Method for the monitoring of sleep using an electronic device

• US 7,868,757 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US11/647,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20080157956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 340500-505, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 340/540, 340/575
• US Class Current: 340/540
• 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:

causing, at least in part, data relating to movement of a sleeper to be received at a mobile communication device from one or more sensors;

analyzing the data over a predetermined interval to determine a transition in sleep state of the sleeper;

generating, based on the transition, at least one control signal;

causing, at least in part, the at least one control signal to be transmitted to one or more electronic devices and causing, at least in part, a condition of an environment of the sleeper to be detected, wherein the transition relates to the sleeper falling more or less asleep, and the at least one control signal is generated to cause the one or more electronic devices to stop or diminish the condition.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transition relates to the sleeper falling less asleep, the method further comprising:

determining whether the sleeper may be woken,

wherein the at least one control signal is generated to cause the at least one electronic device to start or increase one or more functions of the one or more electronic devices.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transition relates to the sleeper falling more asleep, the at least one control signal being generated to cause the one or more electronic devices to continue producing one or more soporific effects.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transition is to a rapid eye movement sleep state, the method further comprising:

determining a time window for waking the sleeper; and

causing, at least in part, a duration of the rapid eye movement sleep state to be monitored;

wherein a wakeup function of the mobile communication device is caused, at least in part, to be delayed until the duration is equal to a predetermined duration or caused, at least in part, to be initiated if the time window is exhausted before the duration is equal to the predetermined duration.

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

determining a sleep state of the sleeper;

determining a time window for waking the sleeper; and

causing, at least in part, a wakeup function of the mobile communication device to be adjusted based on the sleep state.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more electronic devices comprises a domestic appliance.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more electronic devices comprise at least one of a lighting control device, a radio, a media center, an air conditioning system, and a noise cancellation device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors comprises an accelerometer configured to detect the movement of the sleeper.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the data is caused, at least in part, to be received via a short-range radio connection.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the accelerometer is included as part of a wearable band.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors comprises a pressure sensor configured to detect movement of the sleeper.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pressure sensor is configured to receive one or more tapping control signals.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the tapping control signals are configured to facilitate the transition.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the sleeper relates to movement of a limb of the sleeper or movement of a body of the sleeper.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transition relates to a determination of an increase in motion of the sleeper subsequent to a determination of a relatively still phase of the sleeper.

14. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to;

receive data relating to movement of a sleeper from one or more sensors,

analyze the data over a predetermined interval to determine a transition in sleep state of the sleeper,

generate, based on the transition, at least one control signal,

transmit the at least one control signal to one or more electronic devices and detect a condition of an environment of the sleeper, wherein the transition relates to the sleeper falling more or less asleep, and the at least one control signal is generated to cause the one or more electronic devices to stop or diminish the condition.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the transition relates to the sleeper falling less asleep and the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

determine whether the sleeper may be woken,

wherein the at least one control signal is generated to cause the at least one electronic device to start or increase one or more functions of the one or more electronic devices.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the transition relates to the sleeper falling more asleep, the at least one control signal being generated to cause the one or more electronic devices to continue producing one or more soporific effects.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the transition is to a rapid eye movement sleep state and the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

determine a time window for waking the sleeper; and

monitor a duration of the rapid eye movement sleep state,

wherein a wakeup function of the apparatus is delayed until the duration is equal to a predetermined duration or initiated if the time window is exhausted before the duration is equal to the predetermined duration.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

determine a sleep state of the sleeper;

determine a time window for waking the sleeper; and

adjust a wakeup function of the apparatus based on the sleep state.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

receive the data over a short-range radio connection; and

transmit the one or more control signals over a radio connection.

22. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the one or more electronic devices comprises a domestic appliance.

23. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the one or more electronic devices comprise at least one of a lighting control device, a radio, a media center, an air conditioning system, and a noise cancellation device.

24. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors comprises an accelerometer configured to detect the movement of the sleeper.

25. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the accelerometer is included as part of a wearable band.

26. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors comprises a pressure sensor configured to detect movement of the sleeper.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the pressure sensor is configured to receive one or more tapping control signals.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the tapping control signals are configured to facilitate the transition.

29. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the apparatus is a mobile communication device.

30. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the movement of the sleeper relates to movement of a limb of the sleeper or movement of a body of the sleeper.

31. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the transition relates to a determination of an increase in motion of the sleeper subsequent to a determination of a relatively still phase of the sleeper.