Abstract:
An alarm clock with bedpost pressure sensor including an alarm clock in data communication with a pressure sensor that can be placed under a bedpost. The pressure sensor determines whether or not a bed is occupied based on the weight of the bed and its contents. If the pressure sensor detects that a bed is occupied then an alarm may sound, and if detects that the bed is unoccupied then the alarm is terminated.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention is in the technical field of alarm clocks. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of alarm clocks in communication with a pressure sensor. Alarm clocks are widely used as a means of waking a sleeping individual at a desired time of day. Traditionally an alarm clock sounds an alarm at a time that the user has preset the alarm to activate. Typically, the alarm continues to sound until it is deactivated by the user. If it is not deactivated then it sounds for some predetermined amount of time. 
         [0005]    Typically an alarm sounds regardless of whether or not the alarm clocks user is nearby. If the user is not nearby at the time that the alarm sounds, it will continue to sound until the earlier mentioned predetermined amount of time has passed. This prolonged alarm may have undesirable consequences for any person that is close enough to the alarm clock to hear the alarm but who is unable to or does not wish to access the alarm clock to deactivate it. 
         [0006]    Therefore, it would be desirable to have an alarm clock that includes a means of detecting whether or not a user is in bed so that it does not sound when the user is not in bed. Further, it would be desirable to have an alarm clock that immediately deactivates when the user leaves the bed. In addition it would be desirable to have an alarm clock that includes all of the functionality of a traditional alarm clock as well a pressure sensor to determine whether or not the user is in bed and user controls relative to the sensor. 
         [0007]    In the prior art, alarm clock devices are well known and include an extensive array of structural and functional variations built to fulfill countless objectives and specifications. Know alarm clock devices include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,999,928; 4,218,875 and 4,234,944. The digital alarm clock of the present invention is preferably based on the digital clock disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,053. U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,273 discloses an alarm clock in communication with a remote deactivation switch. While above mentioned devices fulfill their particular objectives, they do not include a bedpost pressure sensor in communication with an alarm clock. 
         [0008]    The use of a pressure controlled alarm system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,153, which describes an alarm clock in communication with a mechanical pressure switch placed between the mattress and box spring of a bed. While the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,153 and the present invention perform similar objectives; the present invention eliminates the difficulties of accessing and calibrating a mechanical switch that is located between a mattress and box spring by placing a load cell under a bedpost. The pressure sensor is further improved in the present invention by using accurate digital calibration means as well as wireless capabilities. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention is an alarm clock with a bedpost pressure sensor. The invention includes an alarm clock with all of the functionality of a typical alarm clock. The alarm clock is in data communication with a pressure sensor that can be placed under a bedpost. The pressure sensor is used to determine whether or not a bed is occupied based on the weight of the bed. If the pressure sensor detects that a bed is unoccupied, then an alarm does not sound. 
         [0010]    Therefore a general object of this invention is to provide a pressure sensor that can be placed under a bedpost and reliably detect whether or not the bed is occupied regardless of the size and shape of the bed. 
         [0011]    Another object of this invention is to provide an alarm clock in data communication with the above mentioned pressure sensor so that the alarm of the alarm clock may be deactivated when the pressure sensor detects that a bed is not occupied. 
         [0012]    Still another object of the invention is to provide an alarm clock with a pressure sensor that includes all of the functionality of a traditional alarm clock as well as user controls specific to the pressure sensor. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an alarm clock with bedpost pressure sensor in accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the alarm clock with bedpost pressure sensor of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a back view of the alarm clock with bedpost pressure sensor of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of electronic circuitry of the alarm the alarm clock with bedpost pressure sensor of  FIG. 1  in accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    Referring now to the invention in more detail, in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3  there is shown an alarm clock with bedpost pressure sensor including a base unit  10  and a pressure sensor  12  spaced from the base unit  10 . In the preferred embodiment, the pressure sensor  12  includes a set button  14  used to calibrate the sensor. The base unit  10  preferably includes a housing  16  with a stand  18 , at least one speaker  20 , a visual display  22 , and a set of buttons and/or knobs  24  for controlling the operation of the alarm clock with bedpost pressure sensor. The base unit  10  also may includes an electrical plug  26  and electrical wire  28  extending between the electrical plug  26  and base unit  10  for supplying power to the base unit  10 . The base unit  10  may also include a battery compartment  30  in place of or in addition to the electrical plug  26 . 
         [0018]    In more detail, still referring to the invention of  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3  the base unit  10  performs the functions of an alarm clock. The base unit  10  preferably includes a set of buttons and/or knobs  24  for setting the current time of day and the time of day at which the alarm will sound. In the preferred embodiment, the pressure sensor  12  is placed under a bedpost. While the bed is unoccupied, the set button  14  is pressed. In the preferred embodiment, when the set button  14  is pressed the speaker  20  is disabled. The speaker  20  is enabled only while the pressure sensor  12  detects a sufficient increase in pressure. 
         [0019]    In further detail, still referring to the invention of  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , the base unit  10  is sufficiently small to be conveniently placed in a bedroom. Preferably, the pressure sensor  12  is sufficiently thin to be placed under a bedpost without significantly affecting the height of the bed. 
         [0020]    Referring now to the invention shown in  FIG. 4  there is shown a block diagram of the electronic circuitry of an alarm clock with bedpost pressure sensor in accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention. The base unit  10  includes a processor  110  that is in data communication with a receiver  112 , a clock  114 , a user input  116 , a display  118 , and at least one speaker  20 . The user input  116  includes the set of buttons and or knobs  24  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The display  118  is preferably and LED or LCD display. A base power supply  120  electrically powers the processor  110 , the receiver  112 , the clock  114 , the user input  116 , the display  118 , and the speaker  20 . 
         [0021]    The pressure sensor  12  includes a transmitter  122 , a sensor processor  124 , a load cell  126 , and a sensor input  128  that are all electrically powered by a sensor power supply  130 . In the preferred embodiment, the sensor input includes a set button  14 . 
         [0022]    In more detail, still referring to the invention in  FIG. 4 , in the preferred embodiment, the load cell  126  of the pressure sensor  12  is placed under a bedpost. The load cell  126  provides an analog voltage signal that is dependent on the amount of pressure applied across its surface. The analog signal is read by an analog to digital converter on the sensor processor  124  to assign a digital pressure value to the amount of pressure on the load cell  126 . While the bed is unoccupied, the set button  14  is pressed. While the set button  14  is depressed, the current pressure value is stored within the processor. When the set button  14  is released, the pressure value is continuously compared to the stored pressure value. Whenever the sensor processor  124  reads a sufficient increase in pressure, the sensor processor  124  indicates that the bed is occupied. The occupation status of the bed is transmitted wirelessly from the transmitter  122  of the pressure sensor  12  to the receiver  112  of the base unit. The wireless transmitter  122  and receiver  112  preferably operate in the radio frequency range however, other frequencies may be used. The wireless signal preferably has a range of at least 5 meters. 
         [0023]    In the preferred embodiment, the base unit  10  includes all the functionality of a traditional alarm clock. A processor  110  is in data communication with a clock  114  and a display  118 . The processor  110  takes input from the clock  114  to accurately show the time of day on the display  118 . The processor  110  is also in data communication with a user input  116  that includes functions that allow the user to set the current time, the time at which the alarm will activate, and the on/off status of the alarm. The processor is additionally in data communication with the receiver  122 , which receives a signal sent by the transmitter  122  of the pressure sensor  12 . The received signal indicates the occupation status of the bed. If the alarm is turned on, it will sound at the time of day set by the user unless the signal sent by the receiver  122  indicates that the bed is unoccupied in which case it will not sound or stop sounding. 
         [0024]    While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.