Intelligent office furnishings

• US 10,531,731 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2017
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Millerknoll Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated
• Inventors: Gibson, Jeff, Hoyt, Christopher, Milani, Nicolas, Dykema, Kurt, Moelker, Dave, Thomas, Jared
• Primary Examiner(s): Ing, Matthew W
• Application Number:
  US16/071,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20190029412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2009/006 of two distinct heights, e.g. coffee table - dining table
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/02 with vertical adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0039 Two position height adjustable table
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0056 with a motor, e.g. an electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0061 Height-adjustable desk, electronically regulated with no mechanical link between the legs
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0062 Electronically user-adaptable, height-adjustable desk or table
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/02 Tables combined with seats folding or stowable tables with separable parts combined with seats A47B3/063; foldable table and seat units A47B3/14
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 9/00 Tables with tops of variable height lecterns with variable height A47B19/06; school forms or desks with variable height A47B39/02, A47B41/02; seats with variable height A47C3/20
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/04 Arrangements for synchronous operation

Abstract

A method of operating a desk including receiving, at a desk controller, a message from a chair, and determining a position of a user based on the message. The message includes an indication of a sensed rotation of the chair. The method also includes generating, via the desk controller, a control signal for a motor based on the position of the user. The motor is coupled to a support framework of the desk. The method further includes changing a height of the support framework of the desk according to the control signal.

Claims

1. A desk comprising:

a work surface;

a support framework for supporting the work surface;

a motor coupled to the support framework, the motor operable to move the support framework to change a height of the support framework;

a wireless communication circuit coupled to the work surface, the wireless communication circuit operable to receive a message from a chair within a communication range of the wireless communication circuit, the message including an indication of a sensed rotation of the chair;

a controller coupled to the work surface, and electrically coupled to the motor, the controller operable to

receive the message from the chair indicative of the sensed rotation of the chair,

determine a position of a user based on the received message, and

generate a control signal for the motor based on the determined position of the user.

2. The desk of claim 1, further comprising a sensor coupled to the work surface, the sensor operable to generate an output indicative of a presence of the user near the desk, and wherein the controller is configured to receive the output from the sensor, and determine the position of the user based on the received message and the output from the sensor.

3. The desk of claim 2, wherein the controller is operable to determine that the user is in a standing position when the message indicates no rotation of the chair and the output of the sensor indicates that the user is near the desk, and wherein the control signal causes the motor to increase the height of the support framework in response to the controller determining that the user is in the standing position.

4. The desk of claim 2, wherein the message includes an occupancy output indicative of whether the chair is supporting a weight of the user, and wherein the controller is operable to determine the position of the user based on the occupancy output.

5. The desk of claim 4, wherein the controller is operable to determine that the user is in a sitting position in which the chair supports the weight of the user when the occupancy output is high and the output from the sensor indicates that the user is near the desk, and wherein the control signal causes the motor to decrease the height of the support framework in response to the controller determining that the user is in the sitting position.

6. The desk of claim 2, wherein the controller is operable to determine that the user is in an absent position when the message indicates that the sensed rotation of the chair exceeds a threshold.

7. The desk of claim 1, wherein the motor changes the height of the support framework between preset heights, the preset heights including a standing height and a sitting height.

8. The desk of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication circuit is operable to receive a second message from an external device, the external device storing the preset heights in a memory of the external device, and the second message including one selected from a group consisting of the standing height and the sitting height.

9. The desk of claim 1, further comprising a manual actuator coupled to the controller, and wherein the controller is operable to receive a user input via the manual actuator, and change the control signal for the motor in response to receiving the user input.

10. The desk of claim 9, wherein the controller is operable to:

after changing the control signal to the motor, receive a second message including an occupancy output indicative of whether the chair is supporting a weight of the user,

determine the position of the user based on the occupancy output, and

generate a second control signal for the motor based on the determined position of the user.

11. The desk of claim 1, wherein the control signal for the motor indicates to increase the height of the support framework when the sensed rotation of the chair is less than a threshold, and wherein the control signal from the motor indicates to remain at a current height of the support framework when the sensed rotation of the chair exceeds the threshold.

12. A method of operating a desk, the method comprising:

receiving, at a desk controller, a message from a chair, the message including an indication of a sensed rotation of the chair;

determining, at the desk controller, a position of a user based on the message;

generating, via the desk controller, a control signal for a motor based on the position of the user, the motor coupled to a support framework of the desk; and

changing a height of the support framework of the desk according to the control signal.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating, via a sensor mounted on the desk, an output indicative of a presence of the user near the desk; and

wherein determining the position of the user includes determining, by the desk controller, the position of the user based on the message and the output from the sensor.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the position of the user includes determining, by the desk controller, that the user is in a standing position when the message indicates no rotation of the chair, and the output from the sensor indicates that the user is near the desk, and wherein changing the height of the support framework includes increasing the height of the support framework in response to determining that the user is in the standing position.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the message from the chair includes receiving the message from the chair, the message also including an occupancy output indicative of whether the chair is supporting a weight of the user, and wherein determining the position of the user includes determining, by the desk controller, the position of the user based on the occupancy output.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the position of the user includes determining, by the desk controller, that the user is in a sitting position when the occupancy output is high, and wherein changing the height of the support framework includes decreasing the height of the support framework in response to determining that the user is in the sitting position.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the position of the user includes determining, by the desk controller, that the user is in an absent position when the message indicates that the sensed rotation of the chair exceeds a threshold.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein changing the height of the support framework includes changing the height, via the motor, of the support framework between preset heights, the preset height including a standing height and a sitting height.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising

receiving, at the desk controller, a second message from an external device, the external device storing the preset heights in a memory of the external device, and the second message including one selected from a group consisting of the standing height and the sitting height.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, at the desk controller, a user input from a manual actuator mounted on the desk; and

changing, by the desk controller, the control signal for the motor in response to receiving the user input.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

after changing the control signal, receiving a second message including an occupancy output indicative of whether the chair is supporting a weight of the user;

determining, by the desk controller, a second position of the user based on the occupancy output; and

generating a second control signal for the motor based on the second position of the user.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the control signal for the motor indicates to increase the height of the support framework when the sensed rotation of the chair is less than a threshold, and wherein the control signal from the motor indicates to remain at a current height of the support framework when the sensed rotation of the chair exceeds the threshold.

23. A desk comprising:

a work surface;

a support framework for supporting the work surface;

a motor coupled to the support framework, the motor operable to move the support framework to change a height of the support framework;

a wireless communication circuit coupled to the work surface, the wireless communication circuit operable to receive a message from a chair within a communication range of the wireless communication circuit, the message including an indication of a sensed rotation of the chair; and

a controller coupled to the work surface, and electrically coupled to the motor, the controller operable to

receive the message from the chair indicative of the sensed rotation of the chair, and

generate a control signal for the motor based on the message, wherein the control signal for the motor indicates to change the height of the support framework from a sitting height to a standing height when the sensed rotation of the chair is less than a threshold, and wherein the control signal for the motor indicates to remain at the sitting height when the sensed rotation of the chair exceeds the threshold.