Adjusting alarms based on sleep onset latency

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10758173-B2
Application number	US-201816212502-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2018
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

In some implementations, a mobile device can adjust an alarm setting based on the sleep onset latency duration detected for a user of the mobile device. For example, sleep onset latency can be the amount of time it takes for the user to fall asleep after the user attempts to go to sleep (e.g., goes to bed). The mobile device can determine when the user intends or attempts to go to sleep based on detected sleep ritual activities. Sleep ritual activities can include those activities a user performs in preparation for sleep. The mobile device can determine when the user is asleep based on detected sleep signals (e.g., biometric data, sounds, etc.). In some implementations, the mobile device can determine recurring patterns of long or short sleep onset latency and present suggestions that might help the user sleep better or feel more rested.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, indication of a desired sleep duration;
calculating, by the computing device, a sleep onset latency duration based on a difference between an intended sleep time and an actual sleep time;
setting, by the computing device, an alarm timer in response to the actual sleep time being determined, the alarm timer being set to correspond to the desired sleep duration added to the sleep onset latency duration; and
triggering, by the computing device, an alarm in response to expiration of the alarm timer.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by the computing device, pressure applied to a pressure sensor of the computing device at the intended sleep time; and
determining, by the computing device, a reduction in an amount of the pressure applied to the pressure sensor indicating the actual sleep time.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by the computing device, biological signals that correspond to being awake; and
calculating, by the computing device, an actual sleep duration based on a difference between the actual sleep time and a sleep end time, wherein the sleep end time is determined based on the biological signals that correspond to being awake.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting, by the computing device, a user interface on a display of the computing device; and
prompting, by the computing device, for entry of the indication of the desired sleep duration.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising receiving, by the computing device, selection of a sleep timer setting via the user interface, the sleep timer setting being a timed sleep setting which sets the alarm timer to the desired sleep duration without consideration of the sleep onset latency duration.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising receiving, by the computing device, selection of a sleep timer setting via the user interface, the sleep timer setting being a timed nap setting which sets the alarm timer to ensure that the desired sleep duration is achieved by considering the sleep onset latency duration.

7. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising receiving, by the computing device, selection of a sleep timer setting via the user interface, the sleep timer setting being a power nap setting which triggers the alarm at a time when deep sleep is detected by the computing device to avoid deep sleep from being achieved.

8. A system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:
receiving, by a computing device, indication of a desired sleep duration;
calculating, by the computing device, a sleep onset latency duration based on a difference between an intended sleep time and an actual sleep time;
setting, by the computing device, an alarm timer in response to the actual sleep time being determined, the alarm timer being set to correspond to the desired sleep duration added to the sleep onset latency duration; and
triggering, by the computing device, an alarm in response to expiration of the alarm timer.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:
detecting, by the computing device, pressure applied to a pressure sensor of the computing device at the intended sleep time; and
determining, by the computing device, a reduction in an amount of the pressure applied to the pressure sensor indicating the actual sleep time.

10. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:
detecting, by the computing device, biological signals that correspond to being awake; and
calculating, by the computing device, an actual sleep duration based on a difference between the actual sleep time and a sleep end time, wherein the sleep end time is determined based on the biological signals that correspond to being awake.

11. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:
presenting, by the computing device, a user interface on a display of the computing device; and
prompting, by the computing device, for entry of the indication of the desired sleep duration.

12. The system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause receiving, by the computing device, selection of a sleep timer setting via the user interface, the sleep timer setting being a timed sleep setting which sets the alarm timer to the desired sleep duration without consideration of the sleep onset latency duration.

13. The system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause receiving, by the computing device, selection of a sleep timer setting via the user interface, the sleep timer setting being a timed nap setting which sets the alarm timer to ensure that the desired sleep duration is achieved by considering the sleep onset latency duration.

14. The system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause receiving, by the computing device, selection of a sleep timer setting via the user interface, the sleep timer setting being a power nap setting which triggers the alarm at a time when deep sleep is detected by the computing device to avoid deep sleep from being achieved.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause:
receiving, by a computing device, indication of a desired sleep duration;
calculating, by the computing device, a sleep onset latency duration based on a difference between an intended sleep time and an actual sleep time;
setting, by the computing device, an alarm timer in response to the actual sleep time being determined, the alarm timer being set to correspond to the desired sleep duration added to the sleep onset latency duration; and
triggering, by the computing device, an alarm in response to expiration of the alarm timer.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15 , wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:
detecting, by the computing device, pressure applied to a pressure sensor of the computing device at the intended sleep time; and
determining, by the computing device, a reduction in an amount of the pressure applied to the pressure sensor indicating the actual sleep time.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15 , wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:
detecting, by the computing device, biological signals that correspond to being awake; and
calculating, by the computing device, an actual sleep duration based on a difference between the actual sleep time and a sleep end time, wherein the sleep end time is determined based on the biological signals that correspond to being awake.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15 , wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:
presenting, by the computing device, a user interface on a display of the computing device; and
prompting, by the computing device, for entry of the indication of the desired sleep duration.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18 , wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Raymann Roy J
• Dougherty Wren N
• Nag Divya
• Lambert Deborah M
• Greer Stephanie
• Gruber Thomas R

Classifications

• H04L67/535

  Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34) · CPC title

• H04M1/72451

  according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications · CPC title

• A61B5/11

  Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb {(A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721)} · CPC title

• A61B5/742

  using visual displays (displays for heart-related electrical signals, e.g. ECG, A61B5/339) · CPC title

• A61B5/4809 Primary

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