Adjustable chair and associated systems, methods, devices, and software

Abstract

A method of controlling an adjustable chair comprising the steps of measuring the height of a person, entering the height of the person into a software application on a mobile device, taking a photograph of the person with a mobile device, analyzing the photograph to determine physical measurements of the person, storing the measurements in the mobile device; calculating optimum ergonomic adjustment of the chair based upon the stored measurements; and, transmitting signals to a controller in the chair to control actuators and adjust various components in the chair to achieve optimum ergonomic adjustment. The technology also includes the ergonomic task chair adjusted by the aforementioned method.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computing apparatus comprising:
 one or more computer readable storage media;   one or more processors operatively coupled with the one or more computer readable storage media; and   program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media that, when executed by the one or more processors, direct the computing apparatus to at least:
 enable a user to take photographs of the user; 
 permit the user to graphically represent personal body measurements within the photographs displayed on the computing apparatus, and to input and store the user's height; 
 determine a plurality of personal body dimensions by analyzing the size and number of pixels in the photographs in view of the height of the user; and 
 determine ergonomic adjustments for an adjustable ergonomic chair based upon factors selected from the group consisting of ergonomics, human factors, physiology, anatomy, biomechanics, anthropometry, and kinesiology. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computing apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising program instructions executable by the one or more processors that direct the computing apparatus to at least store the ergonomic adjustments. 
     
     
         3 . The computing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein to determine the ergonomic adjustments for the adjustable ergonomic chair, the program instructions further direct the computing apparatus to determine the ergonomic adjustments based on one or more factors selected from the group comprising gender, age, weight, comfort preferences, seating position preferences, heel height of the user's footwear, and tissue allotment. 
     
     
         4 . The computing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ergonomic adjustments comprise adjustments to one or more of: seat height, seat tilt, armrest width, armrest height, lumbar height, lumbar support density, seat depth, and backrest angle. 
     
     
         5 . The computing apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the ergonomic adjustments comprise a counteracting adjustment to one chair component made in response to an adjustment of a different chair component. 
     
     
         6 . The computing apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising program instructions executable by the one or more processors that direct the computing apparatus to transmit the ergonomic adjustments to a controller of the adjustable ergonomic chair. 
     
     
         7 . The computing apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein to transmit the ergonomic adjustments to the controller of the adjustable ergonomic chair, the program instructions direct the computing apparatus to transmit the ergonomic adjustments to the controller via wireless communication. 
     
     
         8 . The computing apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the wireless communication comprises a Bluetooth® connection. 
     
     
         9 . The computing apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is operatively arranged to control a plurality of actuators to adjust the adjustable ergonomic chair according to the ergonomic adjustments. 
     
     
         10 . The computing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the personal body dimensions comprise personal body rear view measurements, wherein the personal body rear view measurements comprise one or more of: a width of the user's hips and a distance between the left and right deltoid muscles of the user. 
     
     
         11 . The computing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the personal body dimensions comprise personal body side view measurements, wherein the personal body side view measurements comprise one or more of: a distance from a top of the user's head to a middle of the user's elbow, a distance from the top of the user's head to a middle of the user's lumbar curve, a distance from the top of the user's head to a most protruding part of the user's buttocks, and a distance from the top of the user's head to a base of the user's patella. 
     
     
         12 . One or more computer readable storage media having program instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, direct a computing apparatus to at least:
 enable a user to take photographs of the user;   permit the user to graphically represent personal body measurements within the photographs displayed on the computing apparatus, and to input and store the user's height;   determine a plurality of personal body dimensions by analyzing the size and number of pixels in the photographs in view of the height of the user; and   determine ergonomic adjustments for an adjustable ergonomic chair based upon factors selected from the group consisting of ergonomics, human factors, physiology, anatomy, biomechanics, anthropometry, and kinesiology.   
     
     
         13 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 12 , comprising further program instructions executable by the one or more processors that direct the computing apparatus to store at least the ergonomic adjustments. 
     
     
         14 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 12 , wherein to determine the ergonomic adjustments for the adjustable ergonomic chair, the program instructions further direct the computing apparatus to determine the ergonomic adjustments based on one or more factors selected from the group comprising gender, age, weight, comfort preferences, seating position preferences, heel height of the user's footwear, and tissue allotment. 
     
     
         15 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 12 , wherein the ergonomic adjustments comprise adjustments to one or more of: seat height, seat tilt, armrest width, armrest height, lumbar height, lumbar support density, seat depth, and backrest angle. 
     
     
         16 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 12 , comprising further program instructions executable by the one or more processors that direct the computing apparatus to transmit the ergonomic adjustments to the adjustable ergonomic chair. 
     
     
         17 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 12 , wherein the personal body dimensions comprise personal body rear view measurements, wherein the personal body rear view measurements comprise one or more of: a width of the user's hips and a distance between the left and right deltoid muscles of the user. 
     
     
         18 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 12 , wherein the personal body dimensions comprise personal body side view measurements, wherein the personal body side view measurements comprise one or more of: a distance from a top of the user's head to a middle of the user's elbow, a distance from the top of the user's head to a middle of the user's lumbar curve, a distance from the top of the user's head to a most protruding part of the user's buttocks, and a distance from the top of the user's head to a base of the user's patella. 
     
     
         19 . A method of operating computing device to control an adjustable ergonomic chair, the method comprising the steps of:
 enabling a user to take photographs of the user;   permitting the user to graphically represent personal body measurements within the photographs displayed on the computing apparatus, and to input and store the user's height;   determining a plurality of personal body dimensions by analyzing the size and number of pixels in the photographs in view of the height of the user; and   determining ergonomic adjustments for an adjustable ergonomic chair based upon factors selected from the group consisting of ergonomics, human factors, physiology, anatomy, biomechanics, anthropometry, and kinesiology.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein determining the ergonomic adjustments for the adjustable ergonomic chair further comprises determining the ergonomic adjustments based on one or more factors selected from the group comprising gender, age, weight, comfort preferences, seating position preferences, heel height of the user's footwear, and tissue allotment. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the ergonomic adjustments comprise adjustments to one or more of: seat height, seat tilt, armrest width, armrest height, lumbar height, lumbar support density, seat depth, and backrest angle. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising transmitting the ergonomic adjustments to the adjustable ergonomic chair.