Adjustable bed

• US 7,007,327 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2003
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Atsushi, Kawakami, Hideo, Sakai, Hidetaka, Fujiwara, Yoshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Safavi, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/659,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20040103475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 560/0, 560/7, 560/8, 594/2, 561/3, 561/4, 561/5, 561/6, 561/9, 571/5, 560/9, 128/845, 128/848, 602/902
• US Class Current: 5/609
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/002 having adjustable mattress frame
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/008 tiltable around longitudinal axis, e.g. for rolling
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/057 Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor ventilation openings in mattresses A47C21/042; pneumatic or hydraulic mattresses A47C27/08

Abstract

To provide an adjustable bed that assists a user to turn comfortably in his or her sleep without mental stress. Once an automatic mode starts, measurement on the depth of sleep of the user lying on the bed is launched. The depth of sleep is measured by detecting biological information such as brain waves, heart rate, and respiratory rate of the user using electrode sensors or the like, and analyzing the biological information according to a polysomnography method or the like. If the depth of sleep is 0, i.e., the user is in REM sleep, and if one hour or more has passed since the measurement is launched or since an immediately preceding turn operation, a turn operation is performed to turn the user.

Claims

1. An adjustable bed system comprising:

a bed adapted to move a body of a person lying on the bed into a bent position by elevating the upper body and bending the knees;

a tilt unit adapted to tilt the bed laterally while the bed is in a bent position;

a judgment unit adapted to determine the sleep stage of a person lying on the bed; and

a control unit adapted to control the tilt unit in response to a sleep stage judgment made by the judgment unit.

2. The adjustable bed of claim 1,

wherein the judgment unit determines whether the person is in REM sleep, and

the control unit causes the tilt unit to tilt the bed, if the judgment unit determines that the person is in REM sleep.

3. The adjustable bed of claim 1,

wherein the judgment unit determines a depth of sleep of the person, and

the control unit causes the tilt unit to tilt the bed, if the judgment unit determines that the person is in slow wave sleep.

4. The adjustable bed of claim 2,

wherein the judgment unit determines a depth of sleep of the person, and

the control unit causes the tilt unit to tilt the bed, if the judgment unit determines that the person is in slow wave sleep.

5. The adjustable bed of claim 1,

wherein the control unit prohibits the tilt unit from performing a tilt operation within a predetermined time period from a preceding tilt operation, irrespective of the depth of sleep of the person.

6. The adjustable bed of claim 2,

wherein the control unit prohibits the tilt unit from performing a tilt operation within a predetermined time period from a preceding tilt operation, irrespective of the depth of sleep of the person.

7. The adjustable bed of claim 3,

wherein the control unit prohibits the tilt unit from performing a tilt operation within a predetermined time period from a preceding tilt operation, irrespective of the depth of sleep of the person.

8. The adjustable bed of claim 4,

wherein the control unit prohibits the tilt unit from performing tilt operation within a predetermined time period from a preceding tilt operation, irrespective of the depth of sleep of the person.