Granted Patent B2

US 12,226,021 · App. 17/234,117 · Granted Feb 18, 2025

Inventors: Rob Nunn (Eden Prairie, MN); Wade Daniel Palashewski (Andover, MN); Steven Jay Young (Los Gatos, CA); Carl Hewitt (San Jose, CA)

Assignee: Sleep Number Corporation

A47C27/083A47C21/04A47C27/082A47C27/084A47C27/10A47C31/00A47C31/008G05B19/0428

Abstract

Claims (22)

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a signal to a pump of an air mattress to set the pressure of the air mattress to an initial pressure;

receiving, at a central controller, a user preference condition for an automatic adjustment of the pressure in the air mattress;

receiving, at the central controller, an indication that the air mattress is empty; and

based on determining, at the central controller, that the user preference condition has been met and receiving the indication:

detecting a change in the pressure of the air mattress beyond a threshold value; and

based on the detection, transmitting an adjustment signal to the pump of the air mattress to energize the pump to adjust the pressure of the air mattress to the initial pressure.

2. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising:

opening a valve to allow air to escape from an air chamber of the air mattress based on receiving the indication that the air mattress is empty.

3. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising:

pumping air into an air chamber of the air mattress via the pump in response to the pump receiving the adjustment signal.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment signal is a signal to drive the pump to force air into one or more air chambers of the air mattress to increase pressure of the one or more air chambers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the air mattress comprises an air chamber and foam positioned outside of the air chamber, wherein the pump is fluidly connected to a pump manifold which is fluidly connected to the air chamber of the air mattress, wherein a control valve is configured to operably regulate air flow between the pump manifold and the air chamber.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the central controller is in data communication with a pressure sensor that is in fluid communication with the pump manifold for sensing pressure in the pump manifold.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the air mattress comprises means to detect user presence on the air mattress.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the air mattress comprises a plurality of air chambers and a resilient border surrounding the air chambers, wherein the plurality of air chambers comprise more than two air chambers, wherein the resilient border comprises foam, wherein the central controller is part of a control box including the pump and a wireless interface in the control box, wherein the control box is connected to each of the plurality of air chambers and is configured for inflating and deflating each of the plurality of air chambers.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the air mattress further comprises a temperature controller, a temperature sensor, and a pad integrated into the air mattress, the method further comprising:

controlling temperate of the air mattress via the pad and the temperature controller as a function of temperature sensed via the temperature sensor.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pump is energized to adjust the pressure of the air mattress to the initial pressure to account for air loss due to a mechanical air leak.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pump is energized to adjust the pressure of the air mattress to the initial pressure to account for environmental changes in a room that contains the air mattress.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication that the air mattress is empty is an indication that nobody is on the air mattress.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user preference condition is a user input received from a user.

Assignments (8)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (400)