MOBILE BODY MAPPING AND MATTRESS TESTING

• US 20090093990A1
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mattress Firm Incorporated (Steinhoff International Holdings NV)
• Original Assignee: Mattress Firm Incorporated (Steinhoff International Holdings NV)
• Inventors: Stagner, Robert S., McGuire, Daniel J., Mettler, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US11/868,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20090093990A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/139
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/123 for beds or mattresses
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/001 Testing of furniture, e.g. seats or mattresses
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 3/40 Investigating hardness or rebound hardness

Abstract

An exemplary mobile mattress sensor system is described, the system includes a pressure sensing pad and a computer device having an associated display operable to receive signals from the pressure sensing pad and cause the display a body map associated with the received signals. The mobile mapping system further includes a power source for powering the computer device, and a cart for transporting the pressure sensing pad, computer device, and power source. The mobile body mapping system allows a user to transport the mobile body mapping system throughout a store to test and generate body maps for different mattresses. Further, many different mattresses may be uniquely tested for a particular user with a single pressure sensing pad (as opposed to having multiple pressure sensing pads and computing devices for each mattress or a small set of “test” beds including pressure sensing pads and computing devices).

Claims

1. A mobile body mapping system for testing mattresses, the mobile body mapping system, comprising:

a pressure sensing pad;

a computer device and associated display operable to receive signals from the pressure sensing pad and cause the display a body map associated with the received signals;

a power source for powering the computer device; and

a cart for transporting the pressure sensing pad, computer device, and power source.

2. The mobile body mapping system of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensing pad comprises a flexible pressure sensing pad for removably disposing with a mattress.

3. The mobile body mapping system of claim 1, wherein the computer device comprises logic operable to cause the display of a body map based on the received signals.

4. The mobile body mapping system of claim 1, further comprising an interface unit for sending driving signals to, and receiving signals from, the pressure sensing pad, wherein the interface unit is connectable to the computing device.

5. The mobile body mapping system of claim 1, wherein the cart further comprising a printer connected to the computer device.

6. The mobile body mapping system of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a rechargeable battery.

7. The mobile body mapping system of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a rechargeable battery included with the computing device.

8. The mobile body mapping system of claim 1, wherein the cart comprises wheels.

9. A mobile body mapping system for testing mattresses, the mobile body mapping system comprising:

a display;

a computer device operable to receive signals from a pressure sensing pad and cause a display associated with the received signals on the display;

a power supply for powering the computer device; and

a cart for supporting and transporting the computer device and display.

10. The mobile mattress sensor system of claim 9, further comprising a pressure sensing pad.

11. The mobile body mapping system of claim 9, wherein the computer device comprises logic operable to cause the display of a body map based on the received signals.

12. The mobile body mapping system of claim 9, further comprising an interface unit for sending driving signals to, and receiving signals from, the pressure sensing pad, wherein the interface unit is connected to the computing device.

13. The mobile body mapping system of claim 9, wherein the cart further comprising a printer connected to the computer device.

14. The mobile body mapping system of claim 9, wherein the power source comprises a rechargeable battery.

15. The mobile body mapping system of claim 9, wherein the cart comprises wheels.

16. A method for body mapping users on a mattress with pressure sensing pad, the method comprising:

placing a pressure sensing pad over a first mattress;

receiving signals from the pressure sensing pad at a computing device, wherein the computing device is included with a mobile body mapping apparatus, the apparatus comprising a cart for supporting the computing device, the pressure sensing pad, and a power supply for powering the computing device during transportation; and

causing the display of an image based on the received signals.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising transporting the cart to a second mattress, placing the pressure sensing pad over the second mattress, and receiving signals form the pressure sensing pad.