Using active IR sensor to monitor sleep

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10610133-B2
Application number	US-201514933069-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2015
Priority date	Nov 5, 2015
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

A device may emit a first emission sequence of infrared radiation at a subject, and capture a first reflected sequence of infrared radiation reflected from the subject. The first emission sequence may be compared to the first reflected sequence, and, based on the comparison, a sequence of variations may be determined. The sequence of variations may be compared to a signal pattern stored in a sleep profile for the subject. The subject may be determined to have exhibited a sleep behavior based on the comparison of the sequence of variations to the signal pattern stored in the sleep profile. In response to determining that the subject has exhibited the sleep behavior, the device may capture a second reflected sequence of radiation reflected from the subject. A breathing rate of the subject and/or a heart rate of the subject may be determined based on the second reflected sequence.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for determining an occurrence of a sleep disorder, the method comprising:
emitting a first emission sequence of radiation toward a subject;
capturing a first reflected sequence of radiation reflected from the subject;
comparing the first emission sequence to the first reflected sequence;
determining a sequence of variations based on a comparison of the first emission sequence to the first reflected sequence;
comparing the sequence of variations to a sleep profile of the subject;
determining, based on a comparison of the sequence of variations to the sleep profile, the subject has exhibited a sleep behavior;
in response to a determination that the subject has exhibited the sleep behavior, capturing a second reflected sequence of radiation reflected from the subject;
determining, from the second reflected sequence of radiation, a breathing rate of the subject;
comparing the breathing rate to a breathing rate associated with sleep disorder data;
determining, from the second reflected sequence of radiation, a portion of the second reflected sequence of radiation reflected from a face of the subject;
receiving, from a sensor, information about a temperature in a vicinity of the subject;
filtering, based on the temperature, the portion of the second reflected sequence by reducing at least one energy peak of the portion of the second reflected sequence of radiation to produce a filtered portion of the second reflected sequence;
determining, using the filtered portion of the second reflected sequence, a heart rate of the subject;
comparing the heart rate to a heart rate associated with the sleep disorder data;
determining, in response to:
a result of a comparison between the breathing rate and the breathing rate associated with the sleep disorder being within a first threshold; or
a result of a comparison between the heart rate and the heart rate associated with the sleep disorder data being within a second threshold, the occurrence of the sleep disorder; and
causing, in response to the occurrence of the sleep disorder, a notice about the occurrence of the sleep disorder to be provided.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sleep disorder data are stored in the sleep profile and the providing the notice comprises providing the notice to a home automation system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first emission sequence, the first reflected sequence, and the second reflected sequence each comprises infrared radiation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sequence of variations comprises a first sequence of variations and the sleep profile comprises a second sequence of variations that is correlated to the subject exhibiting the sleep behavior.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the sequence of variations comprises a first sequence of variations;
the sleep profile comprises a second sequence of variations that is correlated to the subject exhibiting the sleep behavior; and
the sleep behavior comprises movements of the subject consistent with the subject moving into a sleeping position.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first reflected sequence comprises the second reflected sequence.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the breathing rate of the subject comprises:
detecting a first variation in a quantity of radiation in the second reflected sequence;
determining that the subject has entered a sleep stage based on the first variation in the quantity of radiation in the second reflected sequence;
detecting a second variation in the quantity of radiation in the second reflected sequence; and
determining the breathing rate based on the second variation in the quantity.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the heart rate comprises detecting a variation in a quantity of radiation in the second reflected sequence reflected from the face of the subject.

9. A system for determining an occurrence of a sleep disorder, the system comprising:
a device comprising a radiation emission component and a radiation capture component; and
a processor configured to be in communication with the device and configured to execute instructions for:
emitting, from the radiation emission component, a first emission sequence of radiation toward a subject;
capturing, at the radiation capture component, a first reflected sequence of radiation reflected from the subject;
comparing the first emission sequence to the first reflected sequence;
determining a sequence of variations based on a comparison of the first emission sequence to the first reflected sequence;
comparing the sequence of variations to a sleep profile of the subject;
determining, based on a comparison of the sequence of variations to the sleep profile, that the subject has exhibited a sleep behavior;
in response to a determination that the subject has exhibited the sleep behavior, capturing, at the radiation capture component, a second reflected sequence of radiation;
determining, from the second reflected sequence of radiation, a breathing rate of the subject;
comparing the breathing rate to a breathing rate associated with sleep disorder data;
determining, from the second reflected sequence of radiation, a portion of the second reflected sequence of radiation reflected from a face of the subject;
receiving, from a sensor, information about a temperature in a vicinity of the subject;
filtering, based on the temperature, the portion of the second reflected sequence by reducing at least one energy peak of the portion of the second reflected sequence of radiation to produce a filtered portion of the second reflected sequence;
determining, using the filtered portion of the second reflected sequence, a heart rate of the subject;
comparing the heart rate to a heart rate associated with the sleep disorder data;
determining, in response to:
a result of a comparison between the breathing rate and the breathing rate associated with the sleep disorder being within a first threshold; or
a result of a comparison between the heart rate and the heart rate associated with the sleep disorder data being within a second threshold, the occurrence of the sleep disorder; and
causing, in response to the occurrence of the sleep disorder, a notice about the occurrence of the sleep disorder to be provided.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the first reflected sequence of radiation comprises a first reflected sequence of patterns of radiation; and
the sequence of variations comprises a sequence of variations of patterns of radiation.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first emission sequence, the first reflected sequence, and the second reflected sequence each comprises infrared radiation.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions for:
prior to the capturing the second reflected sequence, emitting, from the radiation emission component, a second emission sequence of radiation toward the subject.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the radiation emission component comprises a plurality of radiation emission components;
the first reflected sequence comprises a first reflected sequence of patterns of radiation emitted from the plurality of radiation emission components; and
the second reflected sequence comprises a second reflected sequence of patterns of radiation emitted from no more than one radiation emission component of the plurality of radiation emission components.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the radiation emission component comprises a plurality of radiation emission components;
the plurality of radiation

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Google Llc

Inventors

• Rabb Laura
• Colaco Andrea
• Dixon Michael
• Kirmani Ghulam A
• Villaran Luis
• Herman Kenneth Louis
• James Bryan
• Davis Casey Mills
• Modi Yash

Classifications

• A61B5/746

  Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms · CPC title

• A61B5/0205

  Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition · CPC title

• A61B5/4809

  Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not · CPC title

• A61B5/1128 Primary

  using image analysis (A61B5/1127 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/02433

  for infrared radiation · CPC title