A cabin providing a workspace for personal use

Abstract

A cabin providing a workspace for personal use, such as for conferencing or for providing a sound isolating work spot, wherein the cabin is provided with a signaling light source which is indicative of the status of the cabin, characterized in that the signaling light source is one of a vertical light bar, a horizontal light bar, and a circular light bar, panel or door which provides at least one of a. a running or moving light filling the light bar from a first extremity of the light bar to a second extremity of the light bar which is distant from the first extremity, wherein the speed of the running or moving light depends on the status of the cabin; b. a pulsating light which pulses in a frequency which depends on the status of the cabin; c. the light of option a. which, while running, gradually changes color.

Description

[0001] A cabin providing a workspace for personal use

[0002] The invention relates to a cabin providing a workspace for personal use, such as for conferencing or for providing a sound isolating work spot, wherein the cabin is provided with a signaling light source which is indicative of the status of the cabin .

[0003] Such a cabin is known from practice, wherein in the known cabin the signaling light source is usually a light point or light line with a single color at a time that is indicative for the status of the cabin.

[0004] US2020 / 0347626 discloses a cabin according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0005] It is an object of the invention to increase the versatility of the cabin in terms of information content that is made available to actual or potential users of the cabin.

[0006] The cabin according to the invention is therefore characterized by features of one or more of the appended claims.

[0007] In a first aspect of the invention the signaling light source provides at least one of a. a running or moving light filling the light bar from a first extremity of the light bar to a second extremity of the light bar which is distant from the first extremity, wherein the speed of the running or moving light depends on the status of the cabin; b. a pulsating light which pulses in a frequency which depends on the status of the cabin; c. the light of option a. which, while running, gradually changes color, wherein the cabin is provided with one or more sensors that are equipped to measure a status parameter of the cabin, said status parameter comprising one of CO2, temperature, noise, occupancy, and that the cabin has a processor which is connected to said one or more sensors for determining the status parameter of the cabin, which processor is equipped with an algorithm that translates signals received from the one or more sensors into a drive signal for the signaling light source, wherein the processor operating according to the algorithm is equipped to communicate said status parameter via a light signal or signals radiated by the signaling light source.

[0008] Preferably the signaling light source is provided onto an outer surface of the cabin, such as on a vertical corner post or on a horizontal edge of the cabin.

[0009] It is also possible that in addition to the feature of the previous paragraph or instead of the feature of the previous paragraph the signaling light source is provided in the cabin to inform the user in the cabin, such as when his time for use of the cabin is running out.

[0010] The object of the invention can advantageously be further promoted by providing that the processor is equipped with an algorithm that translates signals received from the one or more sensors into a drive signal for the signaling light source. The sensors can -as said above- be used to measure status parameters of the cabin such as C02, temperature, noise, occupancy and the processor is equipped to communicate the same via light signals radiated by the signaling light source.

[0011] In a suitable embodiment of the cabin of the invention the one or more sensors measure atmosphere parameters within the cabin, and the processor is further connected to a ventilator for refreshing the internal atmosphere of the cabin depending on the atmosphere parameters measured with the one or more sensors.

[0012] In other advantageous embodiments it is possible that the status of the cabin comprises a count of the time elapsed since the last booking of the cabin, or a remaining time until a next booking of the cabin.

[0013] In one embodiment the status of the cabin comprises a signal that is based on a comparison of a noise level external of the cabin with a sound level in the cabin interior due to noise absorption. In that case a preferred additional feature can be that the user will be informed if he is talking too loud.

[0014] The accompanying drawing, which is incorporated into and forms a part of the specification, illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention and, together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the invention. The drawing is only for the purpose of illustrating the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention.

[0015] In the drawing a single figure is provided of a preferred embodiment of the cabin according to the invention.

[0016] The figure shows a cabin 1 providing a workspace 2 for personal use, such as for conferencing or for providing a sound isolating work spot. The cabin 1 is provided with a signaling light source 3 which is indicative of the status of the cabin 1, wherein in this exemplary embodiment the signaling light source 3 is a vertical light bar 4. It is however equally possible that the signaling light source will be a horizontal light bar, or a circular light bar, or even a complete panel or door.

[0017] The vertical light bars indicated with reference numerals 4.1,

[0018] 4.2, and 4.3 in the figure represent the vertical light bar 4 at different subsequent time instances, therewith showing that the signaling light source 3 provides for instance a running or moving light filling the light bar from a first extremity A of the light bar 4 to a second extremity B of the light bar 4 which is distant from the first extremity A.

[0019] The speed of the running or moving light depends on the status of the cabin 1. It shows for instance in the figure that going from vertical light bar at time instance 4.1, via light bar at time instance 4.2 and ending with light bar at time instance 4.3, the light moves from a down area to an upside area of the vertical light bar 4. This is however not essential, it is also possible to apply a pulsating light which pulses in a frequency which depends on the status of the cabin. The former is represented by the vertical light bars according to time instances 4.4 and 4.5 which relate to alternating situations of radiation and absence of radiation of the vertical light bar 4.

[0020] As is shown in the figure, the signaling light source 3 is provided on an outer surface of the cabin 1, such as shown on a vertical corner post 5. It is however also possible to provide the light source on a horizontal edge 6 of the cabin 1, or on a combination of the vertical corner post 5 and the horizontal edge 6.

[0021] Furthermore, the figure shows that preferably the cabin 1 is provided with a processor 7 which is connected to one or more sensors (not shown) for determining the status of the cabin 1. The processor 7 is equipped with an algorithm that translates signals received from the one or more sensors into a drive signal for the signaling light source 3.

[0022] Preferably the one or more sensors measure atmosphere parameters within the cabin 1, and the processor 7 is further connected to a ventilator or ventilators 8 for refreshing the internal atmosphere of the cabin 1 depending on the atmosphere parameters measured with the one or more sensors.

[0023] Other advantageous embodiments of the cabin of the invention provide that the status of the cabin 1 comprises a count of the time elapsed since the last booking of the cabin 1, or a remaining time until a next booking of the cabin 1.

[0024] In another suitable embodiment the status of the cabin 1 comprises a signal that is based on a comparison of a noise level external of the cabin 1 with the sound level in the cabin interior due to noise absorption.

[0025] Although the invention has been discussed in the foregoing with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the invention is not restricted to this particular embodiment which can be varied in many ways without departing from the invention.

[0026] The discussed exemplary embodiment shall therefore not be used to construe the appended claims strictly in accordance therewith. On the contrary the embodiment is merely intended to explain the wording of the appended claims without intent to limit the claim to this exemplary embodiment. The scope of protection of the invention shall therefore be construed in accordance with the appended claims only, wherein a possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exemplary embodiment.

[0027] Variations and modifications of the present invention that will be obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be covered in the appended claims Unless specifically stated as being "essential" above, none of the various components or the interrelationship thereof are essential to the operation of the invention. Rather, desirable results can be achieved by substituting various components and / or reconfiguration of their relationships with one another.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A cabin (1) providing a workspace (2) for personal use, such as for conferencing or for providing a sound isolating work spot, wherein the cabin (1) is provided with a signaling light source (4) which is indicative of the status of the cabin (1) , wherein the signaling light source is one of a vertical light bar, a horizontal light bar, a circular light bar, a panel or a door, characterized in that the signaling light source provides at least one of a. a running or moving light filling the light bar from a first extremity of the light bar to a second extremity of the light bar which is distant from the first extremity, wherein the speed of the running or moving light depends on the status of the cabin; b. a pulsating light which pulses in a frequency which depends on the status of the cabin; c. the light of option a. which, while running, gradually changes color, and that the cabin (1) is provided with one or more sensors that are equipped to measure a status parameter of the cabin (1) , said status parameter comprising one of C02, temperature, noise, occupancy, and that the cabin has a processor (7) which is connected to said one or more sensors for determining the status parameter of the cabin (1) , which processor (7) is equipped with an algorithm that translates signals received from the one or more sensors into a drive signal for the signaling light source (4) , wherein the processor (7) operating according to the algorithm is equipped to communicate said status parameter via a light signal or signals radiated by the signaling light source (4) .

2. The cabin according to claim 1, characterized in that the signaling light source (4) is provided onto an outer surface of the cabin, such as on a vertical corner post (5) or on a horizontal edge (6) of the cabin.

3. The cabin according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a signaling light source or the signaling light source is provided in the cabin (1) .

4. The cabin according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the one or more sensors measure atmosphere parameters within the cabin (1) , and the processor (7) is further connected to a ventilator (8) for refreshing the internal atmosphere of the cabin (1) depending on the atmosphere parameters measured with the one or more sensors.

5. The cabin according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the status of the cabin (1) comprises a count of the time elapsed since the last booking of the cabin, or a remaining time until a next booking of the cabin.

6. The cabin according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the status of the cabin (1) comprises a signal that is based on a comparison of a noise level external of the cabin with a sound level within the cabin interior due to noise absorption.

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