Control of an adjustable bed and a multimedia device associated with the bed

• US 7,933,669 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2007
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Martin B. Rawls-Meehan
• Original Assignee: Martin B. Rawls-Meehan
• Inventors: Rawls-Meehan, Martin B
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garland; Steven R
• Application Number:
  US11/875,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20080115278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,284 Days
• Field of Search: 700/83, 700/302, 700/56, 700/60, 700 64- 66, 560/0, 561/8, 561/6, 591/5, 318/6
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 19/12 Folding bedsteads travelling or camp beds A47C17/64
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 20/041 by electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 20/08 with means for adjusting two or more rests simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 21/003 Lighting, radio, telephone or the like connected to the bedstead
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 21/006 Oscillating, balancing or vibrating mechanisms connected to the bedstead for children's beds A47D9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 21/04 Devices for ventilating, cooling or heating
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/081 of pneumatic type
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/082 with non-manual inflation, e.g. with electric pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/008 Use of remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/12 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/015 divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 Control or drive mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05769 with inflatable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0138 incorporated in furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0142 Beds
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0149 Seat or chair
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/50 Control means thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2203/0443 substantially horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0263 using rotating unbalanced masses
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 : electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A controller for an adjustable bed also provides control functions for a multi media device. The multimedia device may be an MP3 player, an audio/visual player, and the like. The controller controls a function of the bed, such as a bed position selection, and functions of the multimedia device such as on/off, volume, channel, song, content, and the like.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a remote controller for an adjustable bed that has at least one bed position command set and at least one command set enabling a user to at least one of play, adjust volume, fast forward and rewind media using a device associated with the bed, wherein

the at least one bed position command set includes a command that stores an association of a current bed position value with a user-selected bed position by updating a table having a plurality of ordered entries, and further wherein updating the table includes adding a store indication to at least one of the plurality of entries in the table, each one of the plurality of entries specifying one of a range of available positions for the adjustable bed and an increment value to reach the position; and

responsive to the plurality of ordered entries including entries without the store indication, sequentially selecting an entry from the entries without the store indication until an entry including the user-selected bed position is found.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote controller is Internet-connected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote controller is a Bluetooth remote controller.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote controller is an ultra wide band remote controller.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote controller is a wireless universal serial bus remote controller.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a computer device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a universal serial bus device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a controlling device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote controller transmits radio frequencies to control a radio frequency controllable power outlet and the remote controller has at least one command set enabling the user to at least one of turn on, turn off, and adjust a percentage of power to the radio frequency controllable power outlet.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the remote controller with a timer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the timer causes the remote controller to wait a specific amount of time before sending the command set.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the timer includes a clock and the timer causes the remote controller to wait until a specific time on the clock before sending the command set.