Adjustable Bed System with Foundations Having First and Second Configurations

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/512,568, filed on Nov. 17, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/977,658, filed on Oct. 31, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,857,076, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/006,388, filed on Aug. 28, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,484,128, which is a continuation U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/741,485, filed Jan. 13, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,765,224, issued Sep. 8, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/646,719, filed Jul. 11, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,531,745, issued Jan. 14, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/203,050, filed Mar. 10, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,730,524, issued Aug. 15, 2017, which is related to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/776,447 titled, “SWITCHING MEANS FOR AN ADJUSTABLE FOUNDATION SYSTEM” to Chen et al. and filed on Mar. 11, 2013, the entire contents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and the benefit of priority claimed herein.

This patent document pertains generally to mattresses and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an inflatable air mattress system.

Air bed systems, such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,172 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, generally allow a user to select a desired pressure for each air chamber within the mattress. Upon selecting the desired pressure, a signal is sent to a pump and valve assembly in order to inflate or deflate the air bladders as necessary in order to achieve approximately the desired pressure within the air bladders.

In various examples, an air mattress control system allows a user to adjust the firmness or position of an air mattress bed. The mattress may have more than one zone thereby allowing a left and right side of the mattress to be adjusted to different firmness levels. Additionally, the bed may be adjustable to different positions. For example, the head section of the bed may be raised up while the foot section of the bed stays in place. In various examples, two separate remote controls are used to adjust the position and firmness, respectively.

is a diagrammatic representation of air bed systemin an example embodiment. Systemcan include bed, which can comprise at least one air chambersurrounded by a resilient borderand encapsulated by bed ticking. The resilient bordercan comprise any suitable material, such as foam.

As illustrated in, bedcan be a two chamber design having a first air chamberA and a second air chamberB. First and second air chambersA andB can be in fluid communication with pump. Pumpcan be in electrical communication with a remote controlvia control box. Remote controlcan communicate via wired or wireless means with control box. Control boxcan be configured to operate pumpto cause increases and decreases in the fluid pressure of first and second air chambersA andB based upon commands input by a user through remote control. Remote controlcan include display, output selecting means, pressure increase button, and pressure decrease button. Output selecting meanscan allow the user to switch the pump output between the first and second air chambersA andB, thus enabling control of multiple air chambers with a single remote control. For example, output selecting means may by a physical control (e.g., switch or button) or an input control displayed on display. Alternatively, separate remote control units can be provided for each air chamber and may each include the ability to control multiple air chambers. Pressure increase and decrease buttonsandcan allow a user to increase or decrease the pressure, respectively, in the air chamber selected with the output selecting means. Adjusting the pressure within the selected air chamber can cause a corresponding adjustment to the firmness of the air chamber.

is a block diagram detailing data communication between certain components of air bed systemaccording to various examples. As shown in, control boxcan include power supply, processor, memory, switching means, and analog to digital (A/D) converter. Switching meanscan be, for example, a relay or a solid state switch. Switching meanscan be located in the pumprather than the control box.

Pumpand remote controlcan be in two-way communication with the control box. Pumpcan include a motor, a pump manifold, a relief valve, a first control valveA, a second control valveB, and a pressure transducer, and can be fluidly connected with the first air chamberA and the second air chamberB via a first tubeA and a second tubeB, respectively. First and second control valvesA andB can be controlled by switching means, and can be operable to regulate the flow of fluid between pumpand first and second air chambersA andB, respectively.

In an example, pumpand control boxcan be provided and packaged as a single unit. Alternatively, pumpand control boxcan be provided as physically separate units.

In operation, power supplycan receive power, such as 110 VAC power, from an external source and can convert the power to various forms required by certain components of the air bed system. Processorcan be used to control various logic sequences associated with operation of the air bed system, as will be discussed in further detail below.

The example of the air bed systemshown incontemplates two air chambersA andB and a single pump. However, other examples may include an air bed system having two or more air chambers and one or more pumps incorporated into the air bed system to control the air chambers. In an example, a separate pump can be associated with each air chamber of the air bed system or a pump may be associated with multiple chambers of the air bed system. Separate pumps can allow each air chamber to be inflated or deflated independently and simultaneously. Furthermore, additional pressure transducers can also be incorporated into the air bed system such that, for example, a separate pressure transducer can be associated with each air chamber.

In the event that the processorsends a decrease pressure command to one of air chambersA orB, switching meanscan be used to convert the low voltage command signals sent by processorto higher operating voltages sufficient to operate relief valveof pumpand open control valvesA orB. Opening relief valvecan allow air to escape from air chamberA orB through the respective air tubeA orB. During deflation, pressure transducercan send pressure readings to processorvia the A/D converter. The A/D convertercan receive analog information from pressure transducerand can convert the analog information to digital information useable by processor. Processormay send the digital signal to remote controlto update displayon the remote control in order to convey the pressure information to the user.

In the event that processorsends an increase pressure command, pump motorcan be energized, sending air to the designated air chamber through air tubeA orB via electronically operating corresponding valveA orB. While air is being delivered to the designated air chamber in order to increase the firmness of the chamber, pressure transducercan sense pressure within pump manifold. Again, pressure transducercan send pressure readings to processorvia A/D converter. Processorcan use the information received from A/D converterto determine the difference between the actual pressure in air chamberA orB and the desired pressure. Processorcan send the digital signal to remote controlto update displayon the remote control in order to convey the pressure information to the user.

Generally speaking, during an inflation or deflation process, the pressure sensed within pump manifoldprovides an approximation of the pressure within the air chamber. An example method of obtaining a pump manifold pressure reading that is substantially equivalent to the actual pressure within an air chamber is to turn off pump, allow the pressure within the air chamberA orB and pump manifoldto equalize, and then sense the pressure within pump manifoldwith pressure transducer. Thus, providing a sufficient amount of time to allow the pressures within pump manifoldand chamberA orB to equalize may result in pressure readings that are accurate approximations of the actual pressure within air chamberA orB. In various examples, the pressure ofA/B is continuously monitored using multiple pressure sensors.

In an example, another method of obtaining a pump manifold pressure reading that is substantially equivalent to the actual pressure within an air chamber is through the use of a pressure adjustment algorithm. In general, the method can function by approximating the air chamber pressure based upon a mathematical relationship between the air chamber pressure and the pressure measured within pump manifold(during both an inflation cycle and a deflation cycle), thereby eliminating the need to turn off pumpin order to obtain a substantially accurate approximation of the air chamber pressure. As a result, a desired pressure setpoint within air chamberA orB can be achieved without the need for turning pumpoff to allow the pressures to equalize. The latter method of approximating an air chamber pressure using mathematical relationships between the air chamber pressure and the pump manifold pressure is described in detail in U.S. application Ser. No. 12/936,084, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

illustrates an example air bed system architecture. Architectureincludes bed, e.g., an inflatable air mattress, central controller, firmness controller, articulation controller, temperature controllerin communication with one or more temperature sensors, external network device, remote controllers,, and voice controller. While described as using an air bed, the system architecture may also be used with other types of beds.

As illustrated in, the central controllerincludes firmness controllerand pump. The network bed architectureis configured as a star topology with central controllerand firmness controllerfunctioning as the hub and articulation controller, temperature controller, external network device, remote controls,, and voice controllerfunctioning as possible spokes, also referred to herein as components. Thus, in various examples, central controlleracts a relay between the various components.

In yet another example, central controllerlistens to communications (e.g., control signals) between components even if the communication is not being relayed through central controller. For example, consider a user sending a command using remoteto temperature controller. Central controllermay listen for the command and check to determine if instructions are stored at central controllerto override the command (e.g., it conflicts with a previous setting). Central controllermay also log the command for future use (e.g., determining a pattern of user preferences for the components).

In other examples, different topologies may be used. For example, the components and central controllermay be configured as a mesh network in which each component may communicate with one or all of the other components directly, bypassing central controller. In various examples, a combination of topologies may be used. For example, remote controllermay communicate directly to temperature controllerbut also relay the communication to central controller.

In various examples, the controllers and devices illustrated inmay each include a processor, a storage device, and a network interface. The processor may be a general purpose central processing unit (CPU) or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The storage device may include volatile or non-volatile static storage (e.g., Flash memory, RAM, EPROM, etc.). The storage device may store instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to perform the functionality described herein. For example, a processor of firmness controlmay be configured to send a command to a relief valve to decrease the pressure in a bed.

In various examples, the network interface of the components may be configured to transmit and receive communications in a variety of wired and wireless protocols. For example, the network interface may be configured to use the 802.11 standards (e.g., 802.11a/b/c/g/n/ac), PAN network standards such as 802.15.4 or Bluetooth, infrared, cellular standards (e.g., 3G/4G etc.), Ethernet, and USB for receiving and transmitting data. The previous list is not intended to exhaustive and other protocols may be used. Not all components ofneed to be configured to use the same protocols. For example, remote controlmay communicate with central controllervia Bluetooth while temperature controllerand articulation controllerare connected to central controller using 802.15.4. Within, the lightning connectors represent wireless connections and the solid lines represent wired connections, however, the connections between the components is not limited to such connections and each connection may be wired or wireless. For example, the voice controllercan be connected wirelessly to the central controller.

Moreover, in various examples, the processor, storage device, and network interface of a component may be located in different locations than various elements used to effect a command. For example, as in, firmness controllermay have a pump that is housed in a separate enclosure than the processor used to control the pump. Similar separation of elements may be employed for the other controllers and devices in.

In various examples, firmness controlleris configured to regulate pressure in an air mattress. For example, firmness controllermay include a pump such as described with reference to(see e.g., pump). Thus, in an example, firmness controllermay respond to commands to increase or decrease pressure in the air mattress. The commands may be received from another component or based on stored application instructions that are part of firmness controller.

As illustrated incentral controllerincludes firmness controller. Thus, in an example, the processor of central controllerand firmness controlmay be the same processor. Furthermore, the pump may also be part of central controller. Accordingly, central controllermay be responsible for pressure regulation as well as other functionality as described in further portions of this disclosure.

In various examples, articulation controlleris configured to adjust the position of a bed (e.g., bed) by adjusting a foundationthat supports the bed. In an example, separate positions may be set for two different beds (e.g., two twin beds placed next to each other). The foundationmay include more than one zone, e.g., head portionand foot portion, that may be independently adjusted. Articulation controllermay also be configured to provide different levels of massage to a person on the bed.

In various examples, temperature controlleris configured to increase, decrease, or maintain the temperature of a user. For example, a pad may be placed on top of or be part of the air mattress. Air may be pushed through the pad and vented to cool off a user of the bed. Conversely, the pad may include a heating element that may be used to keep the user warm. In various examples, the pad includes the temperature sensorand temperature controllerreceives temperature readings from the temperature sensor. In other examples, the temperature sensorcan be separate from the pad, e.g., part of the air mattress or foundation.

In various examples, additional controllers may communicate with central controller. These controllers may include, but are not limited to, illumination controllers for turning on and off light elements placed on and around the bed and outlet controllers for controlling power to one or more power outlets.

In various examples, external network device, remote controllers,and voice controllermay be used to input commands (e.g., from a user or remote system) to control one or more components of architecture. The commands may be transmitted from one of the controllers,, orand received in central controller. Central controllermay process the command to determine the appropriate component to route the received command. For example, each command sent via one of controllers,, ormay include a header or other metadata that indicates which component the command is for. Central controllermay then transmit the command via central controller's network interface to the appropriate component.

For example, a user may input a desired temperature for the user's bed into remote control. The desired temperature may be encapsulated in a command data structure that includes the temperature as well as identifies temperature controlleras the desired component to be controlled. The command data structure may then be transmitted via Bluetooth to central controller. In various examples, the command data structure is encrypted before being transmitted. Central controllermay parse the command data structure and relay the command to temperature controllerusing a PAN. Temperature controllermay then configure its elements to increase or decrease the temperature of the pad depending on the temperature originally input into remote control.

In various examples, data may be transmitted from a component back to one or more of the remote controls. For example, the current temperature as determined by a sensor element of temperature controller, e.g., temperature sensor, the pressure of the bed, the current position of the foundation or other information may be transmitted to central controller. Central controllermay then transmit the received information and transmit it to remote controlwhere it may be displayed to the user.

In various examples, multiple types of devices may be used to input commands to control the components of architecture. For example, remote controlmay be a mobile device such as a smart phone or tablet computer running an application. Other examples of remote controlmay include a dedicated device for interacting with the components described herein. In various examples, remote controls/include a display device for displaying an interface to a user. Remote control/may also include one or more input devices. Input devices may include, but are not limited to, keypads, touchscreen, gesture, motion and voice controls.

Remote controlmay be a single component remote configured to interact with one component of the mattress architecture. For example, remote controlmay be configured to accept inputs to increase or decrease the air mattress pressure. Voice controllermay be configured to accept voice commands to control one or more components. In various examples, more than one of the remote controls/and voice controllermay be used.

With respect to remote control, the application may be configured to pair with one or more central controllers. For each central controller, data may be transmitted to the mobile device that includes a list of components linked with the central controller. For example, consider that remote controlis a mobile phone and that the application has been authenticated and paired with central controller. Remote controlmay transmit a discovery request to central controllerto inquiry about other components and available services. In response, central controllermay transmit a list of services that includes available functions for adjusting the firmness of the bed, position of the bed, and temperature of the bed. In various embodiments, the application may then display functions for increasing/decreasing pressure of the air mattress, adjusting positions of the bed, and adjusting temperature. If components are added/removed to the architecture under control of central controller, an updated list may be transmitted to remote controland the interface of the application may be adjusted accordingly.

In various examples, central controlleris configured as a distributor of software updates to components in architecture. For example, a firmware update for temperature controllermay become available. The update may be loaded into a storage device of central controller(e.g., via a USB interface). Central controllermay then transmit the update to temperature controllerwith instructions to update. Temperature controllermay attempt to install the update. A status message may be transmitted from temperature controllerto central controllerindicating the success or failure of the update.

In various examples, central controlleris configured to analyze data collected by a pressure transducer (e.g., transducerwith respect to) to determine various states of a person lying on the bed. For example, central controllermay determine the heart rate or respiration rate of a person lying in the bed. Additional processing may be done using the collected data to determine a possible sleep state of the person. For example, central controllermay determine when a person falls asleep and, while asleep, the various sleep states of the person.

In various examples, external network deviceincludes a network interface to interact with an external server for processing and storage of data related to components in architecture. For example, the determined sleep data as described above may be transmitted via a network (e.g., the Internet) from central controllerto external network devicefor storage. In an example, the pressure transducer data may be transmitted to the external server for additional analysis. The external network devicemay also analyze and filter the data before transmitting it to the external server.

In an example, diagnostic data of the components may also be routed to external network devicefor storage and diagnosis on the external server. For example, if temperature controllerdetects an abnormal temperature reading (e.g., a drop in temperature over one minute that exceeds a set threshold) diagnostic data (sensor readings, current settings, etc.) may be wireless transmitted from temperature controllerto central controller. Central controllermay then transmit this data via USB to external network device. External devicemay wirelessly transmit the information to an WLAN access point where it is routed to the external server for analysis.

In one example, the bed systemcan include one or more lightsA-F (referred to collectively in this disclosure as “lights”) to illuminate a portion of a room, e.g., when a user gets out of the bed. The lightscan be attached around the foundation, e.g., affixed to the foundation around its perimeter. In, the lightsare depicted as extending around two sides of the foundation. In other configurations, the lightscan extend around more than two sides of the foundation, or only a single side. In one example implementation, the lightscan be positioned underneath the foundationto project light outwardly from the foundation.

is a block diagram of machine in the example form of a computer systemwithin which instructions, for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, may be executed. In alternative embodiments, the machine operates as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The example computer systemincludes a processor(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), ASIC or a combination), a main memoryand a static memory, which communicate with each other via a bus. The computer systemmay further include a video display unit(e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer systemalso includes an alphanumeric input device(e.g., a keyboard and/or touchscreen), a user interface (UI) navigation device(e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit, a signal generation device(e.g., a speaker) and a network interface device.

The disk drive unitincludes a machine-readable mediumon which is stored one or more sets of instructions and data structures (e.g., software)embodying or utilized by any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The instructionsmay also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memoryand/or within the processorduring execution thereof by the computer system, the main memoryand the processoralso constituting machine-readable media.

While the machine-readable mediumis shown in an example embodiment to be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more instructions or data structures. The term “machine-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any tangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present invention, or that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying data structures utilized by or associated with such instructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, and optical and magnetic media. Specific examples of machine-readable media include non-volatile memory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

The instructionsmay further be transmitted or received over a communications networkusing a transmission medium. The instructionsmay be transmitted using the network interface deviceand any one of a number of well-known transfer protocols (e.g., HTTP). Examples of communication networks include a local area network (“LAN”), a wide area network (“WAN”), the Internet, mobile telephone networks, Plain Old Telephone (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., WiFi and WiMax networks). The term “transmission medium” shall be taken to include any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying instructions for execution by the machine, and includes digital or analog communications signals or other intangible media to facilitate communication of such software.

illustrate various views of the adjustable foundationin accordance with an example of the present disclosure. The adjustable foundationcan be similar to the various adjustable foundations described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,037, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In particular, the adjustable foundationcan be a unitized structure and can include a supportdefined by opposite substantially parallel longitudinal side rails,and spaced substantially parallel head and foot rails,, respectively. The side rails,can generally be of C-shaped cross-sectional configurations which open away from each other () and can each include an upper flange, a lower flangeand a webtherebetween. The upper flangescan include a plurality of spaced openingsand the lower flangescan be welded to upper surfaces of the head railand the foot rail, each of which can be of a generally polygonal cross-sectional tubular configuration (). Located inboard from each end of the respective head and foot rails,, a metal angle bracket() can be provided that is defined by an upper horizontal flangeand a depending vertical flange. The upper flangesof the angle bracketscan be welded to the underside of the associated head railand foot rail. The vertical flangesof the angle bracketscan be brought into engagement with one or more longitudinal support members,() of underlying frame or foundation sections.

In various examples, the support() of the adjustable foundationcan carry as part of the unitized assembly a headboard adjusting linkage mechanismfor adjusting the head portion(), a foot board adjusting linkage mechanismfor adjusting the foot portion(), a headboard drive mechanismand a footboard drive mechanism.

The headboard adjusting linkage mechanismcan include a lift tubewhich can be welded at opposite ends thereof to lift arms,, each carrying at one end thereof a roller or followerand being connected at opposite ends thereof to the webof the side rails,by pivot meansin the form of bolts and nuts, or any other suitable fastening means. A pair of spaced parallel arms,can be welded at one end substantially centrally or medially of the lift tubeand can have aligned apertures at opposite ends thereof.

The footboard adjusting linkage mechanismcan include a lift tubewhich can be welded at opposite ends thereof to lift arms,, each carrying at one end thereof a roller or followerand being connected at opposite ends thereof to the webof the side rails,by pivot meansin the form of bolts and nuts, or any other suitable fastening means. A pair of spaced parallel arms,can be welded at one end substantially centrally or medially of the lift tubeand can have aligned apertures at opposite ends thereof.

The headboard drive mechanismand the footboard drive mechanismcan be identical or can have a different configuration. Each of the drive mechanisms,can include a motor,, respectively, which can be selectively rotated in opposite directions through the central controllerdiscussed above which, in an example, can rotate a respective screw,which in turn can extend or retract a respective lift rod,. The lift rods,can be connected by respective pivot pins or pivot meansto the respective brackets,. A generally U-shaped bracket,() can be welded to an underside of the respective head railand foot railand opposite ends of the brackets,can be pivotally connected by pivotsto a housing,of the respective drive mechanisms,.

A pair of foot linkscan be connected by pivotsto bracketswhich can be welded to the foot railat one end thereof. Opposite ends of the linkscan have bracketspivotally connected thereto by pivot means.

The adjustable foundationcan further include a headboard, a seat board, a thigh boardand a footboard. The headboardand the seat boardcan be connected to each other by pivot means. The seat boardand the thigh boardcan be pivotally connected to each other by pivot means. The thigh boardand the footboardcan be pivotally connected to each other by pivot means.