An acquisition apparatus for acquiring physiological data of an individual, configured to be installed in a bed frame, with an acquisition portion which includes a sensor intended to capture mechanical waves transiting in the bed frame, a support device including one or more rigid panels, the support device being configured to rest on bed frame elements which may be discontinuous for example slats, so that the support device is interposed between the bed frame elements and the sensor, and may provide a substantially continuous support to the sensor receiving the mechanical waves generated by the individual through the bedding, if necessary with folding zones between panels.

Spring modules for an adjustable sleeping system. At least some of the example embodiments are spring modules comprising: a spring rail, and a plurality of adjustable spring assemblies spaced along the length of the spring rail. Each adjustable spring assembly may comprise: a motor with a stator coupled to the spring rail, a lead screw coupled to the rotor of the motor, and the lead screw extending above an upper surface of the spring rail, a spring plate coupled to the lead screw, and a main spring coupled to the spring plate. Thus, the weight or force carried by each adjustable spring assembly along the spring rail is separately adjustable by a bed controller.

A customer’s affinity towards a plurality of mattresses displayed in a brick and mortar store is determined. The probability of the customer purchasing at least one of the displayed mattresses is extrapolated based on the customer’s affinity towards each of the mattresses. Customer engagement with each of the mattresses is determined based on the pressure data obtained from embedded pressure sensors responsive to the body pressure. The pressure data and the information indicative of a total number of positions taken up by the customer on each of the mattresses, time spent by the customer on each of the mattresses in each of the positions, and the total time spent by the customer on each of the mattresses are fed to a neural network as inputs, with the neural network determining an affinity score indicative of the customer’s affinity towards each of the mattresses.

A bedding system uses machine vision to makes adjustments for comfort and/or support. In one aspect, a pressure mapping engine measures a two-dimensional pressure image of a sleeper on the bedding system while the sleeper is sleeping on the bedding system. A machine vision process analyzes the pressure image. A comfort and support engine adjusts a comfort and/or support of the bedding system based on the machine vision analysis.

A bedding system uses machine vision to makes adjustments for comfort and/or support. In one aspect, a pressure mapping engine measures a two-dimensional pressure image of a sleeper on the bedding system while the sleeper is sleeping on the bedding system. A machine vision process analyzes the pressure image. A comfort and support engine adjusts a comfort and/or support of the bedding system based on the machine vision analysis.

A respiratory assistance component is disclosed that changes shape when an electrical charge is provided. The amount of electrical charge that is applied may be based on values, characteristics, or user controlled parameters of the respiratory assistance system. The component may be all or part of a patient interface, a tube, a flow generator, and/or a sleep mat.

A system and method establishing control of affordances at a workstation. The method includes the steps of storing affordance preferences in a database for a plurality of portable affordance settings that may be present at a workstation, detecting a subset of affordances present within a first zone associated with the workstation, for each detected affordance in the subset, identifying an affordance setting in the database indicating a user preference, and automatically controlling settings of at least each of the detected affordances in the subset to match the user preferences for the detected affordances.

A system and method establishing control of affordances at a workstation. The method includes the steps of storing affordance preferences in a database for a plurality of portable affordance settings that may be present at a workstation, detecting a subset of affordances present within a first zone associated with the workstation, for each detected affordance in the subset, identifying an affordance setting in the database indicating a user preference, and automatically controlling settings of at least each of the detected affordances in the subset to match the user preferences for the detected affordances.

Disclosed herein is a chair that includes a backrest portion, a seat portion coupled with the backrest portion, a column portion coupled with the seat portion, a linkage coupled with the backrest portion, a leaf spring in direct contact with the linkage, an arc-shaped toothed structure fixed translationally relative to the column portion, and a different toothed structure in contact with the arc-shaped toothed structure. The chair is also configured such that when a weight is applied to the seat portion, a fulcrum point of the leaf spring moves as the different toothed structure moves along the arc-shaped toothed structure to thereby shorten a working length of the leaf spring and provide an increased resistance to tilting of the backrest portion relative to the column portion. A process for assembling the chair and a weight-based tilt-resistance assembly for use with the chair are also described herein.

An improved bed and method of forming with the required profile and localised support for a user by the improved bed at various sections of the bed including shoulder (A), lumbar (B) hip and lower body (C) such as by the mattress (15) having selected forms or voids a Shoulder Pressure Attenuation Area (SPAAM) a Lumbar Pressure Attenuation Area (LPAAM) a Hip Pressure Attenuation Area (HPAAM) and the base (26) having a Shoulder Pressure Attenuation Area (SPAAB) a Lumbar Pressure Attenuation Area (LPAAB) a Hip Pressure Attenuation Area (HPAAB) locatable at different locations along the longitudinal extension of the bed (32,42,52) with a Shoulder Pressure variation means (31) a Lumbar Pressure variation means (41) and a Hip Pressure variation means (51) comprising adjustable slats driven by electric motors.