Seat system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12496512-B2
Application number	US-202318302143-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2023
Priority date	Oct 19, 2020
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

A seat system includes a seat, a controller, and a terminal. The seat includes a seat body, and a plurality of sensors configured to acquire information for use in detecting a motion of a user seated on the seat body. The controller is configured to acquire the information from the sensors. The terminal comprises a screen. The controller is configured to cause an object operated by the user to move based on the information acquired from the sensors, and to cause a movable object on the screen to move according to a motion of the object operated by the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A seat system comprising:
a seat, comprising:
a seat body, and
a plurality of sensors configured to acquire information for use in detecting a motion of a user seated on the seat body;
a controller; and a terminal comprising:
a screen,
wherein the controller is configured to:
acquire the information from the sensors, and
cause an object operated by the user to move based on the information acquired from the sensors, and
cause a movable object on the screen to move according to a motion of the object operated by the user,

wherein the screen comprises:
a first screen, and
a second screen disposed on the right of the first screen, and

wherein the controller is further configured to:
cause the object operated by the user to move onto the second screen if it is determined, based on the information acquired from the sensors, that the object operated by the user is located at a right end of the first screen and is heading to the right.

2 . The seat system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the movable object is a character representing an animal, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine, based on the information acquired from the sensors, that the user has made a first motion to feed the character,
display a food icon for the animal on the screen, and
cause the character to move toward a location of the food icon.

3 . The seat system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the movable object is a character representing an animal, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine, based on the information acquired from the sensors, that the user has made a second motion to attack the character,
display an image indicating the attack on the screen, and
cause the character to run away or to fall to the ground.

4 . The seat system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the movable object is a character representing an animal, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine whether an output value from the sensors has changed, and
cause the character on the screen to increase in number if it is determined that the output value from the sensors has not changed, or
cause the character on the screen to run away if it is determined that the output value from the sensors has changed.

5 . The seat system according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that the user is surprised if an amount of fluctuation per unit time in an output value of the sensors is greater than a predetermined value, and display an image indicating a surprise on the screen.

6 . The seat system according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
cause the character on the screen to increase in number if it is determined that the user is surprised.

7 . A seat system, comprising:
a seat, comprising:
a seat body, and
a plurality of sensors configured to acquire information for use in detecting a motion of a user seated on the seat body;
a controller;
a terminal, comprising:
a screen; and

a height-adjustment mechanism configured to change a height of at least a part of the seat body,
wherein the controller is configured to:
acquire the information from the plurality of sensors,
cause an object operated by the user to move based on the information acquired from the sensors, and
cause a movable object on the screen to move according to a motion of the object operated by the user; and

wherein the seat body comprises a seat bottom,
wherein the plurality of sensors comprise:
a plurality of pressure sensors provided at the seat bottom, and the plurality of pressure sensors are configured to detect pressures exerted on a seating surface of the seat bottom, the plurality of pressure sensors comprising:
a front-right sensor located frontward in the front-rear direction and rightward in the left-right direction of a midsection of the seating surface of the seat bottom; and
a front-left sensor located frontward in the front-rear direction and leftward in the left-right direction of the midsection of the seating surface of the seat bottom, and

wherein the controller is further configured to:
control the height-adjustment mechanism to change the height of at least the part of the seat body such that pressures detected by the front-right sensor and the front-left sensor satisfy a predetermined condition.

8 . The seat system according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
move the seat bottom upward if it is determined that the pressures detected by the front-right sensor and the front-left sensor are equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, and stop the seat bottom when amounts of change per unit time in the pressures detected by the front-right sensor and the front-left sensor become equal to or smaller than a first threshold value.

9 . The seat system according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
move the seat bottom downward, if it is determined that the pressures detected by the front-right sensor and the front-left sensor are not equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, until amounts of change per unit time in the pressures detected by the front-right sensor and the front-left sensor become equal to or greater than a second threshold value, move the seat bottom upward, and stop the seat bottom when the amounts of change per unit time in the pressures detected by the front-right sensor and the front-left sensor become equal to or smaller than a first threshold value.

10 . The seat system according to claim 7 ,
wherein the seat body comprises:
a seat bottom, and
a footrest configured to support a foot of an occupant seated on the seat bottom,
wherein the height-adjustment mechanism comprises:
a footrest-adjustment mechanism configured to change a height of the footrest relative to the seat bottom, and
wherein the controller is further configured to:
control the footrest-adjustment mechanism to change the height of the footrest such that the pressures detected by the front-right sensor and the front-left sensor satisfy a predetermined condition.

11 . The seat system according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
move the footrest downward if it is determined that the pressures detected by the front-right sensor and the front-left sensor are equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, and stop the footrest when amounts of change per unit time in the pressures detected by the front-right sensor and the front-left sensor become equal to or smaller than a first threshold value.

12 . The seat system according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
move the footrest upward, if it is determined that the pressures detected by the front-right sensor and the front-left sensor are not equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, until amounts of change per unit time in the pressures detected by the front-right sensor and the front-left sensor become equal to or greater than a second threshold value, and move the footrest downward, and stop the footrest when the amounts of change per unit time in the pressures detected by the front-right sensor and the front-left sensor become equal to or smaller than a first threshold value.

13 . The seat system according to claim 8 , wherein the first threshold value is a value greater than zero.

14 . The seat system according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that a right leg of an occupant seated on the seat body has been lifted based on a pressure d

Assignees

• Ts Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kaku Hiroyuki
• Miyoshi Takako
• WAKU Michinobu
• Soma Marie
• Kusano Atsushi
• Kaneda Satoru
• Kowa Munetaka
• Higashi Yosuke
• Hirose Ryuichiro
• Sato Ryosuke

Classifications

• A63F13/56

  Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding · CPC title

• A63F13/26

  having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth · CPC title

• A63F13/24 Primary

  Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles · CPC title

• A63F13/214

  for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads · CPC title

• A63F13/245

  specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels · CPC title