IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,630,062
Granted Patent B2
US 12,630,062 · App. 17/222,314 · Granted May 19, 2026

Condition correction unit

Inventor: Kensuke Mizoi (Tochigi, JP)
Assignee: TS TECH CO., LTD.
B60N2/56A61B5/0816A61B5/1126A61B5/18A61B5/4561A61B5/6893A61B5/7455A61H1/00B60N2/0023B60N2/0025B60N2/0027B60N2/003B60N2/0228B60N2/0273B60N2/665B60N2/90B60N2/914B60N2/976A61B5/1077A61H1/0292A61H9/0078A61H2201/0149A61H2201/0207A61H2201/1623A61H2201/5002A61H2201/5061A61H2230/625B60N2/026B60N2/0268B60N2002/981B60N2210/24B60N2210/40B60N2220/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,630,062
App. No.
17/222,314
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A condition correction unit includes a plan storage unit configured to store correction plans showing contents of correction of the body condition of a seated person, a presentation unit configured to read a correction plan based on a current value measured by a measurement unit from the plan storage unit and present the correction plan to the seated person, and a processing execution unit configured to execute processing to correct posture by controlling an operating unit. The plan storage unit stores the correction plan presented by the presentation unit in association with information identifying the seated person when the correction plan is presented. The processing execution unit reads the correction plan associated with the information identifying the seated person from the plan storage unit, and executes the processing to correct the posture according to correction contents shown by the correction plan.

Claims (64)

1 . A condition correction unit comprising:

an operator configured to operate to correct a body condition of a seated person seated in a seat;

a control circuit configured to measure a current value of an indicator for determining the body condition and to execute processing to correct the body condition by controlling the operator;

a memory configured to store correction plans showing contents of correction of the body condition;

a heater configured to warm a predetermined part of the body of the seated person seated in the seat;

a bulging pressure sensor configured to measure a bulging pressure of an air bag disposed in a seat back of the seat; and

a pressure sensor provided on the air bag and configured to measure a pressure applied to the seat back,

wherein controlling modes to be performed by the control circuit include:

an ideal correction mode that is a mode to control the operator to correct a seated posture of the seated person to an ideal posture, wherein the ideal posture is a preselected posture as an ultimate goal for the seated person; and

a comfortable correction mode that is a mode to control the operator to allow the seated person to keep a current seated posture for stabilizing the current seated posture of the seated person as it is,

wherein one of the controlling modes is designatable,

wherein the indicator includes the bulging pressure of the air bag measured by the bulging pressure sensor and pressure applied to the seat back measured by the pressure sensor,

wherein the control circuit determines the current seated posture of the seated person based on the measured current value of the bulging pressure of the air bag and the measured current value of the pressure applied to the seat back,

wherein, when a determination result of the current seated posture of the seated person determined based on the measured current value of the bulging pressure of the air bag and the measured current value of the pressure applied to the seat back is not the ideal posture, the control circuit allows designation of one of the ideal correction mode and the comfortable correction mode by the seated person,

wherein the control circuit receives designation of the one of the controlling modes after measuring the current value of the indicator,

wherein the control circuit executes the processing to correct the body condition according to the contents of the correction shown by the correction plans read from the memory suitable for the current seated posture of the seated person and adjusts the bulging pressure of the air bag in accordance with the determination result of the current seated posture of the seated person, and

wherein, upon receipt of a signal indicating that the seated person is seated in the seat or upon a predetermined operation performed after the seated person is seated in the seat, and in response to the designation of the ideal correction mode, the control circuit controls the heater to warm the predetermined part of the body of the seated person before the control circuit executes the processing to correct the body condition.

2 . The condition correction unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a vibrator configured to apply vibrations to the predetermined part of the body of the seated person seated in the seat,

wherein the control circuit controls the heater to warm the predetermined part of the body of the seated person before the control circuit controls the vibrator to apply a vibration to the predetermined part of the body of the seated person.

3 . The condition correction unit according to claim 2 , wherein the heater is disposed below the vibrator in the seat.

4 . The condition correction unit according to claim 2 , wherein the heater and the vibrator are provided in a seat back of the seat, and

wherein the heater is disposed below the vibrator in the seat.

5 . The condition correction unit according to claim 2 , wherein the heater is disposed above the vibrator in the seat.

6 . The condition correction unit according to claim 2 , wherein the heater and the vibrator are provided in a seat back of the seat, and

wherein the heater is disposed above the vibrator in the seat.

7 . The condition correction unit according to claim 1 , wherein the operator includes a plurality of operators, and

wherein the heater is disposed between the plurality of operators in the seat.

8 . The condition correction unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an information display unit configured to transmit information to a terminal having a monitor screen and display the information on the monitor screen,

wherein the information display unit transmits information based on two measurement values to be compared as information on a degree of posture improvement to the terminal and display the information on the monitor screen.

9 . The condition correction unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a weight sensor for measuring a seated condition of the seated person,

wherein the heater is disposed above and at a rear of the weight sensor in the seat.

10 . The condition correction unit according to claim 1 , wherein the operator includes the air bag,

wherein the air bag is bulged to a preset bulging pressure in a stage before the seated person is seated in the seat,

wherein the control circuit

measures, through the bulging pressure sensor, the current value of the bulging pressure of the air bag changed when the seated person is seated in the seat as the current value of the indicator, and

determines the current seated posture of the seated person based on the measured changed current value of the bulging pressure of the air bag.

11 . A method for correcting a body condition of a seated person seated in a seat using a condition correction unit, wherein the condition correction unit comprises an operator configured to operate to correct a body condition of the seated person, a control circuit configured to measure a current value of an indicator for determining the body condition and to execute processing to correct the body condition by controlling the operator, a memory configured to store correction plans showing contents of correction of the body condition, a heater configured to warm a predetermined part of the body of the seated person, a bulging pressure sensor configured to measure a bulging pressure of an air bag disposed in a seat back of the seat, and a pressure sensor provided on the air bag and configured to measure a pressure applied to the seat back,

the method comprising:

receiving, by the control circuit, one of controlling modes designated among the controlling modes, after measuring the current value of the indicator by the control circuit, wherein the controlling modes are modes to be performed by the control circuit and include an ideal correction mode that is a mode to control the operator to correct a seated posture of the seated person to an ideal posture, wherein the ideal posture is a preselected posture as an ultimate goal for the seated person, and a comfortable correction mode that is a mode to control the operator to allow the seated person to keep a current seated posture for stabilizing the current seated posture of the seated person as it is, wherein the indicator includes the bulging pressure of the air bag measured by the bulging pressure sensor and the pressure applied to the seat back measured by the pressure sensor;

determining, by the control circuit, the current seated posture of the seated person based on the measured current value of the bulging pressure of the air bag and the measured current value of the pressure applied to the seat back;

when a determination result of the current seated posture of the seated person determined based on the measured current value of the bulging pressure of the air bag and the measured current value of the pressure applied to the seat back is not the ideal posture, allowing, by the control circuit, designation of one of the ideal correction mode and the comfortable correction mode by the seated person;

reading, by the control circuit, a correction plan from the memory suitable for the current seated posture of the seated person;

executing, by the control circuit, the processing to correct the body condition according to the contents of the correction shown by the read correction plan and adjusting the bulging pressure of the air bag in accordance with the determination result of the current seated posture of the seated person; and

upon receipt of a signal indicating that the seated person is seated in the seat or upon a predetermined operation performed after the seated person is seated in the seat, and in response to designation of the ideal correction mode, controlling, by the control circuit, the heater to warm the predetermined part of the body of the seated person before executing the processing to correct the body condition.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the condition correction unit further comprises a vibrator configured to apply vibrations to the predetermined part of the body of the seated person seated in the seat, the method further comprising:

controlling, by the control circuit, the heater to warm the predetermined part of the body of the seated person before controlling the vibrator to apply a vibration to the predetermined part of the body of the seated person.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the heater is disposed below the vibrator in the seat.

14 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the heater and the vibrator are provided in a seat back of the seat, and

wherein the heater is disposed below the vibrator in the seat.

15 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the heater is disposed above the vibrator in the seat.

16 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the heater and the vibrator are provided in a seat back of the seat, and

wherein the heater is disposed above the vibrator in the seat.

17 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the operator includes a plurality of operators, and

wherein the heater is disposed between the plurality of operators in the seat.

18 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the condition correction unit further comprises an information display unit configured to transmit information to a terminal having a monitor screen and display the information on the monitor screen, the method further comprising:

transmitting, by the information display unit, information based on two measurement values to be compared as information on a degree of posture improvement to the terminal, and displaying the information on the monitor screen.

19 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the condition correction unit further comprises a weight sensor for measuring a seated condition of the seated person, and

wherein the heater is disposed above and at a rear of the weight sensor in the seat.

20 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

bulging the air bag to a preset bulging pressure in a stage before the seated person is seated in the seat; and

measuring, by the control circuit, the current value of the bulging pressure of the air bag changed when the seated person is seated in the seat as the current value of the indicator through the bulging pressure sensor,

wherein the control circuit determines the current seated posture of the seated person based on the measured changed current value of the bulging pressure of the air bag.

Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-208274 · Oct 22, 2015 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15770014
Related Publication 20210221259A1 · Jul 22, 2021
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