SLEEP MONITORING CAP

• US 20170360360A1
• Filed: 06/15/2016
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yousef Alqurashi
• Original Assignee: Yousef Alqurashi
• Inventors: ALQURASHI, Yousef
• Application Number:
  US15/183,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20170360360A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/12 Healthy persons not otherwise provided for, e.g. subjects of a marketing survey
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/22 Motor vehicles operators, e.g. drivers, pilots, captains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/07 Home care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/398 Electrooculography [EOG], e.g. detecting nystagmus; Electroretinography [ERG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4809 Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• 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: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A sleep-monitoring cap includes interconnected electrodes embedded within a body of the sleep-monitoring cap. The interconnected electrodes are located at positions across a central transverse region, below and along a side of each eye, and on a rear mid-region of a person'"'"'s head when wearing the sleep-monitoring cap. The sleep-monitoring cap includes a vibratory device embedded within the sleep-monitoring cap, wherein the vibratory device is connected to the interconnected electrodes. The sleep-monitoring cap includes processing circuitry embedded within the sleep-monitoring cap. The processing circuitry is configured to monitor, convert, process, and store brain wave activity retrieved by the interconnected electrodes from the person wearing the sleep-monitoring cap; determine whether the monitored brain wave activity includes low amplitude mixed-frequency waves and if so, activate the vibratory device; determine whether the monitored brain wave activity includes theta waves followed by vertex sharp waves and if so, activate the vibratory device.

Claims

1. A sleep-monitoring cap, comprising:

a plurality of interconnected electrodes embedded within a body of the sleep-monitoring cap, wherein the plurality of interconnected electrodes are located at positions across a central transverse region, below and along a side of each eye, and on a rear mid-region of a person'"'"'s head when the person is wearing the sleep-monitoring cap;

a vibratory device embedded within the body of the sleep-monitoring cap, wherein the vibratory device is connected to the plurality of interconnected electrodes;

first processing circuitry embedded within the body of the sleep-monitoring cap, wherein the first processing circuitry is configured to

monitor, convert, process, and store a first set of brain wave activity retrieved by the plurality of interconnected electrodes from the person wearing the sleep-monitoring cap,

determine whether a sleep state exists from the monitored first set of brain wave activity,

when the sleep state exists, determine whether a first sleep stage is a rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage,

when the first sleep stage is a REM sleep stage, record the sleep state as a sleep onset REM period, and

activate the vibratory device after a pre-determined time period when the sleep onset REM period has been recorded; and

second processing circuitry embedded within the body of the sleep-monitoring cap, wherein the second processing circuitry is configured to

monitor, convert, process, and store a second set of brain wave activity retrieved by the plurality of interconnected electrodes from the person wearing the sleep-monitoring cap,

determine whether the monitored second set of brain wave activity includes low amplitude mixed-frequency waves;

when the monitored second set of brain wave activity includes the low amplitude mixed-frequency waves, activate the vibratory device;

determine whether the monitored second set of brain wave activity includes theta waves followed by vertex sharp waves; and

when the monitored second set of brain wave activity includes the theta waves followed by the vertex sharp waves, activate the vibratory device.

2. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 1, wherein the first processing circuitry is further configured to monitor and determine a narcoleptic state of the person wearing the sleep-monitoring cap.

3. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 1, wherein the second processing circuitry is further configured to monitor and determine a drowsy state of the person wearing the sleep-monitoring cap.

4. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 1, wherein the second processing circuitry is further configured to transmit a wireless signal to a light-emitting device when the vibratory device is activated.

5. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 4, wherein the second processing circuitry is further configured to transmit the wireless signal to the light-emitting device located on a moving vehicle operated by the person wearing the sleep-monitoring cap.

6. A sleep-monitoring cap, comprising:

a plurality of interconnected electrodes embedded within a body of the sleep-monitoring cap, wherein the plurality of interconnected electrodes are located at positions across a central transverse region, below and along a side of each eye, and on a rear mid-region of a person'"'"'s head when the person is wearing the sleep-monitoring cap;

a vibratory device embedded within the body of the sleep-monitoring cap, wherein the vibratory device is connected to the plurality of interconnected electrodes; and

processing circuitry embedded within the body of the sleep-monitoring cap, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to

monitor, convert, process, and store brain wave activity retrieved by the plurality of interconnected electrodes from the person wearing the sleep-monitoring cap,

determine whether a sleep state exists from the monitored brain wave activity,

when the sleep state exists, determine whether a first sleep stage is a rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage,

when the first sleep stage is a REM sleep stage, record the sleep state as a sleep onset REM period, and

activate the vibratory device after a pre-determined time period when the sleep onset REM period has been recorded.

7. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 6, further comprising:

a transmitter embedded within the body of the sleep-monitoring cap, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a signal to a light-emitting device when the vibratory device is activated.

8. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 7, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a wireless signal to the light-emitting device.

9. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry further configured to activate a communication to one or more communication devices when the vibratory device is activated.

10. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 6, wherein the vibratory device is located at a rear base portion of the sleep-monitoring cap.

11. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 6, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to activate the vibratory device when a narcoleptic state is determined.

12. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 6, further comprising:

a battery-operated power source.

13. A sleep-monitoring cap comprising:

a plurality of interconnected electrodes embedded within a body of the sleep-monitoring cap, wherein the plurality of interconnected electrodes are located at positions across a central transverse region, below and along a side of each eye, and on a rear mid-region of a person'"'"'s head when the person is wearing the sleep-monitoring cap;

a vibratory device embedded within the body of the sleep-monitoring cap, wherein the vibratory device is connected to the plurality of interconnected electrodes; and

processing circuitry embedded within the body of the sleep-monitoring cap, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to

monitor, convert, process, and store brain wave activity retrieved by the plurality of interconnected electrodes from the person wearing the sleep-monitoring cap,

determine whether the monitored brain wave activity includes low amplitude mixed-frequency waves;

when the monitored brain wave activity includes the low amplitude mixed-frequency waves, activate the vibratory device;

determine whether the monitored brain wave activity includes theta waves followed by vertex sharp waves; and

when the monitored brain wave activity includes the theta waves followed by the vertex sharp waves, activate the vibratory device.

14. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 13, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to continue to activate the vibratory device until an awakened state of the person is monitored.

15. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 13, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to change one of an intensity of vibration or a pattern of vibration until an awakened state of the person is monitored.

16. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 13, wherein the sleep-monitoring cap is configured to monitor and determine a drowsy state of a person wearing the sleep-monitoring cap.

17. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 13, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit a signal to a light-emitting device when the vibratory device is activated.

18. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 17, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit the signal wirelessly to the light-emitting device located on the sleep-monitoring cap.

19. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 17, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit the signal wirelessly to the light-emitting device located on a moving vehicle operated by the person wearing the sleep-monitoring cap.

20. The sleep-monitoring cap of claim 13, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit a communication to one or more communication devices when the vibratory device is activated.