Sleep assistance device for multiple users

• US 10,478,590 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2017
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Dalgleish, Martin James, Mulcahey, Brian David
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnithithadha, Navin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reddy, Sunita
• Application Number:
  US15/655,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20180078735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 128897-899, 600 26- 28
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• 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 5/0816 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 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0083 especially for waking up
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0088 modulated by a simulated respiratory frequency
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3303 Using a biosensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• 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 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• 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 2205/502 : User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• 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 2205/581 : by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 : by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/80 : voice-operated command
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/005 : Parameter used as control input for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/06 : Heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/42 : Rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/63 : Motion, e.g. physical activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 : Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 : Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 : Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 : associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/04 : Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor in deaf-aid sets H04R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/326 : for microphones H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 : microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 : Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 : Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308

Abstract

A sleep assistance device is provided-for, including a contactless biometric sensor, a processor, memory, and a speaker. The processor detects a user'"'"'s sleep state by reading signals from the contactless biometric sensor. The processor may then initiate a wind-down routine upon detecting a sleep-readiness state, including playing relaxing sounds or playing a respiration entrainment sound. The processor may also play noise-masking sounds upon detecting that a user has fallen asleep and seamlessly transition between the sounds played during the wind-down routine and the noise-masking sounds.

Claims

1. A sleep assistance device comprising:

a housing;

a first contactless biometric sensor, integrated into the housing, for determining at least one of a heart rate, a respiratory rate, a presence, or movement of a first user;

a processor;

memory; and

a speaker;

wherein said processor is configured to;

detect a sleep state of the first user by reading signals from said first contactless biometric sensor based on at least one of a detected change in the first user'"'"'s heart rate, body movement, respiration, or presence;

detect a sleep state of a second user by reading signals from a second contactless biometric sensor, not integrated into the housing, based on at least one of a detected change in the second user'"'"'s heart rate, body movement, respiration, or presence;

initiate a first wind-down routine upon detecting a sleep-readiness state of one of the first user or the second user, the first wind-down routine comprising at least one of playing relaxing sounds or playing a respiration entrainment sound; and

play noise-masking sounds upon detecting that one of the first user or the second user has fallen asleep,

wherein the processor is configured to play the sounds of the first wind-down routine for the first user and play the noise-masking sounds simultaneously for the second user, and

wherein at least one of the noise-masking sounds or the sounds of the first wind-down routine mask the other from being heard by at least one of the first or the second user,

wherein the noise-masking sounds mask the first wind-down routine from being heard by the second user, and the sounds of the first wind-down routine mask the noise-masking sounds from being heard by the first user.

2. The sleep assistance device of claim 1, wherein, if the detected sleep-readiness state is of the first user, then the processor is configured to play the sounds of the first wind-down routine using the speaker, and

if the detected sleep-readiness state is of the second user, then the processor is configured to play the sounds of the first wind-down routine using earphones in wireless communication with the sleep assistance device.

3. The sleep assistance device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate a second wind-down routine upon detecting a sleep readiness state of the other of the first user or the second user, the second wind-down routine comprising at least one of playing relaxing sounds or playing a respiration entrainment sound.

4. The sleep assistance device of claim 3, wherein the sounds of the second wind-down routine are played over a different output than the sounds of the first wind-down routine.

5. The sleep assistance device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

play the sounds of the first wind-down routine using one of the speaker or earphones in wireless communication with the sleep assistance device, and

play the noise-masking sounds using the other of the speaker or the earphones.

6. A sleep assistance device comprising:

a housing;

a first contactless biometric sensor, integrated into the housing, for determining at least one of a heart rate, a respiratory rate, a presence, or movement of a first user;

a processor; and

memory;

wherein said processor is configured to;

detect a sleep state of the first user by reading signals from said first contactless biometric sensor based on at least one of a detected change in the first user'"'"'s heart rate, body movement, respiration, or presence;

initiate a first wind-down routine upon detecting a sleep-readiness state of the first user, the first wind-down routine comprising controlling earphones in wireless communication with the sleep assistance device to play at least one of relaxing sounds or a respiration entrainment sound,

wherein the processor is configured to play the sounds of the first wind-down routine for the first user and play the noise-masking sounds simultaneously for a second user, and

wherein at least one of the noise-masking sounds or the sounds of the first wind-down routine mask the other from being heard by at least one of the first or the second user,

wherein the noise-masking sounds mask the first wind-down routine from being heard by the second user, and the sounds of the first wind-down routine mask the noise-masking sounds from being heard by the first user.