WO2014084765A1

WO2014084765A1 - Health-stimulating piece of furniture

Info

Publication number: WO2014084765A1
Application number: PCT/SE2012/051330
Authority: WO
Inventors: Per FELLERT
Original assignee: Promas Ab
Priority date: 2012-11-30
Filing date: 2012-11-30
Publication date: 2014-06-05

Abstract

The invention relates to a health-stimulating piece of furniture(100) for a user, comprising: a massage unit (102) for providing massage functions to the body of said user while being positioned in said piece(100); a display unit (104) configured as a user interface allowing input of instructions from said user and providing output messages to said user related to the operation of said piece (100); an audio unit (106) configured for providing audio messages to said user during use of said piece(100); and a control unit (108), being connected to said massage unit (102), display unit (104) and audio unit (106), and configured for coordinating said units in accordance with at least one preset health-stimulating program. The invention further comprises: a communication unit (110) configured for establishing a connection between said control unit (108) and a remote server unit (112) and for allowing communication relating to the status and operating condition of said piece of furniture (100).

Description

TITLE

Health-stimulating piece of furniture. FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a health-stimulating piece of furniture for a user, comprising: a massage unit for providing massage functions to the body of said user while being positioned in said piece; a display unit configured as a user interface allowing input of instructions from said user and providing output messages to said user related to the operation of said piece; an audio unit configured for providing audio messages to said user during use of said piece; and a control unit, being connected to said massage unit, display unit and audio unit, and configured for coordinating said units in accordance with at least one preset health-stimulating program.

BACKGROUND

Chairs with an ability to provide massage or therapy to users are previously known. For example, many massage parlours have massage chairs with various inbuilt training programs to provide neck massage or body massage to users. Such massage chairs have increasingly become popular in office and home environments also. However, the drawback of such chairs is that they are stand-alone units without periodic access to a service centre, an information helpdesk and the like. Consequently, the maintenance and servicing of such massage chairs become very difficult. Thus, there exists a need for a better massage chair which incorporates advanced technologies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the invention is to provide an improved health-stimulating piece of furniture. This objective is achieved by the health-stimulating piece of furniture as set forth in the appended claims. The piece of furniture is according to an embodiment basically a massage arm chair arranged for improving the mental and physical health of a user.

According to the present invention there is provided a health-stimulating piece of furniture as defined above and further comprising a communication unit configured for establishing a connection between said control unit and a remote server unit and for allowing communication relating to the status and operating condition of said piece. The communication unit is arranged for establishing a connection with a remote server unit in order to download updates to software and preset health-stimulating programs and other functions. Thus, there is no need of manually updating the software and health-stimulating programs of each health-stimulating piece.

According to one aspect of the invention the communication unit connects to a remote payment gateway to facilitate payment for usage of health-stimulating chair and for services related to the piece of furniture. This allows each user to easily pay for using the health-stimulating piece of furniture, for example via a credit card payment routine as is previously known. In a further aspect of the invention the communication unit connects to the remote payment gateway using a radio module which has an optional subscriber identity module (SIM) card slot. This provides wireless connectivity from a remote server unit to the health-stimulating piece of furniture via a conventional telephone network.

According to an embodiment, the invention can be arranged so that the communication unit is configured for connecting to a mobile unit, such as a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer or a PDA, using a wireless connection. This allows a user to have access to certain functions associated with the piece of furniture, such as information regarding updates and status information, without actually having to be close to said piece of furniture or being seated in said piece.

According to yet another aspect of the invention a control unit of the health- stimulating piece of furniture is configured for creating login credentials for a user of said piece of furniture. This allows each user of said piece of furniture to personalize various options of the preset health-stimulating programs.

Preferably, the communication unit and the audio unit are housed inside a display unit for saving space and reducing the cables and connectors which are required to connect different units of health-stimulating piece of furniture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be further disclosed and the advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art through the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a health-stimulating piece of furniture, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 2 is an exemplary health-stimulating piece of furniture, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DISCLOSURE OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The figures are schematic and simplified for clarity and merely show details essential for understanding the invention. Throughout the disclosure the same reference numerals have been used to represent identical or corresponding parts. Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a health-stimulating piece of furniture, in the form of a chair 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The health-stimulating chair 100 is suitably in the form of an armchair which comprises of a massage unit 102, a display unit 104, an audio unit 106, a control unit 108 and a communication unit 1 10.

The massage unit 102 is used for providing massage functions to the body of a user while the user is seated in health-stimulating chair 100. The massage functions include head massage, back massage, foot massage, neck massage, full-body massage and the like. It may be apparent to any person skilled in the art that other known types of massages may also be provided using the massage unit 102, such as massage based on ultrasound or the distribution of soundwaves. The display unit 104 is configured as a user interface for allowing input of instructions from the user and providing output messages to the user related to the operation of the health-stimulating chair 100. The instructions from user include selection of at least one preset health-stimulating program from a number of preset health-stimulating programs, entering commands for operation of health-stimulating chair 100, selection of movies for playback on display unit 104 and selection of audio for playback using the audio unit 104. A health-stimulating program is a set of instructions designed for providing massage function, visually-relaxing content and audio messages to a user of the health-stimulating chair 100. This means that the user, while receiving massage in the chair, listens to an audio program which can be used for mental relaxation, anti-stress treatment or similar.

Consequently, the audio messages can suitably be in the form of a recording of a narrator who reads out loud a text which is composed in order to stimulate the mind. For example, such a text can be composed so as to allow relaxation or an anti-stress process in the mind of the user. Also, the audio messages can be composed in the form of an aid for the user to quit smoking. Suitably, such spoken-word audio messages can be mixed together with a musical background in order to facilitate for the user to absorb the message of the spoken audio messages. In this manner, a user may experience effects such as reduced stress, improved energy and motivation, better sleep and other health-improving effects. It has been found that soft massage, for example in a massage armchair, may lead to improvements related to anti-stress and a more relaxed mental state. It is also known that such massage in combination with mental training (for example by means of audio programs as described above) has beneficial effects as regards the ability to relax, reduced stress levels, access to more energy and motivation etc. In fact, it has be shown that the massage as described has positive effects on the administration of oxytocin - which is a neuropeptide and hormone - in the human body. Oxytocin has anti-stress effects in humans and it is also believed that such reduced stress level improves the susceptibility to mental training and similar activities. An important principle behind the invention is the insight that the combination of the massage and the mental training has positive effects. For this reason, it can be noted that a chair which is designed according to the principles of the invention can be used in workplaces, offices etc in order to provide health-stimulating treatments of employees.

It may be apparent to any person skilled in the art that various other instructions related to the operation of the health-stimulating chair 100 may also be input by the user using the display unit 104. To this end, the display unit 104 may include a touch screen interface for receiving touch-based user input.

The output messages to the user may include playing of a movie selected by the user, displaying the at least one preset health-stimulating program selected by the user, or displaying new campaigns or advertisements and price packages available for using the health-stimulating chair 100. It may be apparent to any person skilled in the art that various other output messages related to the operation of the health-stimulating chair 100 may also be displayed to the user using the display unit 104 and/or the audio unit 106.

As mentioned above, the audio unit 106 is configured for providing audio messages to the user during the use/operation of the health-stimulating chair 100. The audio messages include speech-based commands or instructions for the user, playback of the songs selected for playing by the user, audio playback associated with a movie selected for playing by the user, anti- smoking messages, mental coaching messages and de-stressing messages. It may be apparent to any person skilled in the art that other audio messages related to the operation of health-stimulating chair 100 may be provided by the audio unit 106 to the user.

The control unit 108 is connected to the massage unit 102, the display unit 104 and the audio unit 106 and coordinates their operation in accordance with at least one preset health-stimulating program. A number of such preset health-stimulating programs are stored in the control unit 108 for easy selection by the user of the health-stimulating chair 100.

Typical examples of control unit 108 include a programmed microprocessor, a micro-controller, a peripheral integrated circuit element, and other devices or arrangements of devices that are capable of implementing the logic of the present invention. Further, the control unit 108 also stores the at least one preset health-stimulating program or a set of instructions for the suitable operation of the health-stimulating chair 100. The computer programs or set of instructions may include various commands that instruct the control unit 108 to perform specific tasks such as the steps that constitute the logic for the present invention.

The communication unit 1 10 is configured for establishing a connection between the control unit 108 and a remote server unit 1 12 and for allowing communication relating to the status and operating condition of health- stimulating chair 100. The status and operating condition includes information about frequency of use of the health-stimulating chair, or any errors encountered by the control unit 108 in the normal operation of the health- stimulating chair etc. This enables a service provider or seller of health- stimulating chairs to accordingly plan maintenance and service schedules for each of the health-stimulating chairs. Typical examples of a remote server unit 1 12 include a cluster of workstation computers or dedicated mainframe server etc.

The communication unit 1 10 connects to the remote server unit 1 12 using a wired connection or a wireless connection. The wired connection may be one of an Ethernet connection or dial-up telephone connection. The wireless connection may be one of a Wi-Fi connection or a cellular connection. To this end, the communication unit 1 10 includes a radio module (not shown in figure) with an optional slot for receiving subscriber identity module (SIM) card. The radio module may be a Wi-Fi 802.1 1 a/b/g/n module or a 2G, 3G, CDMA or LTE module. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the remote server unit 1 12 is configured for receiving periodic communication from a number of health- stimulating chairs. In such an embodiment, the communication unit 1 10 receives the status and operating condition of the health-stimulating chair 100 from the control unit 108 and transmits this information to the remote server unit 1 12. For example, any occurring errors or service requests being generated in any chair being associated with the remote server unit 1 12 should be transmitted to the remote server unit 1 12.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the remote server unit 1 12 is configured for distributing updates to at least one preset health- stimulating program of a number of the health-stimulating chairs. In such an embodiment, the control unit 108 updates the at least one preset health- stimulating program in coordination with the communication unit 1 10. Furthermore, the communication unit 1 10 can be arranged for communicating with a mobile unit 1 13. According to an embodiment, the mobile unit 1 13 can be in the form of a mobile phone, but alternatively it could be a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a PDA or similar. In this manner, the user may be allowed to receive information from the chair 100, for example in the form of notifications of new software updates, service requests etc. This means that a user may have access to certain functions associated with the chair without actually having to be close to the chair 100 or being seated in it.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the remote server unit 1 12 is configured for distributing surveys and questionnaires to users. In such an embodiment, the surveys and questionnaires are received by the control unit 108 and displayed on the display unit 104 for easy access by a user. In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention, the remote server unit 1 12 is configured for distributing advertisements to users. In such an embodiment, the advertisements received by the communication unit 1 10 are displayed on the display unit 104 by the control unit 108. Such distributed information can for example be in the form of information related to various features of the chair 100, information related to invitations to user demonstrations of the chair 100 by a distributor, or information related to new audio programs which can be ordered by the users. In case the user wishes to order, for example, a new audio program, the user may enter relevant information via the display unit 104 for further transmission to the remote server unit 1 12. Furthermore, the distributed information can be in the form of email messages which can be sent to the users in order to inform for example of new audio programs etc which are available.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the control unit 108 is configured for creating login credentials for a user of health-stimulating chair 100. The login credentials allow said user to personalize one or more options/ preferences of the at least one preset health-stimulating program. The login credentials also allow the control unit 104 to generate login-specific reports and charts for each user of the health-stimulating chair 100. The login-specific reports may include monthly utilization reports, or monthly fitness and health statistics for each user. For example, if the supplier has information related to how often the chair is used, the supplier may adapt to this by making visits to certain users or user groups in order to demonstrate for example how the chair should be used in an optimal manner.

By creating log-in credentials, there is provided a possibility of using a system in which the user has to log in before starting to use the chair 100. This means that it is possible to obtain user information, statistics for each individual user. Such information can be used for generating reports related to the use of the chair 100 for each user.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, it is arranged with routines for payment for using the chair 100. More precisely, the control unit 108 is arranged to allow a user to pay for using the health-stimulating chair 100. In such an embodiment, the communication unit 1 10 connects to a remote payment gateway (not shown in figure) to facilitate payment for using health- stimulating chair 100. For example, the payment may be based on a 'pay-peruse' model wherein a user pays each time he/she wishes to use health- stimulating chair 100. Alternatively, the payment may be a periodic fee such a monthly fee or a yearly fee for using the health-stimulating chair 100.

The fee payment can be based on which audio and massage programs have been used, i.e. how many times and during how long time. The payment scheme can be based on a system in which the user initially rents a chair and later (after a certain period of time) buys it. The payment can also be implemented by means of conventional credit card payment procedures. In the event that a credit card is used, the invention can be arranged so that a certain fee is charged to a credit card and allows access to the chair 100 for a predetermined number of times. A credit card can additionally be used for proving whether the user is authorized to use the chair 100.

The communication unit 1 10 connects with the remote payment gateway to allow users to make the payment using their credit card, a debit card or internet-banking or a combination thereof.

In various embodiments of the invention, the massage unit 102, the display unit 104, the audio unit 106, the control unit 108 and the communication unit 1 10 of the health-stimulating chair 100 can be implemented in the form of hardware, software, firmware, and/or combinations thereof.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the communication unit 1 10 is housed inside the display unit 104. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the communication unit 1 10 is housed separate from the display unit 104. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the audio unit 106 is housed inside the display unit 104. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the audio unit 106 is housed separate from the display unit 104. In various embodiments of the invention, the health-stimulating chair 100 utilizes the computational capabilities of a microprocessor of a computational device (not shown in the figure).

Figure 2 is an exemplary health-stimulating chair 200, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. It may be apparent to any person skilled in the art that the health-stimulating piece of furniture according to the invention can be a chair 200 but may be also be designed in the form of a sofa, couch, a rocking chair, recliner, seat, bed, table or generally any type of furniture having a surface to sit or lie on and being equipped with means for providing the massage functions as described above. Consequently, in the context of this invention, the term "piece of furniture" is intended to cover various types of furniture in which a user can sit or lie on and for providing said massage functions. The foregoing is a disclosure of an example practicing the present invention. Inasmuch as the foregoing disclosure is intended to enable one skilled in the art to practice the instant invention, it should not be construed to be limited thereby, but should be construed to include such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1 . A health-stimulating piece of furniture (100) for a user, comprising:

- a massage unit (102) for providing massage functions to the body of said user while being positioned in said piece (100);

- a display unit (104) configured as a user interface allowing input of instructions from said user and providing output messages to said user related to the operation of said piece (100);

- an audio unit (106) configured for providing audio messages to said user during use of said piece (100); and

- a control unit (108), being connected to said massage unit (102), display unit (104) and audio unit (106), and configured for coordinating said units in accordance with at least one preset health-stimulating program;

characterized in that it further comprises:

- a communication unit (1 10) configured for establishing a connection between said control unit (108) and a remote server unit (1 12) and for allowing communication relating to the status and operating condition of said piece (100).

2. The health-stimulating piece of furniture (100) according to claim 1 wherein said communication unit (1 10) is further configured for connecting to said remote server unit (1 12) using a wired connection or a wireless connection.

3. The health-stimulating piece of furniture (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said communication unit (1 10) is configured for connecting to a remote payment gateway for facilitating payment for usage of said piece (100).

4. The health-stimulating piece of furniture (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said communication unit (1 10) is configured for connecting to a mobile unit (1 13), such as a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer or a PDA, using a wireless connection.

5. The health-stimulating piece of furniture (100) according to any one of claims 2-4, wherein said wireless connection may is provided by means of a wi-fi connection and/or a cellular connection.

6. The health-stimulating piece of furniture (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said control unit (108) is further configured for updating the at least one preset health-stimulating program using said communication unit (1 10).

7. The health-stimulating piece of furniture (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said control unit (108) is further configured for creating login credentials for said user for personalizing at least one menu- option of the at least one preset health-stimulating program.

8. The health-stimulating piece of furniture (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said communication unit (1 10) is housed inside said display unit (104).

9. The health-stimulating piece of furniture (100) according to any one of claims 1 -7, wherein said communication unit (1 10) is housed separate from said display unit (104).

10. The health-stimulating piece of furniture (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said audio unit (106) is housed inside said display unit (104).

1 1 . The health-stimulating piece of furniture (100) according to any one of claims 1 -9, wherein said audio unit (106) is housed separate from said display unit (104).

12. The health-stimulating piece of furniture (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the massage functions are selected from one of a head massage, a foot massage, a neck massage, a back massage and a full- body massage.

13. The health-stimulating piece of furniture (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein it is constituted by a sofa, couch, rocking chair, recliner, seat, bed, table or similar, having a surface to sit or lie on.