Systems, computer medium and computer-implemented methods for harvesting human energy in the workplace

• US 9,722,472 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Horseman, Samantha, Monsen, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuevas, Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US14/102,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20150162802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 290 1 R, 290 4 R, 600301
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 Education
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1861 driven by animals or vehicles H02K7/1853 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids

Abstract

Provided are embodiments of systems, computer medium and computer-implemented methods for harvesting human energy from an employee. The techniques including determining an amount of energy harvested, and selectively enabling/disabling one or more electronic user devices based at least in part on the amount of energy harvested. The amount of energy harvested including kinetic energy and neural energy. The kinetic energy having been harvested by a kinetic energy system including one or more kinetic energy harvesting devices that harvest kinetic energy generated by physical activity of an employee. The neural energy having been harvested by a neural energy system that includes one or more neural energy harvesting devices that harvest neural energy generated by neural activity of the employee.

Claims

1. A workplace energy harvesting system for harvesting energy from an employee, the system comprising:

one or more electronic user devices;

a human energy harvesting system comprising;

a kinetic energy harvesting system comprising one or more kinetic energy harvesting devices configured to harvest kinetic energy generated by physical activity of the employee; and

a neural energy harvesting system comprising one or more neural energy harvesting devices configured to harvest neural energy generated by neural activity of the employee; and

an energy harvesting control system configured to;

determine an amount of energy harvested, the energy harvested comprising a sum total of an amount of the kinetic energy harvested via the kinetic energy harvesting system and an amount of the neural energy harvested via the neural energy harvesting system; and

selectively enable/disable at least one of the one or more electronic user devices based at least in part on the amount of energy harvested.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the kinetic energy system comprises a plurality of exercise devices disposed on a floor of the employee'"'"'s office such that the employee can engage a different exercise device when located at different positions in the office.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of exercise devices comprise a walking platform such that the employee can engage a different walking platform when located at different positions in the office.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of exercise devices is associated with a different set of one or more electronic user devices, and wherein operation of a set of electronic user devices is based at least in part on an amount of energy harvested as a result use of the associated exercise device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the energy harvesting control system is configured to enable a set of electronic devices associated with an exercise device when an amount of energy generated as a result of use of the exercise device satisfies an energy threshold value, and disable the set of electronic devices associated with the exercise device when the amount of energy generated as a result of use of the exercise device does not satisfy the energy threshold value.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein selectively enabling/disabling one or more electronic user devices based at least in part on the amount of energy harvested comprises:

determining whether the amount of energy harvested satisfies an energy threshold amount; and

enabling at least one of the one or more electronic user devices in response to determining that the amount of energy harvested satisfies the energy threshold, and disabling at least one of the one or more electronic user devices in response to determining that the amount of energy harvested does not satisfy the energy threshold amount.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the energy threshold amount is configured to be modified by the employee.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more electronic user devices comprise a first set of one or more electronic user devices associated with a first energy threshold amount and a second set of one or more electronic user devices associated with a second energy threshold amount, and wherein selectively enabling/disabling one or more electronic user devices based at least in part on the amount of energy harvested comprises:

determining whether the amount of energy harvested satisfies the first energy threshold amount, and

enabling the first set of one or more electronic user devices in response to determining that the amount of energy harvested satisfies the first energy threshold amount, and disabling the first set of one or more electronic user devices in response to determining that the amount of energy harvested does not satisfy the first energy threshold amount; and

determine whether the amount of energy harvested satisfies the second energy threshold amount, and

enabling the second set of one or more electronic user devices in response to determining that the amount of energy harvested satisfies the second energy threshold amount, and disabling the second set of one or more electronic user devices in response to determining that the amount of energy harvested does not satisfy the second energy threshold amount.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the kinetic energy system comprises a piezoelectric transducer configured to harvest power generated by a hip-flexor of the employee.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the kinetic energy system comprises a fitness/exercise device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the neural energy system comprises a neural headset comprising one or more neural energy transducers configured to be disposed about a head of the employee.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising an energy storage device, wherein the energy harvesting control system is configured to provide for storing at least a portion of the energy harvested in the energy storage device when the energy harvested is not required to power an electronic user device, and to at least partially power an electronic user device using energy stored by the energy storage device.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a connection to an electrical power grid, wherein the energy harvesting control system is configured to at least partially power an electronic user device using energy provided via the electrical power grid.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising an energy storage device and an alternative energy source, wherein the energy harvesting control system is configured to at least partially power an electronic user device simultaneously using at least two of the following:

energy stored by the energy storage device, energy currently being provided by the human energy harvest system, and energy provided by the alternative power source.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising an energy harvest user interface configured to display metrics for energy harvested and status information for the one or more electronic user devices, and a coaching avatar.

16. A system for harvesting human energy from an employee, the system comprising:

a human energy harvesting system comprising one or more kinetic energy harvesting devices configured to harvest kinetic energy generated by physical activity of the employee, the one or more kinetic energy devices comprising a plurality of walking platforms disposed on a floor of the employee'"'"'s office such that the employee can engage a different walking platform when located at different positions in the office, a walking platform configured to harvest kinetic energy generated by the employee when walking on the walking platform;

an energy harvesting control system configured to;

determine an amount of energy harvested via human energy harvesting system, the amount of energy harvested comprising an amount of energy harvested via the plurality of walking platforms; and

selectively enable/disable one or more electronic user devices based at least in part on the amount of energy harvested.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the human energy harvesting system comprises one or more neural energy harvesting devices configured to harvest neural energy generated by neural activity of the employee.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein selectively enabling/disabling one or more electronic user devices based at least in part on the amount of energy harvested comprises:

determining whether the amount of energy harvested satisfies an energy threshold amount; and

enabling at least one of the one or more electronic user devices in response to determining that the amount of energy harvested satisfies the energy threshold amount, and disabling at least one of the one or more electronic user devices in response to determining that the amount of energy harvested does not satisfy the energy threshold amount.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the energy harvesting control system is configured to:

determine whether an amount of energy generated by use of a walking platform satisfies a walking platform energy threshold amount; and

enable at least one of one or more electronic user devices associated with the walking platform in response to determining that the amount of energy generated by use of the walking platform satisfies the walking platform energy threshold amount, and disable at least one of one or more electronic user devices associated with the walking platform in response to determining that the amount of energy generated by use of the walking platform does not satisfy the walking platform energy threshold amount.

20. A computer-implemented method for harvesting human energy from an employee, the method comprising:

determine an amount of energy harvested, the amount of energy harvested comprising;

an amount of kinetic energy harvested by a kinetic energy system comprising one or more kinetic energy harvesting devices configured to harvest kinetic energy generated by physical activity of an employee; and

an amount of neural energy harvested by a neural energy system comprising one or more neural energy harvesting devices configured to harvest neural energy generated by neural activity of the employee; and

selectively enabling/disabling one or more electronic user devices based at least in part on the amount of energy harvested.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the kinetic energy system comprises a plurality of exercise devices disposed on a floor the employee'"'"'s office such that the employee can engage a different exercise device when located at different positions in the office.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein selectively enable/disable one or more electronic user devices based at least in part on the amount of energy harvested comprises:

determining whether the amount of energy harvested satisfies an energy threshold amount; and

enabling at least one of the one or more electronic user devices in response to determining that the amount of energy harvested satisfies the energy threshold amount.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein selectively enable/disable one or more electronic user devices based at least in part on the amount of energy harvested comprises:

determining whether the amount of energy harvested satisfies an energy threshold amount; and

disabling at least one of the one or more electronic user devices in response to determining that the amount of energy harvested does not satisfy the energy threshold amount.