Diagnostics of bed and bedroom environment

• US 10,149,549 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2015
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sleep Number Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sleep Number Corporation
• Inventors: Erko, Robert, Chen, Yi-ching, Nunn, Rob, Palashewski, Wade Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): AZAD, MD ABUL K
• Application Number:
  US14/819,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20170035212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 700282
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/082 with non-manual inflation, e.g. with electric pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/083 with pressure control, e.g. with pressure sensors

Abstract

A data processing system is configured to sense a pressure readings of an air-mattress. If the pressure readings are below a target pressure value representing a desired pressure for the air-mattress, the data processing system can transmit, to an air-pump, first instructions to increase the air pressure of the air mattress and determine a replacement value representing the amount of air pumped into the air mattress by the air-pump. The data processing system can compare the replacement value to a slow-leak threshold and to a catastrophic-leak threshold. The data processing system can, responsive to a determination that the replacement value is greater than the slow-leak value and less than the catastrophic-leak value, transmit, to the air-pump, second instructions to increase the air pressure of the air mattress to replace air in the air mattress lost to a slow leak so as to maintain the desired pressure for the air-mattress.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a bed having an air-mattress having an air pressure;

sensor for sensing a pressure readings of the air-mattress indicative of the air pressure of the air-mattress;

a data processing system configured to;

access data defining possible pressure values into three ranges and, for each pressure range a corresponding set of instructions, the three ranges including;

a first pressure-range bounded by a slow-leak threshold, wherein pressure readings within the first pressure-range are to be handled as a slow-leak by the data processing system;

a second pressure-range separate from the first pressure-range and bounded by the slow-leak threshold and a catastrophic-leak threshold, wherein pressure readings within the second pressure-range are to be handled as a fast-leak by the data processing system;

a third pressure-range separate from the first and second pressure-ranges and bounded by the catastrophic-leak threshold, wherein pressure readings within the third pressure-range are to be handled as a catastrophic-leak by the data processing system;

determine if the pressure readings are below a target pressure value representing a desired pressure for the air-mattress;

responsive to a determination that the pressure readings are below the target pressure value, transmit, to an air-pump, first instructions to increase the air pressure of the air mattress;

determine a replacement value representing the amount of air pumped into the air mattress by the air-pump;

compare the replacement value to a slow-leak threshold and to a catastrophic-leak threshold, wherein the slow-leak threshold is a value that represents an amount of air corresponding to a slow leak in the air-mattress and wherein the catastrophic-leak threshold represents an amount of air corresponding to a catastrophic leak in the air-mattress;

responsive to a determination that the replacement value is in the first pressure-range by determining that the replacement value is less than the slow-leak threshold, transmit, to the air-pump, fourth instructions to increase the air pressure of the air mattress to replace air in the air mattress lost to normal use so as to maintain the desired pressure for the air-mattress;

responsive to a determination that the replacement value is in the second pressure-range by determining that the replacement value is greater than the slow-leak threshold and less than the catastrophic-leak threshold, transmit, to the air-pump, second instructions to increase the air pressure of the air mattress to replace air in the air mattress lost to a slow leak so as to maintain the desired pressure for the air-mattress; and

responsive to a determination that the replacement value is in the third pressure-range by determining that the replacement value is greater than the catastrophic-leak threshold, transmit, to the air-pump, third instructions to shut down the air-pump;

an air-pump configured to selectively increase the air-pressure of the air-mattress by pumping air into the air mattress in response to receiving the first instructions or the second instructions or the third instructions, and wherein the air-pump is further configured to shut down in response to receiving the third instructions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is further configured to, responsive to a determination that the replacement value is in the third pressure, transmit an error code indicative of a catastrophic leak.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is further configured to, responsive to a determination that the replacement value is in the second pressure-range, transmit, over the internet, a report of a slow leak to a cloud service.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the air-pump is a variable speed pump that is configured to selectively increase the air-pressure of the air-mattress by selectively pumping air into the air mattress at a variable speed; and

the second instructions comprise a value for the variable speed.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the replacement value is a measure over time and the value for the variable speed of the second instructions is the replacement value.

6. A method comprising:

sensing a pressure readings of an air-mattress indicative of an air pressure of the air-mattress;

determining if the pressure readings are below a target pressure value representing a desired pressure for the air-mattress;

responsive to determining that the pressure readings are below the target pressure value, transmitting, to an air-pump, first instructions to increase the air pressure of the air mattress;

determining a replacement value representing the amount of air pumped into the air mattress by the air-pump;

comparing the replacement value to a slow-leak threshold and to a catastrophic-leak threshold, wherein the slow-leak threshold is a value that represents an amount of air corresponding to a slow leak in the air-mattress and wherein the catastrophic-leak threshold represents an amount of air corresponding to a catastrophic leak in the air-mattress; and

responsive to determining that the replacement value is greater than the slow-leak threshold and less than the catastrophic-leak threshold;

transmitting, to the air-pump, second instructions to increase the air pressure of the air mattress to replace air in the air mattress lost to a slow leak so as to maintain the desired pressure for the air-mattress;

generate an error code based on the determining that the replacement value is greater than the slow-leak threshold and less than the catastrophic-leak threshold;

cause the error code to be stored in computer memory to create a record of the determining that the replacement value is greater than the slow-leak threshold and less than the catastrophic-leak threshold; and

reporting the error code to a cloud service that is configured to;

receive the error code; and

responsive to receiving the error code, initiate a service-call to provide repair service to the air-mattress.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the air-pump is a variable speed pump that is configured to selectively increase the air-pressure of the air-mattress by selectively pumping air into the air mattress at a variable speed; and

the second instructions comprise a value for the variable speed.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the replacement value is a measure over time and the value for the variable speed of the second instructions is the replacement value.