Patent Grant
10588798
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present disclosure relates, in general, to methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer software for implementing seat lifting, and, in particular embodiments, to methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer software for implementing seat lifting for toilet seats, chairs, and/or the like.
For many individuals, such as the elderly, the infirm, and/or those with disabilities, it is at times very difficult, if not impossible, for them to rise from a seated position, without aid from another person. For example, getting of a toilet seat or a lounge chair, or the like, without the assistance of others, can be an ordeal, and, in some cases, can be a dangerous proposition.
Hence, there is a need for more robust and scalable solutions for implementing seat lifting, and, in particular embodiments, for implementing seat lifting for toilet seats, chairs, and/or the like.
A further understanding of the nature and advantages of particular embodiments may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to similar components. In some instances, a sub-label is associated with a reference numeral to denote one of multiple similar components. When reference is made to a reference numeral without specification to an existing sub-label, it is intended to refer to all such multiple similar components.
Overview
Various embodiments provide tools and techniques for implementing seat lifting, and, in particular embodiments, for implementing seat lifting for toilet seats, chairs (including, but not limited to, lounge chairs, rocking chairs, reclining chairs, love seats, couches, benches, stools, office chairs, desk chairs, and/or the like), and/or the like.
In some embodiments, a seat lifter might comprise one or more first pistons, one or more second pistons, and a seat portion. The one or more first pistons, when actuated (e.g., in response to user input), might cause a rear portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter to lift relative to a front portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter, the rear portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter being lifted by a first height above a seat to which the seat lifter is affixed. The one or more second pistons, when actuated (e.g., in response to user input), might cause the front portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter to lift by a second height above the seat to which the seat lifter is affixed, the second height being less than the first height. In some instances, the one or more first pistons and the one or more second pistons might be actuated serially one after the other (in either order), or might be actuated concurrently. In response to a second user input or after a predetermined period of time (including, but not limited to 30 s, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, etc.) after the seat portion has been lifted, the one or more first pistons might be actuated to lower the rear portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter by the first height, and/or the one or more second pistons might be actuated to lower the front portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter by the second height.
According to some embodiments, the seat lifter might lift a user from a sitting position to a standing position, while in other embodiments, the seat lifter might lower a user from a standing position to a sitting position. The user input, in some cases, might be received via at least one of a physical button, a touchscreen soft button, or a microphone on the seat lifter, via at least one of a physical button, a touchscreen soft button, or a microphone on a remote controller for the seat lifter, via at least one of a physical button, a touchscreen soft button, or a microphone on a user device associated with the user (which might include, but is not limited to, at least one of a tablet computer, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, an electronic medical aid device, or a laptop computer). In some embodiments, the seat lifter might be affixed (in some cases, removably affixed) to the seat, while, in alternative embodiments, the seat lifter and the seat might be built or constructed as a unitary piece of furniture or the like.
The following detailed description illustrates a few exemplary embodiments in further detail to enable one of skill in the art to practice such embodiments. The described examples are provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that other embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, certain structures and devices are shown in block diagram form. Several embodiments are described herein, and while various features are ascribed to different embodiments, it should be appreciated that the features described with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated with other embodiments as well. By the same token, however, no single feature or features of any described embodiment should be considered essential to every embodiment of the invention, as other embodiments of the invention may omit such features.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers used herein to express quantities, dimensions, and so forth used should be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” In this application, the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise, and use of the terms “and” and “or” means “and/or” unless otherwise indicated. Moreover, the use of the term “including,” as well as other forms, such as “includes” and “included,” should be considered non-exclusive. Also, terms such as “element” or “component” encompass both elements and components comprising one unit and elements and components that comprise more than one unit, unless specifically stated otherwise.
The tools provided by various embodiments include, without limitation, methods, systems, and/or software products. Merely by way of example, a method might comprise one or more procedures, any or all of which are executed by a computer system. Correspondingly, an embodiment might provide a computer system configured with instructions to perform one or more procedures in accordance with methods provided by various other embodiments. Similarly, a computer program might comprise a set of instructions that are executable by a computer system (and/or a processor therein) to perform such operations. In many cases, such software programs are encoded on physical, tangible, and/or non-transitory computer readable media (such as, to name but a few examples, optical media, magnetic media, and/or the like).
In an aspect, a method might be provided for implementing seat lifting. The method might comprise receiving a user input from a user, the user input indicating a request for a seat lifter to lift the user from a sitting position; and in response to receiving the user input, actuating one or more first pistons to lift a rear portion of a seat portion of the seat lifter relative to a front portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter, the rear portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter being lifted by a first height above a seat to which the seat lifter is affixed.
In some embodiments, the method might further comprise after a predetermined period, actuating the one or more first pistons to lower the rear portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter by the first height. In some cases, the method might further comprise in response to receiving the user input, actuating one or more second pistons to lift the front portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter by a second height above the seat to which the seat lifter is affixed, the second height being less than the first height. In some instances, the method might further comprise after a predetermined period, actuating the one or more second pistons to lower the front portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter by the second height.
Merely by way of example, according to some embodiments, receiving the user input from the user might comprise one of receiving the user input from the user via at least one of a physical button, a touchscreen soft button, or a microphone on the seat lifter; receiving the user input from the user via at least one of a physical button, a touchscreen soft button, or a microphone on a remote controller for the seat lifter; or receiving the user input from the user via at least one of a physical button, a touchscreen soft button, or a microphone on a user device associated with the user. The user device associated with the user might comprise at least one of a tablet computer, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, an electronic medical aid device, or a laptop computer, and/or the like.
According to some embodiments, the seat to which the seat lifter is affixed might comprise one of a toilet fixture or a toilet seat, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the method might further comprise receiving a second user input from the user, the second user input indicating a request for to lift a foot rest portion to an elevated position and, in response to receiving the second user input, actuating one or more third pistons to lift the foot rest portion to the elevated position relative to a floor surface. Alternatively, the seat to which the seat lifter is affixed might comprise one of a lounge chair, a rocking chair, a reclining chair, a love seat, a couch, a bench, a stool, an office chair, or a desk chair, and/or the like.
In another aspect, a seat lifter might comprise a seat portion, the seat portion comprising a front portion and a rear portion; an input device that receives a user input from a user, the user input indicating a request for the seat lifter to lift the user from a sitting position; and one or more first pistons coupled to the rear portion of the seat portion, the one or more first pistons, when actuated in response to receiving the user input, causing the rear portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter to lift relative to the front portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter, the rear portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter being lifted by a first height above a seat to which the seat lifter is affixed.
In some embodiments, the seat lifter might further comprise at least one processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor. The non-transitory computer readable medium might have stored thereon computer software comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the seat lifter to: in response to receiving the user input, actuate the one or more first pistons to lift the rear portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter relative to the front portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter.
In some instances, after a predetermined period, the one or more first pistons are actuated to lower the rear portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter by the first height. According to some embodiments, the seat lifter might further comprise one or more second pistons coupled to the front portion of the seat portion, the one or more second pistons, when actuated in response to receiving the user input, causing the front portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter to lift by a second height above the seat to which the seat lifter is affixed, the second height being less than the first height. In some cases, after a predetermined period, the one or more second pistons are actuated to lower the front portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter by the second height.
Merely by way of example, in some embodiments, the input device might comprise at least one of a physical button, a touchscreen soft button, or a microphone on the seat lifter. Alternatively, or additionally, the input device might comprise a transceiver that communicatively couples to a remote controller, the remote controller comprising at least one of a physical button, a touchscreen soft button, or a microphone. Alternatively, or additionally, the input device comprises a transceiver that communicatively couples to a user device associated with the user, the user device comprising at least one of a physical button, a touchscreen soft button, or a microphone.
According to some embodiments, the seat to which the seat lifter is affixed might comprise one of a toilet fixture or a toilet seat, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the seat lifter might further comprise a foot rest portion and one or more third pistons coupled to the foot rest portion, the one or more third pistons, when actuated in response to receiving a second user input via the input device, causing the foot rest portion to lift to an elevated position relative to a floor surface. Alternatively, the seat to which the seat lifter is affixed might comprise one of a lounge chair, a rocking chair, a reclining chair, a love seat, a couch, a bench, a stool, an office chair, or a desk chair, and/or the like. In some cases, the seat to which the seat lifter is affixed and the seat lifter are separable components that are constructed separately and subsequently affixed together. In such cases, the seat lifter might further comprise a base portion, the base portion comprising one or more anchor portions that affix to one or more corresponding portions of the seat to which the seat lifter is affixed. Alternatively, the seat to which the seat lifter is affixed and the seat lifter are integral components that are constructed as a unitary piece.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, while the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combination of features and embodiments that do not include all of the above described features.
Specific Exemplary Embodiments
We now turn to the embodiments as illustrated by the drawings.
With reference to the figures,
In
With reference to
In operation, as shown in
In terms of materials, the seat portion 130 of the seat lifter 105 might be made of metal, rigid product plastic, and/or the like, while the base, which might be flared at the bottom to maintain solid contact with the floor, might be made of wood or heavy plastic product, and/or the like that is generally shaped to fit around most toilets at the base. In some embodiments (not shown), a securing ring might be added at the top of the toilet rim or the top of the water tank of the toilet to enhance stability of the seat lifter 105. According to some embodiments (also not shown), a soft inner lining might be used between the anchor or other portion of the seat lifter and the toilet, so that there is no damage to the toilet when the (anchor base of the) seat lifter is secured around the (base of the) toilet 110. In some cases (not shown), a foam product insert might also be used to provide additional contact protection between the seat lifter and the toilet.
In some embodiments, a foot lifter 155 might be additionally affixed to the toilet, in some cases, via the base portion or anchor portion 115. By lifting a person's feet while the person is seated on the toilet 110 (or in some cases, seated on the seat lifter 105 that is affixed to or integrated within the toilet 110), the resultant squatted position of the person might facilitate bowel movement. According to some embodiments, the foot lifter 155 might comprise a foot rest portion 160 (on which the person's feet might be placed when the person is seated on the toilet) and one or more third pistons 165. In some cases, the one or more third pistons 165 might comprise four pistons 165, with a first pair of pistons (one on either side of the toilet) being coupled or affixed to a front portion of the foot rest portion 160 (the front portion being furthest from or facing away from the toilet) while a second pair of pistons (one on either side of the toilet) being coupled or affixed to a middle portion of the foot rest portion 160 (the middle portion being closer to the toilet compared with the front portion). In some instances (as shown in the embodiment of
With reference to
In operation, as shown in
In embodiment 100′″ of
According to some embodiments, although not shown in
In
With reference to
In operation, as shown in
In terms of materials, the seat portion 230 of the seat lifter 205 might be made of metal, rigid product plastic, wood (e.g., plywood or other wood pieces), and/or the like, while the base might be made of wood or heavy plastic product, and/or the like that is generally shaped to fit within the bottom of the chair or under the bottom of the chair.
With reference to
We now turn to
The one or more user devices 310, in some embodiments, might include, without limitation, a tablet computer 310a, a smart phone 310b, a mobile phone 310c, a personal digital assistant 310d, an electronic medical aid device 310e, or a laptop computer 310f, and/or the like. Each user device 310 might comprise components including, but not limited to, a communications interface 355, at least one processor 360, a memory 365 (e.g., a non-transitory computer readable medium or the like), and one or more user interface devices 370, and/or the like (such as a power source (not shown) or other components of particular user devices). The one or more user interface devices 370, in some embodiments, might include, without limitation, at least one of a user input device 370a (which in some instances might be a physical button, switch, lever, and/or the like), a microphone 370b, and/or a display device 370c (which in some cases might be a touchscreen display (which might include touchscreen soft buttons or the like) or a non-touchscreen display, or the like).
The remote controller 375, according to some embodiments, might include, without limitation, a communications interface 380, a processor 385, a memory 390, and one or more user interface devices 395, and/or the like (such as a power source (not shown) or other components of particular remote controllers). The one or more user interface devices 395, in some embodiments, might include, without limitation, at least one of a user input device 395a (which in some instances might be a physical button, switch, lever, and/or the like), a microphone 395b, and/or a display device 395c (which in some cases might be a touchscreen display (which might include touchscreen soft buttons or the like) or a non-touchscreen display, or the like).
In operation, the communications interface 340 might wirelessly communicate with or couple with the communications interface 355 of at least one of the one or more user devices 310 and/or the communications interface 380 of the remote controller 375. The processor 345 of the seat lifter 305′ might execute software stored in memory 350 to cause the user interface devices 320 and/or the communications interface 340 to receive user input from a user (in the latter case, from the one or more user devices 310 and/or the remote controller 375), to draw power from the power source 315, to actuate at least one of the one or more first pistons 325a and/or the one or more second pistons 325b to lift or lower the seat portion 325c of the seat lifter 305′. Likewise, the processor 360 of a user device 310 might execute software stored in memory 365 to cause the one or more of user interface devices 370a-370c to receive user input from the user and to send commands via the communications interface 355 to the seat lifter 305′ based on the received user input. Similarly, the processor 385 of the remote controller 375 might execute software stored in memory 390 to cause the one or more of user interface devices 395a-395c to receive user input from the user and to send commands via the communications interface 380 to the seat lifter 305′ based on the received user input. In some embodiments, the heights of the seat portion 325c may be set and stored in memory 350 (and/or memory 365 or memory 390) by each of one or more users.
Turning to
Referring to
The one or more user devices 310, in some embodiments, might include, without limitation, a tablet computer 310a, a smart phone 310b, a mobile phone 310c, a personal digital assistant 310d, an electronic medical aid device 310e, or a laptop computer 310f, and/or the like. Each user device 310 might comprise components including, but not limited to, a communications interface 355, at least one processor 360, a memory 365 (e.g., a non-transitory computer readable medium or the like), and one or more user interface devices 370, and/or the like (such as a power source (not shown) or other components of particular user devices). The one or more user interface devices 370, in some embodiments, might include, without limitation, at least one of a user input device 370a (which in some instances might be a physical button, switch, lever, and/or the like), a microphone 370b, and/or a display device 370c (which in some cases might be a touchscreen display (which might include touchscreen soft buttons or the like) or a non-touchscreen display, or the like).
The remote controller 375, according to some embodiments, might include, without limitation, a communications interface 380, a processor 385, a memory 390, and one or more user interface devices 395, and/or the like (such as a power source (not shown) or other components of particular remote controllers). The one or more user interface devices 395, in some embodiments, might include, without limitation, at least one of a user input device 395a (which in some instances might be a physical button, switch, lever, and/or the like), a microphone 395b, and/or a display device 395c (which in some cases might be a touchscreen display (which might include touchscreen soft buttons or the like) or a non-touchscreen display, or the like).
In operation, the communications interface 340 might wirelessly communicate with or couple with the communications interface 355 of at least one of the one or more user devices 310 and/or the communications interface 380 of the remote controller 375. The processor 345 of the seat lifter 305′″ might execute software stored in memory 350 to cause the user interface devices 320 and/or the communications interface 340 to receive user input from a user (in the latter case, from the one or more user devices 310 and/or the remote controller 375), to draw power from the power source 315, to actuate at least one of the one or more first pistons 325a and/or the one or more second pistons 325b to lift or lower the seat portion 325c of the seat lifter 305′″, and/or to actuate the one or more third pistons 330a to lift or lower the foot rest portion 330b of the foot lifter of the seat lifter 305′″. Likewise, the processor 360 of a user device 310 might execute software stored in memory 365 to cause the one or more of user interface devices 370a-370c to receive user input from the user and to send commands via the communications interface 355 to the seat lifter 305′″ based on the received user input. Similarly, the processor 385 of the remote controller 375 might execute software stored in memory 390 to cause the one or more of user interface devices 395a-395c to receive user input from the user and to send commands via the communications interface 380 to the seat lifter 305′″ based on the received user input. In some embodiments, the heights of the seat portion 325c and/or the foot rest portion 330b may be set and stored in memory 350 (and/or memory 365 or memory 390) by each of one or more users.
In
At block 410, method 400 might comprise receiving a user input from a user, the user input indicating a request for the seat lifter to lift the user from a sitting position. In some embodiments, receiving the user input from the user might comprise receiving the user input from the user via at least one of a physical button, a touchscreen soft button, or a microphone on the seat lifter. Alternatively or additionally, receiving the user input from the user might comprise receiving the user input from the user via at least one of a physical button, a touchscreen soft button, or a microphone on a remote controller (e.g., remote controller 375 of
Method 400 might further comprise, in response to receiving the user input, actuating one or more first pistons to lift a rear portion of a seat portion of the seat lifter relative to a front portion of a seat portion of the seat lifter (as shown, for example, in
In embodiments in which a user provides a second user input to indicate a request for the seat lifter to lower the seat portion, method 400 might further comprise receiving the second user input from the user (optional block 425) and, in response to receiving the second user input, actuating the one or more first pistons and/or the one or more second pistons to lower the front portion and/or the rear portion, respectively, of the seat portion of the seat lifter (optional block 430).
Alternatively or additionally, after a predetermined period of time (including, but not limited to 30 s, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, etc.) after the seat portion has been lifted (at block 415 and/or block 420), method 400 might further comprise actuating the one or more first pistons to lower the rear portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter by the first height (block 435) and/or actuating the one or more second pistons to lower the front portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter by the second height (block 440). In some instances, the processes at blocks 435 and 440 might be performed serially one after the other (in either order), or might be performed concurrently.
Although not shown in
In
At block 510, method 500 might comprise receiving a third user input from a user, the third user input indicating a request for the seat lifter to lower the user from a standing position to a sitting position. In some embodiments, receiving the third user input from the user might comprise receiving the third user input from the user via at least one of a physical button, a touchscreen soft button, or a microphone on the seat lifter. Alternatively or additionally, receiving the third user input from the user might comprise receiving the third user input from the user via at least one of a physical button, a touchscreen soft button, or a microphone on a remote controller (e.g., remote controller 375 of
Method 500 might further comprise, in response to receiving the third user input, actuating one or more first pistons to lift a rear portion of a seat portion of the seat lifter relative to a front portion of a seat portion of the seat lifter (as shown, for example, in
In embodiments in which a pressure or weight sensor is implemented, such as, for example, as part of the at least one of the one or more first pistons and/or the one or more second pistons, method 500 might further comprise detecting a pressure (or weight) against at least one of the one or more first pistons or the one or more second pistons (optional block 525) and, in response to detecting the pressure, actuating the one or more first pistons and/or the one or more second pistons to lower the front portion and/or the rear portion, respectively, of the seat portion of the seat lifter (optional block 530), thereby lowering the user from the standing position to a sitting position.
Alternatively or additionally, after a predetermined period of time (including, but not limited to 30 s, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, etc.) after the seat portion has been lifted (at block 515 and/or block 520), method 500 might further comprise actuating the one or more first pistons to lower the rear portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter by the first height (block 535) and/or actuating the one or more second pistons to lower the front portion of the seat portion of the seat lifter by the second height (block 540), thereby lowering the user from the standing position to a sitting position. In some instances, the processes at blocks 535 and 540 might be performed serially one after the other (in either order), or might be performed concurrently.
In embodiments in which a user provides a fourth user input to indicate a request for the seat lifter to lower the seat portion (not shown, but similar to optional blocks 425 and 430 of
Although not shown in
Exemplary System and Hardware Implementation
The computer or hardware system 600—which might represent an embodiment of the computer or hardware system (i.e., seat lifter 305′, user device(s) 310, remote controller 375, and/or the like, as described above with respect to
The computer or hardware system 600 may further include (and/or be in communication with) one or more storage devices 625, which can comprise, without limitation, local and/or network accessible storage, and/or can include, without limitation, a disk drive, a drive array, an optical storage device, solid-state storage device such as a random access memory (“RAM”) and/or a read-only memory (“ROM”), which can be programmable, flash-updateable and/or the like. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any appropriate data stores, including, without limitation, various file systems, database structures, and/or the like.
The computer or hardware system 600 might also include a communications subsystem 630, which can include, without limitation, a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infra-red communication device, a wireless communication device and/or chipset (such as a Bluetooth™ device, an 802.11 device, a WiFi device, a WiMax device, a WWAN device, cellular communication facilities, etc.), and/or the like. The communications subsystem 630 may permit data to be exchanged with a network (such as the network described below, to name one example), with other computer or hardware systems, and/or with any other devices described herein. In many embodiments, the computer or hardware system 600 will further comprise a working memory 635, which can include a RAM or ROM device, as described above.
The computer or hardware system 600 also may comprise software elements, shown as being currently located within the working memory 635, including an operating system 640, device drivers, executable libraries, and/or other code, such as one or more application programs 645, which may comprise computer programs provided by various embodiments (including, without limitation, hypervisors, VMs, and the like), and/or may be designed to implement methods, and/or configure systems, provided by other embodiments, as described herein. Merely by way of example, one or more procedures described with respect to the method(s) discussed above might be implemented as code and/or instructions executable by a computer (and/or a processor within a computer); in an aspect, then, such code and/or instructions can be used to configure and/or adapt a general purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods.
A set of these instructions and/or code might be encoded and/or stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, such as the storage device(s) 625 described above. In some cases, the storage medium might be incorporated within a computer system, such as the system 600. In other embodiments, the storage medium might be separate from a computer system (i.e., a removable medium, such as a compact disc, etc.), and/or provided in an installation package, such that the storage medium can be used to program, configure and/or adapt a general purpose computer with the instructions/code stored thereon. These instructions might take the form of executable code, which is executable by the computer or hardware system 600 and/or might take the form of source and/or installable code, which, upon compilation and/or installation on the computer or hardware system 600 (e.g., using any of a variety of generally available compilers, installation programs, compression/decompression utilities, etc.) then takes the form of executable code.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial variations may be made in accordance with specific requirements. For example, customized hardware (such as programmable logic controllers, field-programmable gate arrays, application-specific integrated circuits, and/or the like) might also be used, and/or particular elements might be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software, such as applets, etc.), or both. Further, connection to other computing devices such as network input/output devices may be employed.
As mentioned above, in one aspect, some embodiments may employ a computer or hardware system (such as the computer or hardware system 600) to perform methods in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. According to a set of embodiments, some or all of the procedures of such methods are performed by the computer or hardware system 600 in response to processor 610 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions (which might be incorporated into the operating system 640 and/or other code, such as an application program 645) contained in the working memory 635. Such instructions may be read into the working memory 635 from another computer readable medium, such as one or more of the storage device(s) 625. Merely by way of example, execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the working memory 635 might cause the processor(s) 610 to perform one or more procedures of the methods described herein.
The terms “machine readable medium” and “computer readable medium,” as used herein, refer to any medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific fashion. In an embodiment implemented using the computer or hardware system 600, various computer readable media might be involved in providing instructions/code to processor(s) 610 for execution and/or might be used to store and/or carry such instructions/code (e.g., as signals). In many implementations, a computer readable medium is a non-transitory, physical, and/or tangible storage medium. In some embodiments, a computer readable medium may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, or the like. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical and/or magnetic disks, such as the storage device(s) 625. Volatile media includes, without limitation, dynamic memory, such as the working memory 635. In some alternative embodiments, a computer readable medium may take the form of transmission media, which includes, without limitation, coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise the bus 605, as well as the various components of the communication subsystem 630 (and/or the media by which the communications subsystem 630 provides communication with other devices). In an alternative set of embodiments, transmission media can also take the form of waves (including without limitation radio, acoustic and/or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infra-red data communications).
Common forms of physical and/or tangible computer readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer can read instructions and/or code.
Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to the processor(s) 610 for execution. Merely by way of example, the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk and/or optical disc of a remote computer. A remote computer might load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions as signals over a transmission medium to be received and/or executed by the computer or hardware system 600. These signals, which might be in the form of electromagnetic signals, acoustic signals, optical signals, and/or the like, are all examples of carrier waves on which instructions can be encoded, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
The communications subsystem 630 (and/or components thereof) generally will receive the signals, and the bus 605 then might carry the signals (and/or the data, instructions, etc. carried by the signals) to the working memory 635, from which the processor(s) 605 retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by the working memory 635 may optionally be stored on a storage device 625 either before or after execution by the processor(s) 610.
While certain features and aspects have been described with respect to exemplary embodiments, one skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications are possible. For example, the methods and processes described herein may be implemented using hardware components, software components, and/or any combination thereof. Further, while various methods and processes described herein may be described with respect to particular structural and/or functional components for ease of description, methods provided by various embodiments are not limited to any particular structural and/or functional architecture but instead can be implemented on any suitable hardware, firmware and/or software configuration. Similarly, while certain functionality is ascribed to certain system components, unless the context dictates otherwise, this functionality can be distributed among various other system components in accordance with the several embodiments.
Moreover, while the procedures of the methods and processes described herein are described in a particular order for ease of description, unless the context dictates otherwise, various procedures may be reordered, added, and/or omitted in accordance with various embodiments. Moreover, the procedures described with respect to one method or process may be incorporated within other described methods or processes; likewise, system components described according to a particular structural architecture and/or with respect to one system may be organized in alternative structural architectures and/or incorporated within other described systems. Hence, while various embodiments are described with—or without—certain features for ease of description and to illustrate exemplary aspects of those embodiments, the various components and/or features described herein with respect to a particular embodiment can be substituted, added and/or subtracted from among other described embodiments, unless the context dictates otherwise. Consequently, although several exemplary embodiments are described above, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/307,134 (the “'134 Application”), filed Mar. 11, 2016 by Stephen Latham, entitled, “Method, Apparatus, and System for Implementing Seat Lifting,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 948029 | Trimble | Feb 1910 | A |
| 3261031 | Gates | Jul 1966 | A |
| 3473174 | Cool | Oct 1969 | A |
| 4884841 | Holley | Dec 1989 | A |
| 5063617 | Ward | Nov 1991 | A |
| 5819325 | Richards | Oct 1998 | A |
| 6189164 | Krapu | Feb 2001 | B1 |
| 6492786 | Vang | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 6553582 | Clark | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| 6745417 | Sumino | Jun 2004 | B2 |
| 6754917 | Rhoades | Jun 2004 | B1 |
| 7039964 | Cavanagh | May 2006 | B2 |
| 9078796 | Hall | Jul 2015 | B1 |
| 9326608 | Hoy | May 2016 | B1 |
| 20060042005 | Johnson | Mar 2006 | A1 |
| 20060207020 | Huff | Sep 2006 | A1 |
| 20070157376 | Paz | Jul 2007 | A1 |
| 20080038107 | Henshaw | Feb 2008 | A1 |
| 20090144895 | Bostelman | Jun 2009 | A1 |
| 20130000040 | Conley | Jan 2013 | A1 |
| 20150209207 | Cooper | Jul 2015 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2834879 | Jul 2003 | FR |
| 2006-122069 | May 2006 | JP |
| 2011-167297 | Sep 2011 | JP |
| 2013-111387 | Jun 2013 | JP |
| 2015-228974 | Dec 2015 | JP |
| 10-1204172 | Nov 2012 | KR |
| WO 2017-156220 | Sep 2017 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| Machine translation of foreign reference FR 2834879, obtained from http://translationportal.epo.org/emtp/translate/?ACTION=description-retrieval&COUNTRY=FR&ENGINE=google&FORMAT=docdb&KIND=A1&LOCALE=en_EP&NUMBER=2834879&OPS=ops.epo.org/3.2&SRCLANG=fr&TRGLANG=en (last accessed on Sep. 10, 2018) (Year: 2018). |
| Heartland America! (Mar. 2017) Easy Boost Seat—Regular; Available Web Site: http://www.heartlandamerica.com/easy-boost-seat-regular.html?SC=WIF20001&gclid=Cj0KEQiA9P7FBRCtoO33_LGUtPQBEiQAU_tBgPvnPdllyY3y_FACeTikN3vXpJx_imTwLUmsIFLLIukaAgY18P8HAQ; Last updated: unknown; Accessed on: Mar. 8, 2017. |
| Gold Violin (Mar. 2017) Easy Boost Toilet Seat—Regular; Available Web Site: http://goldviolin.blair.com/p/72416.uts?c1=Y&cid=pl_gv_google&src_code=GVLPSGGO&pr_code=JNQE&adpos=1o2&creative=92625665293&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=Cj0KEQiA9P71FBRCtoO33_LGUtPQBEiQAU_tBgIJ9y_-MPO_qL6sKh5sL14hF2UFOpDqg-V7XKTMqQiMaAnRp8P8HAQ; Last updated: unknown; Accessed on: Mar. 8, 2017. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion prepared by the Korean Intellectual Property Office as International Searching Authority for PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/US2017/021500, dated May 26, 2017, 14 pages. |
| International Preliminary Report on Patentability prepared by the International Bureau, PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/US2017/021500, dated Sep. 20, 2018, 11 pages. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20170258652 A1 | Sep 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62307134 | Mar 2016 | US |
