Patent ID: 7300411

Claim:
A method for detecting the presence of a garment connected to a port comprising the steps of: (a) selecting and opening at least one valve from a plurality of valves; (b) providing air through at least one valve to a bladder operably connected to said selected valve; (c) measuring a value of pressure at said selected valve; (d) identifying at least one garment connected to said port based upon the measured value of pressure at said selected valve; (e) closing the selected valve to deflate the bladder connected to the selected valve; (f) confirming the identification of said at least one identified garment by manually activating a switch located at a control panel; (g) activating a compression cycle for the detected and confirmed at least one garment; (h) actuating an alarm, if the at least one garment is not confirmed and inhibiting an inflation cycle in said garment.