System and method to monitor and assist individual's sleep

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016015315-A1
Application number	US-201414336856-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 21, 2014
Priority date	Jul 21, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sleep assist system to monitor and assist the user's sleep, comprising a bedside device positioned near the user's bed, the bedside device comprising a loudspeaker and a light source and optionally a microphone, a light sensor, a temperature sensor, a control unit, an air quality sensor, a display unit, a user interface. The sleep assist system further comprises a first sensing unit positioned in the user's bed and comprising one or more sensors adapted to sense at least pressure and/or changes in pressure exerted by the user lying in the bed. The system monitors the user's sleep, assesses the user's sleep cycles and the phase of sleep cycle, and provides the user with at least one light and sound program, the light and sound program being based on the assessment of the user's sleep cycles and the phase of sleep cycle.

First claim

1 . A sleep assist system to monitor and assist the user's sleep, the sleep assist system comprising:
a bedside device adapted to be positioned near the user's bed, the bedside device comprising a loudspeaker and a light source, the bedside device further comprising at least one of the following: a microphone, a light sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a control unit, an air quality sensor, a display unit, a user interface; a first sensing unit adapted to be positioned in the user's bed, the first sensing unit comprising one or more sensors adapted to sense at least pressure and/or changes in pressure exerted by the user lying in the bed; wherein the system is configured to:
monitor the user's sleep, assess the user's sleep cycles and the phase of sleep cycle, and
provide the user with at least one light and sound program, the light and sound program being based on the assessment of the user's sleep cycles and the phase of sleep cycle.

2 . The sleep assist system as in claim 1 , wherein a first light and sound program is provided when the user is determined to be falling asleep, and a second light and sound program is provided when the user is determined to be awakening.

3 . The sleep assist system as in claim 1 , wherein the prevailing light color of the first light and sound program is red, and wherein the prevailing light color of the second light and sound program is blue.

4 . The sleep assist system as in claim 1 , wherein a third light and sound program is provided when the user is determined to be in REM sleep.

5 . The sleep assist system as in claim 1 , wherein the system is adapted to assess the quality of the user's sleep and/or the number of awakenings during sleep.

6 . The sleep assist system as in claim 5 , the bedside device further comprising at least a microphone and a light sensor, the bedside device being configured to obtain data from the microphone and the light sensor, wherein the sleep assist system is configured to correlate the quality of the user's sleep and/or the number of awakenings during sleep with the data obtained from the microphone and the light sensor, and to provide user with outputs of such correlations.

7 . The sleep assist system as in claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to assess the level of the user's stress based at least on a measurement of the user's heart rate level and/or the user's heart rate level variability and/or on the user's respiration rate level and/or the user's respiration rate level variability, and wherein a fourth light and sound program is provided when the user is determined to have a high level of stress.

8 . The sleep assist system as in claim 1 , further comprising a mobile terminal, the mobile terminal being configured to be coupled at least to the bedside device and to receive data from the bedside device.

9 . The sleep assist system as in claim 8 , wherein the mobile terminal is further configured to provide the user with information obtained from monitoring the user's sleep and assessing the user's sleep cycles and/or sleep phases.

10 . The sleep assist system as in claim 8 , the bedside device further comprising at least a microphone and a light sensor, the bedside device being configured to obtain data from the microphone and the light sensor, wherein the sleep assist system is configured to correlate the quality of the user's sleep and/or the number of awakenings during sleep with the data obtained from the microphone and the light sensor, and the mobile terminal is configured to provide the user with information thus obtained.

11 . The sleep assist system as in claim 10 , wherein the system further comprises a temperature sensor and/or a humidity sensor and/or an air quality sensor and wherein the sleep assist system is configured to correlate the quality of the user's sleep and/or the number of awakenings during sleep with the data obtained from these sensors, and the mobile terminal is configured to provide the user with information thus obtained.

12 . The sleep assist system as in claim 1 , further comprising an additional sensor device, the additional sensor device being adapted to be in contact with the user's body, and being further adapted to be coupled to the bedside device.

13 . The sleep assist system as in claim 1 , further comprising a second sensing unit adapted to be positioned in the user's bed, the second sensing unit comprising one or more sensors adapted to sense at least pressure and/or changes in pressure exerted by a second user lying in the bed, wherein the bedside device is further configured to decorrelate the data received from the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit.

14 . The sleep assist system as in claim 13 , wherein the system is used by a first user and a second user, and wherein the system is configured to:
assess quality of sleep and disturbances created by the first user and the second user, respectively, correlate the disturbances created by the first user with the quality of sleep of the second user, and the disturbances created by the second user with the quality of sleep of the second user.

15 . The sleep assist system as in claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to monitor the user's sleep, assess the user's sleep cycles and the phase of sleep cycle, wherein the sensing unit is adapted to measure the user's heart rate level and/or heart rate variability and/or respiration rate and/or respiration rate variability, and wherein the system is further configured to assess the female menstrual cycle based on an analysis of heart and respiration rate characteristics and optionally temperature during deep sleep phase.

16 . The sleep assist system as in claim 1 , wherein the bedside device and/or the first sensing unit are adapted to detect user's breathing and/or snoring, and/or the additional sensor device is adapted to detect blood oxygenation, and wherein the sleep assist system is configured to assess whether the user suffers from sleep apnea.

17 . The sleep assist system as in claim 1 , wherein the system is further adapted provide an alert to third person in the case when the system is used by people with medical condition, elderly people and/or pregnant women and an unexpected situation occurs.

18 . A sleep assist system to monitor and assist the user's sleep, the sleep assist system comprising:
a bedside device adapted to be positioned near the user's bed, to obtain sensory data about the user's environment, the bedside device comprising a light source and a loudspeaker; a first sensing unit provided in a form of a pad, adapted to be positioned in the user's bed and lied upon, the first sensing unit being coupled to the bedside device; a mobile terminal coupled to the bedside device.

19 . The sleep assist system as in claim 18 , the system being adapted to assess the quality of the user's sleep and/or the number of awakenings during sleep, the bedside device further comprising a microphone and a light sensor, the bedside device being configured to obtain data from the microphone and the light sensor, wherein the sleep assist system is configured to correlate the quality of the user's sleep and/or the number of awakenings during sleep with the data obtained from the microphone and the light sensor, and the mobile terminal is configured to provide the user with information thus obtained.

Assignees

• Withings

Inventors

• Auphan Raphael
• Dusanter Florent
• Yang Ruiyi
• Buard Nadine
• Hutchings Cédric
• Rechke Bastien
• Gautier Julien

Classifications

• A61H2201/10

  with further special therapeutic means, e.g. electrotherapy, magneto therapy or radiation therapy, chromo therapy, infrared or ultraviolet therapy · CPC title

• A61B2562/0204

  Acoustic sensors · CPC title

• A61M2230/63

  Motion, e.g. physical activity · CPC title

• A61M21/02

  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 title

• A61H2201/5082

  Temperature sensors · CPC title