Air Mattress Snoring Detection With Adaptive Firmness Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mattress systems fail to effectively detect and mitigate snoring, which disrupts sleep quality and can lead to health issues, as they lack comprehensive and adaptive solutions to adjust firmness and position in real-time in response to snoring events.

Innovation Solution

An inflatable air mattress system equipped with a central controller, pressure transducers, and sound detection capabilities that monitor biometric parameters and sound waves to identify snoring, allowing for adjustments in firmness and bed position to alleviate snoring through iterative pressure adjustments and positional changes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional mattress systems are used without detection capabilities, then the device complexity is low, but the ability to detect and respond to snoring is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesnoring detection capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple functions (firmness adjustment, position adjustment, and snoring detection) into a single integrated mattress system. The control system merges the pump/valve assembly for firmness control with the motor assembly for position control, and integrates sound detection capability through a microphone, creating a unified system that addresses multiple sleep quality issues simultaneously rather than through separate devices

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The mattress system is designed with multi-functionality to perform both firmness adjustment and position adjustment, in addition to snoring detection. The control system can respond to snoring events by adjusting either firmness, position, or both, making the system versatile in addressing different causes and types of snoring without requiring separate specialized devices

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If the mattress system adjusts firmness and position in real-time in response to snoring, then sleep quality improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptive response to snoringVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mattress system operates autonomously to detect snoring events and automatically adjust firmness and/or position without requiring user intervention. The control system receives input from the microphone, processes the sound data to identify snoring, and independently executes appropriate adjustments through the pump/valve assembly and motor assembly, enabling the system to serve itself in monitoring and responding to sleep conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback loop where the microphone continuously monitors for snoring sounds, the control system processes this acoustic feedback, and based on the analysis, automatically adjusts firmness and position parameters. This closed-loop control enables real-time adaptive response to changing sleep conditions, with the system continuously monitoring and adjusting based on ongoing feedback from the sleep environment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system effectively detects snoring and makes corresponding adjustments to reduce its occurrence, improving sleep quality and minimizing disruptions by dynamically modifying the mattress firmness and position based on real-time data analysis.

Implementation Method 1

pressure transducers, and sound detection capabilities that monitor biometric parameters

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure sensing:

Implementation Method 2

sound detection capabilities that monitor biometric parameters and sound waves to identify snoring

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSound wave detection: Sound

Data Source

PatentEP3202284B1Inflatable air mattress snoring detection and response
Publication Date: 2018.10.03 SELECT COMFORT
  • EP3202284B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3202284B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3202284B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method can be provided that includes measuring sound waves using a sound measuring device, determining, at a central controller of an air mattress system, one or more parameter values of the sound waves, comparing the one or more parameter values with values, ranges, or patterns indicative of snoring, identifying a snoring state of a user, and initiating, with the central controller, a change to one or more adjustable features of the air mattress system.