Sleep state monitoring

• US 9,558,642 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eyring, Matthew J., Warren, Jeremy B., Nye, James Ellis
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorsey, Renee
• Application Number:
  US14/692,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20160314673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/04 Babies, e.g. for SIDS detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 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 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 Instruments for auscultation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0066 with heating or cooling
• 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: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3375 Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 : remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 : local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 : indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 : using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 : ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A method for operating a security and/or automation system is described. A sensor may identify when a first person is in a sleep state. The sensor may detect a disturbance in the sleep state, and alert a second person when the detected disturbance satisfies one or more disturbance parameters.

Claims

1. A method for operating a security and/or automation system, comprising:

identifying, via a sensor, when a first person is in a sleep state;

detecting, via the sensor, a disturbance in the sleep state;

recording data during a time period associated with the detected disturbance;

analyzing the recorded data to identify a cause of the detected disturbance;

comparing the identified cause with one or more parameters; and

alerting a second person when the cause satisfies one or more parameters based at least in part on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the disturbance in the sleep state further comprises:

audibly detecting, via the sensor, an audible indicator associated with the first person; and

starting a timer based at least in part on the detection of the audible indicator.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

resetting the timer if the audible indicator ceases for a predetermined time duration.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

alerting the second person if the timer satisfies a predetermined time threshold.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining when the audible indicator satisfies a predetermined decibel threshold; and

alerting the second person based at least in part on the determining.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a location of the first person; and

deactivating one or more household alerts based at least in part on the identified location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing an acoustic signature of sounds associated with the first person;

evaluating a state of the first person based at least in part on the analyzing; and

alerting the second person if the acoustic signature satisfies a signature parameter.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the recorded data comprises video data and audio data of the first person when the sleep state is disrupted;

and the method further comprising;

saving the video data and the audio data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking vital signs of the first person while the first person is in the sleep state; and

immediately alerting emergency personnel when at least one of the vital signs satisfies an emergency threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

saving video data, audio data, and sensor information for a predetermined time period, the predetermined time period comprising a first time period before the emergency threshold is satisfied until a second time period after the emergency threshold is satisfied.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating a soothing mechanism proximate a location of the first person when the sleep state is disturbed.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the disturbance in the sleep state further comprises:

detecting when a current state of the first person requires a change.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a bed sensor, an audio sensor, a video sensor, a motion sensor, a camera, a microphone, a light sensor, or a combination thereof.

14. An apparatus for security and/or automation systems, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

identify, via a sensor, when a first person is in a sleep state;

detect, via the sensor, a disturbance in the sleep state;

record data during a time period associated with the disturbance;

analyze the data to identify a cause of the disturbance;

compare the cause with one or more parameters; and

alert a second person when the cause satisfies one or more parameters based at least in part on the comparison.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

track vital signs of the first person while the first person is in the sleep state; and

immediately alert emergency personnel when at least one of the vital signs satisfies an emergency threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

audibly detect, via the sensor, an audible indicator associated with the first person; and

start a timer based at least in part on the detection of the audible indicator.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

reset the timer if the audible indicator ceases for a predetermined time duration.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, the code executable by a processor to:

identify, via a sensor, when a first person is in a sleep state;

detect, via the sensor, a disturbance in the sleep state;

record data during a time period associated with the disturbance;

analyze the data to identify a cause of the disturbance;

compare the cause with one or more parameters; and

alert a second person when the cause satisfies one or more parameters based at least in part on the comparison.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the code is further executable by the processor to:

track vital signs of the first person while the first person is in the sleep state; and

immediately alert emergency personnel when at least one of the vital signs satisfies an emergency threshold.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the code is further executable by the processor to:

audibly detect, via the sensor, an audible indicator associated with the first person; and

start a timer based at least in part on the detection of the audible indicator.