System and a method for improving a person's sleep

• US 10,675,434 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2012
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Van Driel, Jacqueline, Boersma, Joldert Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Ross, Dana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sims, III, James F
• Application Number:
  US14/359,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20140323799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,763 Days
• Field of Search: 600 27, 600 28, 219212
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 21/048 for heating
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2200/166 sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 9/0215 with cooling or heating means electric blankets H05B3/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0271 Thermal or temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0036 including treatment, e.g., using an implantable medical device, ablating, ventilating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• 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: A61F 2007/0001 Body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0071 using a resistor, e.g. near the spot to be heated
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0093 programmed
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0096 with a thermometer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0295 for heating or cooling or use at more than one temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/007 characterised by electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/0097 Blankets with active heating or cooling sources warming mats A61F7/08
• 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

Abstract

A system for improving a person'"'"'s sleep includes a bedding layer having a plurality of individually controllable thermally adjustable zones, a plurality of temperature sensors, where at least one temperature sensor per thermally adjustable zone is dispersed throughout the bedding layer. Further, a controller is configured to control the heating power of each thermally adjustable zone, and detect in which the body presence is detected.

Claims

1. A system for improving sleep of a person sleeping on a bed, the system comprising:

a bedding layer comprising a plurality of zones;

a means for heating or cooling the plurality of zones, the plurality of zones being thermally adjustable;

temperature sensors configured to sense temperatures of the plurality of zones, wherein at least one temperature sensor per thermally adjustable zone is dispersed throughout the bedding layer; and

a controller configured to execute an algorithm, wherein when the algorithm is executed, the controller is configured to;

detect a position of a body of the person on or underneath the bedding layer using the temperature sensors,

control temperature of each of the plurality of zones based on presence or absence of a part of the body of the person in an area of each thermally adjustable zone of the plurality of zones, the each thermally adjustable zone being controlled separately, and

increase a speed of raising and lowering the temperature of the each thermally adjustable zone by controlling a heating rate or a cooling rate of the each thermally adjustable zone of the plurality of zones.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the bedding layer is selected from a group consisting of bed sheets, blankets, and mattresses.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the bedding layer includes the means for heating or cooling, wherein the means for heating or cooling includes electric heating wires, and wherein the temperature sensors are located between the electric heating wires.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means for heating or cooling are selected from a group consisting of tubes and channels, and the temperature sensors are located between the tubes and channels, and wherein the means for cooling or heating circulates a cooling medium in the tubes and channels.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of zones include a plurality of individually controllable thermally adjustable zones.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control a cooling power of the plurality of zones.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to trigger an alarm when the person gets out of the bed.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to record a time the person is out of the bed.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to record movements of the person on the bed.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust at least one local bed environmental property other than temperature of the bedding layer, the at least one local bed environmental property other than temperature being selected from a group consisting of:

mattress stiffness, illumination of the bedroom, positioning of shades, loudness of background music, environmental temperature, intensity of ventilation, insulation properties of bedding material, and a combination thereof.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to automatically switch-off the power after a preset period of time after the person gets out of the bed.