Method for the monitoring of sleep using an electronic device

• US 20080157956A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Radivojevic, Zoran, Saunamaki, Jarkko
• Granted Patent: US 7,868,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/531
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• 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 5/4809 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 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats

Abstract

The invention relates to a method where sleep sensor signals are obtained to a mobile communication device from sensor devices. The mobile communication device checks the sleep sensor signals for a sleep state transition, determines the type of the sleep state transition, forms control signals based on the type of the sleep state transition and sends the control signals to at least one electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining at least one sleep sensor signal to a mobile communication device;

checking said at least one sleep sensor signal for a sleep state transition;

determining the type of said sleep state transition;

forming at least one control signal based on the type of said sleep state transition;

sending said at least one control signal to at least one electronic device.

2. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining that the type of said sleep state transition is to asleep state; and

adding to said at least one control signal a request to stop or diminish a function prone to disturb sleep.

3. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining that the type of said sleep state transition is to awake state; and

adding to said at least one control signal a request to start or increase a function.

4. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining that the type of said sleep state transition is to asleep state; and

adding to said at least one control signal a request to maintain soporific functions of at least one of said at least one electronic devices.

5. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining a time window for the awakening of a person;

determining that the type of said sleep state transition is to the Rapid Eye Movements state;

reaching the start of said time window; and

delaying a wakeup function in said mobile communication device until a predetermined time is spent in the Rapid Eye Movements state or the end of said time window has been reached.

6. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining a time window for the awakening of a person;

determining a type of sleep;

reaching the start of said time window; and

adjusting a wakeup function in said mobile communication device based on the type of the person'"'"'s sleep.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of said at least one electronic device comprises a domestic appliance.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said electronic device comprises at least one of a lighting control device, a radio, a media center, an air conditioning system and noise cancellation device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said sleep sensor signal is formed in at least one sleep sensor.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said mobile communication device receives said at least one sleep sensor signal from said at least one sleep sensor via a short-range radio connection.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said at least one sleep sensor comprises a wearable band further comprising an accelerometer.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein said at least one sleep sensor comprises a pressure sensor.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the pressure sensor is adjusted to receive one or more tapping control signals.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the tapping control signals control function of the sleep state transition.

15. A mobile communication device comprising:

a radio receiver configured to receive at least one sleep sensor signal;

a processor configured to check said at least one sleep sensor signal for a sleep state transition, to determine the type of said sleep state transition, to form at least one control signal based on the type of said sleep state transition; and

a transmitter configured to send said at least one control signal to at least one electronic device.

16. The mobile communication device according to claim 15, the mobile communication device further comprising:

said processor configured to determine that the type of said sleep state transition is to asleep state and to add to said at least one control signal a request to stop or diminish a function prone to disturb sleep.

17. The mobile communication device according to claim 15, the mobile communication device further comprising:

said processor configured to determine that the type of said sleep state transition is to awake state and to add to said at least one control signal a request to start or increase a function.

18. The mobile communication device according to claim 15, the mobile communication device further comprising:

said processor configured to determine that the type of said sleep state transition is to asleep state and to add to said at least one control signal a request to maintain soporific functions of at least one of said at least one electronic devices.

19. The mobile communication device according to claim 15, the mobile communication device further comprising:

said processor configured to determine a time window for the awakening of a person, to determine that the type of said sleep state transition is to the Rapid Eye Movements state, to reach the start of said time window and to delay a wakeup function in said mobile communication device until a predetermined time is spent in the Rapid Eye Movements state or the end of said time window has been reached.

20. The mobile communication device according to claim 15, the mobile communication device further comprising:

said processor configured to determine a time window for the awakening of a person, to determine determining a type of sleep, to determine the reaching of the start of said time window and to adjust a wakeup entity in said mobile communication device based on the type of the person'"'"'s sleep; and

said wakeup entity.

21. The mobile communication device according to claim 15, wherein the receiver comprises a short-range radio receiver and the transmitter comprises a radio transmitter.

22. A mobile communication device comprising:

means for obtaining at least one sleep sensor signal to a mobile communication device;

means for checking said at least one sleep sensor signal for a sleep state transition;

means for determining the type of said sleep state transition;

means for forming at least one control signal based on the type of said sleep state transition; and

means for sending said at least one control signal to at least one electronic device.

23. A mobile communication device comprising:

a radio receiver configured to receive at least one sleep sensor signal;

a microphone configured to receive ambient audio signals; and

a processor configured to determine a sleep state or a resting state of a user with said at least one sleep sensor signal, to determine a first disturbing noise pattern in said audio signals, to start the generating of at least one comfort audio pattern in order to alleviate subsequent disturbing noise patterns.

24. A system comprising:

at least one sleep sensor configured to send at least one sleep sensor signal; and

a mobile communication device configured to receive said at least one sleep sensor signal, to check said at least one sleep sensor signal for a sleep state transition, to determine the type of said sleep state transition, to form at least one control signal based on the type of said sleep state transition and to send said at least one control signal to at least one electronic device.

25. The system according to claim 24, the system further comprising:

at least one of a lighting control device, a radio, a media center, an air conditioning system and a noise cancellation device.

26. The system according to claim 24, wherein said mobile communication device is configured to receive said at least one sleep sensor signal from said at least one sleep sensor via a short-range radio connection.

27. The system according to claim 24, wherein said at least one sleep sensor comprises a wearable band further comprising an accelerometer.

28. The system according to claim 24, wherein said at least one sleep sensor comprises a pressure sensor.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the pressure sensor is adjusted to receive one or more tapping control signals.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein the tapping control signals control function of the sleep state transition.

31. A system comprising:

at least one pressure sensor configured to detect at least one tapping impulse and to form a signal indicative of said at least one tapping impulse; and

a mobile communication device configured to receive said signal indicative of said at least one tapping impulse, to determine a function corresponding to said at least one tapping impulse and to request said function.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein the mobile communication device is configured to request said function from at least one electronic device configured to communicate with said mobile communication device.

33. The system according to claim 31, wherein the mobile communication device is configured to determine said function based on the number of tapping impulses closely located in time.

34. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, the Computer program comprising code for controlling a processor to execute a method comprising:

obtaining at least one sleep sensor signal to a mobile communication device;

checking said at least one sleep sensor signal for a sleep state transition;

determining the type of said sleep state transition;

forming at least one control signal based on the type of said sleep state transition; and

sending said at least one control signal to at least one electronic device.

35. The computer program according to claim 34, wherein said computer readable medium is a removable memory card.

36. The computer program according to claim 34, wherein said computer readable medium is a magnetic or an optical disk or a holographic memory.