VIBRATING ALARM SYSTEM AND OPERATING METHODS

• US 20160073950A1
• Filed: 11/19/2015
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eight Sleep, Inc
• Original Assignee: Eight Sleep, Inc
• Inventors: Franceschetti, Matteo, Bassi, Massimo Andreasi
• Application Number:
  US14/946,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20160073950A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 21/00 Attachments for beds, e.g. sheet holders, bed-cover holders bed tables supported on the bedstead A47B23/02; for children's beds A47D7/00, A47D15/00; Ventilating, cooling or heating means in connection with bedsteads or mattresses
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 21/044 with active means, e.g. by using air blowers or liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 21/048 for heating
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/123 for beds or mattresses
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 9/0238 Bed linen
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/07 Home care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0271 Thermal or temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/063 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• 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 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• 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 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4266 sweat secretion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 : characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/161 : with means for measuring the humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0022 : by the tactile sense, e.g. vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0066 : with heating or cooling
• 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 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 2205/0294 : Piezoelectric materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 : with alarm
• 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 2205/3584 : using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 : using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3673 : thermo-electric, e.g. Peltier effect, thermocouples, semi-conductors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 : with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 : Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• 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 2230/50 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/63 : Motion, e.g. physical activity
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 : Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 : HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1393 : characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 : Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0272 : For heating of fabrics

Abstract

Introduced are methods and systems for: gathering human biological signals, such as heart rate, breathing rate, or temperature; analyzing the gathered human biological signals; and controlling an alarm based on the analysis.

Claims

1. A system for automatically activating a vibrating alarm strip in response to a biological signal associated with a user, said system comprising:

a sensor strip configured to measure said biological signal associated with said user, wherein said sensor strip comprises a piezo sensor, and a temperature sensor, and further wherein said biological signal comprises a breathing rate associated with said user, a heart rate associated with said user, a motion associated with said user, and a temperature associated with said user;

a database configured to store a history of biological signals associated with said user;

said vibrating alarm strip, attached to a mattress, configured to receive a control signal and to vibrate based on said control signal, said vibrating alarm strip comprising a plurality of zones corresponding to a plurality of users, wherein each zone in said plurality of zones is configured to vibrate independently;

a computer processor communicatively coupled to said sensor strip, said vibrating alarm strip, and said database, said computer processor configured to;

identify said user based on at least one of;

said heart rate associated with said user, said breathing rate associated with said user, said motion associated with said user, or said temperature associated with said user;

based on said user identification, obtain a wake-up time associated with said user;

based on said history of biological signals and said biological signal, identify a sleep phase associated with said user, said sleep phase comprising a wakefulness phase, a light sleep phase, a deep sleep phase, or a rapid eye movement sleep phase; and

when said sleep phase comprises said light sleep phase and a current time is at most one hour before said wake-up time, send said control signal to said vibrating alarm strip, said control signal comprising an instruction to vibrate.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said history of biological signals comprises a normal heart rate range associated with each sleep phase, a normal breathing rate range associated with each sleep phase, a normal motion range associated with each sleep phase, and a normal temperature range associated with each sleep phase.

3. A system for automatically activating a vibrating alarm in response to a biological signal associated with a user, said system comprising:

a sensor strip configured to measure said biological signal associated with said user, wherein said sensor strip comprises a piezo sensor, and a temperature sensor, and further wherein said biological signal comprises a breathing rate associated with said user, a heart rate associated with said user, a motion associated with said user, and a temperature associated with said user;

said vibrating alarm, coupled to said user, configured to receive a control signal and to vibrate based on said control signal;

a computer processor communicatively coupled to said sensor strip, and said vibrating alarm, said computer processor configured to;

identify said user based on at least one of;

said heart rate associated with said user, said breathing rate associated with said user, said motion associated with said user, or said temperature associated with said user;

based on said user identification, obtain a wake-up time associated with said user;

based on said biological signal, detect when said user is in a light sleep phase; and

when said user is in said light sleep phase and a current time is at most one hour before said wake-up time, send said control signal to said vibrating alarm, said control signal comprising an instruction to vibrate.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said computer processor is configured to detect when said user is in said light sleep phase by detecting:

a slowdown in said heart rate, a drop in said temperature, and a regular breathing rate.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said computer processor is configured to detect when said user is in said light sleep phase by detecting an end of said rapid eye movement sleep phase.

6. The system of claim 3, said vibrating alarm comprising a vibrating alarm strip, said vibrating alarm strip coupled to said user, and further said vibrating alarm strip comprising a plurality of zones corresponding to a plurality of users, wherein each zone in said plurality of zones is configured to vibrate independently.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said control signal comprises an identification associated with said zone in said plurality of zones.

8. The system of claim 3, said vibrating alarm comprising a vibrating alarm strip attached to a bed pad.

9. The system of claim 3, said vibrating alarm comprising a vibrating alarm strip attached to a bed cover.

10. The system of claim 3, said vibrating alarm comprising a vibrating alarm strip attached to a bed sheet.

11. The system of claim 3, said vibrating alarm comprising a wearable user device.

12. The system of claim 3, further comprising a database configured to store a history of biological signals associated with said user, wherein said history of biological signals comprises a normal heart rate range associated with each sleep phase, a normal breathing rate range associated with each sleep phase, a normal motion range associated with each sleep phase, and a normal temperature range associated with each sleep phase.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said computer processor is further configured to:

based on said user identification, retrieve from said database, said history of biological signals associated with said user; and

based on said biological signal and said history of biological signals, determine said sleep phase associated with said user.

14. A method for automatically activating a vibrating alarm strip in response to a biological signal associated with a user, said method comprising:

measuring said biological signal associated with said user with a sensor strip, wherein said sensor strip comprises a piezo sensor, and a temperature sensor, and further wherein said biological signal comprises a breathing rate associated with said user, a heart rate associated with said user, a motion associated with said user, and a temperature associated with said user;

storing a history of biological signals associated with said user in a database;

identifying said user based on at least one of;

said heart rate associated with said user, said breathing rate associated with said user, said motion associated with said user, or said temperature associated with said user;

based on said user identification, obtaining a wake-up time associated with said user;

based on said history of biological signals and said biological signal, identifying a sleep phase associated with said user, said sleep phase comprising a wakefulness phase, a light sleep phase, a deep sleep phase, or a rapid eye movement sleep phase; and

when said sleep phase comprises said light sleep phase and a current time is at most one hour before said wake-up time, sending a control signal to said vibrating alarm strip, said control signal comprising an instruction to vibrate.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising configuring said vibrating alarm strip to attach to a mattress, to receive said control signal and to vibrate based on said control signal, said vibrating alarm strip comprising a plurality of zones corresponding to a plurality of users, wherein each zone in said plurality of zones is configured to vibrate independently.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said history of biological signals comprises a normal heart rate range associated with each sleep phase, a normal breathing rate range associated with each sleep phase, a normal motion range associated with each sleep phase, and a normal temperature range associated with each sleep phase.

17. A method for automatically activating a vibrating alarm in response to a biological signal associated with a user, said method comprising:

configuring a computer processor to;

identify said user based on at least one of;

a heart rate associated with said user, a breathing rate associated with said user, a motion associated with said user, or a temperature associated with said user, wherein said biological signal comprises said heart rate, said breathing rate, said motion, and said temperature;

based on said user identification, obtain a wake-up time associated with said user;

based on said biological signal, detect when said user is in a light sleep phase; and

when said user is in said light sleep phase and a current time is at most one hour before said wake-up time, send a control signal to said vibrating alarm coupled to said user, said control signal comprising an instruction to vibrate.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

configuring a sensor strip to measure said biological signal associated with said user, wherein said sensor strip comprises a piezo sensor, and a temperature sensor.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

configuring said vibrating alarm to receive said control signal and to vibrate based on said control signal.

20. The method of claim 19, said vibrating alarm comprising a vibrating alarm strip attached to a bed pad.

21. The method of claim 19, said vibrating alarm comprising a vibrating alarm strip attached to a bed cover.

22. The method of claim 19, said vibrating alarm comprising a vibrating alarm strip attached to a bed sheet.

23. The method of claim 19, said vibrating alarm comprising a wearable user device.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein said vibrating alarm comprises a vibrating alarm strip coupled to said user, and further wherein said vibrating alarm strip comprises a plurality of zones corresponding to a plurality of users, wherein each zone in said plurality of zones is configured to vibrate independently.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said control signal comprises an identification associated with said zone in said plurality of zones.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein said configuring said computer processor to detect when said user is in said light sleep phase comprises detecting a slowdown in said heart rate, a drop in said temperature, and a regular breathing rate.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein said configuring said computer processor to detect when said user is in said light sleep phase comprises detecting an end of said rapid eye movement sleep phase.

28. The method of claim 17, further comprising configuring a database to store a history of biological signals associated with said user, wherein said history of biological signals comprises a normal heart rate range associated with each sleep phase, a normal breathing rate range associated with each sleep phase, a normal motion range associated with each sleep phase, and a normal temperature range associated with each sleep phase.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

configuring said computer processor to, based on said user identification, retrieve from said database, said history of biological signals; and

configuring said computer processor to, based on said biological signal and said history of said biological signals, determine said sleep phase associated with said user.