Bed with user occupancy tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10092242-B2
Application number	US-201614988428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2016
Priority date	Jan 5, 2015
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

If a user enters a bed, a sensor in the pump of the bed can detect the user's presence in the bed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method performed by data processing apparatuses, the method comprising:
determining, by a computing device, that a mattress is unoccupied;
receiving, from a mattress pump and at a computing device, a stream of pump pressure readings, the pump pressure readings recording the air pressure of the mattress;
identifying, by the computing device, an increase in pump pressure readings within a time window;
after identifying the increase in pump pressure readings within the time window and for each received pump pressure readings, until the computing device determines that a difference is significant compared to a threshold value:
calculating, by the computing device, a trailing average pressure that represents an average of N most recent pump pressure readings in the stream of pump pressure readings; and
determining, by the computing device, the difference between the pump pressure reading and the trailing average pressure; and

responsive to the computing device determining that the difference is significant compared to the threshold value, engaging a peripheral device comprising engaging the peripheral device in a way that physically alters an environment around the mattress.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein responsive to the computing device determining that the difference is significant compared to the threshold value, performing one of the group consisting of: issuing a presence event, storing a value in computer readable memory, and engaging a peripheral device comprises:
determining that the mattress is occupied for a threshold period of time.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein responsive to the computing device determining that the difference is significant compared to the threshold value, performing one of the group consisting of: issuing a presence event, storing a value in computer readable memory, and engaging a peripheral device comprises:
determining that the time of day is within a particular window of time.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the particular window of time is determined from historical data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein responsive to the computing device determining that the difference is significant compared to the threshold value, performing one of the group consisting of: issuing a presence event, storing a value in computer readable memory, and engaging a peripheral device comprises:
determining that the user is asleep on the mattress.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, based on the stream of pump pressure readings, a supplemental indication of presence in the bed; and
wherein, responsive to the computing device determining that the test value is greater than the threshold value, performing one of the group consisting of: issuing a presence event, storing a value in computer readable memory, and engaging a peripheral device further comprises:
combining the supplemental indication of presence in the bed with the determining that the difference is significant compared to the threshold value.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the supplemental indication of presence in the bed comprises identifying biological activity by an occupant of the bed.

8. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising modifying the threshold value.

9. The method of claim 8 , the method wherein the threshold value is modified to account for seasonality.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the threshold value is modified to account for growth of the user.

11. The method of claim 10 , the method further comprising updating a user-facing computer interface to show that a user is detected in the bed.

12. A method performed by data processing apparatuses, the method comprising:
determining, by a computing device, that a mattress is unoccupied;
receiving, from a mattress pump and at a computing device, a stream of pump pressure readings, the pump pressure readings recording the air pressure of the mattress;
identifying, by the computing device, an increase in pump pressure readings within a time window;
after identifying the increase in pump pressure readings within the time window and for each received pump pressure readings, until the computing device determines that a difference is significant compared to a threshold value:
calculating, by the computing device, a trailing average pressure that represents an average of N most recent pump pressure readings in the stream of pump pressure readings; and
determining, by the computing device, the difference between the pump pressure reading and the trailing average pressure; and

responsive to the computing device determining that the difference is significant compared to the threshold value, performing one of the group consisting of: issuing a presence event, storing a value in computer readable memory, and engaging a peripheral device wherein engaging a peripheral device comprises engaging an under-bed lighting system.

13. A bed system comprising:
a mattress having an air bladder;
a pressure sensor fluidically connected to the air bladder; and
a controller in communication with the pressure sensors and configured to receive pressure signals from the pressure sensor, wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine, by a computing device, that a mattress is unoccupied;
receive, from a mattress pump and at a computing device, a stream of pump pressure readings, the pump pressure readings recording the air pressure of the mattress;
identify, by the computing device, an increase in pump pressure readings within a time window;
after identifying the increase in pump pressure readings within the time window and for each pump pressure readings, until the computing device determines that a difference is significant compared to a threshold value:
calculate, by the computing device, a trailing average pressure that represents an average of N most recent pump pressure readings in the stream of pump pressure readings; and
determine, by the computing device, the difference between the received pump pressure reading and the trailing average pressure; and

responsive to the computing device determining that the difference is significant compared to the threshold value, engage a peripheral device comprising engaging the peripheral device in a way that physically alters an environment around the mattress;
a pump fluidically connected to the air bladder, wherein the controller comprises a pump controller for driving the pump to inflate the air bladder to a desired pressure upon command by a user.

14. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising, responsive to the computing device determining that the difference is significant compared to the threshold value, performing one of the group consisting of: issuing a presence event; and storing a value in computer readable memory.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein engaging a peripheral device comprises engaging an under-bed lighting system.

16. The bed system of claim 13 , wherein the bed system further comprises means for data network communication with a user device.

17. The bed system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
identify, based on the stream of pump pressure readings, a supplemental indication of presence in the bed; and
wherein, responsive to the computing device determining that the test value is greater than the threshold value, engage a peripheral device further comprises:
combining the supplemental indication of presence in the bed with the determining that the difference is significant compared to the threshold value.

Assignees

• Sleep Number Corp

Inventors

• Nunn Rob
• Palashewski Wade Daniel
• Erko Robert

Classifications

• A47C27/083

  with pressure control, e.g. with pressure sensors · CPC title

• A61B5/6891 Primary

  Furniture · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• G05B2219/2642

  Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house · CPC title

• F04D15/0088

  Testing machines · CPC title