Patents Assigned to Steelcase Inc.
  • Patent number: 10983659
    Abstract: A conferencing arrangement for sharing information within a conference space, the arrangement comprising a common presentation surface including a presentation surface area, a common presentation surface driver, a system processor linked to the driver and receiving and presenting the information content via the common presentation surface and a portable user interface device including a device display screen and a device processor, the device processor programmed to provide an interface via the device display screen useable to view content and to enter a command to replicate content presented on the device display on the common presentation surface, the device processor capable of identifying a direction of a swiping action on the interface as a command to replicate the content, wherein, upon identifying that the direction of a swiping action on the interface is in the direction of the common presentation surface, the arrangement creates a sharing space on the presentation surface area and replicates the cont
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A. Baloga
  • Patent number: 10977588
    Abstract: An apparatus for sharing information in a space comprising a first two dimensional outer emissive surface, a first two dimensional inner emissive surface, a support structure resting on and extending upward from the support floor, the support structure supporting the first outer emissive surface with a first outer surface bottom edge at a work surface height, a first outer surface top edge at a ridge height above the work surface height and supporting the first inner emissive surface with a first inner surface bottom edge at a valley height below the work surface height, a first inner surface top edge at a height above the work surface height, the first inner emissive surface spaced behind the first outer emissive surface by at least twelve inches to form a space between the first outer emissive surface and the first inner emissive surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A Baloga
  • Patent number: 10973321
    Abstract: A workspace system includes different base components, different accessory interfaces and different accessories. Different accessory interfaces may be fixed to different base components, and different accessories may be releasably engaged by different, or the same accessory interfaces. The same accessories may be engaged by different accessory interfaces. The base components and accessories may be reconfigured to define different workspaces. Methods of assembling and reconfiguring the workspaces are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Allen, Charles Beasley, William Bennie, Justin G. Beitzel, Antonio Caballero, Rachel Dekker, Sean M. Derrick, Kristi Hooper, Brandon Johnson, Daniel Perez Marin, Alban Moriniere, Jessica Napper, Eric A. Otto, Penghao Shan, Thomas Siffer
  • Patent number: 10966527
    Abstract: A seating arrangement includes a base member, and an integrally formed support member coupled to the base member and supporting a seat moveable from an upright position to a reclined position, wherein a first portion of the support member positioned rearwardly of the base member is bendable such that an upper layer of the first portion is put in tension, and wherein a second portion of the support member positioned forwardly of the base member is bendable such that a lower layer of the second portion is put in tension, wherein the upper layer of the first portion and the lower layer of the second portion are reinforced with at least one tensile substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Michael J. Kemen
  • Patent number: 10970662
    Abstract: An algorithm formulating system for use with a sensing ecosystem for identifying enterprise space states, the sensing ecosystem including a plurality of sensor devices mounted within an enterprise space wherein each sensor device is capable of sensing a plurality of parameters within the enterprise space, the system comprising a processor programmed to perform the steps of accessing a rule set that specifies a first parameter value set that corresponding to a perceived state within a first enterprise space, receiving sensor data from sensor devices within the first enterprise space, comparing the sensor data to the rule set to identify instances of the perceived state, examining sensor data to identify a second parameter value set that occurs at least a threshold percentage of time for the identified instances of the perceived state and using the second parameter value set as the basis for a new rule set to be associated with the perceived state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy D. Swieter, Robert Scheper, Darrin Sculley
  • Publication number: 20210093090
    Abstract: A body support structure includes a structural lattice structure having a first stiffness, and a compressive lattice structure supported by the structural lattice structure and having a second stiffness less than the first stiffness. A skin lattice structure is supported by the compressive lattice structure, wherein the skin lattice structure is resistant to shear deformation in response to a normal force and is expandable in a direction transverse to the normal force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Carl V. Forslund, III, John Richard Hamilton, Kurt R. Heidmann, James Ludwig, Bruce Smith, Aaron Michael Porterfield
  • Publication number: 20210093092
    Abstract: A backrest includes a frame having a pair of laterally spaced upright members connected with longitudinally spaced upper and lower members. A flexible shell has opposite sides coupled to the upright members and upper and lower portions coupled to the upper and lower members. The shell includes first and second slots extending longitudinally along opposite sides of the shell inboard of locations where the shell is connected to the upright members, and one or more third slots extending laterally along the lower portion of the shell above a location where the shell is connected to the lower member. Terminal ends of the one or more third slots are spaced apart from lower terminal ends of the first and second slots. In other embodiments, the shell is a three-dimensional molded component having a plurality of openings. In various embodiments, the slots and/or openings provide different levels of compliance to the backrest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Pascal Rolf Hien, Jeffrey A. Hall, John Colasanti, Michael Yancharas
  • Patent number: 10963586
    Abstract: A method and system of controlling data collection and use, the method for use with at least a first sensor designed to sense at least a first parameter and an interface device, the method comprising the steps of receiving data values from the sensor, storing the received data values in a temporary private database that is inaccessible by at least a first application program, tracking time since collection for collected data values, presenting at least a first redaction option via the interface, upon selection of the first redaction option, rendering the at least a first data subset stored in the temporary database permanently inaccessible to the at least one application program and upon the tracked time since collection of stored data values reaching a threshold period, releasing the stored data values for use by the at least a first application program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: STEELCASE INC.
    Inventors: Darrin Sculley, Kurt R. Heidmann, Louis Everett Rowland
  • Patent number: 10958873
    Abstract: A method and assembly for sharing information in a conference space, the assembly comprising a display configuration including presentation surface area juxtaposed within the conference space for viewing by an audience, the surface area including at least first and second adjacent presentation sub-spaces, a processor programmed to perform the steps of presenting an interface on the surface area useable to generate session images within at least one of the sub-spaces, the interface including a panel section in which a separate panel icon for each of the session images created during a session is presented, the interface further including a separate space on the surface area associated with each of the sub-spaces, the interface facilitating selection and dragging of panel icons to locations associated with the sub-spaces to control the images presented in each of the sub-spaces, wherein, when a panel icon is dragged to a space, an image currently associated with the sub-space is replaced at the sub-space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: STEELCASE INC.
    Inventors: Michael H. Dunn, Ian G. Hutchinson, Peter W. Hildebrandt
  • Patent number: 10925388
    Abstract: A system comprising a switching device linked to a common display screen and including a wireless receiver configured to receive content, the switching device configured to use the received content to drive the common display screen and a plurality of interface devices, each interface device including an interface housing, an interface device processor, a control button mounted within the housing and a plug linked to the housing via a cable, the plug receivable within a connection port of a computing device, a first interface device including a first device processor, a first plug and a first control button, the first processor configured to perform the steps of, with the first plug received in the connection port of the first computing device and first content presented on the first display screen while other content is presented on the common display screen, detecting selection of the first control button and, upon detecting selection of the first control button, causing a wireless transmission to the switc
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Lewis Epstein, Brett Kincaid, Hyun Yoo, Suzanne Stage, Lukas Scherrer, Larry Cheng
  • Patent number: 10927557
    Abstract: A lounge assembly comprising a lower wall structure including at least first and second spaced apart side walls and a rear wall that together form an assembly space, each of the side walls and rear wall including an internal surface, a seat assembly supported between the first and second side walls, a first coupler mounted to the internal surface of the first side wall, a support arm having an arm length dimension between proximal and distal ends, the proximal end mounted to the first coupler adjacent the internal surface of the first side wall for rotation about a first vertical axis and a tablet member supported at the distal end of the support arm for rotation about a second vertical axis through a second range of motion with respect to the support arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: STEELCASE INC.
    Inventors: Russell T. Holdredge, Sean Corcorran, David K. Jones, Duck Young Kong, Todd David Krupiczewicz, Keith Robert Machin, Mark McKenna, Gordon Peterson, Mark Spoelhof, Pradeep Mydur, David J. Battey
  • Patent number: 10904490
    Abstract: A method and system for optimizing conference session activities within a conference space, the system comprising at least a first sensor for sensing session characteristics and a processor receiving the sensed session characteristics and identifying a conference paradigm based on the sensed session characteristics, identifying an action sequence to perform as a function of the conference paradigm and performing the action sequence, wherein the action sequence results in automatic presentation of at least some information to at least a subset of conferees within the conference space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: STEELCASE INC.
    Inventor: Paul Noll
  • Publication number: 20210015264
    Abstract: A body support structure includes a shell having a central region, an outer peripheral region spaced from the central region, and at least one array extending between the central region and the outer peripheral region. The at least one array includes a plurality of spaced apart support members and at least one connector connecting adjacent support members within each array. The support members of the at least one array are progressively divided between the central portion and the outer peripheral edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus Williams Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann
  • Patent number: 10897598
    Abstract: A digital content sharing system includes a common emissive surface, a first connector device for establishing a communication link with a portable computing device, an interface for controlling shared content on the emissive surface, and a first processor linked to the emissive surface and connector device and programmed to perform the steps of: upon linking a portable computing device that presents a desktop on a display screen via the connector device, presenting a sharing control via the interface; and upon selection of the sharing control, replicating an instantaneous portable computing device desktop via the emissive surface and presenting a persistent sharing control via the interface. Upon selection of the persistent sharing control, the processor is programmed to generate and present via the emissive surface a representation of the desktop corresponding to the instant when the persistent sharing control is selected irrespective of a current desktop representation on the display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: STEELCASE INC.
    Inventor: Darrin Sculley
  • Patent number: 10888164
    Abstract: An office system including a first component and a second component moveable relative to the first component. A distance and/or force multiplier is disposed between and coupled to the first and second components. The distance and/or force multiplier includes a shape memory material, wherein the shape memory material is contractible between at least a non-energized state and an energized state in response to an application of energy. The distance and/or force multiplier moves the second component relative to the first component when the shape memory material is contracted to the energized state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: STEELCASE INC.
    Inventors: Christopher Norman, Timothy Swieter, Ryan E. Schmidt, Mark McKenna, Robert Scheper, Bruce Smith
  • Patent number: D907383
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Santiago Carral O'Gorman, Gary Karsten
  • Patent number: D907935
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Santiago Carral O'Gorman, Gary Karsten
  • Patent number: D910356
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon Johnson, Penghao Shan, John M. Allen, Justin G. Beitzel, Alban Moriniere, William Bennie
  • Patent number: D911755
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Young, John Hamilton, Benjamin McCarthy
  • Patent number: D913732
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: John Mark Allen, Colin Cote, Bryan Mark Wahlfield, Alvin Berdette Larson, Bradley Youngs