US 5,948,303 · Granted 1999-09-07
The Smart Bed That Knows When You're Cold
Imagine a mattress that heats up exactly where you're sleeping, controlled by a tiny computer that reads your body heat and adjusts the temperature automatically. You can even program it to warm up before you get into bed, or cool down in the middle of the night—all without touching a thermostat.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a bed system with heating elements built into the mattress that warm specific areas where you're sleeping, plus temperature sensors that detect heat in those zones and send readings to a control unit. What's protected is the combination of the heating element placement in the resting surface, the temperature feedback loop, and the central processor that adjusts warmth based on real-time data. The patent also covers an occupancy detector that knows when someone is lying on the bed, allowing the system to activate or deactivate automatically.
Why it matters
This patent tackles a common complaint—one side of the bed too hot, the other too cold—by creating a zone-based heating system under software control. It anticipated the modern smart-bed market by combining hardware sensors, programmable logic, and occupancy detection into a single integrated solution. While a single patent can't capture an entire product category, this one represents early thinking about personalized sleep comfort as a controllable, automated experience rather than a fixed feature.
Real-world use
When you climb into bed on a cold winter night, the occupancy sensor detects you're present and the heating elements under your mattress warm up to your pre-programmed temperature, creating a cozy pocket of warmth that follows your body.
Original USPTO abstract
A temperature control apparatus for a bed includes at least one heating element, mounted in a resting surface on a mattress of the bed for warming at least a first are(a of the resting area. A temperature sensor is located to detect the temperature of the first area of the resting area, and transmits the information to a central control unit. The central control unit includes a central processing unit which is interconnected with both the heating element and the temperature sensor to adjust the temperature in the first, area of the resting area as desired. The central control unit is also connected to a timer to permit programming of temperature changes as desired. An occupant sensor in the resting surface of the mattress will detect the presence and absence of an occupant, and transmit this information to the central control unit for processing.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,948,303
- Filing date
- 1998-05-04
- Grant date
- 1999-09-07
- Assignee
- Larson; Lynn D.
- Inventor(s)
- LARSON; LYNN D.
- CPC class
- H05B1/0252
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