IP Library Granted Patent US 11,497,321
Granted Patent B2
US 11,497,321 · App. 17/136,741 · Granted Nov 15, 2022

Inflatable air mattress system architecture

Inventors: Rob Nunn (Eden Prairie, MN); Matthew Wayne Tilstra (Rogers, MN); Matthew Glen Hilden (Robbinsdale, MN); Paul James Mahoney (Stillwater, MN)
Assignee: Sleep Number Corporation
A47C31/008A47C27/081A47C27/082A47C27/083G05B23/0267
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,497,321
App. No.
17/136,741
Granted
Nov 15, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method may comprise receiving, at a central controller, a command, from a remote control, to adjust a feature of a first component of an air mattress framework; relaying, from the central controller, the command to the first component; receiving from the first component at the central controller, an indication of the success of the command; and relaying the indication from the central controller to the remote control.

Claims (58)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a central controller of an air pump, a first command for articulation of a bed foundation, from a remote control, to adjust articulation via an articulation system having an articulation controller;

relaying, from the central controller of the air pump, the first command to the articulation controller of the articulation system;

receiving at the central controller of the air pump, electronic communication comprising an indication of the success in articulation due to the first command from the articulation controller of the articulation system;

relaying electronic communication comprising the indication from the articulation controller of the articulation system through the central controller of the air pump to the remote control;

articulating, by the articulation controller, the bed foundation according to the first command;

receiving, at the central controller, a second command, from the remote control, to adjust a feature of a second component; and

relaying from the central controller the second command to adjust the feature of the second component to the second component, wherein the articulation controller and second component are not directly communicatively coupled.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remote control cannot communicate directly with the articulation controller.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the central controller, an indication of a failure of the articulation controller;

requesting, from the central controller, diagnostic data from the articulation controller;

receiving, from the articulation controller, the diagnostic data in response to the request; and

relaying the diagnostic data from the central controller to an external network device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the first command from the remote control includes receiving the first command from an application executing on a smart phone.

5. The method of claim 1 , method further comprising receiving, at the articulation controller, a third command from an input device physically separate from the remote control, to adjust articulation of the articulation system having the articulation controller, wherein the input device is a dedicated device configured to generate the third command for the articulation controller and is not configured to generate commands for actuating the air pump to inflate a chamber.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first command from the remote control is received over a first network protocol and relaying the first command to the articulation controller is performed over a second network protocol.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the first command includes receiving an encapsulated data structure that identifies a destination for the first command and a setting for the articulation controller.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the central controller of the air pump, a command, from the remote control, to adjust a feature of a temperature controller configured to adjust a temperature controlled device; and

relaying, from the central controller of the air pump, the command to the temperature controller.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the central controller and the air pump are packaged as a single unit.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the air pump is part of the central controller and the articulation controller is not part of the central controller.

11. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising: transmitting, by the central controller, a list of components that are linked with the central controller.

12. The method of claim 11 , the method further comprising:

receiving, by the central controller, a discovery request from the remote control,

wherein the list of components that are linked with the central controller is transmitted by the central controller responsive to receiving the discovery request.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the list of components that are linked with the central controller further comprises available functions for the components.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the list of components that are linked with the central controller is transmitted by the central controller responsive to an addition or removal of a component.

15. A system comprising:

a central controller comprising a processor and computer memory, the central controller configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a central controller of an air pump, a first command for articulation of a bed foundation, from a remote control, to adjust articulation via an articulation system having an articulation controller;

relaying, from the central controller of the air pump, the first command to the articulation controller of the articulation system;

receiving at the central controller of the air pump, electronic communication comprising an indication of the success in articulation due to the first command from the articulation controller of the articulation system;

relaying electronic communication comprising the indication from the articulation controller of the articulation system through the central controller of the air pump to the remote control;

articulating, by the articulation controller, the bed foundation according to the first command;

receiving, at the central controller, a second command, from the remote control, to adjust a feature of a second component; and

relaying from the central controller the second command to adjust the feature of the second component to the second component, wherein the articulation controller and second component are not directly communicatively coupled.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the remote control cannot communicate directly with the articulation controller.

17. The system of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:

receiving, at the central controller, an indication of a failure of the articulation controller;

requesting, from the central controller, diagnostic data from the articulation controller;

receiving, from the articulation controller, the diagnostic data in response to the request; and

relaying the diagnostic data from the central controller to an external network device.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein receiving the first command from the remote control includes receiving the first command from an application executing on a smart phone.

19. The system of claim 15 , the operations further comprising receiving, at the articulation controller, a third command from an input device physically separate from the remote control, to adjust articulation of the articulation system having the articulation controller, wherein the input device is a dedicated device configured to generate the third command for the articulation controller and is not configured to generate commands for actuating the air pump to inflate a chamber.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first command from the remote control is received over a first network protocol and relaying the first command to the articulation controller is performed over a second network protocol.

21. The system of claim 15 , wherein receiving the first command includes receiving an encapsulated data structure that identifies a destination for the first command and a setting for the articulation controller.

22. The system of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:

receiving, at the central controller of the air pump, a command, from the remote control, to adjust a feature of a temperature controller configured to adjust a temperature controlled device; and

relaying, from the central controller of the air pump, the command to the temperature controller.

23. The system of claim 15 , wherein the central controller and the air pump are packaged as a single unit.

24. The system of claim 15 , wherein the air pump is part of the central controller and the articulation controller is not part of the central controller.

25. The system of claim 15 , the operations further comprising: transmitting, by the central controller, a list of components that are linked with the central controller.

26. The system of claim 25 , the operations further comprising:

receiving, by the central controller, a discovery request from the remote control, wherein the list of components that are linked with the central controller is transmitted by the central controller responsive to receiving the discovery request.

27. The system of claim 25 , wherein the list of components that are linked with the central controller further comprises available functions for the components.

28. The system of claim 25 , wherein the list of components that are linked with the central controller is transmitted by the central controller responsive to an addition or removal of a component.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2025
From: SLEEP NUMBER CORPORATION
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 073507/0051 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 8, 2021
From: SLEEP NUMBER CORPORATION
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 058392/0742 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 6, 2021
From: NUNN, ROBERT; TILSTRA, MATTHEW WAYNE; HILDEN, MATTHEW GLEN; MAHONEY, PAUL JAMES
To: SELECT COMFORT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054827/0855 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 6, 2021
From: SELECT COMFORT CORPORATION
To: SLEEP NUMBER CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054912/0518 →
Cited By (5)
US 1,112,243 US 12,274,369 US 12,538,984 US 12,551,024 US 12,660,938