Methods and systems of an adjustable bed

• US 8,050,805 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2007
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• 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): LEE, DOUGLAS S
• Application Number:
  US11/875,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20080092293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,473 Days
• Field of Search: 700/13, 700/64, 700/66, 700/302, 560/0, 561/3, 561/6, 318/16, 340/573
• US Class Current: 700/302
• 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

Aspects of this invention relate to an adjustable bed that may include one or more articulating portions, and may include one or more components, including an air inflatable mattress associated with the adjustable bed frame, a programmable logic controller, a remote memory storage facility, a remote storage location of user preferences, a cell phone remote control, a modular control device, an air purification facility, a power outlet controller, a Bluetooth remote control, an ultra wide band remote control, a wireless USB remote control, and the like.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an adjustable bed frame having an adjustable portion, a power outlet, and a power outlet controller that includes an Internet Protocol data port;

receiving a user command from a remote control via the Internet Protocol data port;

determining, at the power outlet controller, whether the user command provides control of the power outlet or the adjustable portion of the adjustable bed frame;

transmitting a first control signal to the adjustable bed frame when the user command provides control of the adjustable portion; and

toggling the power outlet when the user command provides control of the power outlet.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, at the power outlet controller, whether the user command is intended to control an air pump connected to an air inflatable mattress of the adjustable bed frame; and

transmitting a second control signal to the air pump as a packet through the data port when the command is intended to control the air pump.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the power outlet controller includes a programmable logic controller (PLC).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing at least one operational parameter related to control of the adjustable portion of the adjustable bed frame into a memory storage device removably and replaceably coupled to the adjustable bed frame in a communicating relationship with the power outlet controller.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, using the power outlet controller to receive the user command from a cell phone.

6. A method comprising:

providing an adjustable bed frame having an adjustable portion, a power outlet, and a power outlet controller that includes an Internet Protocol data port;

interchangeably receiving a user command from either a wireless remote control or a touch screen interface of the adjustable bed frame;

determining whether the user command provides control of the power outlet or the adjustable portion of the adjustable bed frame;

transmitting a first control signal to the adjustable bed frame when the user command provides control of the adjustable portion; and

toggling the power outlet when the user command provides control of the power outlet.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing an air inflatable mattress associated with the adjustable bed frame, wherein the air inflatable mattress includes flex regions about which the air inflatable mattress can flex; and

regulating air pressure in the air inflatable mattress with an air pump, wherein regulating includes;

determining whether the user command provides control of the air pump, and

transmitting a second control signal to the air pump as a packet through the data port when the user command provides control of the air pump.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the power outlet controller includes a programmable logic controller (PLC).

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing user preferences into a remote memory, wherein the user preferences represent recall parameters relating to one or more adjustable aspects of the adjustable bed frame.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the wireless remote control is adapted to operate on a cell phone.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether the user command provides control of a vibration motor attached to the adjustable bed frame; and

transmitting a second control signal to the vibration motor as a packet through the data port when the user command provides control of the vibration motor.

12. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer code that performs the following steps when run on a computing system of an adjustable bed frame having an adjustable portion, a power outlet, and a power outlet controller that includes an Internet Protocol data port:

receiving a user command from a wireless remote control via the Internet Protocol data port;

determining, at the power outlet controller, whether the user command provides control of the power outlet or the adjustable portion of the adjustable bed frame;

transmitting a first control signal to the adjustable bed frame when the user command provides control of the adjustable portion; and

toggling the power outlet when the user command provides control of the power outlet.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer code, when run on the computing system, further performs the following steps:

determining, at the power outlet controller, whether the user command is intended to control an air pump connected to an air inflatable mattress of the adjustable bed frame; and

transmitting a second control signal to the air pump as a packet through the data port when the command is intended to control the air pump.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the power outlet controller includes a programmable logic controller (PLC).

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer code, when run on the computing system, further performs the following step:

storing at least one operational parameter related to control of the adjustable portion of the adjustable bed frame into a memory storage device removably and replaceably coupled to the adjustable bed frame in a communicating relationship with the power outlet controller.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer code, when run on the computing system, further performs the step of using the power outlet controller to receive the user command from a cell phone.

17. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer code that performs the following steps when run on a computing system of an adjustable bed frame having an adjustable portion, a power outlet, and a power outlet controller that includes an Internet Protocol data port:

interchangeably receiving a user command from either a wireless remote control or a touch screen interface of the adjustable bed frame;

determining whether the user command provides control of the power outlet or the adjustable portion of the adjustable bed frame;

transmitting a first control signal to the adjustable bed frame when the user command provides control of the adjustable portion; and

toggling the power outlet when the user command provides control of the power outlet.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer code, when run on the computing system, further performs the following steps:

providing an air inflatable mattress associated with the adjustable bed frame, wherein the air inflatable mattress includes flex regions about which the air inflatable mattress can flex; and

regulating air pressure in the air inflatable mattress with an air pump, wherein regulating includes;

determining whether the user command provides control of the air pump, and

transmitting a second control signal to the air pump as a packet through the data port when the user command provides control of the air pump.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the power outlet controller includes a programmable logic controller (PLC).

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer code, when run on the computing system, further performs the following step:

storing user preferences into a remote memory, wherein the user preferences represent recall parameters relating to one or more adjustable aspects of the adjustable bed frame.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the wireless remote control is adapted to operate on a cell phone.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer code, when run on the computing system, further performs the following steps:

determining whether the user command provides control of a vibration motor attached to the adjustable bed frame; and

transmitting a second control signal to the vibration motor as a packet through the data port when the user command provides control of the vibration motor.

23. A system, comprising:

an adjustable bed frame having;

an adjustable portion;

a power outlet; and

a power outlet controller that includes an Internet Protocol data port, wherein

the power outlet controller is adapted to perform the following steps;

receiving, at the Internet Protocol data port, a user command from a remote control;

transmitting a first control signal to the adjustable bed frame when the user command provides control of the adjustable portion; and

toggling the power outlet when the user command provides control of the power outlet.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the power outlet controller is further adapted to perform the following steps:

determining whether the user command is intended to control an air pump connected to an air inflatable mattress of the adjustable bed frame; and

transmitting a second control signal to the air pump as a packet through the data port when the command is intended to control the air pump.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the power outlet controller includes a programmable logic controller (PLC).

26. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

a memory storage device removably and replaceably coupled to the adjustable bed frame in a communicating relationship with the power outlet controller, wherein

the power outlet controller is further adapted to store at least one operational parameter related to control of the adjustable portion of the adjustable bed frame into the memory storage device.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the power outlet controller is further adapted to receive the user command from a cell phone.

28. A system, comprising:

an adjustable bed frame having;

an adjustable portion;

a power outlet; and

a power outlet controller that includes an Internet Protocol data port, wherein

the power outlet controller is adapted to perform the following steps;

interchangeably receiving a user command from either a wireless remote control or a touch screen interface of the adjustable bed frame;

determining whether the user command provides control of the power outlet or the adjustable portion of the adjustable bed frame;

transmitting a first control signal to the adjustable bed frame when the user command provides control of the adjustable portion; and

toggling the power outlet when the user command provides control of the power outlet.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the power outlet controller is further adapted to perform the following steps:

providing an air inflatable mattress associated with the adjustable bed frame, wherein the air inflatable mattress includes flex regions about which the air inflatable mattress can flex; and

regulating air pressure in the air inflatable mattress with an air pump, wherein regulating includes;

determining whether the user command provides control of the air pump, and

transmitting a second control signal to the air pump as a packet through the data port when the user command provides control of the air pump.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the power outlet controller includes a programmable logic controller (PLC).

31. The system of claim 28, wherein:

the power outlet controller is further adapted to store user preferences into a remote memory, and wherein

the user preferences represent recall parameters relating to one or more adjustable aspects of the adjustable bed frame.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the wireless remote control is adapted to operate on a cell phone.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein the power outlet controller is further adapted to perform the following steps:

determining whether the user command provides control of a vibration motor attached to the adjustable bed frame; and

transmitting a second control signal to the vibration motor as a packet through the data port when the user command provides control of the vibration motor.