Apparatus and/or method for inducing sound sleep and waking

• US 7,956,755 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Mi-hee, Bang, Seok-won
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu; Shirley
• Application Number:
  US11/513,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20070083079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 340/575, 340/573.1, 340/56, 600/26, 600538- 9
• US Class Current: 340/575
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0016 by the smell sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/005 images, e.g. video
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0066 with heating or cooling
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus to induce sound sleep and waking, selecting a protocol to control a sound sleep and waking environment depending on a sleep type selected by a user; adjusting the sleep environment of the user according to the selected protocol; determining a sleep state of the user by measuring physiological signals of the user during sleep in the sleep environment using a sensor which does not contact a body of the user; detecting variation in the physiological signals of the user; and re-adjusting the sleep environment by changing parameters of the protocol depending on the detected variation in the physiological signals. As a result, there is an advantage in that it is possible to naturally induce sound sleep and waking.

Claims

1. An apparatus to induce sound sleep and waking, comprising:

an input unit to receive a sleep type from a user;

a protocol selection unit to select a protocol to control an environment for sound sleep and waking depending on the received sleep type;

a sleep environment adjustment unit to adjust a sleep environment of the user according to the selected protocol;

a sleep state determination unit to determine a sleep state of the user by measuring simultaneously a plurality of physiological signals of the user measured through indicators during sleep in the sleep environment using one sensor that does not contact a body of the user and detects frequency variation depending on location of the user; and

a physiological signal variation detection unit to detect a variation in the physiological signals of the user using the determined sleep state;

wherein, when the variation in the physiological signals is detected by the physiological signal variation detection unit, the sleep environment adjustment unit re-adjusts the sleep environment by changing one or more parameters of the protocol depending on the variation,

wherein the physiological signal variation detection unit detects variation in the physiological signals of the user by comparing at least one of increases, decreases, and lacks of change of the indicators with those of a physiological signal variation model corresponding to a determined sleep stage from among sleep stages of the user, the sleep stages including a hypnagogic stage spanning from lying in bed to immediately before feeling sleepy, a relaxation stage spanning from feeling sleepy to immediately before falling asleep, a sleep stage spanning from falling asleep to immediately before finally inducing waking, and a wake-up stage spanning from starting to wake up to finally waking up, and

wherein adjusting the sleep environment includes adjusting inclination of a bed from an initial inclined position, the inclination becoming lower in the hypnagogic stage, the inclination being maintained horizontal in the relaxation stage and sleep stage, and the inclination again becoming higher in the wake-up stage, and

adjusting a light in the sleep environment, the light being gradually being darkened in the hypnagogic stage, the light flickering four times at a constant interval and once at a longer interval than said constant interval to induce deep breathing in the relaxation stage, the light being kept dim in the sleep stage, and the light being gradually brightened in the wake-up stage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input unit receives a wake-up time with respect to a sleep onset time of the user and calculates a sleep time and total sleep duration.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the parameters of the protocol comprise levels representing content, including sound and image information and information about states of an external environment of a sleep space, the levels being adjusted by at least one of oxygen, humidity, and aroma for each of the sleep stages of sleep duration from a sleep onset time to a wake-up time.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the indicators include heart rate, heart rate variability and respiratory rate derived from heartbeat and respiration.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sleep state is determined based on whether the indicators increase, decrease or maintain.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a Doppler radar sensor located within a distance of about three meters from the heart of the user.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sleep state determination unit determines the sleep state by measuring behavior of the user during sleep.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sleep environment adjustment unit adjusts the sleep environment of the user by controlling one or more of an oxygen generation device, a humidity control device, and a aroma generation device.

9. A method of inducing sound sleep and waking, comprising:

selecting a protocol to control a sound sleep and waking environment depending on a sleep type selected by a user;

adjusting the sleep environment of the user according to the selected protocol;

determining a sleep state of the user by measuring simultaneously, measured through indicators, a plurality of physiological signals of the user during sleep in the sleep environment using one sensor which does not contact a body of the user and detects frequency variation depending on location of the user;

detecting variation in the physiological signals of the user comprising at least one of comparing lacks of change, increases, and decreases of the indicators with those of a physiological signal variation model corresponding to a sleep stage of the user determined from among a plurality of sleep stages, the plurality of sleep stages including a hypnagogic stage spanning from lying in bed to immediately before feeling sleepy, a relaxation stage spanning from feeling sleepy to immediately before falling asleep, a sleep stage spanning from falling asleep to immediately before finally inducing waking, and a wake-up stage spanning from starting to wake up to finally waking up; and

re-adjusting the sleep environment by changing parameters of the protocol depending on the detected variation in the physiological signals,

wherein re-adjusting the sleep environment includes

adjusting inclination of a bed from an initial inclined position, the inclination becoming lower in the hypnagogic stage, the inclination being maintained horizontal in the relaxation stage and sleep stage, and the inclination again becoming higher in the wake-up stage, and

adjusting a light in the sleep environment, the light being gradually being darkened in the hypnagogic stage, the light flickering four times at a constant interval and once at a longer interval than said constant interval to induce deep breathing in the relaxation stage, the light being kept dim in the sleep stage, and the light being gradually brightened in the wake-up stage.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selecting operation comprises receiving a wake-up time with respect to a sleep onset time of the user, and calculating a sleep time and total sleep duration, thus selecting a sleep type.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the parameters of the protocol comprise levels content, including sound and images, and information about states of an external environment of a sleep space, the levels being adjusted through at least one of oxygen, humidity, and aroma for each of the sleep stages from a sleep onset time to a wake-up time.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the indicators include heart rate, heart rate variability and respiratory rate derived from heartbeat and respiration.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sleep state is determined based on whether the indicators increase, decrease or maintain.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the sensor is a Doppler radar sensor located within a distance of about three meters from a heart of the user.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining a sleep state of the user comprises determining the sleep state by measuring behavior of the user during sleep.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the sleep environment of the user by controlling one or more of an oxygen generation device, a humidity control device, and an aroma generation device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for controlling a computer and having embedded thereon a computer program, said computer program performing:

selecting a protocol to control a sound sleep and waking environment depending on a sleep type selected by a user;

adjusting the sleep environment of the user according to the selected protocol;

determining a sleep state of the user by measuring simultaneously, using indicators, a plurality of physiological signals of the user during sleep in the sleep environment using one sensor which does not contact a body of the user and detects frequency variation depending on location of the user;

detecting variation in the physiological signals of the user comprising comparing at least one of increases, decreases, and lacks of change of the indicators with those of a physiological signal variation model corresponding to a determined sleep stage of the user, the sleep stages including a hypnagogic stage spanning from lying in bed to immediately before feeling sleepy, a relaxation stage spanning from feeling sleepy to immediately before falling asleep, a sleep stage spanning from falling asleep to immediately before finally inducing waking, and a wake-up stage spanning from starting to wake up to finally waking up; and

re-adjusting the sleep environment by changing parameters of the protocol depending on the detected variation in the physiological signals,

wherein re-adjusting the sleep environment includes

adjusting inclination of a bed from an initial inclined position, the inclination becoming lower in the hypnagogic stage and sleep stage, the inclination being maintained horizontal in the relaxation stage, and the inclination again becoming higher in the wake-up stage, and

adjusting a light in the sleep environment, the light being gradually being darkened in the hypnagogic stage, the light flickering four times at a constant interval and once at a longer interval than said constant interval to induce deep breathing in the relaxation stage, the light being kept dim in the sleep stage, and the light being gradually brightened in the wake-up stage.