Inflatable air mattress autofill and off bed pressure adjustment

• US 10,251,490 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2017
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sleep Number Corporation
• Original Assignee: Select Comfort Retail Corporation (Sleep Number Corporation), Sleep Number Corporation
• Inventors: Nunn, Rob, Palashewski, Wade Daniel, Young, Steven Jay, Hewitt, Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasenge, Charles R
• Application Number:
  US15/470,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20170196369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 21/04 Devices for ventilating, cooling or heating
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/084 self inflating
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/10 with two or more independently-fillable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/00 Details or accessories for chairs, beds, or the like, not provided for in other groups of this subclass, e.g. upholstery fasteners, mattress protectors, stretching devices for mattress nets
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/008 Use of remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system may include transmitting a signal to a pump of an air mattress to set the pressure of the air mattress to an initial pressure; receiving, at a central controller, a user preference condition for an automatic adjustment of the pressure in the air mattress; receiving, at the central controller, an indication that the air mattress is empty; and based on determining that the user preference condition has been met and receiving the indication: detecting a change in the pressure of the air mattress beyond a threshold value; and based on the detection, adjusting the pressure of the air mattress to the initial pressure.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a bed comprising;

an air mattress having at least one inflatable bladder;

a pressure sensor configured to sense pressure in the air mattress; and

a controller configured to;

adjust the pressure of the air mattress; and

receive sensed pressures from the pressure sensor;

a server that is physically separated from the bed and that is in data communication with the controller, the server configured to;

store user preferences related to an auto-adjust feature of the bed;

determine that the bed does not have a user laying on the bed;

wherein the controller is further configured to;

responsive to the determination that the bed does not have a user laying on the bed and responsive to a determination that a user preference has been met;

adjusting the pressure of the air mattress to an unoccupied pressure value;

and

maintain the air mattress at the unoccupied pressure value.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the server is further configured to send to the controller an indication that the bed does not have a user laying on the bed; and

the controller is configured to determine that the user preference has been met.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user preferences comprise one of the group consisting of i) a time preference that indicates one or more times periods of the day when the auto-adjust feature can be used and ii) a delay preference that includes a threshold that indicates the user'"'"'s preference for when the auto-adjust feature should be engaged.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user preference comprises both:

a time preference that indicates one or more times periods of the day when the auto-adjust feature can be used; and

a delay preference that includes a threshold that indicates the user'"'"'s preference for when the auto-adjust feature should be engaged.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the bed further comprises an external device configured to:

receive, from the pressure sensor, data of the sensed pressures of the air mattress; and

transmit, to the server, the data of the sensed pressures of the air mattress.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the external device is further configured to filter the data before transmitting the data to the server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to maintain the air mattress at the unoccupied pressure value without user input.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the determination that the bed does not have a user laying on the bed is made based on i) data of sensed pressure from the pressure sensor and ii) other data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the determination that the bed does not have a user laying on the bed is made based only on data other than data of sensed pressure from the pressure sensor.

10. A system comprising:

a bed comprising;

an air mattress having at least one inflatable bladder;

a pressure sensor configured to sense pressure in the air mattress; and

a controller configured to;

adjust the pressure of the air mattress; and

receive sensed pressures from the pressure sensor;

a server that is physically separated from the bed and that is in data communication with the controller, the server configured to;

determine that the bed does not have a user laying on the bed;

wherein the controller is further configured to;

responsive to a determination that the bed does not have a user laying on the bed and responsive to a determination that a user preference related to an auto-fill feature has been met;

adjusting the pressure of the air mattress to an empty bed pressure; and

maintaining the air mattress at the empty bed pressure.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to store user preferences.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the server is further configured to send to the controller an indication that the bed does not have a user laying on the bed; and

the controller is configured to determine that the user preference has been met.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the user preferences comprise one of the group consisting of i) a time preference that indicates one or more times periods of the day when the auto-fill feature can be used and ii) a delay preference that includes a threshold that indicates the user'"'"'s preference for when the auto-fill feature should be engaged.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the user preference comprises both:

a time preference that indicates one or more times periods of the day when the auto-fill feature can be used; and

a delay preference that includes a threshold that indicates the user'"'"'s preference for when the auto-fill feature should be engaged.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the bed further comprises an external device configured to:

receive, from the pressure sensor, data of the sensed pressures of the air mattress; and

transmit, to the server, the data of the sensed pressures of the air mattress.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the external device is further configured to filter the data before transmitting the data to the server.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to maintain the air mattress at the empty bed pressure without user input.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the determination that the bed does not have a user laying on the bed is made based on i) data of sensed pressure from the pressure sensor and ii) other data.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the determination that the bed does not have a user laying on the bed is made based only on data other than data of sensed pressure from the pressure sensor.