Temperature controlled multi-zone seating unit
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies for furniture and computer systems lack integrated solutions for enhancing user experiences through proximity-based interactions, which restrict the capabilities of furniture beyond mere physical functions and fail to leverage network communications effectively for enhanced experiences.
Innovation Solution
A furnishing experience system that communicates bidirectionally with client devices via various networks, enabling proximity-based interactions to facilitate configuration, control, and provision of experiences such as lighting, heating, music, entertainment, shopping, services, and augmented/virtual reality through furnishing units equipped with processing systems and communication protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If furniture is equipped with integrated processing systems and communication protocols for proximity-based interactions, then user experience capabilities are enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The furnishing unit is designed to perform multiple functions beyond its primary physical purpose by integrating heating elements, cooling elements, lighting elements, speakers, and processing systems. This allows a single furniture piece to serve as a multi-functional experience platform that can provide thermal comfort, illumination, audio output, and networked communication capabilities simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines traditionally separate systems (furniture structure, electronic components, communication modules, and control systems) into an integrated furnishing unit. The processing system merges data from proximity sensors, user inputs, and network communications to coordinate multiple output devices (heaters, coolers, lights, speakers) as a unified system
2Temperature
If furniture integrates heating and cooling elements for temperature control, then user comfort is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The furnishing unit incorporates distinct heating and cooling zones that can be independently controlled to address different thermal needs of users in different positions. The system can provide localized thermal adjustment rather than uniform temperature control across the entire furniture piece
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal control system is designed to dynamically adjust heating and cooling outputs based on real-time sensor data, user preferences, and environmental conditions. The processing system continuously monitors and modifies the operation of heating and cooling elements to maintain optimal temperature zones
Data Source
AI summary
A seating unit operates by: receiving, via a communication interface from a client device associated with a user, communications that include selection data generated by the client device based on user input by the user to an interactive user interface of the client device, wherein the selection data includes a plurality of target temperatures corresponding to a plurality of heating elements of the seating unit; delivering power to a first heating element of the seating unit in accordance with a first temperature of the plurality of target temperatures; and delivering power to a second heating element of the seating unit in accordance with a second temperature of the plurality of target temperatures.