Game integrated sports chair

Abstract

To solve the problems of the prior art. [Solution] A sports chair with auxiliary electronic functionality includes a seating surface that operates to support a user and auxiliary functionality selected from thermal management functionality, identity sensing functionality, health sensing functionality, clothing integration, and immersive display functionality.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (Reference to Related Application) This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 513,411, filed May 31, 2017, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to chairs with electronic aspects useful in a sports or e-sports environment. [Background technology]

[0003] Traditionally, athletes have utilized seating that performs the sole function of supporting the user. In such cases, the athlete relies on supplemental function-specific devices / solutions to satisfy other needs. However, in many cases, these function-specific devices / solutions may run the risk of suboptimally addressing the user's needs or serving to inconvenience the user, and thus not utilizing their full potential. Thus, it is believed that there is a need for a seating solution that can support the athlete while providing supplemental functionality that may be beneficial depending on the situation.

[0004] For example, it is well recognized that during athletic activity, muscles can perform better and at lower risk of injury if they are adequately warmed up prior to the activity. It is common practice for athletes to warm up their muscles prior to the activity by performing low-intensity exercise (i.e., "active warm-up") that increases both metabolic activity and heat production within the muscle. It has been found that a typical period of active warm-up can increase muscle temperature by only about 2-4°C (i.e., from a resting temperature of about 35-36°C to an activity temperature of about 38-39°C).

[0005] Indeed, while many athletes do perform an active warm-up while preparing for an athletic competition, it is also common for athletes to experience some delay between warming up and the start of the competition. Similarly, in team sports that involve substitutions of athletes or rest periods during play, athletes may withdraw from competition after competing for a period of time and sit / rest in a chair, as shown in FIG. 1. These periods of inactivity can lead to muscle cooling, which can cause subsequent muscle performance to decrease and risk of injury to increase.

[0006] The current state of the art in maintaining muscle warmth during these periods of inactivity involves athletes wearing insulated clothing in an effort to minimize heat loss to the surrounding environment. Standard clothing does nothing to actively regulate muscle temperature to optimal levels. Moreover, insulating the entire body can have a detrimental effect on the body's ability to regulate core body temperature and on the athlete's perception of comfort or fatigue, both of which can negatively impact long-term endurance.

[0007] In another example, it is common for players in many sports to interact with personal or team coaches when they are away from a game. This collaboration can sometimes be verbal, face-to-face or over the phone or other two-way communication device, and can use demonstratives such as dry erase marker boards, photographs, or videos displayed on a tablet or other computing device. In each case, the means of communication or demonstrations may be insufficient to convey the intended message or information. It also includes increased player engagement, for example, during periods when rest or recovery is a priority. Summary of the Invention

[0008] An embodiment of a sport chair with athletic integration includes a seating surface operative to support a user, a plurality of thermal transducers, a biometric sensor, and a processor. The plurality of thermal transducers are disposed on the seating surface, and each thermal transducer is operative to at least one of actively transfer thermal energy to the user or actively absorb thermal energy from the user. The biometric sensor is operative to monitor a physiological parameter of the user, such as at least one of hydration, weight, heart rate, respiration rate, or galvanic skin response. The processor is then configured to communicate with each of the thermal transducers and the biometric sensor, control the plurality of thermal transducers to maintain a temperature of the user within a predetermined temperature range, sense at least one physiological parameter of the user via the biometric sensor, and output the sensed physiological parameter to a display.

[0009] In an embodiment, the sports chair includes a processor configured to detect a presence of a user on a seating surface, establish communication with a garment on the user's body, and control the garment to reduce tension applied through the garment. The sports chair may further include an inductive charging transmitter, where the processor may be operative to charge a battery associated with the garment by transmitting a magnetic field via the inductive charging transmitter.

[0010] Additionally, in one embodiment, the sports chair may include at least two of: thermal management means for regulating the temperature of the user; identity sensing means for determining the identity of the user; health sensing means for determining at least one biometric parameter of the user; garment integration means for at least one of charging a battery associated with the garment on the user's body or controlling tension applied to the user's body through the garment; and display means for displaying an image within the user's field of view. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a user sitting in a prior art athletic chair, such as might be used on the sidelines of a basketball game.

[0012] [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a smart chair.

[0013] [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an ergonomic chair having a rigid shell and a compliant seating surface.

[0014] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of the seating surface of the chair of FIG. 3;

[0015] [Figure 5A] 2A-2C are schematic front and rear views of a user illustrating contact areas between the user and the prior art chair of FIG.

[0016] [Figure 5B] 4A-4C are schematic front and rear views of a user illustrating contact areas between the user and the ergonomic chair as shown in FIG.

[0017] [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating sensory functionality embodied in a smart chair.

[0018] [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a basketball court with multiple users, each user sitting in a smart chair.

[0019] [Figure 8] 8 is a schematic mixed reality view of the user of FIG. 7 illustrating both augmented reality and virtual reality display aspects.

[0020] [Figure 9]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a smart chair with temperature adjustment capabilities.

[0021] [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of the seating surface of the Smart Chair of FIG.

[0022] [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of a portion of a convective head cooling system such as may be used with the smart chair configuration of FIG.

[0023] [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a smart chair with clothing charging and auto-tensioning capabilities.

[0024] [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating functionality that may be performed by a processor of a smart chair. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Referring to the drawings, in which like reference numbers are used to identify similar or identical components in the various figures, FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic embodiment of a smart chair 10 including one or more integrated electronic aspects (generally indicated at 12) that may be useful in a sports or e-sports environment. As shown, the chair 10 may include, for example, one or more sensors or sensing capabilities 14, a two-way or one-way audio communication system 16, a visual display system 18 such as an augmented or virtual reality display, one or more conductive and / or convective heat transducers 20, and / or clothing integration capabilities 22. Each electronic aspect 12 may be directly controlled or may be in communication with a processor 24, which in some embodiments may be in remote communication with one or more other smart chairs 10, a remote storage server 26 / database 28, a remote coaching terminal 30, and / or a media generation device 32 that interfaces with external audio / visual (A / V) facilities 34.

[0026] From a structural standpoint, it is desirable to build a chair 10 that is as ergonomic as possible and designed to support the user 36 in a natural position that minimizes both the average and maximum contact pressures between the user 36 and the chair 10. In some embodiments, an ideal ergonomic chair design may include a mixed material construction that provides structure and shape to the chair 10 while also helping to rock the user 36 and maximize comfort. For example, in one configuration as shown in FIGS. 3-4, the chair 10 may include a rigid outer structure 40 that surrounds and supports a more compliant inner seating surface 42. In some embodiments, the rigid outer structure 40 is located below the compliant inner seating surface 42, while in other embodiments as shown in FIGS. 3-4, the outer structure 40 and the inner seating surface 42 may cooperate to define a continuous surface 44. The compliant inner seating surface 42 may be specifically configured to conform to the contours of the user's body when the user is seated within the chair 10. In this manner, the surface area of ​​flush contact between the user 36 and the chair 10 is maximized.

[0027] 5A and 5B illustrate diagrammatically the difference in contact surface area between a chair as shown in FIG. 1 and the chair 10 shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 5A, it is clear that the conventional chair only establishes contact with the user 36 over a narrow surface area 46a in the middle of the back and upper legs. In contrast, FIG. 5B illustrates an embodiment in which the entire rear surface 46b of the user 36 contacts the chair 10. By supporting more of the user, the chair 10 provides better ergonomics and allows the user 36 to relax more fully in the chair and rest / recover if necessary. Although FIG. 3 illustrates a somewhat reclined embodiment of the chair, it may also be possible for the chair to be more upright or to assume other positions that provide improved contact pressure and ergonomic qualities over the standard folding chair of FIG. 1.

[0028] As illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 6 and described above, in some embodiments, the chair 10 may include various sensing capabilities 14 that aid in determining a user's identity (i.e., identity sensing 50) and / or the real-time health of the user 36 (i.e., health sensing 52). By knowing the identity of the individual in / on the chair 10, the processor 24 may customize certain performance attributes of the chair 10 to suit that user 36 and / or tailor other sensory data for third-party display and / or aggregation. Health sensing 52 may generally include monitoring of certain biometrics, which may be useful for determining future game strategies (from a coaching perspective), establishing trends, and / or for third-party infographic displays.

[0029] To enable identity sensing 50, chair 10 may include an RFID reader that reads an RFID chip coupled to user 36 or the user's clothing, a camera with facial recognition software, a fingerprint scanner, a keypad, or other such sensory means. Each of these identity sensing modalities generally requires chair 10 to sense some identifying attribute of user 36. Once sensed, the respective sensor communicates information related to the attribute to processor 24, which may draw appropriate inferences regarding the user's identity.

[0030] In some configurations, health sensing 52 may include real-time monitoring of hydration, weight, heart rate, respiration, galvanic skin response, or other such biometrics. For example, in one configuration, chair 10 may include one or more load cells to determine the real-time weight of user 36. Given that rapid weight fluctuations are primarily due to changes in hydration, if processor 24 determines, via the load cells, that the user's weight has decreased by more than a predetermined amount or percentage over the course of the event, processor 24 may conclude that user 36 is dehydrated and may alert user 36 to drink fluids. An indication of such dehydration may be provided, for example, by illuminating a light visible to user 36 or to individuals in close proximity of chair 10 (e.g., team members or training staff). As a different proxy for hydration, processor 24 may be further configured to monitor changes in weight of one or more water bottles, for example, via one or more strain gauges or load cells associated with a cup holder. In this manner, processor 24 may track the total water withdrawal of user 36.

[0031] Similarly, in some configurations, the chair 10 may include one or more integrated sensors that may determine the user's heart rate, respiration rate, and / or galvanic skin response. These sensors may include one or more electrodes, load cells, strain gauges, light emitting diodes, optical sensors, or other such sensors that may be known to monitor such parameters. Furthermore, these sensors may be integrated into the surface of the chair, under a moisture barrier layer, and / or under a cushioning layer. In other embodiments, as described further below, one or more of the sensors may be embedded in the user's clothing and / or in a wearable device or strap that communicates directly with the user's skin.

[0032] Once calibrated with the user's identity, the player-specific health data 54 may then be logged or recorded by the server 26 and / or by the associated database 28, for example, for purposes of trend analysis and real-time detection of trend deviations. Additionally, the real-time health data 54 and / or trend data 56 may be streamed to a remote coaching terminal 30 (as generally shown in FIG. 7 ) and / or a media production device 32, where it may be displayed for informational purposes. For example, in some embodiments, coaching / training staff may use the player-specific health data 54 to make an assessment as to whether the user 36 is sufficiently rested / recovered to resume playing. Similarly, media production staff may incorporate the player-specific health data 54 and / or trend data 56 into an audio / visual broadcast that is live or broadcast (e.g., via the A / V facility 34). In yet other embodiments, the health data 54 and trend data 56 may be presented directly to the user via a display.

[0033] In yet another embodiment, the player-specific health data 54 and / or trend data 56 may further be used in an eSports context as part of gameplay. For example, a user's real-time sensed physiological response during a game may be used as input to control visual focus and / or controller sensitivity or jitter. In such an embodiment, tense or stressful encounters (e.g., as assessed by heart rate or breathing rate) may result in a less focused display, some loss of peripheral vision, and increased jitter in the control device. Thus, a gamer who can control their physiological response may have an advantage.

[0034] As illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 7 and as described above, in some embodiments, the chair 10 may include various audio communication systems 16 that serve to facilitate audible communication (i.e., through a data connection 62) between two or more (two or more) users 36 and / or between one or more (one or more) users 36 and a local or remote coaching staff 60. In such embodiments, the audio communication system 16 may include at least one speaker 64 provided with respect to each respective chair 10. Similarly, the audio communication system 16 may further include at least one microphone or other audio input device associated with the remote coaching terminal 30 and / or one or more of the provided chairs 10. In this manner, the audio communication system 16 may facilitate communication between players and / or between users and coaching staff. Communication between players may be particularly beneficial in noisy stadium / arena environments or in sports where players are constrained to sit in a linear arrangement. Similarly, communication between coaches and players may better enable in-game coordination by facilitating player-specific or team strategy advice to any one or more users 36 or groups 36 of users 36.

[0035] In some embodiments, the speaker 64 and / or audio communication system 16 may operate to provide noise canceling capabilities to each respective user 36. Such noise canceling capabilities may be useful in a noisy arena or stadium to provide both a sense of calm and relaxation to the users 36 and to better facilitate communication between players and between players and coaching staff. In such an embodiment, the chair 10 may include a microphone that receives audible background / stadium noise. The processor 24 may receive a signal from the microphone and direct the speaker 64 to broadcast to the users 36 an out-of-phase audio wave that destructively interferes with and / or reduces the magnitude of the ambient noise. In some embodiments, this is more preferably provided with a chair 10 having a wrap-around head support.

[0036] In addition to purely audio communication / advice, many athletes rely on visual information and / or demonstratives to better understand the opposing team's in-game strategies and trends. Thus, in some embodiments, the smart chair 10 may include a visual display system 18 that may incorporate an augmented reality (AR) field of view (e.g., similar to virtual reality (VR)) and / or one or more immersive or partially immersive displays. These display systems 18 may be used by coaching staffs to augment the user's real-time view of live play, to replay previous game sequences, to illustrate future game sequences, to provide overhead and / or perspective views of live and / or recorded plays. Additionally, in some embodiments, the visual display system 18 may be used to relax the user 36 following periods of intense activity and / or to energize the player before entering a game / competition.

[0037] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7 , in some embodiments, visual display system 18 may include a graphical display 70 that may be worn on or over a portion of user's head 72, and in particular in front of the user's eyes. In some embodiments, display 70 may be embodied in a helmet, visor, or other head-covering element associated with chair 10. Alternatively, display 70 may be embodied in glasses, goggles, or other separate lenses that may be separate from chair 10. In any embodiment, graphical display 70 may include separate visual displays for each of the user's eyes (or the ability to project stereoscopic vision to each eye separately) to provide a stereoscopic display to user 36.

[0038] In the AR configuration, the graphical display 70 may include a substantially transparent lens that operates to provide one or more visual elements within the field of view of the user 36. The display 70 may include a transparent lens that receives a projected image from, for example, a proximately positioned projector, a selectively emitting display (e.g., an OLED display), and / or a display that may selectively vary its light transmission (e.g., an LCD). Additionally, the graphical display 70 may include a view tracking system that may detect and / or understand the real-time field of view of the user, for example, by using a camera to look outward, look inward to track the user's eye movements, and / or understand the real-time position and orientation of the display 70. Examples of graphical display technologies that may be used with the present system for augmented reality representations are detailed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0160001, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0039] In a VR configuration, the graphical display 70 may generally be opaque such that the display blocks the user's perception of the user's surroundings outside the display. In such embodiments, the display 70 may include, for example, a projection display on an opaque or semi-transparent surface, an emissive display with an opaque back, or a back-illuminated, selectively transmissive display such as an LCD or LED display. In some embodiments, VR and AR may be achieved using the same device and / or selectively covering separate portions of the device, for example using a selectively dimmable electrochromic layer disposed behind an emissive display such as an OLED display. Examples of such combined VR / AR displays are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0055822, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0040] FIG. 8 illustrates generally an embodiment of a mixed reality view 80, such as may be seen through the graphical display 70 shown in FIG. 7. In this embodiment, a schematic representation 82 of the court is superimposed within the user's real-time field of view 84 to more accurately illustrate the player movements resulting in the current live action. More specifically, in some embodiments, this top view of the court may illustrate the positions of all the players using either live images or graphical symbols 86, and may further include a player history line 88 to represent the player movements over a predetermined amount of previous time. In some embodiments, the view 80 may be dynamically reconfigurable, allocating a portion of the view 80 for playback video (i.e., playback window 90), which may be selectively provided to the display 70 via the coaching terminal 30. Additionally, in some embodiments, the display 70 may superimpose a position indicator 92 simultaneously with or slightly above the floor 94 to highlight the real-time player positions. Similar to the diagrammatic view 82, the player history line 88 may track the position indicator 92 to illustrate the player movements. During the timeout, for example, the relative size of the graphical display 82 and / or playback window 0 may be adjusted / expanded to provide enhanced coaching and strategy illustration.

[0041] 7-8 illustrate the use of the audio and video capabilities 16, 18 in relation to the sport of basketball, but they may be readily adapted to other sports and e-sports. For example, the current state of the art for in-game coaching in the sport of American football involves a small group of players collectively reviewing printed images and / or replay video provided on a tablet display. Current chair technology allows players to sit back and relax while concentrating on coaching advice, while providing significant benefits to coaching and team integration. Additionally, as discussed above, the present chair 10 may include multiple heat transducers 20 to keep the athlete's body in a primed state (which is typically not possible if players are required to crowd around a single display). In the context of e-sports, the audio and video capabilities 16, 18 may be used to provide an immersive and / or semi-immersive environment for the game's competitors, while allowing the competitors to communicate outwardly and / or have their personal annotations broadcast to a larger audience.

[0042] In a traditional sports context, FIG. 9 illustrates generally an embodiment of a smart chair 10 comprising multiple thermal transducers 20 configured to actively maintain the temperature of various muscle groups in a “warmed-up” state within the user's body, and one or more systems configured to help reduce / regulate the user's core body temperature and / or reduce feelings of fatigue / exhaustion.

[0043] 9-10, in some embodiments, the interior seating surface 42 of the chair 10 includes a plurality of separate thermal zones 114, each configured to actively apply heat and / or cooling to the user 36 via conductive heat transfer. As used herein, "applying heat" or "heating" includes controlling each thermal zone 114 to generate a heat flux and transfer the heat flux outwardly to the user 36 (i.e., a heat source), whereas "applying cooling" or "cooling" includes controlling each thermal zone 114 to absorb a heat flux and receive a heat flux inwardly from the user 36 (i.e., a heat sink).

[0044] Each thermal zone 114 includes one or more working elements 116 configured to actively generate and / or absorb thermal energy, and a user-facing contact surface 118 that facilitates heat transfer between the working elements 116 and the user 36. In one configuration, as better shown in FIG. 10, the working elements 116 may be, for example, thermoelectric coolers such as Peltier devices 120, and the contact surface 118 may include a user-facing outer surface of the Peltier devices 120. As is well known in the art, Peltier devices are solid-state devices that can controllably change a temperature gradient across the thickness of the Peltier devices 120 in response to an applied current 122 (shown diagrammatically in FIG. 9). Advantageously, these devices 120 can be used to heat or cool desired surfaces. For example, if an electric current is applied to the Peltier devices 120, the contact surface 118 will thermally heat up, while the opposite side will thermally cool down. Conversely, if an opposite current is applied to the Peltier device 120, the contact surface will thermally cool while the opposite surface will thermally heat.

[0045] To maximize the flexibility and utility of chair 10, each thermal zone 114 is preferably capable of both applying heat and cooling to a user, such as may be provided by Peltier devices 120. Given this versatility, chair 10 may be used to actively warm up user 36 before an event, keep user 36 ready during breaks in the event, and / or cool user 36 after the event, simply by changing the heating / cooling profile across the various thermal zones 114.

[0046] In other embodiments, selected zones may be configured strictly to apply heat (e.g., a zone solely for warming muscles), while other zones may be configured strictly to apply cooling (e.g., a zone for cooling / to help regulate the user's core temperature). A dedicated heating zone may utilize an actuating element 116, such as, for example, a resistive heating element or a bladder filled with a heated liquid. Similarly, a dedicated cooling zone may utilize an actuating element 116, such as, for example, an air-cooled heat sink, a refrigeration system, or a cryogenic fluid, a bladder filled with a cooled liquid. In further embodiments, a dedicated cooling zone may incorporate the use of a large mass (e.g., a large block of steel, aluminum, or a container of water) with high thermal capacity that is kept at a temperature lower than the user's skin.

[0047] To maintain the user 36 in an optimal athletically-ready condition, the chair 10 operates to independently and selectively control the temperature output of each of the plurality of thermal zones 114. By doing so, the chair 10 may attempt to regulate different localized areas of the user's body at their respective optimal temperatures. To achieve this independent and selective control, the processor 24 may be in communication with each of the plurality of thermal zones 114. The processor 24 may be configured to execute one or more software / firmware algorithms that store or are otherwise configured to be able to easily access and understand the temperature of each respective thermal zone 114 in order to independently control them.

[0048] In one configuration, the processor 24 may control the temperature of each respective thermal zone 114 in an open-loop manner. For example, the processor 24 may receive an indication of a desired amount of heat flux for each zone 114 and may actuate the respective actuation elements 116 to respond accordingly. In a system in which the actuation elements 116 are Peltier devices 120, the processor 24 may directly supply current 122 to each Peltier device 120 in response to the received indication of the desired heat flux. The received indication of the desired heat flux may be a qualitative measurement of the desired amount of heat / cooling to be applied via the zones 114 and may be input by the user 36 via one or more digital or analog input devices. Alternatively, the desired amount of heat flux may be pre-programmed into the processor 24 based on the desired use of the chair 10 (e.g., according to the sport, athletic intensity, sports environment, and / or expected remaining duration).

[0049] While open-loop temperature control presents an easily implemented solution, a more preferred strategy involves the use of closed-loop temperature control. In a closed-loop temperature control strategy, each thermal zone 114 may include one or more temperature sensors 132 operative to output a signal 134 indicative of the temperature of the contact surface 118 and / or the temperature of the user 36 in close proximity to the contact surface 118. Using this feedback, the processor 24 may modulate the output of the actuating element 116 (e.g., by varying the current 122 provided to the actuating element 116) in an attempt to minimize the difference between the sensed temperature and a particular set-point temperature. In one configuration, the users 36 may directly input their desired temperature set-points for each respective thermal zone 114. In another configuration, the set-point temperatures may be automatically selected by the processor 24 or may be pre-programmed into the processor 24 according to the nature of the sport and the environment in which the sport is played.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment, the processor 24 may automatically attempt to provide optimal thermal relief to the user while attempting to maintain the user's various muscle temperatures at their respective optimal levels for the activity in which the user 36 is participating. To accomplish this, the thermal zones 114 are desirably positioned to be in alignment with and in direct contact with the user 36 at or near the muscle groups and / or body regions to which they are also intended to apply heat or cooling. For example, if the chair 10 is used in connection with the sport of basketball (e.g., for use before the start of a game or after a player's substitution), the thermal zones 114 may be desirably positioned in contact with and in direct thermal communication with the user's gluteal muscles, hamstring muscles (i.e., semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and / or biceps femoris), and / or calf muscles (i.e., gastrocnemius). It may also be beneficial to position the heat zone 114 for direct contact with the muscles of the back (i.e., trapezius, rhomboids, erector spinae, serratus, obliques, and / or latissimus dorsi), shoulders (i.e., deltoids), and / or arms (e.g., triceps).

[0051] For purposes of maintaining muscle temperature at an optimal level, Figures 9-10 illustrate generally a first plurality of thermal zones 140 positioned for direct contact with the upper back (e.g., rhomboid muscles), a second plurality of thermal zones 142 positioned for direct contact with the gluteal and / or hamstring muscles, and a third plurality of thermal zones 144 positioned for direct contact with the calf muscles. In each case, processor 24 desirably maintains the respective adjacent muscles at a temperature about 2°C to about 4°C above their natural resting temperature, which may be achieved by controlling the temperature of contact surface 118 to a set point temperature at or slightly above the desired muscle temperature.

[0052] Although maintaining a high muscle temperature is useful for keeping muscles in a state of readiness, which reduces the likelihood of future injury and improves muscle performance / power, heating can be detrimental to an athlete's long-term endurance and psychological perception of thermal relief following a bout of exercise. Thus, to reduce fatigue, increase user comfort, and reduce thermoregulatory stress within the user's body, the present chair 10 can provide cooling to the user 36 in one or more of a variety of forms.

[0053] First, the chair 10 may include a thermal zone 146 aligned with the user's spine and / or neck that is configured to actively sink thermal energy from the user 36. The neck and spine regions carry a significant amount of blood flow but have a minimal amount of muscle mass that is at risk of cramping or negatively impacting athletic performance if cooled. Thus, by cooling the spine and / or neck, the chair 10 may help the user's body manage its core temperature (i.e., subject the body to less thermoregulatory strain) while also providing psychological benefits, such as feelings of rest, recovery, and / or thermal relief. In one configuration, the application of cooling to the spine and / or neck may be performed in a controlled manner that avoids any adverse effects on muscle temperature despite the application of external heating.

[0054] Chair 10 may further provide cooling to user 36 via a convection cooling system 150 that directs airflow 152 at and over the user's head and / or face, as shown diagrammatically in Figures 9 and 11. While it is unclear whether convection cooling of the head and / or face has a significant effect on core body temperature, it has been shown to provide beneficial effects in extending the average time to fatigue and reducing the user's perceived level of total exertion. Furthermore, it has been found that in some circumstances face cooling can have clear performance benefits during aerobic activity.

[0055] 9 and more clearly shown in FIG. 11, in some embodiments, the convection cooling system 150 may include an air plenum 154 configured to direct an airflow 152 toward the head and / or face of the user 36. In one configuration, the air plenum 154 includes one or more orifices, slots, or other such vents 156 that allow pressurized air to exit the plenum 154 and be directed toward the head / face of the user 36. In one configuration, it may be preferred that the air is delivered in a laminar manner, which may allow the exiting airflow 152 to closely follow the contours of the user's head and face. The one or more orifices, slots, or other such vents 156 are preferably positioned sufficiently forward relative to the user's head (e.g., in front of the frontal plane) for the airflow 152 to be directed across the user's face, although in some embodiments the nature of the flow (e.g., laminar / following boundaries) may allow for face cooling even if the vents 156 are positioned further back.

[0056] As shown generally in FIG. 9, the convection cooling system 150 may further include one or more fans 158 or other blower devices configured to move air within the system 150. For purposes of cooling the airflow 152 before directing it towards the user, the convection cooling system 150 may further include one or more refrigeration devices 160 disposed in the path of the air before it exits the vent 156. In one configuration, the refrigeration device 160 may utilize, for example, a refrigerant or an evaporative cooler to cool the flowing air. In another configuration, the refrigeration device 160 may utilize and / or include an inverted surface of one or more of the Peltier devices 120 used to warm the user's muscles. Finally, as shown in FIG. 11, the convection cooling system 150 may further include any required ductwork 162 required to convey the airflow from the fan 158 to the plenum 154.

[0057] In some embodiments, the chair 10 may further include a convection humidity management system that operates to manage humidity in the microclimate immediately surrounding the user 36. For example, after a period of intense activity, the user's body may become very sweaty. The humidity management system may direct airflow around the user's body 36 in a manner that helps to cause evaporation of sweat and / or reduce any increase in local humidity due to evaporated sweat. The humidity management system may utilize microchannels that extend through the plenum 154 and / or the inner seating surface 42 of the chair 10 to direct airflow over the user's body. In one configuration, the airflow directed at the body may be heated (e.g., via a heating element) to avoid having a significant cooling effect on the user's skin / muscles. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the airflow directed at the body may be at ambient temperature or cooled below ambient temperature in an attempt to cool the user 36 (if desired) and / or provide the psychological benefit of being refreshed.

[0058] In configurations where a particular seating surface 42 is likely to accommodate multiple different users throughout an athletic event, it is particularly important that the chair has sufficient compliance to comfortably and ergonomically accommodate users having different body types. Similarly, the multiple thermal zones 114 should be positioned such that they contact the desired muscle groups / body locations for a range of body types / sizes.

[0059] To provide optimal thermoregulatory benefits across different users / body sizes, in one configuration, the thermal zones 114 may be dynamically allocated and / or constructed based on an understanding of the user's particular anatomy. For example, the separate actuating elements 116 may be positioned across (or across a substantial portion of) the entire interior seating surface 42 of the chair 10. After receiving the user 36 in / on the chair 10, the processor 24 may intelligently define the thermal zones 114 by grouping adjacent sets of actuating elements 116 according to the user's particular anatomy.

[0060] In one configuration, the processor 24 may determine the user's anatomical makeup by monitoring contact pressure between the user 36 and the chair 10, for example, using a plurality of strain gauges or load cells integrated into the seating surface 42 and / or actuation elements 116. In another configuration, the processor 24 may determine the user's anatomical makeup by receiving an indication of the user's identity (e.g., via the identity-sensing 50 capability) and then retrieving the anatomical proportions of that user from an electronic database.

[0061] In yet another configuration, instead of a complete dynamic configuration of thermal zones 114, certain given thermal zones 114 may be selectively modified if the user's anatomy dictates such modification. For example, as shown in Figure 10, different thermal zones 114 may be sized / positioned to accommodate users at both the large and small ends of expected user sizes (e.g., 95th and 5th percentile anatomy). If a particular user's anatomy does not require the entire array, individual actuating elements 116 may be selectively deactivated after the processor learns the user's identity.

[0062] Referring again to FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the chair 10 may include one or more electronic aspects (i.e., garment integration 22) that integrate with the user's footwear or clothing. For example, if the user 36 is wearing shoes or clothing with an automatic tensioning mechanism, the chair 10 may relax the user's shoes / clothing when the user 36 first sits down and re-tension when the user 36 enters / re-enters the game. Examples of automatic tensioning footwear and clothing are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,046,937 and 9,365,387, which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Such devices may generally operate by electronically spooling or constricting one or more tension fibers provided within the article. When the fibers are retracted, they may cause the article to apply a generally contractile force to a portion of the user's body. This force may be beneficial during play, but may be perceived as uncomfortable when the user 36 is trying to relax.

[0063] 12 illustrates a schematic of one embodiment of a garment integration scheme. As shown, chair 10 is in intimate contact with clothing and / or footwear 170 (generally "garment 170") worn by user 36. Garment 170 includes motor 172 (or other electrically actuated contraction element, such as shape memory alloy, electroactive polymer, or equivalent) that is actuated to selectively tension at least one fiber 174 disposed within garment 170, such that tensioning fiber 174 or relaxing fiber 175 causes garment 170 to contract or relax around user 36. Examples of garments 170 that may utilize such selective contraction include compression shirts, compression arm or leg sleeves, compression shorts, knee braces, wrist braces, ankle braces, foot braces, gloves, abdominal padding / orthosis, shoes, and the like. In some embodiments, the motor 172 may be powered by a battery 176 or other charge storage device supported by the garment 170. In other embodiments, the motor 172 may be powered by an external source, such as the chair 10 and / or the processor 24.

[0064] After the user 36 sits in the chair 10, the processor 24 may detect the presence and / or identity of the user via the sensing capabilities 14 integrated into the chair 10. Following this indication, the processor 24 may command the motor 172 to unspool and / or release tension on the fiber 174, causing the garment 170 to reduce any contraction around the user 36. The processor 24 may provide this instruction via a data connection 178 between the chair 10 and the garment 170. In some embodiments, this data connection may be a wired data connection made between electrical terminals on the chair 10 and mating electrical terminals integrated into the garment 170. Such terminals may include, for example, magnetic contact elements to help ensure contact. In other embodiments, the data connection 178 may include a low power Bluetooth radio, near field communication capabilities, or other short range wireless digital communication means.

[0065] When the user 36 resumes playing and / or is ready to stand up from the chair 10, the processor 24 may command the motor 172 to re-tension the fiber(s) 174 to re-shrink the garment 170 around the user 36. In one embodiment, the processor 24 may understand the user's intention to exit the chair 10 after receiving an exit command from the user 36 (e.g., after the user 36 presses a button indicating re-tensioning or exit). In another embodiment, the processor 24 may understand the user's intention to exit the chair 10 by monitoring the user's body position and / or the contact pressure between the user and the chair 10 to infer an inherent attempt to stand up. In yet another embodiment, the garment 170 may act autonomously to re-tension following loss of communication or contact with the chair 10 (i.e., when the user fully stands up from the chair 10).

[0066] As further illustrated in FIG. 12, in some embodiments, the processor 24 may receive a tension feedback signal 180 from the motor 172 indicating the real-time tension through the fibers 174 and / or the garment 170. The processor 24 may use this signal 180 to ensure that the garment 170 is properly relaxed after sitting down and adaptively re-tension the garment 170 when the user 36 is ready to resume playing. In some embodiments, adaptive tensioning may be useful to account for swelling, fluid retention, and / or changes in the user's body proportions that may occur during playing. In other words, for example, if tensioning is based on garment pressure exerted against the user, the absolute size of the garment 170 may be different at the start of a play and at the end of a play due to changes in body size.

[0067] With continued reference to FIG. 12 , in some embodiments, the garment integration 22 configuration of the present chair 10 may include charging capabilities 182 for the garment and / or adaptive articles of footwear 170. In some embodiments, these capabilities may include inductive charging means including an inductive charging transmitter 184 provided on the chair 10 and an inductive charging receiver 186 associated with and / or integrated into the garment 170. Examples of suitable charging capabilities are further described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,058,837 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0345654, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The chair 10 may utilize the time that the user 36 is seated in the chair 10 to ensure that the battery 176 is in a sufficient state of charge. If charging is required, the chair 10 may transmit a magnetic field from the inductive charging transmitter 184, which may be received by the inductive charging receiver 186 and used to replenish the charge stored in the battery 176.

[0068] In some embodiments, the sensing capabilities 14 described above with respect to Figures 2 and 6 may be integrated with garment integration 22 functionality. More specifically, the user's garment may include one or more sensors held in close proximity or contact with the skin of the user 36. These sensors may include, for example, heart rate sensors, respiration sensors, galvanic skin response sensors, RFID identity indicators, and the like. The sensors (generally "garment sensors") may be integrated / woven into one or more compression-fitting garments, protective padding, footwear, straps worn around the torso or other appendages, or may be adhesively affixed to the user 36. In some configurations, the garment sensors may include a memory device, such as a flash memory or an EEPROM memory, capable of recording periodic user data while the user 36 is engaged in an athletic activity. When a user 36 sits in the chair 10, the chair 10 may communicate with these garment sensors in a one-way or two-way manner (e.g. low power Bluetooth, NFC, etc.) to receive real-time user biometric information and / or biometric information stored in the garment sensor's memory. This downloadable content may be used in the same manner as biometric data acquired directly by the chair 10, as described above.

[0069] In some embodiments, the garment-based sensing capability may include one or more accelerometers embedded within the user's protective padding and / or woven or otherwise integrated with the user's compression-based undergarment. Such sensing capability may be useful to record the magnitude and location of any impacts or collisions that may occur during a game. After the user leaves the playing field and sits down in the chair 10, the recorded sensory data may be downloaded by the processor 24 and / or capabilities within the chair 10. In such an embodiment, requiring close contact between the sensing electronics and the receiver may provide a lower weight and lower power loading to the garment, which may be accepted by more athletes and lead to greater adoption.

[0070] While the chair 10 described above provides benefits for individual athletes, in some configurations sports teams may find particular utility in providing similar benefits to more than one athlete at a given time. Thus, in one configuration, multiple smart chairs 10 may be adjacently joined to form a smart bench that includes multiple interior seating surfaces 42, each configured to ergonomically accommodate and support a different user / athlete. In one configuration, the smart bench may be a single, unitary product that includes multiple adjacent seating surfaces 42. In another configuration, adjacent individual chairs 10 may be locally affixed to form a larger structure.

[0071] If used in connection with the sport of basketball, the smart bench may be configured, for example, to receive and support up to five or more users / athletes at any particular time. The five users may include players currently registered in the game (e.g., during a timeout or break between quarters), players recovering after being substituted out of the game, and / or players awaiting imminent replacement into the game. In another example, a smart bench for basketball may be configured to receive and support up to two or three users / athletes (i.e., if most teams play with a seven or eight man rotation, two or three players waiting to enter / re-enter the game may be kept in a warm-up state).

[0072] Although the present disclosure is primarily illustrated in connection with the sport of basketball, the technology is similarly applicable and useful to other sports, such as, but not limited to, American football, soccer, tennis, lacrosse, rugby, baseball, softball, hockey, gymnastics, stock car racing, open wheel racing, skiing, snowboarding, sprinting or other athletics events, swimming, field hockey, wrestling, mixed martial arts, boxing, cricket, or any event with intermittent periods of competition and rest, events played seated, or events with player substitutions during the game. Similarly, while the present chair is primarily applicable to athletes, one or more of the aspects of the described smart chair are equally applicable to spectators of any of the above-identified sports.

[0073] As used above, "processor 24" is intended to include one or more separate data processing devices, each having one or more microcontrollers or central processing units (CPUs), read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), high speed clocks, input / output (I / O) circuits, and / or any other circuitry that may be required to perform the functions described herein. Processor 24 may be local to chair 10 and / or may include one or more remote processors or servers. In some embodiments, "processor 24" may include and / or communicate with one or more Internet-based / cloud-based services that may provide / receive real-time data to / from chair 10 and / or control one or more performance or visual aspects of chair 10.

[0074] 13 illustrates generally one embodiment of a method 200 of operating the chair 10 from the perspective of the processor 24. The method 200 generally begins with detecting 210 the presence of a user / athlete. As discussed above, presence may be detected by, for example, monitoring one or more load cells, strain gauges, capacitive sensors, thermal sensors, or RF sensors for the presence of a user on the seating surface 42.

[0075] Once a user is detected at 210, using the connected hardware, the processor 24 may perform (at generally 202) one or more temperature management functions, may perform (at generally 204) one or more biometric sensing functions, may perform (at generally 206) one or more display or communication functions, and / or may perform (at generally 208) one or more clothing / footwear integration functions.

[0076] As described above, to provide thermal management functionality 202, processor 24 may begin by monitoring (at 212) the temperature of the user and / or the user's muscles. This monitoring may be accomplished, for example, by polling one or more thermal sensors distributed across seating surface 42. Once the user's temperature (or the user's thermal profile across the user's major muscle groups) is understood, processor 24 may activate (at 214) one or more thermal transducers to adjust and / or maintain the muscle temperature (or thermal profile) at a desired set point or within a desired temperature range. This heating / cooling is preferably accomplished via direct conduction between the thermal transducers and user 36. More specifically, heating / cooling may include actively supplying thermal energy to the user, for example, via Peltier heating elements or resistive heating elements, and / or it may include actively sinking thermal energy from the user, for example, via Peltier cooling elements or other fluid-based refrigeration technologies.

[0077] In one embodiment, the target temperature(s) may be received directly from the user. For example, the user may specify the target temperature in degrees or via a qualitative 1-10 value. In some embodiments, the processor 24 may apply hysteresis to this set point to establish a controlled temperature range. In another embodiment, the target temperature(s) may be received from an associated database, for example, based on the user's identity (which may be detected at 220 via the identity sensing capabilities described in FIG. 6). The user's ideal target temperature or thermal profile may be a predefined temperature / profile that accounts for the nature of the sporting activity, the user's physiological makeup and conditioning, and the user's thermal preferences. To further provide a sensation of relief or cooling after a period of exercise (i.e., when the temperature monitored at 212 is above the desired set point), the processor 24 may direct (at 216) convection cooling at the user's face, head, and neck.

[0078] The biometric functions may operate using or based on the health sensing capabilities 52 described above (generally at 204). More specifically, following identification of the user at 220, the processor 24 may monitor one or more biometric sensors, load cells, or other health sensing capabilities 52 (at 222) to understand the user's real-time condition. These sensed parameters may be compared (at 224) to historical user data to assess the user's real-time condition as a function of normal or peak condition. The processor 24 may further correlate the user's condition level with historical performance data such that the real-time condition may indicate readiness to perform athletically (i.e., when a greater degree of fatigue would cause a decrease in athletic performance). Such analysis may be performed, for example, via a multiple regression model. These health statistics may then be output (at 226) to the coaching staff and / or media, as shown in FIG. 6, to enable improved player substitution strategies and / or a deeper understanding of the player / team's condition. In one configuration, processor 24 may determine a composite health index representing the level of fatigue, the ratio of current condition to peak condition, or the ratio of current health-modeled performance level to optimal health-modeled performance level.

[0079] In one embodiment, health / biometric sensing capabilities may be integrated into the user's clothing and may log data throughout the event, in which case processor 24 may establish communication with the clothing at 230, at which time processor 24 may retrieve (at 222) the biometric data directly from the wearable sensor.

[0080] As discussed further above, in the case of auto-tensioning footwear / apparel (collectively, "apparel"), once communication with the garment has been established (at 230), the processor 24 may command (at 232) the garment to relax and / or release any applied compression. Such a capability may allow the user to more fully relax during rest periods. This capability may include commanding the garment to relieve tension applied through / across the shoe top, compression sleeves, leggings, knee braces, ankle braces, or wrist braces, and / or head gear.

[0081] Following the relaxation of the garment at 232, if the processor 24 detects (at 234) that the user intends to rise and / or exit the seating surface, the processor may communicate (at 236) with the garment to instruct it to be re-tensioned. However, in some embodiments, the re-tensioning may occur simply via an interruption in communication between the garment and the processor 24 (rather than via an explicit command). In such embodiments, the default state of the garment may be "tensioned," while the processor 24 simply "holds" the garment in a more relaxed configuration while the user is seated.

[0082] As further illustrated in FIG. 13, the processor 24 may coordinate various display / communication functions at 206. As shown, the processor 24 may receive (and / or outwardly transmit) one or more audio and / or video streams at 240. An audio stream, such as advice from a coach or communication between athletes, may be presented to the user via a speaker / microphone (at 242), and a visual stream may be presented to the user via a connected display system 18 (at 244). In some embodiments, such as in the e-sports case described above, biometric sensing may be able to control aspects of the video stream (at 246), for example, by narrowing the field of view or focus of the video stream.

[0083] In some embodiments, the video stream output via display system 18 (at 244) may include, for example, play diagrams, advanced statistics regarding the opposing team's in-game trends, probabilistic heat maps representing opposing positioning, trends, or areas of the field that represent the highest likelihood of success, and / or real-time player health or fitness summaries.

[0084] The displayed play diagrams may incorporate real-time tracking of the opposing team, such as may be acquired using a camera with image recognition capabilities, to analyze routes or responses to a given action on the field. In addition, they may present one or more plays selected by the coach or via predictive computation techniques (i.e., plays that maximize the probability of a successful outcome as defined by the coaching staff or by awareness of the situational context). If used as a forward looking strategy, for example during a timeout or stoppage in play, the play diagrams may be animated in time to better illustrate the pace or sequence of the drawn-up play.

[0085] The advanced statistics displayed may include, for example, team formation probabilities, team route / play probabilities, player directional trends, player / team shot selection trends, player / team shooting percentages by location, hitting trends, or the like. Such trends may be recognized using player tracking capabilities (e.g., optical or RF) and processed using advanced computational techniques such as cluster analysis, pattern matching, neural networks, support vector machines, probabilistic methods, or other such techniques. Probabilistic heat maps are then an effective way to visualize these computed statistics. As may be appreciated, heat maps may dynamically colorize portions of the playing field (whether using AR or via a top-view view overlaid over a portion of the user's field of view).

[0086] Finally, a real-time player health or fitness summary may provide a readout of different biometric parameters, how those parameters compare to the user's historical trends, and / or how the user has previously performed under similar physical conditions / fatigue levels. Using these trends, processor 24 may calculate a composite health index that illustrates how far the user is from their own optimal physiological state (i.e., the state that has historically provided optimal performance).

[0087] The above-referenced information may be displayed to users via display system 18, but it may also be presented to one or more spectators via media production devices 32 and / or A / V equipment 34. In some embodiments, the display to the one or more spectators may be in the form of an AR display (for users who are live at the sporting venue), a VR display (for users who are not live at the sporting venue), or infographics that may be displayed via a television or streaming video broadcast.

[0088] The singular terms "a," "an," "the," "at least one," and "one or more" are used interchangeably to indicate the presence of at least one of an item. A plurality of such items may be present unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. All numerical values ​​of parameters (e.g., amounts or conditions) in this specification, including the appended claims, should be understood to be modified in all instances by the term "about," regardless of whether "about" actually appears before the numerical value. "About" indicates that the numerical value described allows for some slight imprecision (including some approximation to the exact value, approximately close to or reasonably close to the value, approximately close). Unless the imprecision provided by "about" is otherwise understood in the art in its ordinary sense, "about," as used herein, at least indicates the variation that may result from the ordinary method of measuring and using such parameters. In addition, the disclosure of a range includes the disclosure of all values ​​and ranges further divided within the entire range. Each value within a range and the endpoints of a range are all disclosed herein as separate embodiments. The terms "comprises," "comprising," "including," and "having" are inclusive and thus specify the presence of stated items but do not exclude the presence of other items. As used herein, the term "or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed items. When the terms first, second, third, etc. are used to distinguish various items from one another, these designations are merely for convenience and do not limit the items.

Claims

1. a seating surface that supports a user and provides additional functionality; and a processor in communication with a video game system having at least one controller and a display, and further in communication with at least one biometric sensor operative to sense a physiological parameter of the user; The processor, Detecting a presence of a user on the seating surface; receiving a sensed physiological parameter of the user from the biometric sensor; providing the sensed physiological parameter as an input to the video game system; It is configured as follows: the sensed physiological parameter operates to modify at least one of a sensitivity of the controller or a clarity or field of view of an image provided via the display; the sensed physiological parameter is a sensed heart rate or a sensed respiration rate, and an increase in the sensed heart rate or the sensed respiration rate operates to reduce focus of the display, reduce the amount of peripheral vision displayed via the display, or increase jitter in the controller. Electronic sports chair.

2. The electronic sports chair of claim 1 , wherein the biometric sensor is integrated into the seating surface.

3. the biometric sensor is integrated into clothing on the user's body; The processor is further configured to establish a wireless communication with the garment and receive the sensed physiological parameter via the wireless communication. The electronic sports chair according to claim 1.

4. The electronic sports chair of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to output the sensed physiological parameter to a display.

5. The processor, establishing wireless communication with a garment on the user's body; controlling a tensioning mechanism integrated into the garment to vary tension applied throughout the garment; Further configured as follows: The electronic sports chair according to claim 1.

6. the processor is further configured to receive a tension feedback signal from the garment indicative of an amount of pressure exerted by the garment on the user; The processor is operative to use the tension feedback signal to control the tension applied throughout the garment. The electronic sports chair according to claim 5.

7. The processor, determining an identity of the user; storing the sensed physiological parameters in relation to the identity of the user in a database; Further configured as follows: The electronic sports chair according to claim 1.

8. The processor, retrieving historical physiological parameters for the user from the database; outputting a comparison of the sensed physiological parameter to the historical physiological parameter via the display. Further configured as follows: The electronic sports chair according to claim 7.

9. A method for operating an electronic sports chair, comprising: Detecting the presence of a user on a seating surface of the electronic sports chair; receiving, via a processor, a sensed physiological parameter of the user from a biometric sensor; providing the sensed physiological parameter as an input to a video game system; the video game system is configured to receive user input from a controller and output a view of the video game via a display, the sensed physiological parameter being operative to modify at least one of a sensitivity of the controller or a clarity or field of view of the view output via a display; the sensed physiological parameter is a sensed heart rate or a sensed respiration rate, and an increase in the sensed heart rate or the sensed respiration rate operates to reduce focus of the display, reduce the amount of peripheral vision displayed via the display, or increase jitter in the controller. How it works.

10. the biometric sensor is integrated into clothing on the user's body; The method of operation includes: establishing wireless communication with the garment; and receiving the sensed physiological parameter via the wireless communication.

10. The method of claim 9.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising controlling, via the processor, a tensioning mechanism integrated into the garment to vary tension applied throughout the garment.

12. receiving a tension feedback signal from the garment, the tension feedback signal indicative of an amount of pressure exerted by the garment on the user; controlling the garment to vary tension applied throughout the garment is responsive to the received tension feedback signal.

12. The method of claim 11.

13. determining, via said processor, an identity of said user; and storing the sensed physiological parameters in a database with respect to the identity of the user.

10. The method of claim 9.

14. retrieving historical physiological parameters for the user from the database; and outputting a comparison of the sensed physiological parameter to the historical physiological parameter via the display.

14. The method of claim 13.

Images