System for wireless mobile seating platform

• US 7,508,309 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wong, Danny Chan Yong, McFaddin, Herbert Scott, Levas, Anthony, Moskowitz, Paul Andrew, Gruteser, Marco O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phung
• Application Number:
  US12/061,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20080204227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 355 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/539.1, 340/3.1, 340/540, 340/417, 340/665, 340/667, 340/407.1, 701/2, 701/300
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 15/004 Seating furniture for specified purposes not covered by main groups A47C1/00 or A47C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/008 Use of remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/126 for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor

Abstract

A system (and method) includes a seating platform, at least one sensor for detecting a state of the seating platform connected to a first wireless communications device, the first wireless communications device for conveying information on the state of the seating platform, and a second wireless communications device for receiving information from the first wireless communications device, and a computing system. The second wireless communications device is for receiving the information carrying signal and is connected to the computing system. The computing system is for initiating an action based upon the information.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a seating platform;

a communications system embedded within said seating platform for receiving an information carrying communication from a remote system; and

a haptic system embedded in said seating platform for communicating information carried by said information carrying communication to an occupant of said seating platform, said haptic system comprising;

a plurality of vibrators disposed at a plurality of positions in the seating platform; and

a plurality of deformable surfaces disposed at a plurality of positions in the seating platform, said plurality of vibrators and said plurality of deformable surfaces for communicating information to said occupant of said seating platform,

wherein a predetermined combination of said plurality of vibrators and said plurality of deformable surfaces communicates information to said occupant.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said communications system comprises a wireless communications system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said seating platform is mobile.