Biosensor, sleep information processing method and apparatus, computer program thereof and computer readable storage medium thereof

• US 7,998,079 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sakai, Kazuhiro, Nishii, Katsuyoshi, Nagai, Fumiya
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, II; Charles A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Toth; Karen E
• Application Number:
  US11/410,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20060241359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,939 Days
• Field of Search: 600/301, 600/481, 600500-508
• US Class Current: 600/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4035 Evaluating the autonomic nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4815 Sleep quality
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

A biosensor senses pulse wave data of a user. The biosensor stores relation information, which indicates a relationship between recommended bedtime data and sleep-affecting activity data. The relationship between the recommended bedtime data and the sleep-affecting activity data is determined in view of at least one of previously sensed pulse wave data of the user and model pulse wave data. The biosensor receives at least one sleep-affecting activity value from the user. The biosensor computes recommended bedtime information based on the at least one sleep-affecting activity value in view of the relation information. The biosensor gives notification to the user based on the recommended bedtime information.

Claims

1. A sleep information processing apparatus for evaluating a sleep feature of a user comprising:

a sensing means for sensing pulse wave data of the user;

a storage means for storing at least one relation information set, which indicates a relationship between model pulse wave data and corresponding sleep feature data, wherein the corresponding sleep feature data indicates a corresponding predetermined sleep feature;

a sleep evaluating means for evaluating the corresponding predetermined sleep feature based on the sensed pulse wave data of the user and the at least one relation information set; and

a notifying means for notifying evaluation result data to the user based on the evaluated corresponding predetermined sleep feature, wherein

when the corresponding predetermined sleep feature includes wake-up-mood quality, the relationship indicated by the at least one relation information set is determined in view of at least one of the following corresponding sleep feature data;

a heart rate before a wake-up time, a variation rate of a heart rate before the wake-up time, a parasympathetic nerve activity value before the wake-up time, and a probability of a sleeping condition to be defined as a rapid eye movement sleep.

2. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an analyzing means for determining whether the evaluated corresponding predetermined sleep feature dissatisfies a predetermined condition; and

a cause estimating means for estimating a cause that makes the evaluated corresponding predetermined sleep feature dissatisfy the predetermined condition when the analyzing means determines that the evaluated corresponding predetermined sleep feature dissatisfies the predetermined condition, wherein

the notifying means notifies the cause, as the evaluation result data, to the user.

3. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the at least one relation information set includes a plurality of relation information sets, each of which indicates the relationship between the model pulse wave data and the corresponding sleep feature data; and

the corresponding sleep feature data indicates the corresponding predetermined sleep feature.

4. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the sleep evaluating means scores each corresponding predetermined sleep feature, which corresponds to one of the plurality of relation information sets, to evaluate the corresponding predetermined sleep feature; and

the notifying means notifies a score of each corresponding predetermined sleep feature, as the evaluation result data, to the user.

5. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the analyzing means determines that the evaluated corresponding predetermined sleep feature dissatisfies the predetermined condition when the score of the evaluated corresponding predetermined sleep feature is lower than a corresponding predetermined value.

6. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the sleep evaluating means assigns a weight to each corresponding predetermined sleep feature, which corresponds to one of the plurality of relation information sets, and scores each corresponding predetermined sleep feature to evaluate each corresponding predetermined sleep feature in such a manner that the sleep evaluating means calculates a total score of the sleep feature of the user by summing a weighted score of each corresponding predetermined sleep feature; and

the notifying means notifies the total score, as the evaluation result data, to the user.

7. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least one relation information set includes a plurality of relation information sets, each of which indicates the relationship between the model pulse wave data and the corresponding sleep feature data; and

the corresponding sleep feature data indicates the corresponding predetermined sleep feature.

8. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

each corresponding predetermined sleep feature, which corresponds to one of the plurality of relation information sets, includes corresponding one of at least one of sleep quality, easiness to get to sleep, the wake-up-mood quality, sleep habit, and sleep normality.

9. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

each corresponding predetermined sleep feature, which corresponds to one of the plurality of relation information sets, includes corresponding one of at least one of the easiness to get to sleep, the wake-up-mood quality, the sleep habit, and the sleep normality.

10. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the relationship between the model pulse wave data and the corresponding sleep feature data, which indicates the corresponding predetermined sleep feature, is determined in view of corresponding sleep feature evaluation data.

11. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

when the corresponding predetermined sleep feature includes the sleep quality, the corresponding sleep feature evaluation data includes autonomic nerve activity data, which is calculated based on a heart rate fluctuation analysis and indicates a condition of an autonomic nerve activity.

12. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

when the corresponding predetermined sleep feature includes the easiness to get to sleep, the corresponding sleep feature evaluation data includes at least one of a hypnagogic heart rate, a variation rate of the hypnagogic heart rate, a duration time of body motion, and a hypnagogic parasympathetic nerve activity value, which indicates a condition of a hypnagogic parasympathetic nerve activity.

13. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

when the corresponding predetermined sleep feature includes the sleep habit, the corresponding sleep feature evaluation data includes at least one of a bedtime, a wake-up time and sleep duration.

14. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

when the corresponding predetermined sleep feature includes the sleep normality, the corresponding sleep feature evaluation data includes at least one of a coefficient of variation of a pulse interval, a duration ratio of body motion for one night, and an amplitude of variation of sleep rhythm.

15. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

when the corresponding predetermined sleep feature includes one of the sleep quality and the wake-up-mood quality, the corresponding sleep feature evaluation data includes at least one of the followings:

a parasympathetic nerve activity value, which indicates a condition of a parasympathetic nerve activity;

a ratio of a sympathetic nerve activity value, which indicates a condition of a sympathetic nerve activity, to the corresponding parasympathetic nerve activity value;

body motion of the user; and

a variation rate of a heart rate.

16. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the sleep evaluating means scores each corresponding predetermined sleep feature, which corresponds to one of the at least one relation information set, to evaluate the corresponding predetermined sleep feature; and

the notifying means notifies a score of each corresponding predetermined sleep feature, as the evaluation result data, to the user.

17. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the at least one relation information set, which is stored in the storage means, is prepared in relation to at least one of the followings:

the user;

people of a same generation with the user; and

people of a same gender with the user.

18. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the sleep information processing apparatus is a biosensor.

19. The sleep information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the sleep information processing apparatus is a pulse wave sensor.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores a computer program for processing sleep information, the computer program comprising:

a code segment configured to direct a sensing means to sense pulse wave of a user;

a code segment configured to direct a storage means to store at least one relation information set, the at least one relation information set indicating a relationship between model pulse wave data and corresponding sleep feature data, wherein the corresponding sleep feature data indicates a corresponding predetermined sleep feature;

a code segment configured to direct an evaluation means to evaluate each corresponding predetermined sleep feature based on the sensed pulse wave data of the user and a corresponding one of the at least one relation information set; and

a code segment configured to direct a notifying means to notify evaluation result data to the user based on the evaluated corresponding predetermined sleep feature, wherein

when the corresponding predetermined sleep feature includes wake-up-mood quality, the relationship indicated by the at least one relation information set is determined in view of at least one of the following corresponding sleep feature data;

a heart rate before a wake-up time, a variation rate of a heart rate before the wake-up time, a parasympathetic nerve activity value before the wake-up time, and a probability of a sleeping condition to be defined as a rapid eye movement sleep.

21. A sleep information processing apparatus for evaluating a sleep feature of a user comprising:

a sensing means for sensing pulse wave data of the user;

a storage means for storing at least one relation information set, which indicates a relationship between model pulse wave data and corresponding sleep feature data, wherein the corresponding sleep feature data indicates a corresponding predetermined sleep feature;

a sleep evaluating means for evaluating the corresponding predetermined sleep feature based on the sensed pulse wave data of the user and the at least one relation information set; and

a notifying means for notifying evaluation result data to the user based on the evaluated corresponding predetermined sleep feature, wherein

the at least one relation information set includes a plurality of relation information sets, each of which indicates the relationship between the model pulse wave data and the corresponding sleep feature data;

the corresponding sleep feature data indicates the corresponding predetermined sleep feature;

each corresponding predetermined sleep feature, which corresponds to one of the plurality of relation information sets, includes corresponding one of at least one of sleep quality, easiness to get to sleep, the wake-up-mood quality, sleep habit, and sleep normality;

the relationship between the model pulse wave data and the corresponding sleep feature data, which indicates the corresponding predetermined sleep feature, is determined in view of corresponding sleep feature evaluation data; and

when the corresponding predetermined sleep feature includes the wake-up-mood quality, the corresponding sleep feature evaluation data includes at least one of a heart rate before a wake-up time, a variation rate of a heart rate before the wake-up time, a parasympathetic nerve activity value before the wake-up time and a probability of a sleeping condition to be defined as a rapid eye movement sleep.