Sleep monitoring system

• US 10,398,378 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2018
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Ocean Laboratories, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Blue Ocean Laboratories, Inc.
• Inventors: Benson, Ronald Stuart, Denomme, Ryan Cameron
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahase, Pameshanand
• Application Number:
  US15/946,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20180220971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/002 Mattress or cushion tickings or covers bed linen, blankets or counterpanes A47G9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/15 consisting of two or more layers A47C27/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/00 Details or accessories for chairs, beds, or the like, not provided for in other groups of this subclass, e.g. upholstery fasteners, mattress protectors, stretching devices for mattress nets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0252 Load cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0271 Thermal or temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/029 Humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02444 Details of sensor A61B5/02427 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4266 : sweat secretion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 : Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4809 : Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 : Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4815 : Sleep quality
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 : Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 : Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 : Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 : Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7445 : Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 : Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 : Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05 : Parts, details or accessories of beds devices for prevention against falling out A47C21/08, A47D7/00 ; mattresses A47C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0022 : by the tactile sense, e.g. vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 : by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 : by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0083 : especially for waking up
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/00 : Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/13 : with means for the detection of operative contact with patient, e.g. lip sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 : with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 : Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/332 : Force measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3375 : Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 : remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 : sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 : using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 : using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 : Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 : with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 : battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/06 : Heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/42 : Rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/50 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/62 : Posture
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/63 : Motion, e.g. physical activity
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0461 : integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 : Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 : Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

Sleep systems having embedded sensors are described. In one aspect, a sleep system includes a mattress and one or more force sensors embedded within the mattress. The force sensors are positioned within the mattress to sense movement of an occupant of the mattress. The sleep system also includes one or more processors coupled with the one or more force sensors. At least one of the processors is configured to determine sleep state information for the occupant based on data obtained from one or more of the force sensors.

Claims

1. A sleep system comprising:

one or more force sensors associated with a mattress, the force sensors being positioned to sense an occupant of the mattress;

a memory storing characteristic information associated with a plurality of predetermined sleep positions; and

one or more processors coupled with the one or more force sensors and the memory, at least one of the processors being configured to determine, by comparing the data obtained from the force sensors to the characteristic information and based on information about relative probabilities of sleep positions, a sleep position associated with the occupant.

2. The sleep system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic information represents a force distribution pattern for each of the plurality of sleep positions.

3. The sleep system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to separately determine a sleep position for a second occupant based on data obtained from one or more of the force sensors that are positioned to sense the second occupant.

4. The sleep system of claim 1, wherein the information about the relative probabilities of sleep positions is used by the one or more processors to resolve an ambiguity based on the data obtained from the force sensors.

5. The sleep system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to store the sleep position associated with the occupant in memory.

6. The sleep system of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to store timing information in association with the stored sleep position.

7. The sleep system of claim 6, wherein the timing information is a time when the occupant entered or exited the stored sleep position.

8. The sleep system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of predetermined sleep positions is a position associated with sleeping on a stomach.

9. The sleep system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of predetermined sleep positions is selected from the group that includes:

a fetus position;

a freefall position;

a log position;

a yearner position;

a solider position; and

a starfish position.

10. The sleep system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the processors is provided on a mobile device.

11. The sleep system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the processors is provided on a server.

12. The sleep system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of predetermined sleep positions is a position associated with sleeping on a back or a position associated with sleeping on a side.

13. A sleep system comprising:

one or more force sensors associated with a mattress, the force sensors being positioned to sense an occupant of the mattress;

a memory storing characteristic information associated with a plurality of predetermined sleep positions; and

one or more processors coupled with the one or more force sensors and the memory, at least one of the processors being configured to;

determine, by comparing the data obtained from the force sensors to the characteristic information and based on information about relative probabilities of sleep positions, a sleep position associated with the occupant;

store the sleep position associated with the occupant and timing information in memory, the timing information based on when the occupant entered or exited the sleep position; and

determine, based on the timing information and the stored sleep position, a most common sleep position over a period of time.

14. The sleep system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to store the most common sleep position in memory.

15. The sleep system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to output the most common sleep position via an output interface.

16. The sleep system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the plurality of predetermined sleep positions is a position associated with sleeping on a back or a position associated with sleeping on a side.

17. The sleep system of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the processors is provided on a mobile device.

18. The sleep system of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the processors is provided on a server.

19. The sleep system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the plurality of predetermined sleep positions is selected from the group that includes:

a fetus position;

a freefall position;

a log position;

a yearner position;

a solider position; and

a starfish position.

20. The sleep system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the plurality of predetermined sleep positions is a position associated with sleeping on a stomach.