Digital sound relaxation and sleep-inducing system and method

• US 8,638,950 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2010
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Headwaters Incorporated (Seven Group Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Headwaters Research & Development Incorporated
• Inventors: Anderson, Troy Gene, Bailey, Kevin, Thompson, Jeffrey D., Vandenbelt, Rudy Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Con P
• Application Number:
  US12/723,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20100222640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,416 Days
• Field of Search: 381/61, 600/28, 600/26, 600/27, 340/384.7, 340/384.71, 700/94, 128/897, 369/30.01, 369/47.29, 369/47.28, 369/47.15, 369/47.1
• US Class Current: 381/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/26 for automatically producing a series of tones
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/335 Sea birds, e.g. seagulls
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/361 Insects, e.g. cricket
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/375 Harbour, i.e. sounds which are part of a harbour soundscape, e.g. ships, fog horn, buoy, bells, cranes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/405 Fire, e.g. cracks and pops of burning wood
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/411 Water, e.g. seashore, waves, brook, waterfall, dripping faucet
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/421 Rain
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/425 Thunder
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/431 Natural aerodynamic noises, e.g. wind gust sounds, rustling leaves, beating sails gensound wind instruments G10H2250/461; spint wind instruments G10H2230/155

Abstract

In one embodiment, an improved-customizability digital sound relaxation system having a sound card receiving port and a collectable sound card are cooperative to play prerecorded natural or other sounds by depressing one of a plurality of sound selector switches and a sound card selector switch. The new sounds of each collectable sound card customize the library of available sounds to individual taste. In another embodiment, an improved-flexibility digital sound relaxation system having at least two (2) prerecorded sounds stored at first and second memory locations of internal or external/internal memory devices may be selected and combined for concurrent and/or individual replay by depressing one of a plurality of sound selector switches and a combine switch, or by depressing one of a plurality of sound selector switches, a sound card selector switch and a combine switch.

Claims

1. A digital sound machine for inducing sleep, comprising:

a housing;

at least one speaker for reproducing sounds;

a digital memory storing samples to be replayed of sounds previously recorded at a record rate that each contain start and end sounds that are acoustically seamless and that last a certain duration at said record rate;

user-input control means; and

a processor-implemented sound controller mounted to said housing and connected to said digital memory to said user-input control means and to said speaker and operative in sleep-induce mode, in response to user-input control entered via said user-input control means, (1) to replay a sound sample repetitively for a first time interval greater than the sample duration at the record rate the whole number of times that the sample duration is contained within the first time interval, and (2) to replay the sound sample for a second time interval that consists of a certain number of third time intervals during which, for every third time interval less than said second time interval, the sound sample is replayed at another, progressively slower rate the whole number of times that the selected sample duration, factored by the ratio of said record and each another, progressively slower rate, is contained within each said third time interval, wherein said certain number of third time intervals and each said another progressively slower rate are selected to replay the sound sample as to induce sleep as it is replayed at each progressively slower rate each said whole number of times the duration of the sound sample, factored by the ratio of said record and each another progressively slower rate, is contained in each said third time interval of said second interval.