Using force sensors in bed systems

1 . A bed system comprising:

a support platform; and

a plurality of legs supporting the support platform, each leg of the plurality of legs comprising:

a mount positioned in the leg and connected to an inside surface of the leg;

a force sensor connected to the mount, the force sensor configured to sense a force applied to the leg;

a foot that extends around the force sensor and the mount and contacts a floor, the foot having deformable portions along a bottom of the foot and a plate portion of the foot that receives a plate that aligns with the force sensor, wherein the deformable portions are configured to facilitate movement of the plate to compress and contact the force sensor in response to a force applied to the foot along a vertical axis;

a preamplifier connected to the force sensor and positioned above the mount within the leg.

2 . The bed system of claim 1 , wherein the deformable portions facilitate vertical movement of the plate responsive to one or more forces applied to the leg.

3 . The bed system of claim 1 , wherein the foot and the mount constrain the force sensor to two degrees of freedom.

4 . The bed system of claim 3 , wherein the two degrees of freedom are vertical motion and rotational motion.

5 . The bed system of claim 1 , wherein the deformable portions extend from the plate portion of the foot and end at an offset distance from an outer edge of the bottom of the foot.

6 . The bed system of claim 1 , wherein a sensing surface of the force sensor is exposed below the mount to facilitate contact between the plate and the force sensor.

7 . The bed system of claim 1 , wherein the foot comprises a rubber material that facilitates deformation of the deformable portions.

8 . The bed system of claim 1 , wherein a sensing surface of the force sensor faces towards the plate and a non-sensing surface faces towards the mount.

9 . The bed system of claim 1 , comprising a controller in communication with the force sensor, the controller configured to:

receive a plurality of force signals from the force sensor;

analyze the plurality of force signals; and

generate one or more user parameters, wherein the one or more user parameters include at least one of sleeper weight, biometrics, sleep stage, restlessness, and user presence.

10 . A bed system comprising:

a foundation frame configured to support a mattress; and

at least a first leg defining a vertical axis, the first leg comprising:

a leg shaft mounted to the foundation frame and extending downward from the foundation frame for supporting the foundation frame;

a leg foot connected to a distal end of the leg shaft, wherein the leg foot has a foot bottom configured to contact a floor; and

a force sensor connected to the leg foot and positioned in a chamber between and defined by a bottom surface of the leg shaft and one or more protrusions of the leg foot, wherein the leg foot is configured to move with respect to the leg shaft to compress the force sensor when a force is applied to the first leg along the vertical axis.

11 . The bed system of claim 10 further comprising:

a controller in communication with the force sensor, the controller configured to:

receive a plurality of force signals from the force sensor;

analyze the plurality of force signals; and

generate one or more user parameters.

12 . The bed system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more user parameters include at least one of sleeper weight, biometrics, sleep stage, restlessness, and user presence.

13 . The bed system of claim 10 , wherein the force sensor is constrained to two degrees of freedom in the chamber.

14 . A bed system comprising:

a support platform configured for supporting a mattress; and

a plurality of legs supporting the support platform, each of the plurality of legs comprising:

a mount positioned in the leg and connected to an inside surface of the leg;

a carrier positioned below the mount and connected to the mount, the carrier and the mount defining a chamber between a bottom surface of the mount an upper surface of the carrier and a chamber surface of the carrier;

a force sensor positioned in the chamber and connected to the carrier at the chamber surface of the carrier, and the chamber constrains the force sensor to two degrees of freedom, the force sensor configured to sense a force applied along a vertical axis of the leg that compresses the force sensor in the chamber;

a preamplifier connected to the force sensor and positioned above the mount within the leg.

15 . The bed system of claim 14 , wherein the two degrees of freedom are vertical motion and rotational motion.

16 . The bed system of claim 15 , wherein the rotational motion is about a vertical axis.

17 . The bed system of claim 14 , wherein a sensing surface of the force sensor is exposed above the carrier to facilitate contact between the mount and the force sensor.

18 . The bed system of claim 14 , wherein a foot is a rubber foot that is positioned between the force sensor and a floor.

19 . The bed system of claim 14 , wherein all the force of the bed system translates through each of the force sensors in each of the legs.