Ergonomic assistance system with visual status display for desk workstations

Abstract

Device for the ergonomic monitoring of a workplace, comprising at least one sensor for measuring air quality (in particular a carbon dioxide or volatile organic compound sensor), a light sensor for measuring illuminance, and a presence sensor for detecting human presence or movement at the workplace; furthermore, an evaluation unit which assesses the condition of the workplace with regard to air quality, lighting, and work behavior using factory-defined or empirically determined threshold values; and at least three light-emitting diodes (LEDs) which provide visual indications in the categories "ventilation required," "light too dim," and "break recommendation," wherein the device is ready for operation immediately after commissioning and requires no calibration by the user, and wherein the LEDs display at least two colors, in particular green (safe) and red (critical), depending on the assessment.shine.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device according to Fig. 1. For ergonomic support at office workplaces, which detects environmental conditions such as air quality and lighting conditions as well as the behavior of the user (e.g. working time) and visually indicates ergonomically critical conditions using LEDs.

[0002] The device has at least three different sensor units: a sensor (2) for measuring air quality, in particular for detecting carbon dioxide concentrations or volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a brightness sensor (3) for detecting ambient light and a presence sensor (4) that is able to detect the presence or movement of a person at the desk area.

[0003] The sensors (2), (3), and (4) are arranged within the housing (1). They can either be integrated together on a central mainboard (5) or mounted on several spatially distributed sensor carriers. In particular, the brightness sensor (3) is designed to operate in an upward-facing position to allow unobstructed detection of ambient light through an opening in the housing. The presence sensor (4) is oriented horizontally forward, i.e., towards the side of the device facing the user, to reliably detect presence or movement in the immediate vicinity. The air quality sensor (2) is positioned to ensure sufficient air exchange with the ambient air.

[0004] The evaluation unit (5) analyzes the sensor values ​​based on factory-defined or empirically predetermined threshold values ​​and, depending on the respective states, controls three visual output elements in the form of LEDs (7 - 9) that signal to the user: (a) whether ventilation should be initiated (7), (b) whether the light is too dark (8), (c) whether a pause is indicated (9).

[0005] The device is modularly expandable or alternatively available in an integrated version. In a preferred embodiment, an additional module (11) can be added according to Fig.2. A device that monitors a drinking bottle via a weight sensor can be connected or installed. After placing the bottle on a measuring platform (12), the current weight is automatically set as the reference value. The system reminds the user to drink fluids at fixed intervals via an LED (13) if no weight loss has been detected over a defined period.

[0006] In another embodiment, it is provided that the break logic is not based exclusively on fixed threshold values, but is supplemented or replaced by a locally operated, artificially intelligent method, in particular by a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) that derives patterns for sedentary work, movement or inactivity from the sensor data.

[0007] The device is preferably powered via a USB-C port (10) and operates without an internet connection. The LED display unit can take various forms: (a) LEDs with backlit pictograms, (b) illuminated cutouts in an opaque cover, or (c) unprinted LEDs with symbols separately applied to the housing (1).

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