US 6,763,541 · Granted 2004-07-20
The Air Bed That Responds to Your Touch and Talk
Imagine an air mattress that isn't just passive—it can actually pulse, firm up, and soften in sync with a recorded message or video playing on a screen. Select Comfort patented a system where the bed's pump and valve respond to a control box programmed with timing instructions, so the mattress interacts with you as you lie on it, demonstrating its features and comfort zones.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers an air bed system where a pump and relief valve are electronically controlled by a programmable control box that receives timed instructions, either pre-programmed or pulled from a media file. What's protected here is the coordination between pressure changes in the bed and synchronized audio or video playback—specifically, the method of using those timed pressure pulses to create an interactive experience while someone is lying on the mattress.
Why it matters
This patent captures an early attempt to make furniture interactive and responsive, turning a passive product demonstration into a multi-sensory experience. In retail and sales environments, the ability to have the bed itself demonstrate firmness levels, support zones, and comfort features through synchronized pressure changes creates a more convincing pitch than static specs alone. The patent essentially protects the idea of marrying sensor-driven hardware with media playback for product education.
Real-world use
A customer visiting a mattress showroom lies on a Select Comfort bed while a sales video plays; as the narrator describes the firmness controls, the bed actually pulses and adjusts its pressure to show exactly what those features feel like.
Original USPTO abstract
An air bed having a pump and a relief valve is operably connected with a control box. The control box is capable of being programmed or receiving scripted information from a media file such that timed pressure changes may be made in the air bed by operation of the pump and the relief valve. These changes are synchronized with a message being played by a media player. Thus the air bed interacts with a person lying on the bed. This interaction is used, preferably in a sales setting, to convey information to the person about the operation and features of the air bed.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,763,541
- Filing date
- 2002-06-07
- Grant date
- 2004-07-20
- Assignee
- Select Comfort Corporation
- Inventor(s)
- MAHONEY PAUL J., BILS PETER S., LANZ, SR. TROY C., OSTMAN ROBERT
- CPC class
- A47C31/123
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