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.

A three dimensional mattress system with environment control is provided which may be configured to provide three dimensional body support to a user. In some embodiments, the system may include a rigid frame that may form a frame cavity. Optionally, the system may include one or more temperature regulators. A plurality of pillows may be positioned within the frame cavity, and a user may be supported by the plurality of pillows. Optionally, one or more air moving devices may be configured to move air external to the frame through the plurality of pillows, and one or more air filters may be configured to filter air moved by the air moving devices.

The subject invention is a device intended for use where support or restriction of motion of a body part is desired. The subject of the present invention is the formation of a network of lattice intrusions into the matrix of the device so that elements of the lattice can be removed to form a depression in the matrix of the device that conforms to the anatomy of the region that is being supported and positioned while offloading pressure.

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.

User comfort systems, devices and methods. In some embodiments, a system for providing comfort for a person can include a wearable patch configured to be attached to a skin of the person and sense a biological condition of the skin. The wearable patch can be further configured to transmit information representative of the sensed biological condition. The system can further include a controller configured to receive the information and generate a control signal, and an adjustment element associated with a furniture item implemented to support and provide comfort for the person. The adjustment element can be in communication with the controller and configured to adjust a comfort level of the furniture item for the person in response to the control signal.

Methods and devices for adjusting the position of a seat in a vehicle are described herein. The methods include obtaining pressure values output by a plurality of sub-sensors; calculating a mean square value and an average value of the pressure values output by the sub-sensors; judging whether a ratio of the mean square value to the average value is greater than a preset value; obtaining pressure values output by a front pressure sensor, a rear pressure sensor, a left pressure sensor and a right pressure sensor when the ratio of the mean square value to the average value is greater than the preset value; adjusting fore-and-aft positions of the seat according to the pressure values output by the front pressure sensor and the rear pressure sensor; and adjusting lateral positions of the seat according to the pressure values output by the left pressure sensor and the right pressure sensor.

An elastic device providing means of controlling its stiffness by controlling the tension of the string or group of springs resulting in adjustable transverse stiffness of it, arranged in matrix to enable the control of spatial stiffness of a 2D matrix in unlimited resolution.

A support apparatus for supporting padding of seating and/or lounging furniture that has a base body with spring elements for flat support of the padding and a loading/relief apparatus for achieving pressure loading or relief on the padding. The loading/relief apparatus acts on a spring element to achieve pressure loading or relief. The loading/relief apparatus has an electric motor in operative connection with at least one pressure element by which a pressure force is exerted or exertable on a spring element to achieve pressure loading or relief. The loading/relief apparatus has a first carriage in drive connection with an electric motor and is translationally movable in the longitudinal direction of the support apparatus. The first carriage bears at least one arm whose free end carries the pressure element for load/relief of the spring elements.

In one example, this disclosure describes a method including receiving, at a central controller of an air mattress system, a plurality of air pressure value, determining a plurality of average values using the plurality of the received air pressure values, calculating a difference value between a first one of the plurality of average values and a second one of the plurality of average values, comparing the difference value to a threshold value, determining, based on the comparison, whether a user of the air mattress system moved.