Adjustable Bed Position Verification With Closed-Loop Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adjustable beds lack integration with other technologies commonly found in home and medical environments, limiting their functionality and user convenience, particularly for individuals who spend extended periods in bed due to medical needs or aging populations.
Innovation Solution
The development of methods and systems that enable improved integration of adjustable furniture with various technologies by using modular controllers, programmable logic controllers, and remote control systems to control a wide range of devices and systems, such as lighting, audio, and entertainment systems, allowing for global command inputs and wireless communication, including Bluetooth and cellular phone interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If adjustable beds use basic actuators to position sections, then the bed can change positions, but the bed lacks integration with other home and medical technologies
Solution Approach 1:
The controller is designed to perform multiple functions: controlling bed section positions via actuators, receiving global command inputs, and communicating with external technologies through wireless interfaces (Bluetooth, cellular). This multi-functional approach enables the bed to integrate with home and medical technologies without requiring separate dedicated devices for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary device that bridges the bed system and external technologies. It receives commands from various sources (remote controls, mobile phones, home automation systems) and translates them into actuator commands, while also providing feedback about bed position status. This mediator role enables integration without directly coupling the bed mechanics to complex external systems.
2Measurement precision
If the bed includes multiple controls for different sections, then positioning precision improves, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The controller merges multiple control functions into a single device. Instead of having separate controls for each bed section (head, foot, knee sections), all positioning controls are integrated into one controller that can manage multiple actuators. This consolidation maintains precise control over each section while simplifying the user interface to a single operational device.
Solution Approach 2:
The single controller is designed with universal functionality to control all bed sections and interpret various input formats from different control sources (remote controls, mobile phones, global command inputs). This multi-functional design allows one controller to replace multiple section-specific controls while maintaining precise positioning capability for each section.
3Measurement precision
If the bed uses feedback mechanisms to verify position, then positioning accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor the position of bed sections and verify when target positions are achieved. Sensors detect the actual position of each section and provide this information back to the controller, which then determines whether positioning commands have been successfully executed. This feedback loop ensures accurate positioning without requiring complex mechanical verification systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The feedback system is integrated into the existing controller rather than being a separate verification mechanism. The controller itself performs the verification function by monitoring sensor data and determining position achievement, eliminating the need for additional dedicated verification devices. This self-service approach provides accurate position verification while minimizing added complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure concerns a wireless communication system adapted to produce a closed-loop feedback scheme between a handheld remote control and an adjustable bed controller. The adjustable bed controller is adapted to, in response to a receipt of a motion command from the handheld remote control via the closed-loop feedback scheme, adjust, with feedback, a portion of an adjustable bed. The feedback is based on a comparison of sensor feedback and a predetermined position stored in a memory of the adjustable bed controller. The handheld remote control can receive, through the closed-loop feedback scheme, a returned confirmation reflecting the state of the position of the bed segment in response to the control signal.