Controls and controllers for air mattress systems

Abstract

A display for displaying the condition of an air mattress. The display comprises a plurality of arrays of elements organized in a hierarchy. Each element represents a pressure increment. Each array comprises a plurality of rows and a plurality columns. The elements in each row of an array being distinctive in appearance from the elements in the other rows of the array. A control that operates the elements to indicate the pressure beginning with the first column, of the first row, of the lowest array in the hierarchy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A control for a fluid-filled mattress and an associated light, the control activating the associated light in response to a reduction in the internal pressure of the fluid-filled mattress corresponding to a person getting off the fluid-filled mattress. 
     
     
         2 . The control according to  claim 1  wherein the control activates the associated light in response to a predetermined decrease in internal pressure for a predetermined time. 
     
     
         3 . The control according to  claim 1  wherein the control deactivates the associated light after a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         4 . The control according to  claim 1  wherein the control deactivates the associated light in response to an increase in pressure corresponding to a person getting on the fluid-filled mattress. 
     
     
         5 . The control according to  claim 4  wherein the control deactivates the associated light in response to a predetermined increase in internal pressure for a predetermined time. 
     
     
         6 .- 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A control for a fluid-filled mattress, the control comprising a clock, a pressure sensor for determining when the user enters or exits the fluid-filled mattress by measuring changes in pressure of the fluid-filled mattress, and a memory for storing when the user enters and exists the fluid-filled matters. 
     
     
         31 . The control according to  claim 30  further comprising a display, the control displaying on the display an indication of the amount of time the user sleeps over a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         32 . A control for a fluid-filled mattress, the control comprising a clock, a sound sensor for measuring snoring, and a memory for storing when the user starts and stops snoring. 
     
     
         33 . The control according to  claim 32  further comprising a display, the control displaying on the display an indication of the amount of time the user snores over a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         34 . The control according to  claim 32  that changes the pressure in the fluid-filled mattress sufficient to change the body position of the user in response to the detection of snoring. 
     
     
         35 .- 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A control for a fluid-filled mattress, the control including controls for adjusting the internal pressure of the fluid filled mattress, a pressure sensor for determining when the user enters or exits the fluid-filled mattress by measuring changes in pressure of the fluid-filled mattress, and a memory for storing when the user enters and exists the fluid-filled matters and a processor for determining a recommend internal pressure based upon an estimate of the quality of the user's sleep determined from the measured enter and exit times at different internal pressures. 
     
     
         42 . A control for a fluid-filled mattress, the control including controls for adjusting the internal pressure of the fluid filled mattress, a pressure sensor for determining user movements on the fluid-filled mattress by measuring changes in pressure of the fluid-filled mattress, and a processor for determining a recommend internal pressure based upon an estimate of the quality of the user's sleep determined from the measured user movements on the fluid-filled mattress. 
     
     
         43 .- 45 . (canceled)