the side on which the second inner emissive surface resides, the second horizontal surface rear edge adjacent the second outer surface bottom edge and the second horizontal emissive surface extending from the side of the second outer emissive surface opposite the side on which the first inner emissive surface resides.

18. An article of furniture useful for sharing information in a space including a support floor, the article of furniture comprising:

a support structure supported on and extending upward from the support floor and having a first side and a second side opposite the first side;

a substantially horizontal work surface structure supported by the support structure, the horizontal work surface structure including at least first and second substantially horizontal work surface portions supported at a work surface height, each work surface portion having at least a rear edge, the rear edges of the first and second horizontal work surface portions separated to form a sharing space there between;

a first inner emissive surface supported by the support structure within the sharing space with the first inner emissive surface facing away from the rear edge of the second horizontal work surface portion and facing the rear edge of the first horizontal work surface portion, the first inner emissive surface sloping upward from a first inner surface bottom edge to a first inner surface top edge along a direction from the second to the first sides of the support structure to form a first inner surface angle; and

a second inner emissive surface supported by the support structure within the sharing space with the second inner emissive surface facing away from the rear edge of the first horizontal work surface portion and facing the rear edge of the second horizontal work surface portion, the second inner emissive surface sloping upward from a second inner surface bottom edge to a second inner surface top edge along a direction from the first to the second sides of the support structure to form a second inner surface angle;

wherein, the bottom edges of each of the first and second inner emissive surfaces are at a valley height below the work surface height and the top edges of each of the first and second inner emissive surfaces are at a ridge height that is above the work surface height.

19. The article of furniture of claim 18 wherein at least portions of the horizontal work surface structure include touch sensitive emissive surfaces.

20. The article of furniture of claim 18 wherein each emissive surface is formed using one of LED, LCD and plasma constructions.

21. A collaboration assembly for sharing information in a collaboration space including a support floor, the collaboration assembly comprising:

a station including;

a first two dimensional emissive surface having a first surface top edge and a first surface bottom edge, the first emissive surface having a first surface height dimension between the first surface top edge and the first surface bottom edge;

a second two dimensional emissive surface having a second surface top edge and a second surface bottom edge, the second emissive surface having a second surface height dimension between the second surface top edge and the second surface bottom edge;

a third two dimensional emissive surface having a rear edge and a front edge opposite the rear edge and a third surface depth dimension between the rear and front surfaces;

a support structure resting on and extending upward from the support floor, and having a first side and a second side opposite the first side the support structure;

(i) supporting the first emissive surface with the first surface bottom edge at a work surface height, the first surface top edge at a ridge height above the work surface height and with the first emissive surface sloping upward from the first surface bottom edge to the first surface top edge at a first surface angle along a direction from the first side to the second side of the support structure so that the first emissive surface is viewable from a space adjacent the first side of the support structure;

(ii) supporting the second emissive surface with the second surface bottom edge at a valley height below the work surface height, the second surface top edge at the ridge height and with the second emissive surface sloping upward from the second surface bottom edge to the second surface top edge at a second surface angle along a direction from the second side to the first side of the support structure so that the second emissive surface is viewable from a space adjacent the second side of the support structure; and

(iii) supporting the third emissive surface with the rear edge adjacent the first surface bottom edge and the third emissive surface extending away from the first emissive surface to the side of the first emissive surface opposite the side on which the second emissive surface resides;

wherein the ridge height is between eight and twenty inches above the work surface height and the valley height is between eight and forty inches below the work surface height.