Height adjustable support surface and system for encouraging human movement and promoting wellness

A method for controlling a height adjustable workstation that includes a worktop supported by a frame, a processor, at least one input control and a vertical displacement drive mechanism, the at least one user input control for receiving manual direct user input from a workstation user to activate the drive mechanism to change the elevation of the worktop to different worktop elevation positions, the method comprising the steps of:

• without user input through the at least one input control, sensing the presence of a workstation user within a space associated with the workstation;
• tracking substantially an entire duration of time that the worktop is in a sitting position while the user is present within the space associated with the workstation during an ongoing period of time;
• and
• when the tracked duration of time reaches a threshold period, without user input through the at least one input control, controlling the drive mechanism to provide a reminder to the user that the worktop height should be changed from the sitting position to a standing position, the reminder provided by controlling the drive mechanism to move the worktop through at least one vertical displacement sequence to a position other than the standing position wherein the range of the sequence is no greater than 5 inches, the displacement sequence includes at least one of an upward displacement and a downward displacement, at the end of the displacement sequence the worktop height is within one inch of the sitting position, wherein the duration of the at least one of an upward displacement and a downward displacement is less than 5 seconds, wherein the step of moving the worktop through at least one vertical displacement sequence includes driving the worktop substantially continuously up and down again through at least one vertical cycle wherein the cycle amplitude is less that or equivalent to five inches.

A method for controlling a height adjustable workstation that includes a worktop supported by a frame, a processor, at least one input control and a vertical displacement drive mechanism, the at least one user input control for receiving manual direct user input from a workstation user to activate the drive mechanism to change the elevation of the worktop to different worktop elevation positions, the method comprising the steps of:

• without user input through the at least one input control, sensing the presence of a workstation user within a space associated with the workstation;
• tracking substantially an entire duration of time that the worktop is in a sitting position while the user is present within the space associated with the workstation during an ongoing period of time;
• and
• when the tracked duration of time reaches a threshold period, without user input through the at least one input control, controlling the drive mechanism to provide a reminder to the user that the worktop height should be changed from the sitting position to a standing position, the reminder provided by controlling the drive mechanism to move the worktop through at least one vertical displacement sequence to a position other than the standing position wherein the range of the sequence is no greater than 5 inches, the displacement sequence includes at least one of an upward displacement and a downward displacement, at the end of the displacement sequence the worktop height is within one inch of the sitting position, wherein the duration of the at least one of an upward displacement and a downward displacement is less than 5 seconds, further including sensing user vacancy at the workstation, the step of tracking the duration of time including excluding time when the workstation is vacant.

A method for controlling a height adjustable workstation that includes a worktop supported by a frame, a processor, at least one input control and a vertical displacement drive mechanism, the at least one user input control for receiving manual direct user input from a workstation user to activate the drive mechanism to change the elevation of the worktop to different worktop elevation positions, the method comprising the steps of:

• without user input through the at least one input control, sensing the presence of a workstation user within a space associated with the workstation;
• tracking substantially an entire duration of time that the worktop is in a sitting position while the user is present within the space associated with the workstation during an ongoing period of time;
• and
• when the tracked duration of time reaches a threshold period, without user input through the at least one input control, controlling the drive mechanism to provide a reminder to the user that the worktop height should be changed from the sitting position to a standing position, the reminder provided by controlling the drive mechanism to move the worktop through at least one vertical displacement sequence to a position other than the standing position wherein the range of the sequence is no greater than 5 inches, the displacement sequence includes at least one of an upward displacement and a downward displacement, at the end of the displacement sequence the worktop height is within one inch of the sitting position, wherein the duration of the at least one of an upward displacement and a downward displacement is less than 5 seconds, wherein the drive mechanism is controlled so that the displacement sequence causes the worktop to vibrate.

A method for controlling a height adjustable workstation that includes a worktop supported by a frame, a processor, at least one user input control and at least one integrated workstation subassembly, the worktop having an upper worksurface, the integrated workstation subassembly physically integrated into the workstation at a location below the upper worksurface, the at least one user input control for receiving a user input from a workstation user to control the drive mechanism to change the elevation of the worktop to a different worktop elevation positions, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a goal for a workstation user using the workstation wherein the goal is related to the amount of time that the worktop is in at least a first height position relative to other height positions;
• tracking the duration of time that the worktop is in the first position;
• using the goal and tracked duration of time to identify at least one time at which the workstation user should change the position of the worktop;
• and
• at the identified time, without receiving any user input through the at least one input control, controlling the at least one integrated workstation subassembly to vibrate the worktop to remind the workstation user to change the worktop elevation position from a current position to another position;
• wherein the workstation includes a displacement drive mechanism for manually moving the worktop to different elevation positions and wherein the step of vibrating the worktop includes causing the vertical displacement drive mechanism to rapidly move the worktop up and down over a small range of motion.