Ergonomic computer alignment
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsShadi E. Albouyeh, Steven M. Kyle, Yen-Kwang Lin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and computer program product for automatically positioning a computer to an ergonomically correct orientation are presented. An optic sensor at a top of a computer monitor measures a distance and angle to a user's eye. This distance and angle, along with stored anatomical data for a specific user, are used to automatically adjust a base of the computer, thus positioning the computer's keyboard in an ergonomically correct alignment for the specific user.
Claims10
An ergonomically adjustable computer comprising:
- a base enclosure containing processing logic;
- an adjustable keyboard moveably coupled to the base enclosure;
- a monitor moveably coupled to the base enclosure;
- an optic sensor mounted to a top of the monitor, wherein the optic sensor measures an angle and a distance from the top of the monitor to eyes of a current user of the ergonomic adjustable laptop computer;
- and
- an electromechanical base positioning mechanism for adjusting an elevation of the base enclosure to place the adjustable keyboard in an ergonomically correct position in accordance with measurements made with the optic sensor, wherein the base enclosure maintains a substantially horizontal orientation.
A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer usable program code to automatically adjust a computer to an ergonomically correct orientation, the computer program usable program code, which when executed by the computer, causes the computer to perform:
- detecting an angle and a distance from an optic sensor to a user's eye, wherein the optic sensor is mounted to a top of a monitor;
- and
- transmitting an elevation signal to an actuator coupled to a base of said monitor, wherein
- said elevation signal, when received by said actuator, causes said actuator to automatically adjust an elevation of a base of the computer by vertically moving the base of the computer until the optic sensor is horizontally aligned with the user's eye, wherein
- a base enclosure maintains a substantially horizontal orientation.
A computer hardware device for adjusting a computer to an ergonomically correct orientation for a specific user, the computer including an optic sensor mounted on a top of a monitor, comprising:
- a processor, wherein the processor is configured to perform:
- detecting an angle and a distance from an optic sensor to a user's eye;
- automatically adjusting an elevation of a base of the computer by transmitting an actuation signal to cause the base of the computer to vertically move until the optic sensor is horizontally aligned with the user's eye, wherein
- a base enclosure maintains a substantially horizontal orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.