Chair preset icon synchronization

Abstract

A system and method for synchronizing icons across interfaces for a dental chair is disclosed. In an embodiment, the dental chair has a first interface and a second interface. Each interface includes a plurality of icons that graphically depict stored positions, and the icons can be actuated to control the chair to the stored positions. The position of the chair can be adjusted and the adjusted position can be stored in one of the icons. Once stored, the corresponding icon on both the first and second interfaces is updated to graphically depict the new stored position. Profiles can be provided that allow for selection of different sets of stored positions. Other embodiments may be described and / or claimed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001]

[0001] Related Applications This application claims priority to U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 17 / 697,497, filed Mar. 17, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002]

[0002] The disclosed embodiments relate to an operating interface for dental equipment, particularly an interface for an adjustable dental chair.

Background Art

[0003]

[0003] In most dental treatments, patients sit in chairs specially configured for dental practice. Such chairs can be equipped with various accessories and tools used in dental treatment, for example, some possible tools include dental handpieces, ultrasonic scalers, air / water syringes, intraoral cameras, suction devices, mouthwash cups, and surgical lights. The chair can typically be adjusted in several different degrees, for example, manually or via an actuator system such as an electromechanical or hydraulic system. For example, the chair can be height-adjustable and reclining-adjustable so that the dentist can properly position the patient for a given dental procedure, taking into account the comfort of the dentist and the ease of treatment. The type of control used for adjustment can vary greatly depending on the configuration of a given chair and the features equipped on the chair. If the chair is adjusted by an operating system, the chair's operating system can be equipped with a controller that provides the ability to store positions and control the chair to the stored positions.

[0004]

[0004] The background description provided herein is intended to present the context of the present disclosure as a whole. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims of this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

[0005]

[0005] Embodiments will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. To facilitate this description, similar reference numerals indicate similar structural elements. Embodiments are shown in the figures of the accompanying drawings as examples, not limitations. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] The first exemplary interface of an adjustable dental chair having a touchscreen with icons that reflect stored chair position presets, according to various embodiments, is shown. [Figure 2] A second exemplary interface for an adjustable dental chair, according to various embodiments, is shown, the second exemplary interface including icons corresponding to separate buttons for adjusting the chair to a previously stored position, the icons reflecting the stored chair position preset associated with the corresponding button. [Figure 3] Several exemplary icons reflecting stored chair positions in various embodiments are shown. [Figure 4] This illustrates the function of icons that reflect the stored chair position when controlling a dental chair to a stored position using various embodiments. [Figure 5] This document illustrates the process flow for adjusting chair position using various embodiments, and how memorizing the adjusted position changes the icon associated with the memorized position. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of methods for loading and updating icons that reflect stored chair positions, according to various embodiments. [Figure 7] This is an exemplary computer block diagram that can be used to implement some or all of the components of the interfaces, process flows, systems, and / or methods disclosed herein, in various embodiments. [Figure 8]This is a block diagram of a computer-readable storage medium that can be used to implement some of the components of the systems or methods disclosed herein, in various embodiments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007]

[0014] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification, where similar reference numerals throughout the drawings indicate similar parts, and where possible embodiments are shown as examples. It should be understood that other embodiments may be available and structural or logical modifications may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be constrained as restrictive, and the scope of embodiments is defined by the accompanying claims and their equivalents.

[0008]

[0015] Aspects of this disclosure are disclosed in the accompanying description. Alternative embodiments of this disclosure and their equivalents can be devised without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Note that similar elements disclosed below are indicated by similar reference numerals in the drawings.

[0009]

[0016] Various operations may be described as multiple separate actions or operations in the manner most useful for understanding the claimed subject matter. However, the order of description should not be interpreted as meaning that these operations are necessarily order-dependent. In particular, these operations do not have to be performed in the order presented. The operations described may be performed in a different order than in the described embodiments. In additional embodiments, various additional operations may be performed, and / or the operations described may be omitted.

[0010]

[0017] The description may use viewpoint-based descriptions, such as up / down, rear / front, and upper / lower. Such descriptions are used solely to facilitate explanation and are not intended to limit the use of the disclosed embodiments.

[0011]

[0018] The terms “combined” and “connected” may be used together with their derivatives. In embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are arranged to interact with each other in some way, including being electrically connected via a data communication link, etc., or wirelessly connected via a wireless communication link, etc. “Combined” may, in embodiments, mean that two or more elements are in direct physical contact with each other. However, “combined” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other but still cooperate or interact with each other.

[0012]

[0019] For explanatory purposes, phrases in the form "A / B" or "A and / or B" mean (A), (B), or (A and B). For explanatory purposes, phrases in the form "at least one of A, B, and C" mean (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C). For explanatory purposes, phrases in the form "(A)B" mean (B) or (AB), i.e., A is an optional element.

[0013]

[0020] The description may use the terms “embodiment” or “embodiments,” each of which may refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, terms used in relation to embodiments, such as “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are synonymous and are generally intended to be “open” terms (for example, “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” “having” as “having at least,” and “includes” as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.).

[0014]

[0021] Callouts for multiple constituent elements may be numbered identically, with a suffix that distinguishes each instance of the multiple constituent element. For example, if element 1 is presented multiple times in a figure, each instance of element 1 may be indicated as 1a, 1b, 1c...1x. Referring to an element by a callout without a letter, for example element 1, should be understood as referring to any or all instances of element 1a-1x, and a reference to a specific instance of element 1 should include that letter, for example element 1b.

[0015]

[0022] With regard to the use of any plural and / or singular terms herein, those skilled in the art can appropriately substitute plurals for singulars and / or singulars for plurals depending on the context and / or use. Various singular / plural substitutions may be explicitly described herein for clarity.

[0016]

[0023] Existing adjustable chairs, if electrically operated, may communicate with an interface that enables the electronic storage and retrieval of chair positions. As used herein, “electric” refers to any chair that can be adjusted by actuators that can be controlled by a controller or control unit communicating with the chair, regardless of the nature of the operating mechanism (e.g., electro-hydraulic, electro-pneumatic, electromechanical, etc.). The controller or control unit communicates with and / or can generate the aforementioned interface, which, depending on the details of a given embodiment, allows a user to instruct the controller or control unit to make adjustments to the chair. Where a chair is described as being controlled to a specific position, it should be understood that the mechanism for how such adjustments to the chair are made depends on the details of a given implementation, i.e., the chair interface may directly control or drive the relevant chair actuators, or the interface may, instead, provide commands to a controller or control unit configured for the chair, as described above. The specific format of such communication or commands depends on the details of a given implementation.

[0017]

[0024] A dentist using such a chair can set the chair to a desired position for repeated use via the interface, and remember that position as a preset within or presented by the interface. As a result, the chair can be easily controlled from the interface to return to the preset position when the chair is repositioned by other dentists and / or dental staff, etc., because different procedures may require different chair positions, or because different dentists / assistants have different preferences. If the interface provides multiple memory presets, various memory presets can be assigned to various positions corresponding to different dentists and / or different types of procedures, for example, one preset may be used for entering and exiting, another preset may be used for treating the upper dental arch, another position may be used for treating the lower dental arch, and so on.

[0018]

[0025] However, existing adjustable chair interfaces are inadequate in several respects. Known chair interfaces typically indicate memory presets using a general identifier such as a number or letter that does not provide an indication of the actual stored position, e.g., whether it is more reclined or upright, the height of the chair, etc. Other known interfaces may provide only a static and general indication of a general position, such as upright, reclined, or some intermediate position. These general indications may be little similar to the actual stored position, especially if the user does not note to remember a position that approximately matches the general indication, or if the control of the chair interface does not enforce to remember a position that somewhat approximates the general indication.

[0019]

[0026] The disclosed embodiments address these drawbacks by providing a chair interface having a dynamic icon for indicating a chair position memory preset. The icon reflects the actual stored chair position and the icon changes to match the newly stored position. Thus, the user of the chair interface is provided with a relatively accurate depiction of the position in which the chair is configured when a given memory preset is triggered or actuated, and can be assisted in identifying a particular stored position for a given practitioner and / or procedure.

[0020]

[0027] Furthermore, the chair interface, and / or associated inputs that may communicate with the interface, may enable the storage of multiple profiles, each profile containing a set of stored presets of the profile itself. If a treatment has multiple practitioners, each practitioner may have access to their own set of custom presets. In some embodiments, a practitioner (or associated support staff) may select from several profiles using the chair interface, such as from a dropdown box, radio buttons, or other toggle or control unit that provides selection functionality. In other embodiments, a practitioner may log in to the interface, such as by providing some form of login credentials. By logging into a given chair interface with the practitioner's profile, the practitioner's stored presets may be made available on the interface, which allows both expansion to additional stored presets and easier management of multiple practitioner preferences. In some embodiments, these multiple profiles may be stored on the interface or on a controller board for the chair communicating with the interface, where the controller board is not integrated with the interface. Also, in some embodiments, the chair interface or control board may be configured to communicate via a network with one or more different or separate devices from the chair interface or control board. Other possible embodiments are described herein.

[0021]

[0028] interface FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary interface 100. The interface 100 includes a plurality of icons 102 corresponding to stored positions of an adjustable chair controlled by the interface 100. The chair can be directly adjusted using a plurality of adjustment controls 104a, 104b that control the tilt of the backrest and controls , that control the seat height in the illustrated embodiment. The current chair position is reflected in a graphical depiction 108 that is updated as the position of the chair is adjusted. The interface 100 may further include one or more additional controls 110a, 110b to access useful features such as a timer and / or to control various accessories attached to or communicating with the chair, the chair control board, and / or the interface 100. The interface 100 may further display one or more additional features such as date and time, any running timer, system status, or other useful information. In the illustrated embodiment, the interface 100 is presented on a touch-sensitive screen such that buttons can be graphically represented as screen locations that can be pressed.

[0022]

[0029] As seen in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, each of the plurality of icons 102 reflects a different stored setting of the chair position. Since the interface 100 is implemented using a touch-sensitive screen in the illustrated embodiment, each icon 102 also functions as a button to control the chair to the stored position indicated by the icon 102. Thus, tapping or pressing an icon 102 controls the interface 100 to adjust the position of the chair or controls the chair control board to adjust the position of the chair to match the graphical depiction of the activated icon 102. Whether the interface 100 directly controls the chair actuators to the stored position or provides the stored position information to the control board depends on the details of a given implementation. The plurality of icons 102 depicts four icons, although other embodiments may have fewer or more icons.

[0023]

[0030] Furthermore, in some embodiments, one of the icons 102 may be dedicated to a toggle function, where, when the associated icon is tapped or pressed once, the chair is controlled from any current first position to a programmed position, and when tapped or pressed a second time, the chair is controlled again from its programmed position to the first position. The programmed position may be preset on the chair's control board or chair interface and / or, thereafter, can be changed by the practitioner to a position preferred by the practitioner, as with other presets associated with each icon 102. Such a toggle function may be useful for positioning the chair so that the patient can be X-rayed or so that the patient can use a spittoon (also known as a mouthwash), and then returning the chair to a previous position so that the practitioner can resume treating the patient. The toggle function may be configured such that, when the associated icon is tapped or pressed once, only one adjustable aspect of the chair (e.g., the chair back) is repositioned to the programmed position, while any other adjustable aspects of the chair (e.g., the seat height) remain in their respective first positions. Alternatively, the toggle function may be configured such that multiple adjustable modes of the chair, all possible adjustable modes or a subset thereof, are repositioned to their programmed positions when the associated icon is tapped or pressed once.

[0024]

[0031] In various embodiments, the toggle function icon may display a programmed position before being pressed once, and then update to display the chair's previous position after being tapped or pressed once. The toggle function icon may revert to displaying the programmed position after being tapped or pressed a second time. Alternatively, the toggle function icon may remain fixed after being pressed once or twice, and when pressed once when the chair is not yet in a programmed position, it displays only the programmed position to which the chair is controlled. In yet another embodiment, the toggle function icon may be a static icon, which indicates that the icon is for toggling the chair to the X-ray / gargle bowl position when pressed once and returning it to the previous position when pressed a second time, but in some cases may not indicate or reflect the actual position to which the chair is controlled when pressed once or the position to which it is recalled when pressed a second time.

[0025]

[0032] Regardless of whether the stored positions are controlled by activating icon 102, in the embodiment, the chair position can be manually adjusted at any time. Interface 100 may provide touch controls for making manual adjustments, such as control units 104a, 104b, 106a, and 106b. As described above, control units 104a and 104b can raise or lower the angle of the backrest, respectively, and control units 106a and 106b can raise or lower the seat height, respectively. When such control units are activated, a chair depiction 108 may be adjusted to provide a real-time depiction of the actual configuration of the chair. This depiction 108 can also form the basis for a graphical depiction of the stored positions of each icon 102, as will be described in more detail below. Interface 100 is equipped with a manual control unit for two-stage chair movement (backrest tilt and seat height), but other embodiments may have fewer or more manual control units corresponding to fewer or further stages of movement or adjustable aspects of a given chair, including the headrest, armrests and / or other parts of the chair on which Interface 100 may be equipped.

[0026]

[0033] Additional control units 110a, 110b, and / or 110c may be provided. The number and type of additional control units 110 may depend on the specific accessories and / or features configured for a given chair. In the illustrated example, control units 110a and 110b may be docked to the top and bottom of interface 100, respectively, and configured to allow access to interface adjustments, chair configuration, system setup, profile switching, instrument control and configuration, system status, and / or any other necessary or convenient configurations or adjustments. Some control units, such as control unit 110c, may provide other functions, such as one or more timers for treatment. Depending on the capabilities of the interface 100 screen, additional control units may be implemented as icons or other appropriate graphic devices.

[0027]

[0034] Figure 2 shows a second exemplary interface 200 in various embodiments. As described below, in some implementations, the chair may be equipped with or connected to both interface 100 and interface 200, interface 100 is typically used by a dentist or physician, and interface 200 is used by an assistant. Similarly, the chair may be equipped with or connected to two or more interfaces 100 or two or more interfaces 200. Interface 200 may be equipped with a control unit substantially similar to the control unit of interface 100. In the illustrated embodiment, interface 200 includes a plurality of icons 202 corresponding to a plurality of icons 102, adjustment buttons 206a, 206b, 208a, and 208b corresponding to adjustment control units 104a, 104b, 106a, and 106b, respectively, and an additional control unit 212 corresponding to the additional control units 110a and 110b of interface 100. The chair depiction 108 corresponds to depiction 210. Depending on the implementation, the additional control unit 212 may include only a subset of the functions provided by the additional control unit 110.

[0028]

[0035] In some embodiments, interface 200 may be implemented using a non-touch-sensitive screen and a set of buttons separate from the screen, in contrast to interface 100. While the illustrated embodiment of interface 200 is implemented using capacitive or membrane buttons, other embodiments may use any suitable technology for implementing the control unit, e.g., a touch-sensitive screen, mechanical buttons, momentary or toggle switches, dials, sliders, or any other control unit suitable for the configuration of the controlled chair and usable in a dental or medical setting. Thus, although the plurality of icons 202 are shown as non-touch-sensitive, each of the plurality of icons 202 corresponds to one of the plurality of buttons 204, and in the illustrated embodiment, each is positioned directly below one of the plurality of icons 202 to indicate the icon-button correspondence. It can be noted that one of the plurality of buttons 204 has a light to indicate its activation, i.e., the light indicates that the icon corresponding to the selected button indicates the current configuration of the chair. The graphic representation 210 may be updated to reflect the current chair configuration by selecting one of the icons 202 (by pressing the corresponding button 204) or by adjusting the chair via the manual adjustment buttons 206a, 206b, 208a, or 208b. Similar to interface 100, one of the icons 202 and its corresponding button 204 may be dedicated as a programmed setting toggle button for, for example, the X-ray / gargle bowl position.

[0029]

[0036] As described above, the illustrated embodiment shows an interface 100 implemented using a touchscreen and an interface 200 implemented using a non-touchscreen and corresponding buttons / control units. In other embodiments, both interfaces 100 and 200 may be implemented using touchscreen interfaces, and the touchscreen of interface 200 may be the same as or different from the touchscreen of interface 100; or interface 100 may be implemented using a non-touchscreen interface having corresponding buttons / control units, and interface 200 may be implemented using a touchscreen; or both interfaces 100 and 200 may be implemented using non-touchscreen interfaces.

[0030]

[0037] In some embodiments, interface 100 is used primarily by the dentist and interface 200 is used by the assistant. In such embodiments, interface 200 may have a more limited set of controls, as the assistant may not need access to the full functionality provided to the dentist or other primary practitioner, such as management tools, profile switching, etc. Both interface 100 and / or interface 200 may be connected directly to the chair or chair control board, for example, by hardwired connection, or by another suitable communication technology, such as a wired or wireless data link, as described below. When connected in this manner, adjustments to the stored positions of multiple icons 102 are automatically reflected in the multiple icons 202 of interface 200, and vice versa.

[0031]

[0038] In some embodiments, it may be preferable to have interfaces 100 and / or 200 that are physically attached to or adjacent to the chair. However, in some embodiments, one or more of interfaces 100 and 200 may be separated from the chair but remain connected and instead be accessible in other areas of the treatment room (such as on a wall, counter, desk, or furniture) in certain situations.

[0032]

[0039] Although not shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2, interfaces 100 and 200 may communicate with the chair and / or an attached controller or control board via appropriate networking technology. In some embodiments, interfaces 100 and / or 200 may connect to the chair, any control board, and each other using local networking technology such as CANBUS. Other suitable communication methods may include other cable networking technologies such as Ethernet or fiber optics, or wireless technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth, or another suitable networking protocol. In yet another embodiment, a combination of technologies and / or protocols may be used. Furthermore, interfaces 100 and / or 200, as well as other components of the treatment room such as the chair and any associated control board, may be able to communicate data with other individual devices via appropriate data networks, etc.

[0033]

[0040] Preset operation and icon synchronization Figure 3 shows a plurality of icons, each graphically depicting a representation or approximation of a stored chair position, corresponding to one of the icons in a plurality of icons 102 and 202 associated with interface 100 and / or interface 200, respectively. Icons 302 and 306 each depict a stored chair position. When icon 302 or 306 is activated or pressed in the case of a touchscreen, or the corresponding button in the case of a non-touchscreen interface, the chair associated with the interface takes the position depicted on the respective icon. Thus, activating icon 302 places the chair into configuration 304, and activating icon 306 places the chair into configuration 308. As can be seen, configuration 304 is substantially identical to the depiction in icon 302, and configuration 308 is substantially identical to the depiction in icon 306. Icons 302 and 306 may each be part of a plurality of icons of stored positions, such as the plurality of icons 102 or 202, and may be reprogrammed for different stored positions, as described below with respect to Figure 5.

[0034]

[0041] Figure 4 shows a process flow 400 when one of several icons, such as icons 102 or 202, or one of several corresponding buttons 204, is selected to configure the chair to the position indicated by the selected icon. The chair is in a first configuration 402, with the seat height relatively high and the backrest at a reclined angle. Icons 404 are selected either by pressing an icon on a touchscreen interface or by pressing a corresponding button on a non-touchscreen interface. Following the selection, the interface controls the chair (or a control board or module connected to the chair and communicating with the interface) to take the position reflected in icon 404. Thus, the chair takes a second configuration 406, identical to the depiction of icon 404, with the backrest raised to a more upright angle and the seat height relatively low.

[0035]

[0042] Figure 5 shows a process flow 500 in which, when an existing stored chair position is overwritten by a new position, the icon depicting the stored chair position is updated. In process flow 500, the chair in the first configuration 502 is activated using the adjustment control units 104 and 106, or adjustment buttons 206 and 208, etc., to transform the chair into the second configuration 504. Icon 506 indicates a first stored position 506a that is different from either the first configuration 502 or the second configuration 504. As can be understood, when icon 506 is activated when it indicates the first stored position 506a, the interface controls the chair to move to the stored position 506a. In some embodiments, when icon 506 is activated, the interface signals to the selected preset control board (or, in implementations where the interface and control board are integrated or combined, the control interface), at which point the control board uses the stored preset position information to control the chair to the preset position, and the signaling interface indicates only which preset has been selected.

[0036]

[0043] The user may decide to save a second configuration 504 to icon 506 after the adjustment control unit has adjusted the chair, overwriting the currently stored position. When the user chooses to set a new configuration icon 506, such as the second configuration 504, the chair position in the second configuration 504 overwrites the existing stored position 506a. Accordingly, icon 506 is updated to indicate the second stored position 506b. Once the second configuration 504 is saved, icon 506 then reflects this new stored configuration as the same second stored position 506b as the second configuration 504. As understood, activating icon 506 with the second stored position 506b moves the chair to the second configuration 504.

[0037]

[0044] As mentioned above with respect to Figure 1, in some embodiments where the icon is configured to toggle between the current setting and a pre-programmed setting (e.g., X-ray or gargle bowl position), the icon may change as well as the process flow 500, but it should be further understood that the user does not need to explicitly set or remember the new configuration. When such an icon is activated for the first time, the current configuration is automatically saved before the chair is adjusted to the preset configuration. In some embodiments, the icon associated with the preset toggle may also be automatically updated to graphically depict the previously remembered configuration. In the context of Figure 5, if the chair is in configuration 504 and the icon 506 is configured to toggle to a preset (different from configuration 504), when the chair is activated to return to the previous configuration, configuration 504 is automatically remembered. The icon 506 may then change to reflect configuration 504. Thus, when the icon 506 is activated again without any intervening adjustments, the chair returns to configuration 504, and the icon 506 returns to showing the preset configuration, if updated.

[0038]

[0045] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an exemplary method 600 for storing and updating icons along with new chair position presets. Method 600 may be implemented on a dental chair having interfaces such as interface 100 and / or interface 200. Depending on the requirements of a given implementation, the operations of method 600 may be performed sequentially or out of order, the operations may be performed entirely or partially, and the operations may be omitted or added. Method 600 may further be implemented on an interface that supports multiple user profiles, where different users may select different profiles, and each profile may be associated with a different set of stored chair position presets.

[0039]

[0046] In operation 602, the chair user may select a desired profile from an interface such as interface 100 or interface 200, or via another interface or control terminal. Depending on the details of a given embodiment, the user may simply select a profile on the interface from a drop-down list or radio buttons, for example. In other embodiments, the user may be required to provide login or authentication credentials as part of logging into the interface. Once a profile is selected, in some embodiments, the interface signals the selected user profile to the chair's control board (or control interface). The control board then activates the stored position preset associated with the profile and signals the active profile to any other interface attached to or communicating with the chair's control board. In embodiments where the interface is combined with or integrated with the chair's controller, the interface may directly signal the active stored profile to any other attached interface. It should be understood that operation 602 may be unnecessary when no profile exists or only one profile exists.

[0040]

[0047] Depending on the details of a given implementation, stored position presets may be stored in memory on the chair controller board or in other suitable storage, and / or in an interface that accepts profile selection, especially when the interface also functions as a chair controller. In some implementations, upon receiving notification of a selected profile, each interface may retrieve any stored presets associated with the signaled active profile from the interface's local storage and update the interface icon to reflect the stored presets. In such implementations, each interface may independently store preset information in the interface's local memory or storage, which may contain information available to the interface to create a graphically corresponding icon for each stored preset. In other implementations, a device that stores position presets for controlling the chair to each preset, e.g., a control board, may, in addition to signaling the active profile, or instead, provide the necessary preset information to some or all attached interfaces when a profile is selected. In such implementations, it may be possible to use interfaces that do not have local storage, such as interfaces that simply provide icons and buttons for signaling the selected preset, but in some cases rely on the control board or another interface to provide the preset information.

[0041]

[0048] Other configurations are possible; for example, presets may be stored in a separate connected memory module or storage device, or an attached interface may, for example, store presets and provide them to the chair control board. Furthermore, information regarding stored presets may vary depending on the details of a given embodiment when transmitted to one or more devices during communication. As described above, in some embodiments, the control board or control interface may signal only the selected active profile to each interface. In other embodiments, only the information necessary to generate an icon reflecting the stored presets may need to be transmitted. In yet another embodiment, sufficient information may be transmitted to enable the chair to be controlled by a position preset. In yet another embodiment, the transmitted information may depend on the receiving device; for example, a second interface may only need to receive the information necessary to generate an icon, while the control board may need information to enable the chair to be controlled by a position preset, such as when the first interface does both receive profile selection and store preset information, but relies on a control board for chair control that lacks stored presets.

[0042]

[0049] In operation 604, upon receiving a profile selection, the interface retrieves information about the stored position presets associated with the profile from local storage and updates several associated icons, such as several icons 102 or 202, to graphically represent the various stored position presets. If the chair is equipped with two (or more) interfaces, such as a dentist interface and an assistant interface, each interface may follow the same procedure, i.e., each interface retrieves any stored position preset information associated with the selected profile from its respective local storage and updates the icons accordingly. Depending on the details of a given embodiment, an interface that directly receives a profile selection from a user (e.g., an interface with which the user interacts to select a user profile) may signal the profile selection to all other connected interfaces and / or send such selection to a control board, which may then signal to all connected interfaces. As described above with respect to operation 602, it should be further understood that in embodiments where stored position preset information is transmitted from the control board to the interface, operation 604 may be unnecessary or significantly simplified.

[0043]

[0050] As described above with respect to Figure 5, in this embodiment, the selection of one of several icons, such as by activating an icon or associated button, signals the selection of an associated position preset to the control board (or control interface). The control board then configures the chair to match the selected stored position preset based on its stored position preset information. Furthermore, when one of several icons is selected, the interface that receives the selection from the user may signal that selection to all other interfaces, so that each interface can be updated to reflect which preset is currently selected. For example, interface 200 may illuminate a light on button 204 corresponding to the selected preset, and interface 100 may change the color of icon 102 corresponding to the selected preset.

[0044]

[0051] In various embodiments, each interface locally stores chair position information for each stored position preset of a given profile and receives only instructions to change the preset selection following the reception of the profile selection. In such embodiments, the interface may lack a given stored position preset information if it has never previously "seen" a preset, for example, if the interface is connected to a newly installed chair to which no preset has yet been assigned, or if the interface has just been added to an existing chair and is being used for the first time. If there is no available stored position preset information for a given icon on the interface, such as when the interface is newly installed, a predetermined default image for the icon, such as a general representation of the chair or another graphic device such as a question mark or dash, may be displayed to indicate that the interface lacks information about the stored position preset. Similarly, when a new profile is created in the interface or controller, a default initial position preset may be provided for each icon under the new profile. In such cases, the interface may query the control board for the chair's current position following the selection of the preset in order to retrieve the stored position preset information. When the interface "sees" a location stored from the control board, the interface can store the location information and update the icon associated with the stored location preset.

[0045]

[0052] In embodiments where stored position preset information is transmitted to an interface, it will be understood that each interface can rely on the transmitted preset information to generate an appropriate icon for each stored position preset. In such embodiments, the interface receiving the stored position preset information may not need to query the controller for the current chair position.

[0046]

[0053] In operation 606, the chair user may manually adjust the chair if none of the stored position presets are suitable or desired, or if a new chair configuration is desired to be stored as a new preset. Manual adjustment may be performed via an interface such as interface 100 or interface 200 using a manual adjustment control unit such as adjustment icons 104, 106, or adjustment buttons 206, 208. Depending on the implementation of a given interface, the interface may graphically reflect the chair's current position / configuration when the chair is adjusted. Furthermore, if the chair includes multiple interfaces that can graphically reflect the chair's current position / configuration when the chair is adjusted, all interfaces may graphically reflect the chair's position when the chair is adjusted. Updating the graphical representation on each interface can be achieved in various ways depending on the details of a given implementation. For example, in some embodiments, the control board may broadcast chair position updates to all interfaces, and in other embodiments, each interface may periodically query the control board for current position information.

[0047]

[0054] Once the desired chair configuration is obtained, in operation 608, the new position may be stored as a preset associated with one of several icons on the interface, such as icons 102 or 202. The user may select a desired icon via the interface to store the new preset. When a desired icon indicating that a new preset should be stored is selected, the interface receiving the selection signals, in embodiments, to the control board (or control interface) that the new chair position should be stored in the stored position preset corresponding to the selected icon. If the position preset corresponding to the icon selected for storage has a previously stored preset, the new position to be stored will overwrite the previously stored position preset. Storing the new position can be achieved by any method appropriate to the interface being used. In some implementations, the icon (or corresponding button) to which the new configuration should be stored is pressed and held for a predetermined time (e.g., 1-5 seconds) until the icon is updated to reflect the new configuration and indicates that the new configuration has been stored as a new preset. In other implementations, a specific key, button, or combination of presses may be entered to indicate the intention to remember a new configuration and the icon on which the configuration should be remembered. Accordingly, the interface may be further updated to reflect that the chair is in a remembered position preset. For example, interface 200 may light up an adjustment button associated with the icon of the newly saved position preset.

[0048]

[0055] Finally, in operation 610, each connected interface receives notification from the chair control board or control interface that the chair has been positioned in a stored position preset, and can therefore retrieve the current chair position data from the control board or interface. Each connected interface can then store the updated position preset in local storage. The icons on all interfaces connected to the chair associated with the updated position preset are then updated to reflect the new stored configuration, and as a result, the new configuration can be easily identified in subsequent use of the chair. In embodiments where stored position preset information is distributed or broadcast from the control board to the interfaces, it should be understood that operation 610 can be simplified or rendered impractically meaningless.

[0049]

[0056] Computer systems and software Figure 7 shows an exemplary architecture of a computer device 1500 that may be used by the apparatus and / or methods described herein in various embodiments. It should be understood that the computer device 1500 is intended to illustrate a general computer architecture. The system implementing interface 100 or interface 200, as well as components such as a control board for a chair, may have some of the components shown in Figure 7, while others may be omitted, and may have additional or different components as required for a given implementation.

[0050]

[0057] As shown in the figure, the computer device 1500 may include several components, such as one or more processors 1504 (one is shown) and at least one communication chip 1506. In various embodiments, each of the one or more processors 1504 may include one or more processor cores. In various embodiments, the one or more processors 1504 may include hardware accelerators to complement one or more processor cores. In various embodiments, at least one communication chip 1506 may be physically and electrically connected to one or more processors 1504. In further implementations, the communication chip 1506 may be part of one or more processors 1504. In various embodiments, the computer device 1500 may include a printed circuit board (PCB) 1502. In these embodiments, one or more processors 1504 and the communication chip 1506 may be provided on the PCB. In alternative embodiments, the various components may be connected without using the PCB 1502.

[0051]

[0058] Depending on its application, the computer device 1500 may include other components that can be physically and electrically coupled to the PCB 1502. These other components may include, but are not limited to, a memory controller 1526, volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM) 1520), non-volatile memory such as read-only memory (ROM) 1524, flash memory 1522, storage device 1554 (e.g., hard disk drive (HDD)), I / O controller 1541, digital signal processor (not shown), cryptographic processor (not shown), graphics processor 1530, one or more antennas 1528, display, touchscreen display 1532, touchscreen controller 1546, battery 1536, audio codec (not shown), video codec (not shown), global positioning system (GPS) device 1540, compass 1542, accelerometer (not shown), gyroscope (not shown), speaker 1550, camera 1552, and mass storage devices (hard disk drive, solid state drive, compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), etc.) (not shown).

[0052]

[0059] In some embodiments, one or more processors 1504, flash memory 1522, and / or storage device 1554 may include associated firmware (not shown) that stores programming instructions configured to enable the computer device 1500 to implement all or selected aspects of the interface 100, interface 200, process flow 400, process flow 500, and / or method 600 described herein in response to the execution of programming instructions by one or more processors 1504. In various embodiments, these aspects may be implemented using hardware separate from one or more processors 1504, flash memory 1522, or storage device 1554, either as an addition or alternative.

[0053]

[0060] The communication chip 1506 may enable wired and / or wireless communication for data transfer to and from the computer device 1500. The term “wireless” and its derivatives may be used to describe circuits, devices, systems, methods, techniques, communication channels, etc., that can communicate data by the use of modulated electromagnetic radiation over a non-solid medium. The term does not mean that the device in question does not include any wiring, although in some embodiments the device in question may not include any wiring. The communication chip 1506 may implement any of several radio standards or protocols, including, but not limited to, IEEE 802.20, Long-Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A, General-Purpose Packet Radio Services (GPRS), Evolution Data Optimized (Ev-DO), Advanced High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA+), Advanced High-Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA+), Advanced High-Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA+), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), GSM Evolutionary High-Speed ​​Data Rate (EDGE), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Digital Extended Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Bluetooth, their derivatives, and any other radio protocols designated as 3G, 4G, 5G, and later. The computer device 1500 may include multiple communication chips 1506. For example, the first communication chip 1506 may be dedicated to shorter-range wireless communication such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, while the second communication chip 1506 may be dedicated to longer-range wireless communication such as GPS, EDGE, GPRS, CDMA, WiMAX, LTE, and Ev-DO.

[0054]

[0061] In various implementations, the computer device 1500 may be a laptop, netbook, notebook, ultrabook, smartphone, computer tablet, personal digital assistant (PDA), desktop computer, smart glasses, or server. In further implementations, the computer device 1500 may be any other electronic device that processes data.

[0055]

[0062] As those skilled in the art will understand, this disclosure can be embodied as a method or a computer program product. Thus, in addition to being embodied in hardware as described above, this disclosure can take the form of entirely software embodiments (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or embodiments that combine software aspects with hardware aspects, all of which may be commonly referred to as “circuits,” “modules,” or “systems.” Furthermore, this disclosure can take the form of a computer program product embodied in any tangible or non-temporary medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium. Figure 8 shows an exemplary computer-readable non-temporary storage medium that may be suitable for use in storing instructions, which cause a device to implement a selected aspect of this disclosure in response to the device executing the instructions. As shown, the non-temporary computer-readable storage medium 1602 may contain several programming instructions 1604. The programming instructions 1604 may be configured to enable a device, such as a computer 1500, to implement interface 100, interface 200, process flow 400, process flow 500, and / or method 600 (or a part thereof) in response to the execution of the programming instructions. In an alternative embodiment, the programming instructions 1604 may instead be placed on a plurality of computer-readable non-temporary storage media 1602. In yet another embodiment, the programming instructions 1604 may be placed on the computer-readable temporary storage media 1602, such as signals.

[0056]

[0063] Any combination of one or more computer-usable or computer-readable media may be used. Computer-usable or computer-readable media may include, for example, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, devices, or propagation media, but are not limited to these. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable media include electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, transmission media such as those supporting the Internet or intranet, or magnetic storage devices. It should be noted that computer-usable or computer-readable media may also include paper or another suitable medium on which a program is printed, since a program may be electronically captured, for example, via an optical scan of paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, or otherwise processed in an appropriate manner as necessary, and then stored in computer memory. In the context of this document, a computer-usable or computer-readable medium can be any medium that contains, stores, communicates, propagates, or transmits a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A computer-usable medium may contain propagating data signals having computer-usable and embodied computer-usable program code in the baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Computer-usable program code may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including, but not limited to, wireless, wired, fiber optic cables, RF, etc.

[0057]

[0064] The computer program code for performing the operations of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Smalltalk, and C++, and traditional procedural programming languages ​​such as the C programming language or similar languages. The program code may run entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or it may be connected to an external computer (for example, via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0058]

[0065] This disclosure will be described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. It will be understood that each block in a flowchart and / or block diagram, and combinations of blocks in a flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer processor, or other programmable data processing device to manufacture a machine such that instructions executed via a computer processor or other programmable data processing device create means for performing functions / operations specified in one or more blocks of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0059]

[0066] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium, which can instruct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular way so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce a product which includes instruction means that perform a function / operation specified in one or more blocks of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0060]

[0067] Computer program instructions can also be loaded into a computer or other programmable data processing device to cause a set of operational steps to be executed on the computer or other programmable device, in order to generate a computer execution process that provides a process for the instructions to be executed on the computer or other programmable device to perform a function / operation specified in one or more blocks of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0061]

[0068] While specific embodiments have been shown and described herein, those skilled in the art will understand that a wide variety of alternative and / or equivalent embodiments or implementations calculated to achieve the same objectives may be substituted for the embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that embodiments can be carried out in a wide variety of ways.

[0062]

[0069] This application is intended to cover any adapted or modified forms of the embodiments described herein. Therefore, the embodiments are clearly intended to be limited only by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An interface for a dental chair with adjustable positioning, A plurality of icons, each of which is associated with a stored position of the dental chair, and each of which graphically depicts the stored position, Multiple buttons, each of which is associated with a corresponding icon among the multiple icons, and Includes, The position of the dental chair is adjustable using the interface to select a stored position of the dental chair or to adjust the dental chair to a new position different from the stored position. The stored position associated with each of the plurality of icons can be reprogrammed after the dental chair is adjusted to a new position different from the stored position, and the adjusted position of the dental chair can be stored, and the graphical representation of the reprogrammed icon is updated to reflect the adjusted position of the dental chair. Interface.

2. When one of the aforementioned multiple icons is updated to reflect the adjusted position, the corresponding icon among the second multiple icons on the second interface is updated to reflect the adjusted position. The interface according to claim 1, wherein the interface is a first interface, and the first interface and the second interface are each connected to the dental chair.

3. The interface according to claim 2, wherein the first interface causes the second interface to update the corresponding icon among the second plurality of icons by data communication via a dental chair control board.

4. The interface according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of icons is displayed on a touchscreen, and each of the plurality of icons includes a corresponding button.

5. The interface according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of icons is separate from the corresponding button.

6. The interface according to claim 1, wherein the interface includes a graphical representation of the position of the dental chair, which is updated when the dental chair position is adjusted.

7. The interface according to claim 1, further comprising a selector for selecting a user profile from a plurality of stored user profiles, each of the user profiles having a plurality of stored locations, and the selection of the user profile causes the plurality of icons to reflect the plurality of stored locations of the selected user profile.

8. The interface according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of buttons is configured to toggle between the stored position associated with the corresponding icon of the button and the current position of the dental chair when each operation is performed.

9. A dental chair that can be adjusted within the range of possible positions, A first interface for adjusting the dental chair within the range of possible positions, wherein the first interface is A first plurality of icons, each of which is associated with a stored position within the range of possible positions, and each of which graphically depicts the stored position, Multiple buttons, each of which is associated with a corresponding icon from the first set of icons, and The first interface includes and A system that includes, The position of the dental chair is adjustable using the first interface to select a stored position of the dental chair or to adjust the dental chair to a new position different from the stored position. The stored position associated with each of the first plurality of icons can be reprogrammed after the dental chair is adjusted to a new position different from the stored position, and the adjusted position of the dental chair can be stored, and the graphical representation of the reprogrammed icon is updated to reflect the adjusted position of the dental chair. system.

10. When one of the first plurality of icons is updated to reflect the adjusted position, the corresponding icon among the second plurality of icons on the second interface is updated to reflect the adjusted position. The system according to claim 9, wherein activating one of the buttons causes the dental chair to move to the stored position associated with the corresponding icon of the button.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the first interface is a touchscreen interface, and each of the first plurality of icons also functions as a corresponding button among the plurality of buttons.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of buttons are a first plurality of buttons, the second interface includes a second plurality of buttons separate from the second plurality of icons, and each of the second plurality of buttons is associated with a corresponding one of the second plurality of icons.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein one of the first plurality of buttons and one of the second plurality of buttons are configured to toggle between the stored position associated with the corresponding icon of each button and the current position of the dental chair, each time it is activated.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein the interface further includes a selector for selecting a user profile from a plurality of stored user profiles, each of the user profiles having a plurality of stored locations, and the selection of the user profile causes the plurality of icons to reflect the plurality of stored locations of the selected user profile.

15. When performed by the device, the device Displaying a first set of icons on a first interface, wherein each of the first set of icons is associated with a stored position of a dental chair, and each of the first set of icons graphically represents the stored position. To select a stored position of the dental chair, or to adjust the dental chair to a new position different from the stored position, the system receives one or more commands from the first interface for adjusting the position of the dental chair. To reprogram the previously stored position of the dental chair, the system receives a command to store the adjusted position of the dental chair, Updating the graphical representation of one of the first multiple icons to reflect the adjusted position, which is different from the previously stored position of the dental chair, A non-temporary computer-readable medium (CRM) containing instructions to perform a certain action.

16. The CRM according to claim 15, wherein the first interface further includes a plurality of buttons, each of which corresponds to one of the first plurality of icons, and the command causes the position of the dental chair to be further adjusted to match a graphical representation of the icon corresponding to the activated button when one of the plurality of buttons is activated.

17. The CRM according to claim 15, wherein the device is the first interface, and the command causes the device to update a graphical representation of one of a second plurality of icons located on the second interface by signaling the device to the second interface that the adjusted position of the dental chair has been stored.

18. The CRM according to claim 17, wherein the device signals to the second interface via a control board connected to the dental chair, the first interface, and the second interface.

19. The aforementioned instruction further instructs the device, Receiving a selection of a user profile from multiple user profiles, wherein each of the multiple user profiles has multiple stored locations, The first set of icons causes the set of stored locations from the selected user profile to reflect the set of stored locations. The CRM according to claim 15, which can perform the following.

20. The CRM according to claim 16, wherein the command can further cause the device to cause one of the plurality of buttons to toggle between the stored position associated with the corresponding icon of the button and the current position of the dental chair during each operation.

Images