Electronic device and sleep monitoring method in electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016058366-A1
Application number	US-201514731878-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 5, 2015
Priority date	Aug 26, 2014
Publication date	Mar 3, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Wearable electronic devices, systems, and methods for monitoring sleep are described. In one method, motion sensor values of the current motion of the electronic device are acquired and the change in motion intensity of an electronic device is calculated by comparing motion sensor values over two or more time periods. If the change in motion intensity fits a predetermined pattern, it is determined whether the electronic device is currently being worn. If it is determined that the electronic device is currently being worn, sleep monitoring is performed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a motion sensor configured to sense a motion of the electronic device; a biometric sensor configured to sense a biometric signal; and a processor configured to calculate a change in motion intensity of the electronic device by comparing output values of the motion sensor over two or more time periods, activate the biometric sensor to determine whether the electronic device is currently being worn when the change in motion intensity over two or more time periods corresponds to a predetermined pattern, and control the electronic device to perform sleep monitoring when it is determined that the electronic device is currently being worn.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, when it is determined that the electronic device is not currently being worn, the processor executes a power saving mode.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the biometric sensor comprises a photo sensor comprising a light emission unit and a light reception unit, the photo sensor measuring an amount of light received through the light reception unit when light is output through the light emission unit.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the biometric sensor comprises a Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) sensor that measures an electrical conductivity between two predetermined contact points.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the biometric sensor comprises a temperature sensor that measures a temperature.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined pattern is when the motion intensity changes from a time period in which the motion intensity is larger than a predetermined threshold value to a next time period in which the motion intensity is smaller than the predetermined threshold value.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor calculates the change in motion intensity of the electronic device over a predetermined time period and the predetermined time period comprises at least one of 1 minute, 30 seconds, and 2 minutes.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, when the change in motion intensity between two or more time periods does not correspond to the predetermined pattern, the processor maintains a previous state.

9 . A method for sleep monitoring by an electronic device, comprising:
acquiring motion sensor values according to a current motion of the electronic device; calculating a change in motion intensity of the electronic device by comparing the motion sensor values over two or more time periods; determining whether the change in motion intensity over two or more time periods corresponds to a predetermined pattern; if it is determined that the change in motion intensity corresponds to the predetermined pattern, determining whether the electronic device is currently being worn; and if it is determined that the electronic device is currently being worn, performing sleep monitoring.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
if it is determined that the electronic device is not currently being worn, entering a power saving mode.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein determining whether the electronic device is currently being worn comprises:
measuring an amount of light received through a light reception unit of a photo sensor when light is output through a light emission unit of the photo sensor; and determining whether the electronic device is currently being worn using the measured amount of light.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein determining whether the electronic device is currently being worn comprises:
measuring an electrical conductivity between two predetermined contact points through a Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) sensor; calculating a resistance value using the measured electrical conductivity; and determining whether the electronic device is currently being worn using the calculated resistance value.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein determining whether the electronic device is currently being worn comprises:
measuring a temperature using a temperature sensor; and determining whether the electronic device is currently being worn using the measured temperature.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined pattern is when the motion intensity changes from a time period in which the motion intensity is larger than a predetermined threshold value to a next time period in which the motion intensity is smaller than the predetermined threshold value.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the change in motion intensity is calculated over a predetermined time period, and the predetermined time period is comprises at least one of 1 minute, 30 seconds, and 2 minutes.

16 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
if it is determined that the change in motion intensity does not correspond to the predetermined pattern, maintaining a previous state of the electronic device.

17 . A method for sleep monitoring in an electronic device, comprising:
acquiring a motion sensor value according to a current motion of the electronic device; transmitting the acquired motion sensor value to an external electronic device; if a sensor module activation request is received from the external electronic device, activating a sensor module; acquiring a sensor value using the activated sensor module; transmitting the sensor value to the external electronic device for determining whether the electronic device is currently being worn; receiving a sleep monitoring mode request from the external electronic device when the external electronic device determines, based on the transmitted sensor value, that the electronic device is currently being worn; and performing sleep monitoring according to the received sleep monitoring mode request by detecting and transmitting sensor values to the external electronic device.

18 . A method for sleep monitoring in an electronic device, comprising:
receiving motion sensor values from the electronic device, the motion sensor values detected according to a current motion of the electronic device; calculating a change in motion intensity of the electronic device by comparing the motion sensor values over two or more time periods and determining whether the change in motion intensity over two or more time periods corresponds to a predetermined pattern; if it is determined that the change in motion intensity between two or more sections corresponds to the predetermined pattern, transmitting a sensor module activation request to the electronic device; receiving a sensor value from the electronic device; determining whether the electronic device is currently being worn using the received sensor value; if it is determined that the electronic device is currently being worn, transmitting a sleep monitoring mode request to the electronic device; and performing sleep monitoring by using sensor values received from the electronic device while it is in sleep monitoring mode.

19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a sleep monitoring program, wherein the program executes, in an electronic device, operations of:
acquiring motion sensor values according to a current motion of the electronic device; calculating a change in motion intensity of the electronic device by comparing the motion sensor values over two or more time periods; determining whether the change in motion intensity over two or more time periods corresponds to a predetermined pattern; if the change in motion intensity corresponds t

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Byung-Hun
• Kim Do-Yoon
• Cho Jae-Geol

Classifications

• A61B2560/0209

  adapted for power saving · CPC title

• A61B2560/0242

  adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution · CPC title

• A61B5/6801

  specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface · CPC title

• A61B5/0533

  Measuring galvanic skin response · CPC title

• A61B5/0008

  Temperature signals · CPC title