Systems and methods for personalizing pressure settings in a mattress assembly

Abstract

Systems and methods of personalizing pressure settings in a mattress assembly are provided. The systems include a mattress assembly having an air bladder, a relief valve for deflating the air bladder, a pump for inflating the air bladder, a pressure sensor for providing pressure change data, and a controller for controlling the inflation and the deflation of the air bladder, in the methods, the air bladder is inflated to an initial pressure and a particular user is positioned on the mattress assembly. Pressure change data for the air bladder is then collected and is used to determine a minimum personalized pressure for the air bladder for the particular user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of personalizing pressure settings in a mattress assembly, comprising:
 providing a mattress assembly including an air bladder;   inflating the air bladder to an initial pressure;   collecting pressure change data subsequent to positioning a particular user on the mattress assembly; and   determining a minimum personalized pressure for the air bladder based on the pressure change data collected for the particular user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of collecting pressure change data comprises:
 deflating the air bladder subsequent to positioning the particular user on the mattress assembly; and   monitoring a rate of change of pressure in the air bladder to thereby determine the minimum personalized pressure for the air bladder.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of monitoring the rate of change of pressure in the air bladder comprises:
 determining an amount of a decrease in pressure in the air bladder at a series of time points; and   analyzing the amount of the decrease in pressure at each of the time points to determine the rate of change of pressure over the series of time points such that the minimum personalized pressure for the air bladder is determined when the rate of change of pressure reaches a threshold value.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of monitoring the rate of change of pressure in the air bladder comprises determining an amount of a decrease in pressure in the air bladder over a time period, and
 wherein the minimum personalized pressure for the air bladder is determined when the amount of decrease in pressure reaches a threshold value.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of determining the minimum personalized pressure for the air bladder further comprises comparing the rate of change of pressure in the air bladder to a control rate of change to thereby determine the minimum personalized pressure for the air bladder. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining a maximum personalized pressure for the air bladder based on the minimum personalized pressure. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the step of determining the maximum personalized pressure for the air bladder comprises adding a predetermined pressure difference to the minimum personalized pressure. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the step of determining the maximum personalized pressure for the air bladder comprises the steps of:
 adding a predetermined pressure difference to the minimum personalized pressure to calculate an upper pressure; and   comparing the upper pressure to a maximum operating pressure for the air bladder;   wherein the upper pressure is selected as the maximum personalized pressure for the air bladder if the upper pressure is less than the maximum operating pressure, and   wherein the maximum operating pressure is selected as the maximum personalized pressure for the air bladder if the upper pressure is greater than the maximum operating pressure.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of collecting pressure change data comprises determining an initial change in pressure subsequent to positioning the particular user on the mattress assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the step of determining the minimum personalized pressure for the air bladder further comprises comparing the initial change in pressure to a control value to thereby determine the minimum personalized pressure for the air bladder. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of collecting pressure change data comprises:
 inflating the air bladder to a secondary pressure subsequent to positioning the particular user on the mattress assembly; and   monitoring a rate of change of pressure in the air bladder as the air bladder is inflated to the secondary pressure.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of monitoring the rate of change of pressure in the air bladder as the air bladder is inflated to the secondary pressure comprises:
 determining an amount of an increase in pressure in the air bladder at a series of time points; and   analyzing the amount of the increase in pressure at each of the time points to determine the rate of change of pressure over the series of time points.   
     
     
         13 . A method of personalizing pressure settings in a mattress assembly, comprising:
 providing a mattress assembly including an air bladder;   inflating the air bladder to an initial pressure;   deflating the air bladder subsequent to positioning a particular user on the mattress assembly;   determining a rate of change of pressure in the air bladder; and   identifying a minimum personalized pressure for the air bladder based on the rate of change of pressure in the air bladder.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of determining the rate of change of pressure in the air bladder comprises determining an amount of a decrease in pressure in the air bladder over a time period, and wherein the minimum personalized pressure for the air bladder is identified when the amount of decrease in pressure reaches a threshold value. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of determining a maximum personalized pressure for the air bladder based on the minimum personalized pressure. 
     
     
         16 . A system for personalizing pressure settings in a mattress assembly, comprising:
 a mattress assembly including an air bladder;   a relief valve operably connected to the air bladder for deflating the air bladder;   a pump operably connected to the air bladder for inflating the air bladder;   a pressure sensor operably connected to the air bladder for collecting and providing pressure change data; and   a controller in communication with the relief valve, the pump, and the pressure sensor, the controller for storing and receiving a selection of one or more setup routines directed to a selected timing for inflating and deflating the air bladder and to a timing for collecting pressure change data from the pressure sensor to determine a minimum personalized pressure for the air bladder.