Inflatable air mattress system architecture

• US 9,392,879 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2015
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sleep Number Corporation
• Original Assignee: Select Comfort Corporation
• Inventors: Nunn, Rob, Tilstra, Matthew Wayne, Hilden, Matthew Glen, Mahoney, Paul James
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Karim, Ziaul
• Application Number:
  US14/626,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20150157137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 700/79
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 27/083 with pressure control, e.g. with pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/008 Use of remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]

Abstract

A bed has a central controller that is connected to input devices, control devices, and other data processors. This central controller device can be used to receive input, send commands to the control devices, and to exchange data with the other data processors.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an air mattress having at least one air chamber;

a central controller device comprising;

a processor configured to control at least some logic sequences of the system;

computer memory;

an air pump configured to control a firmness of the at least one air chamber;

a pressure sensor configured to measure the firmness;

a first network configured to facilitate communication among the processor, the computer memory and the pressure sensor of the central controller device;

a housing that encloses the processor, the computer memory, the pressure sensor, and the first network;

a peripheral component;

a remote control unit configured to receive i) first user input that indicates a desired firmness and ii) second user input that indicates a desired command for the peripheral component;

an external network device;

a second network configured to;

facilitate communication between the i) elements of the central controller which are enclosed within the housing of the central controller and the remote control unit, wherein the remote control unit is not enclosed within the housing of the central controller, and between ii) elements of the central controller which are enclosed within the housing of the central controller and the peripheral component;

wherein the peripheral component is not enclosed within the housing of the central controller; and

wherein communication of the second network passes through the housing of the central controller;

a third network configured to;

facilitate communication between the external network device and an external server;

wherein the central controller device is configured to;

receive firmness data from the remote control unit over the second network, the firmness data created based on the received first user input that indicates the desired firmness;

responsive to receiving the firmness data, transmit instructions to change the firmness to the air pump over the first network;

receive a command reference from the remote control unit over the second network, the command reference created based on the received second user input that indicating the desired command for the peripheral component;

responsive to receiving the command reference, transmit a component command to the peripheral component over the second network;

receive measures of the firmness from the pressure sensor over the first network;

transmit first data to the external network device such that the external network device transmits the first data to the external server over the third network;

wherein the central controller device is further configured to;

receive a peripheral reading from the peripheral component over the second network, the peripheral reading being created from a sensing of a sensor of the peripheral component; and

responsive to receiving the peripheral reading, transmit a peripheral report created from the peripheral reading to the external network device such that the external network device transmits the peripheral report to the external server over the third network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first data can be created from at least one of the group consisting of, sleep state, bed entrance, bed exit, restfulness, restlessness, duration in bed, and time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the central controller device contains the processor, the computer memory, the air pump, the pressure sensor, and the first network in a single unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein central controller device is further configured to transmit a firmness value created from the measures of the firmness to the remote control unit over the second network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the air mattress comprises the at least one air chamber surrounded by a resilient border and encapsulated by bed ticking, wherein the resilient border comprises a foam component;

the processor comprises at least one of the group comprising a general purpose central processing unit (CPU) or application specific integrated circuit (ASIC);

the computer memory comprises at least one of the group comprising volatile static storage and non-volatile static storage, wherein the computer memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to perform functionality;

the air pump comprises a motor, a pump manifold, a relief valve, a control valve and is fluidly connected with the air chamber by a tube;

the pressure sensor comprises a pressure transducer configured to generate analog information and convert the analog information into the measures of the firmness, wherein the measures of the firmness are digital;

the peripheral component comprises one of the group consisting of a temperature controller, an articulation controller, an illumination controller, and an outlet controller;

the remote control unit comprises a display, a pressure increase button and pressure decrease button;

the first network comprises one of the group consisting of a relay and a solid state switch;

the second network comprises communication channels configured to facilitate communication through at least one protocol from the group consisting of an 802.11 standard protocol, a personal area network (PAN) network standard protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, an infrared protocol, a cellular standard protocol, an Ethernet protocol, and a USB protocol; and

the third network comprises the internet.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second network comprises communication channels in at least one of the protocols from the group consisting of an 802.11 standard protocol, a personal area network (PAN) network standard protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, an infrared protocol, a cellular standard protocol, an Ethernet protocol, and a USB protocol.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second network comprises communication channels in at least two of the protocols from the group consisting of an 802.11 standard protocol, a personal area network (PAN) network standard protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, an infrared protocol, a cellular standard protocol, an Ethernet protocol, and a USB protocol.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second network is a wireless network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second network comprises a first subnetwork and a second subnetwork, wherein the first subnetwork is configured to communicate traffic in a different protocol than the protocol of the second subnetwork.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the central controller device comprises one or more network endpoints configured to communicate over the second network.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the central controller device comprises a first network endpoint for communicating over the second network in a first network protocol and further comprises a second network endpoint for communicating over the second network in a second network protocol.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first protocol is an 802.11 standard protocol and the second protocol is a Bluetooth protocol.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first protocol is a wired protocol and the second protocol is a wireless protocol.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote control unit is a mobile phone.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the second network is configured in a star topology wherein i) the central controller device functions as a hub and ii) the peripheral component and the remote control function as spokes.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral component comprises a temperature controller configured to:

sense a temperature; and

transmit a temperature reading to the central controller device over the second network; and

wherein the central controller device is configured to;

receive the temperature reading from the temperature controller; and

transmit a temperature value created from the temperature reading to the remote control over the second network for display to a user.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral component comprises a temperature controller;

wherein the desired command for the peripheral component is a desired temperature;

wherein the command reference identifies a temperature change;

wherein the component command identifies the temperature change; and

wherein the temperature controller is configured to;

receive the component command; and

responsive to receiving the component command, change a temperature of the peripheral component in accordance with the identified temperature change.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first user input and the second user input is a verbal input spoken by a user.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote control unit communicates with the central controller device over a first protocol and the external network device communicates with the central controller device over a second different protocol.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first network, the second network, and the third network comprises two or more subnetworks.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the second network is not configured to facilitate communication between the remote control unit and the peripheral.