US 2,016,100,696 · Filed 2015-03-31
The Smart Bed That Knows When You're Actually Trying to Sleep
Imagine a bed that has sensors built into the mattress to detect when someone is lying on it and figure out if they're actually trying to sleep—not just sitting down to watch videos. Once the bed recognizes sleep mode, it can automatically trigger other smart home devices, like dimming lights or adjusting the room temperature.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The patent covers a bed system with embedded sensors that monitor mattress activity and send data to a computer chip inside the bed frame. That chip analyzes the sensor readings to determine two things: whether a person is present on the mattress and whether their behavior suggests they intend to sleep. The claim protects the specific logic—the decision-making process—that the bed uses to recognize sleep intent, and the right to send automatic commands to other devices (like thermostats or lighting) based on those conclusions.
Why it matters
This patent represents a shift toward beds as intelligent hub devices rather than passive furniture. By embedding sensing and computing into the bed itself, manufacturers like Select Comfort can differentiate their products in a crowded market and create ecosystems where the bed coordinates with other smart home systems. The logic controller is the core innovation: many beds have sensors, but the ability to intelligently distinguish between lounging and sleeping—and then trigger coordinated actions—adds significant value and creates a defensible feature competitors cannot easily replicate.
Real-world use
When you climb into a Sleep Number bed at night, the sensors recognize you're there and detect the settling patterns of someone preparing to sleep, then automatically signal your smart home system to lower the lights and adjust the room temperature without you lifting a finger.
Original USPTO abstract
A system can include a bed having a mattress, a sensor, and the data processing device. The sensor is configured to sense a feature of the mattress and transmit readings to a data processing device. The data processing device includes a processor and is configured to receive the readings from the sensor and determine if the readings i) indicate a user presence on the mattress and ii) indicate the user intends to sleep. The data processing device is configured to transmit a command to a peripheral controller responsive to determining that the readings i) indicate user presence on the mattress and ii) indicate the user intends to sleep.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,016,100,696
- Filing date
- 2015-03-31
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Select Comfort Corporation
- Inventor(s)
- PALASHEWSKI WADE DANIEL, ERKO ROBERT, NUNN ROBERT, REDZIC GORDAN
- CPC class
- A47C31/00
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