Method and apparatus for providing an intelligent alarm notification

• US 9,588,498 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2014
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Vilermo, Miikka Tapani, Leppanen, Jussi Artturi, Eronen, Antti Johannes, Lehtiniemi, Arto Juhani
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/585,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20160187856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4815 Sleep quality
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7415 Sound rendering of measured values, e.g. by pitch or volume variation A61B5/741 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• 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 5/749 Voice-controlled interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 13/023 Adjusting the duration or amplitude of signals
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 13/026 acting at a number of different times
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/025 for measuring physiological data
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

An approach is provided for providing alarm notification to the intended user while minimizing disturbance to the nearby users. The approach involves determining sensor information associated with at least one first user and at least one second user collected while the at least one first user and the at least one second user are asleep. The approach also involves processing and/or facilitating a processing of the sensor information to determine sleep characteristic information for the at least one first user, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof. The approach further involves determining one or more alarm notification parameters for one or more alarm notifications based, at least in part, on the sleep characteristic information to direct the one or more alarm notifications to the at least one first user while minimizing a disturbance of the at least one second user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

processing, via a processor, of sensor information collected while at least one first user and at least one second user are asleep to determine at least one first breathing rhythm associated with at least one first user, at least one second breathing rhythm associated with at least one second user, or a combination thereof; and

determining one or more alarm notification parameters to cause, at least in part, an adjustment of at least one sound rhythm of the one or more alarm notifications to match the at least one second breathing rhythm for the alarm notifications directed to the at least one first user.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing of the sensor information to determine at least one first sleeping pattern associated with the at least one first user, at least one second sleeping pattern associated with the at least one second user, or a combination thereof during a specified time period; and

determining one or more alarm notification parameter to cause, at last in part, an adjustment of timing of the one or more alarm notification to match the at least one second sleeping pattern for the alarm notifications directed to the at least one first user.

3. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a synchronization of the sensor information associated with the at least one first user, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof,

wherein the synchronization of the sensor information includes removing any undesired sounds; and

causing, at least in part, a comparison of the synchronized sensor information to determine the one or more alarm notification parameters for the one or more alarm notifications.

4. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a difference between the at least one first breathing rhythm associated with the at least one first user, the at least one second breathing rhythm associated with the at least one second user, or a combination thereof; and

causing, at least in part, the one or more alarm notifications based, at least in part, on the difference.

5. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, an implementation of directional sound analysis to detect the direction of the at least one first user, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof; and

causing, at least in part, a channeling of the one or more alarm notifications towards the direction of the at least one first user, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof.

6. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a detection of direction for the at least one first user, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on one or more voice commands; and

causing, at least in part, a channeling of the one or more alarm notifications in the directions of the voice command of the at least one first user, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof.

7. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a separation of the breathing rhythm for the at least one first user, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof; and

causing, at least in part, a monitoring of the separated breathing rhythm for the at least one first user, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof in real-time, periodically, according to schedule, on demand, or a combination thereof.

8. A method of claim 2, wherein the at least one first sleeping pattern, the at least one second sleeping pattern, or a combination thereof include, at least in part, a status of sleep, a status of snoring, a sleeping position, or a combination thereof.

15. A method of claim 1, wherein the alarm notification parameters includes a direction for the alarm notification, a pattern for the alarm notification, a duration for the alarm notification, a level for the alarm notification, or a combination thereof.

16. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a visualization of the at least one first sleeping pattern, the at least one second sleeping pattern, or a combination thereof,

wherein visualization includes graphical representation of a status of sleep for the at least one first user, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof.

9. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

process, via a processor, of the sensor information collected while at least one first user and at least one second user are asleep to determine at least one first breathing rhythm associated with at least one first user, at least one second breathing rhythm associated with at least one second user, or a combination thereof and sleep characteristic information for the at least one first user, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof; and

determine one or more alarm notification parameters to cause, at least in part, an adjustment of at least one sound rhythm of the one or more alarm notifications to match the at least one second breathing rhythm for the alarm notifications directed to the at least one first user.

10. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process the sensor information to determine at least one first sleeping pattern associated with the at least one first user, at least one second sleeping pattern associated with the at least one second user, or a combination thereof during a specified time period; and

determine one or more alarm notification parameter to cause, at last in part, an adjustment of timing of the one or more alarm notification to match the at least one second sleeping pattern for the alarm notifications directed to the at least one first user.

11. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a synchronization of the sensor information associated with the at least one first user, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof,

wherein the synchronization of the sensor information includes removing any undesired sound; and

cause, at least in part, a comparison of the synchronized sensor information to determine the one or more alarm notification parameters for the one or more alarm notifications.

12. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine a difference between the at least one first breathing rhythm associated with the at least one first user, the at least one second breathing rhythm associated with the at least one second user, or a combination thereof and

cause, at least in part, the one or more alarm notifications based, at least in part, on the difference.

13. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, an implementation of directional sound analysis to detect the direction of the at least one first user, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof; and

cause, at least in part, a channeling of the one or more alarm notifications towards the direction of the at least one first user, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof.

17. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the alarm notification parameters includes a direction for the alarm notification, a pattern for the alarm notification, a duration for the alarm notification, a level of alarm notification, or a combination thereof.

18. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one first sleeping pattern, the at least one second sleeping pattern, or a combination thereof include, at least in part, a status of sleep, a status of snoring, a sleeping position, or a combination thereof.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

process, via a processor, of the sensor information collected while at least one first user and at least one second user are asleep to determine at least one first breathing rhythm associated with at least one first user, at least one second breathing rhythm associated with at least one second user, or a combination thereof; and

determine one or more alarm notification parameters to cause, at least in part, an adjustment of at least one sound rhythm of the one or more alarm notifications to match the at least one second breathing rhythm for the alarm notifications directed to the at least one first user.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process the sensor information to determine at least one first sleeping pattern associated with the at least one first user, at least one second sleeping pattern associated with the at least one second user, or a combination thereof during a specified time period; and

determine one or more alarm notification parameter to cause, at last in part, an adjustment of timing of the one or more alarm notification to match the at least one second sleeping pattern for the alarm notifications directed to the at least one first user.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the alarm notification parameters includes a direction for the alarm notification, a pattern for the alarm notification, a duration for the alarm notification, a level of alarm notification, or a combination thereof.