Devices for soothing babies

Abstract

A device (100) for soothing an infant placed in a mattress is described; the device comprises a mattress support or base, the mattress support or base comprising: means (F) for detecting the weight of the infant on the mattress, means (MIC) for detecting the crying of the infant, and means (PVM) for vibrating the mattress. The device comprises a control device (1) adapted to determine the center of gravity of the infant on the mattress and to determine the restlessness of the infant in response to the means for detecting the weight of the infant on the mattress. The control device is adapted to vibrate the mattress in a position different from the center of gravity of the infant on the mattress in response to at least detecting the crying and / or restlessness of the infant, and to perform said vibration for a maximum time (W) and not exceeding the maximum time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for soothing an infant. Background Art

[0002] It is known in the art that vibrations at certain frequencies can induce sleep. In particular, a recent study published in the journal Ergonomics by N. Zhang, M. Fard, MHU Bhuiyan, D. Verhagen, MFAzari and SR Robinson, entitled “The effects of physical vibration on heart rate variability as a measure of drowsiness”, reveals how the researchers discovered that sustained vibrations at low frequencies (such as those experienced in cars) can make the brain and body drowsy, and when this happens, the sensory input from the vibrations begins to synchronize brain waves and “put the brain to sleep”. In particular, this frequency is very close to “theta waves”, a type of brain wave associated with falling asleep, which produces a “theta rhythm”, a neural oscillation pattern that can be detected in an electroencephalogram (EEG) test.

[0003] While two types of theta rhythms have been described: the "hippocampal theta rhythm" (which exhibits robust oscillations) and the "cortical theta rhythm" (which represents the low-frequency component of the EEG), the term theta generally refers to frequency components in the range of 4 to 7 Hz, regardless of their source. Cortical theta is often observed in young children, while in older children and adults, it tends to occur during states of meditation, drowsiness, hypnosis, or rest, rather than during deeper sleep stages. Therefore, since EEGs in the literature show an increase in theta wave activity when subjects fall asleep, this is not the case.

[0004] Vibrations are "mechanical oscillations generated by pressure waves transmitted through an elastic solid around a reference position"; if these occur at a frequency greater than 15-20 "repetitions per second" (abbreviated to "hertz"), the vibration is acoustic, i.e., it produces an audible sound. On the other hand, if the rhythm is lower, the vibration can be called mechanical vibration or proper vibration. Vibrations are divided into three main frequency bands, with low-frequency oscillations generated by modes of transport (land, air, sea). In addition to frequency, vibrations are characterized by three other parameters that are closely related to each other:

[0005] - Amplitude, i.e. the maximum movement from the equilibrium position;

[0006] - the speed at which the movement occurs;

[0007] -Acceleration, which is the change in speed.

[0008] Of these parameters, acceleration is the most important for assessing the body's response to vibration, because humans perceive changes in stimuli more than their persistence.

[0009] WO2018075566A1 and WO2013059625A1 describe devices adapted to analyse the crying of an infant and to intervene by activating vibrations of a mattress on which the infant lies only when an audio signal indicative of the infant's crying exceeds a certain threshold.

[0010] US10238341B2 describes a device that processes an infant's cry and determines a Fourier transform and a standard deviation of the Fourier transform. The infant's state is determined based on the standard deviation, for example by comparing the standard deviation with values ​​entered in one or more data tables to verify whether the standard deviation value corresponds to one of the values ​​of the sound produced by the infant. Based on the infant's state, an action is taken, such as adjusting the vibration intensity.

[0011] In view of this background, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for soothing an infant that differs from known devices. Summary of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, such an object is achieved by a device for soothing an infant, arranged in a mattress, comprising a mattress support or base, comprising:

[0013] - a device for detecting the weight of the baby on the mattress,

[0014] - a device for detecting the crying of an infant,

[0015] - Device for vibrating a mattress, characterized in that it comprises control means adapted to determine the center of gravity of the baby on the mattress and to determine the agitation of the baby in response to said weight detection means of the baby on the mattress, said control means being adapted to control said mattress vibration means at a position different from the center of gravity of the baby on the mattress, and to perform said control within a maximum time period at least in response to detection of crying and / or agitation of the baby and not exceeding said maximum time period. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a practical embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] - Figure 1 A device for soothing an infant according to the present invention is shown;

[0018] - Figure 2 Shown include Figure 1 mattresses of the equipment;

[0019] - Figure 3 and Figure 4 Schematically shows the arrangement Figure 2 a device according to the present invention in a mattress base;

[0020] - Figure 5 An embodiment of the device according to the invention on a mattress base is shown;

[0021] - Figure 6 Shown Figure 1 Fuzzy logic of the control unit of the device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Figures 1 to 6 A device 100 according to the present invention for soothing an infant, in particular an infant aged 0 to 36 months, is described.

[0023] Figure 1 The device 100 shown comprises an electronic control unit 1 which is electrically connected to a plurality of microphones MIC, a plurality of temperature sensors T, a plurality of speakers A, a plurality of force sensors F, and a plurality of vibration generating devices PVM, such as piezoelectric devices, and a humidity sensor H.

[0024] Preferably, the device 100 is arranged on a base 101 of a crib, preferably a wooden and preferably rectangular base ( Figures 2 to 5 ), above the upper surface 102, a mattress 110 is arranged on the upper surface, and the baby is placed on the mattress to sleep. The pad 111 of the base 101 is preferably provided to protect the electronic equipment installed in the base.

[0025] like Figure 3 As shown, in the upper portion 102 of the base 101 , two microphones MIC are arranged adjacent to the short sides of the base 101 , two speakers A, a temperature sensor T, a plurality of force sensors F, and a plurality of vibration devices PVM.

[0026] like Figure 4 As shown, the upper portion 102 of the base 101 includes a control unit 1, which comprises an electronic board equipped with a microprocessor (PIC), a removable memory card (SD), and preferably a radio frequency data transmission / reception module (BT). The module is preferably wireless and compatible with data transmission / reception using the Bluetooth protocol. Device 100 is powered externally, preferably by batteries. Base 101 includes rails for electrically connecting devices located on upper portion 102 to unit 1. Alternatively, control unit 1 can be external to base 101; the base always includes the control unit, which communicates wirelessly with control unit 1 via the RF module.

[0027] Loudspeaker A allows the playback of music or messages from the mother of the baby contained in the memory SD of unit 1 .

[0028] The temperature sensor T is adapted to detect the temperature inside the crib and send it to the unit 1 for comparison with a predetermined temperature threshold.

[0029] The sensors of the plurality of force sensors F are arranged according to an a×b matrix which allows the position of the baby on the mattress, i.e. its center of gravity S, to be identified. bar The force sensors are arranged at a certain distance D between them and at a distance Da from the edge of the mattress. For example, for a mattress with a length of 80 cm and a width of 47.5 cm, the distance D = 17.5 cm and the distance Da is 15 cm. Figure 5 shown.

[0030] Preferably, the vibration devices PVM are also arranged in a matrix.

[0031] The electronic board is also provided with a capacitor C for detecting the intensity of the baby's crying; the capacitor C is powered by an electric signal generated by a microphone MIC for detecting the baby's crying.

[0032] The control unit 1 is further adapted to detect the fundamental frequency of the baby's crying by means of the data detected by the microphone MIC and processed by the unit 1 .

[0033] The control unit 1 is further adapted to detect the humidity of the mattress through data detected by the humidity sensor 11 .

[0034] The device 100 is adapted to control the vibration of the actuator PVM to cause vibration of the mattress and soothe the infant.

[0035] The control unit 1 preferably comprises an execution software FL which implements Figure 6 The fuzzy logic controller 200 shown operates in accordance with fuzzy logic. The controller 200 includes a fuzzification interface or fuzzifier 201 that converts the measured data into appropriate linguistic values, following a fuzzification procedure that converts objective data into subjective data by mapping the inputs to labels of fuzzy sets in each specific reference frame, thereby converting each input value x into a subjective value. i Converted into a single pair of input values ​​and membership functions (x i ,μ i (x)), and for this purpose the entire set is understood as the union of its individual components. The basic fuzzy control rules are characterized by a set of fuzzy IF→THEN rules, where the antecedents (antecedents) and consequents involve variables, according to the form:

[0036] R i :If x is A i,…, and y is B i , then z is C i i=1...n.

[0037] Where x,...,y and z are variables representing process state variables and control variables respectively, and A i ,...,B i are the values ​​of the variables x,...,y, and z.

[0038] The controller 200 includes an inference engine 202 and a database including basic rules 203. The inference engine must calculate membership functions and must process system outputs according to the variables input by the fuzzy engine 201 and according to the basic rules 203. In addition, the controller 200 is of a closed-loop type because the membership functions are also calculated according to the results of previous situations.

[0039] Preferably, data processing also occurs in a dedicated partition of the network server, where the basic rules and inference engines integrated into each device 100 are replicated and reside locally. In this case, the system behaves like an indirect monitoring device for the infant's condition, and the use of a controller 200 allows for management of this task and characterization of the crying pattern; this occurs for all devices 100 connected to the network, following a continuous acquisition of inputs and processing of outputs. Thus, all devices 100 connected to the network can utilize these resources during the fuzzification and defuzzification processes by connecting to the aforementioned network server, preferably via an HTTPS connection. In this connection, each device 100 feeds an existing database with updated values ​​for each parameter defining the individual rules, as last read, so that these rules are continuously updated over time for each device 100 in the network. At the end of each day, the average value for each parameter is calculated and made available for download, preferably via HTTPS, to each connected device 100 in the network. This upload and / or download connection to the network server is ensured by the use of a mobile gateway to which the devices 100 connect wirelessly, using Bluetooth compatibility. Thus, by connecting to such a network server when each device 100 is installed, it is possible to download the values ​​of the parameters of the updated rules without having to start from the initial values ​​defined by a single rule.

[0040] The controller 200 further comprises a defuzzifier 204 adapted to convert the outputted language value into data, in particular into a voltage or current value for the vibration of the mattress.

[0041] The device 100 provides some input data to be entered by the parent or the like; these data are the age, weight and sex of the baby x s (Male M or female F).

[0042] The sampling of the input signals of the controller 200 is performed by the software FL running on the microprocessor PIC, and the sampling time varies according to the input signal. The sampling of the audio signal and the pressure level occurs at a sampling frequency of 1 second, while the sampling frequency of the temperature signal and the humidity signal occurs at a sampling frequency of 30 seconds.

[0043] The center of gravity of the baby's body on the mattress S bar is derived from the reading of the force or pressure sensor F in position (i; j) in the axb matrix of the force sensor F. The system detects the pressure level s on the force sensor F, i.e., the change in voltage on the force sensor at position (i; j) due to the pressure of the baby's body in that position; if such pressure s is higher than s, it is indicated. max If the reference threshold is greater than , the system detects this condition as confirmation that the baby is present at that location. Location (i; j) cannot be single; in this case, the system checks whether the two locations are adjacent.

[0044] For each force sensor F, obtain the digital electrical value or signal x in volts f , and converting said value into grams, thereby obtaining the value s g If the corresponding pressure value s is greater than the reference value s max , then get the value x f , the reference value is a pressure value converted into grams, which is read when the baby is not in the crib and / or when no force is applied in this position, excluding the weight of the mattress and / or material above the force sensor F.

[0045] The center of gravity of pressure on the mattress is given by:

[0046]

[0047] where a and b can have values ​​between 1 and n, and x i,j is the coordinate of the force sensor at position i; j on the horizontal axis; y i,j x is the coordinate of the force sensor at position i; j on the ordinate axis. bar and y bar is the center of gravity s bar Taking into account the rectangular shape of the mattress, the reference system used is as follows Figure 5 As shown, the x-axis of the horizontal coordinate is on the long side, and the y-axis of the vertical coordinate is on the short side.

[0048] The microphone MIC acquires the audio signal as an analog value. Fourier transform is applied to this signal to identify the audio signal x a The fundamental frequency of the cry signal is as follows:

[0049] If (200Hz)≤xa ≤(500Hz), the baby is crying.

[0050] If the baby is crying, the membership function of the audio signal is calculated as the fundamental frequency x a The function is as follows:

[0051]

[0052] where m a is the center of the bell function and is calculated as follows:

[0053] If x s =M, that is, the baby is male, then:

[0054]

[0055] Where T max is the maximum duration of the vibration.

[0056] If x s =F, that is, the baby is female, then:

[0057]

[0058] where σ a is the width of the bell-shaped function and is calculated as follows:

[0059]

[0060] in The mattress has been vibrating for time t max Then at time t max The intensity of crying.

[0061] Therefore, the width and center of the clock are determined by the time t max Specifically, the initial value of ma is 320 Hz for females and 370 Hz for males; if at tmax (i.e. the crying intensity is not zero), it means that the baby has not been comforted, so m a Gradually increase 5Hz, σ a Gradually increase 50Hz to contribute higher vibration intensity at the same frequency of the baby's cry. On the contrary, if at t max If the crying intensity is equal to 0, it means that the baby has been comforted, and therefore m a Reduce 5Hz, σ a Reduced by 50Hz to contribute lower vibration intensity at the same frequency of a baby's cry.

[0062] The crying intensity is detected by the energy accumulated on the capacitor C, and after sampling, the related digital signal x is obtained. z .

[0063] The fuzzy rules for crying intensity are as follows:

[0064] If x z ≠0, then the baby is crying

[0065] If the baby cries, the membership function for the intensity of the cry is calculated as follows:

[0066]

[0067] in

[0068]

[0069]

[0070] If the baby cries, the mattress is in the right position with the baby's center of gravity. bar The maximum vibration in different positions is t max time period.

[0071] Z min and Z max Indicates the minimum and maximum values ​​of the baby's crying intensity, which are based on the value The value is the time t of the previous operation performed by the device 100 when the baby was crying or agitated. max and the mattress vibrates from O to t max The value of crying intensity after the time period Z min The initial value of Z is 1V, and max The initial value is 5V. If max If the crying intensity is not zero, it means that the baby has not been comforted, so Z max Gradually reduce 0.10V to contribute higher vibration intensity for the same intensity value of the baby's cry. On the contrary, if at t max If the crying intensity is equal to 0, it means that the baby has been comforted, so Z max The 0.10V increase gives a lower vibration intensity for the same intensity value of a baby's cry. This process is continuous and within the vibration intensity limit of 0-5V.

[0072] Preferably, another input to the controller 200 is a digital signal x of the baby's agitation. g , which is derived from the analog signal x f This analog signal is the value in volts for each force sensor F, obtained by processing . It is weighted by an agitation index ρ with a value of 0 or 1. If Where k is the sampling time (1s), then the agitation index ρ i is 1, otherwise it is 0.

[0073] The baby's restlessness is

[0074] The rules for fuzzy checking are:

[0075] If x g ≠0 means the baby is restless

[0076] If the baby is agitated, the membership function is calculated as follows:

[0077]

[0078] when

[0079]

[0080]

[0081] G min and G max Indicates the minimum and maximum values ​​of the baby's restlessness, which are based on the value The mattress vibrates during the time t max Then at time t max The intensity of the agitation at G min The initial value of G is 0, and max The initial value of is 1. If max If the restlessness intensity is not zero, it means that the baby has not been comforted, so G max Gradually decrease by 0.10 to provide higher vibration intensity for the same agitation value of the infant. max If the restlessness intensity is equal to 0, it means that the baby has been comforted, so G max The increment of 0.05 gives a lower vibration intensity for the same agitation value in the infant. This process is continuous and falls within the agitation limits of 0-1.

[0082] Preferably, another input to the controller 200 is a digital temperature signal x of the mattress on which the baby sleeps. t , which is derived from the reading of the temperature sensor T integrated in the mattress. The system digitally detects the temperature value in ° C. If the temperature value is lower than the indicated reference threshold T min (e.g., 15°C), this condition is detected as a confirmation of low temperature. If the temperature value is higher than the T max If the reference threshold (e.g. 40°C) is exceeded, the system detects this condition as confirmation of overtemperature.

[0083] The rules are as follows:

[0084] If x t ≤T min The temperature of the mattress is too low

[0085] Therefore x tmin =1.

[0086] It is useful to know how cold the mattress is, as a too cold mattress can cause discomfort to the baby and therefore contribute negatively to the baby's soothing.

[0087] If x t ≤T max The temperature of the mattress is too high, so x tmin =1.

[0088] It is useful to know that the temperature of a mattress is too high, because an overheated mattress can cause discomfort to the baby and therefore contribute negatively to the baby's soothing.

[0089] If the mattress temperature is too low or too high, calculate the temperature membership function x t ,as follows

[0090]

[0091] where m t1 is the center of the bell-shaped function associated with low temperatures and is calculated as follows:

[0092]

[0093] m t2 is the center of the bell-shaped function associated with high temperatures and is calculated as follows:

[0094]

[0095] σ t1 is the width of the bell-shaped function associated with low temperatures and is calculated as

[0096]

[0097] σ t2 is the width of the bell-shaped function associated with high temperatures and is calculated as follows:

[0098]

[0099] Therefore, the width and center of the bell shape are determined by the max In particular, m t1 and m t2 The initial values ​​of are 17.5℃ and 30℃, respectively, and σ t1 and σ t2 The initial values ​​are 5℃ and 20℃ respectively.max Department, (i.e. crying intensity is non-zero) and / or (i.e., the restlessness intensity is not 0), it means that the baby has not been comforted, so m t1 and m t2 gradually increases by 0.1℃, while σ t1 and σ t2 Gradually increase by 0.05℃; this is to contribute higher vibration intensity for the same mattress temperature. On the contrary, if at t max If both the crying intensity and the restlessness intensity are 0, it means that the baby has been comforted, so m t1 and m t2 gradually decreases by 0.1℃, while σ t1 and σ t2 Gradually reduce by 0.05°C to contribute to lower vibration intensity at the same mattress temperature.

[0100] Preferably, The membership function is based on the following formula:

[0101]

[0102] in is a dimensionless coefficient that follows the following trend:

[0103]

[0104] Preferably, The membership function is based on the following formula:

[0105] for

[0106] in is a dimensionless coefficient that follows the following trend:

[0107]

[0108] Dimensionless coefficient and represents a weight and has a value between 0 and 1, and is associated with excessively low temperatures (i.e., below T min ) or excessively high temperatures (i.e. above T max ) is associated with. and The initial value of (equal to 0.5) is determined by the value t max 、 and Increase or decrease by 0.05. If they are not zero and therefore the baby is not comforted, the value of the dimensionless coefficient is increased by 0.05, and conversely, it is decreased. This is to contribute to a higher (or, conversely, lower) vibration intensity for the same mattress temperature.

[0109] Preferably, another input to the controller 200 is a digital signal of the humidity of the mattress where the baby is sleeping, which is derived from the reading of the humidity sensor H integrated in the mattress. The system detects the humidity value digitally, expressed as a percentage. If the relative humidity value is higher than H, it is indicated max If the reference threshold (e.g., 60%) is exceeded, the system detects this condition as a confirmation that the mattress is too wet. The rules are as follows:

[0110] If x h ≥H max The mattress humidity is too high, so

[0111] If the mattress humidity is too high, calculate the input x h The membership function is as follows:

[0112]

[0113] where m h is the center of the bell function and is calculated as follows:

[0114]

[0115] σ h is the width of the bell-shaped function and is calculated as follows:

[0116]

[0117] Therefore, the width and center of the clock are determined by the time t max In particular, m h The initial value of σ is 50%, h The initial value is 90%; if max Department, (i.e. crying intensity is not zero) and (i.e., the restlessness intensity is not 0), it means that the baby has not been comforted, so m h and σ h Gradually increase by 1% to contribute higher vibration intensity to the same frequency of the baby's cry. max At this point, both the crying intensity and the restlessness intensity are zero, which means that the baby has been comforted, so m h and σ h Gradually reduce by 1% to contribute lower vibration intensity for the same mattress humidity.

[0118] Preferably, x hmax The membership function is as follows:

[0119] for

[0120] in: is a dimensionless coefficient applied to the "mattress too wet" condition, which follows the following trend:

[0121]

[0122] Dimensionless coefficient represents a weight and has a value between 0 and 1, with excessively high humidity (i.e., above H max ) is associated with. The initial value (equal to 0.5) is calculated based on t max The value at and Increase or decrease by 0.05. If max Department, (i.e. crying intensity is not zero) and If the infant is not comforted (i.e., the restlessness intensity is not 0), the dimensionless coefficient is increased by 0.05, and vice versa, it is decreased. This is to contribute to a higher (or lower in the opposite case) vibration intensity for the same mattress humidity.

[0123] Preferably, another input to the controller 200 is the urine level x of the baby's diaper. m , and from the digital mattress humidity signal x h The value of and the weight of the baby x pg Two samples of these values ​​measured at a given time t of 30 seconds are required to detect the urination level in the diaper. The rules are as follows:

[0124] if The baby wets and x m =1

[0125] x m =0, otherwise

[0126] If the baby wets, calculate the input x m The membership function for , “the baby wets the diaper,” is as follows:

[0127]

[0128] Where: x G = 1 is the mother's indication of changing the diaper, and γ m is a dimensionless coefficient applied to the "baby wet" condition, which follows the following trend:

[0129]

[0130] Dimensionless coefficient γ m Represents weight and has a value between 0 and 1, associated with the condition of the baby being wet. m The initial value of (equal to 0.5) is determined by t max The value at and Increase or decrease by 0.05. If max Department, (i.e. crying intensity is not zero) and If the agitation intensity is not 0, it means that the baby has not been soothed, and the value of the dimensionless coefficient increases by 0.05, and vice versa. This is to contribute a higher (or lower in the opposite case) vibration intensity to the same urination of the baby's diaper.

[0131] Preferably, the baby's parents can input data about the baby's condition, which can be considered as input variables having values ​​0 or 1 if they are absent or if they are present, respectively.

[0132] For example, the data that the baby has eaten can be considered as the variable x F , if the data that the baby has eaten is entered, the value is 1, otherwise the value is 0.

[0133] Input x F The membership function of , “The baby has eaten.”

[0134] μ(x F ) = 1 if "the baby has eaten" is true, 0 otherwise

[0135] Likewise, the fact that the baby has changed can be thought of as the variable x G , if data has been entered that the baby has changed, then this variable takes the value of 1, otherwise it takes the value of 0.

[0136] Input x G The membership function of , “The baby has changed.”

[0137] μ(x G ) = 1 if "the baby has changed" is definitely true, 0 otherwise

[0138] The data about the baby's weight can be thought of as the variable x E , if data about the baby's weight has been entered, then this variable takes the value 1, otherwise it takes the value 0.

[0139] The data that the baby is crying because his diaper is full can be thought of as the variable x A , if the data that the baby cried because the diaper was full has been entered, then this variable takes the value of 1, otherwise it takes the value of 0.

[0140] Input x A The membership function of , “the baby’s diaper is full”.

[0141] μ(x A ) = 1 if "The baby's diaper is full" is true, 0 otherwise

[0142] The data that the baby cries for another reason can be considered as the variable x B , if data has been entered that the baby cried for this reason, then this variable takes the value of 1, otherwise it takes the value of 0.

[0143] Input x B The membership function of , “The baby cries for reason B”.

[0144] μ(x B )

[0145] = 1 if "The baby cries for reason B" is true, 0 otherwise

[0146] Another input to the controller 200 is the weight of the baby x pg This is a digital signal related to the baby's weight in grams. g This value is then multiplied by the sensor area A of each sensor. s ,(s g *A s ). The weight is then calculated by doing:

[0147]

[0148] If the baby moves, recalculate the weight.

[0149] The rules are as follows:

[0150] if The baby has already eaten

[0151] Where t is the sampling time (e.g. 30s).

[0152] If the baby's center of gravity has also shifted, that is:

[0153] The baby's diaper is full

[0154] Input x pg The membership function is as follows:

[0155]

[0156] Among them, x E is the weight indicated by the parents, m pg is the center of the bell-shaped function and is calculated as follows.

[0157]

[0158] Parents manually confirm the baby's sex and age so that the system assigns a value for P from the table below.

[0159]

[0160]

[0161] Until the mother manually enters the initial value P, this is equal to 8.9 Kg.

[0162] After deducting the value of P, σ pg The value of is calculated by the system, and the width of the bell-shaped function is calculated as follows:

[0163]

[0164] Therefore, the width and center of the clock are determined by the time t max In particular, m pg The initial value of is defined by the table, and σ pg The initial value is equal to 2Kg. If at t max Department, (i.e. crying intensity is not zero) and (i.e., the restlessness intensity is not 0), it means that the baby has not been comforted, so m pg Increase 100g, and σ pg Increase 0.05g; this is to contribute higher vibration intensity for the same weight of the baby. On the contrary, if max At this point, if both the crying intensity and the restlessness intensity are 0, it means that the baby has been comforted, so m pg Reduce 100g, and σ pg The reduction of 0.05g contributes to a lower vibration intensity for the same weight of the baby.

[0165] The device 100 operates according to the following method.

[0166] The control unit 1 controls the mattress vibration device PVM in a position P different from the center of gravity of the baby on the mattress in case the baby cries and / or is restless, and for a maximum period of time t max This is to prevent vibrations from occurring in the mattress where sensitive areas of the baby, such as the head, are found.

[0167] Preferably, the control unit 1 controls the vibrations of only one or more actuators PVM in a position different from the position of the infant's centre of gravity.

[0168] Preferably, once the input signal has been received and the various values ​​of the digital variable or signal x have been calculated, the function μ(x) is weighted and the vibration of the mattress is determined according to its weighting.

[0169] Specifically, the output signal from the controller 200 is a y signal given by y=Vibr×Ti, where Vibr is the motor PVM vibration intensity, Ti is the duration of the vibration that varies with time and follows the function Ti(t) as described below, and the maximum duration is equal to t max Only when the analog signal x on the crying intensity z A digital signal x that is non-zero and / or correlates with agitation g Only when it is not zero, the y signal is output.

[0170] The vibration is performed in a position P different from the center of gravity of the baby on the mattress; preferably, the position P is a position complementary to the center of gravity of the baby with respect to the length and width of the mattress, if the center of gravity does not coincide with its center, that is, taking into account the Cartesian coordinates c bar ,y bar The center of gravity of the baby is given by s bar The position P is determined by x max (which is the dimension of the mattress along the x-axis in cm) and x bar and Ymax (size of the mattress along the y-axis in cm) and y bar The difference between gives:

[0171] P={x max -x bar ;y max -y max}

[0172] If the center of gravity coincides with the center of the mattress, a position around the center of the mattress is selected as position P.

[0173] The vibration intensity Vibr can take values ​​between 0 and 1 and is calculated as follows:

[0174]

[0175] where Σ is the sum of the membership functions μ(x) associated with the input, i.e., the membership function μ(x pg ), μ(x z ), μ(x a ), μ(x g ), μ(xt ), μ(x h ), μ(x m ), μ(x F ), μ(x B ), μ(x G ), μ(x A ) or the sum of the values ​​of only some of them (if not all inputs are present but only some), and Σ max is the value of the sum Σ when the membership function is at its maximum.

[0176] Once the value of Vibr has been obtained, approximating it to the upper threshold, place it in one of the ten graded segments (bracket, bracket, bracket) of the following table, where on the left is the approximate value of the graded segment of the vibration intensity Vibr (indicated as Vibr scale) and on the right is, for each single reference bracket, the current vibr in milliamperes (mA) applied to the vibration device or actuator PVM in position P. Only when the digital signal x on the crying intensity z A digital signal x that is non-zero and / or correlates with agitation g The vibration of the mattress is activated only when it is not zero.

[0177] Vibr scale Ivibr(mA) 0.00 0 0.01÷0.10 26 0.11÷0.20 28 0.21÷0.30 30 0.31÷0.40 33 0.41÷0.50 35 0.51÷0.60 37 0.61÷0.70 39 0.71÷0.80 43 0.81÷0.00 46 0.91÷1.00 49

[0178] Ti changes with time, considering that it is equal to t max The maximum duration of

[0179]

[0180] in:

[0181] -The parameter β is calculated as follows:

[0182]

[0183] -Parameter t max The calculation is as follows:

[0184]

[0185] and and are the time t of the previous operation performed by the device 100 when the baby was crying or agitated, respectively. max and the mattress vibrates from 0 to t max The values ​​of crying intensity and restlessness intensity after the time period t maxIf the vibration set within the time is able to soothe the baby, the value Vibr, the time period Tvibr required to soothe the baby, and the function μ(x) with a greater weight for determining the soothing of the baby are recorded in the memory SD of the control unit 1, so that the device 100 can self-learn that when the same situation occurs, that is, when the same function μ(x) has a greater weight, the same vibration value can be used to soothe the baby. In addition, the baby soothing system according to the present invention is a closed-loop system because the arrival time t max The presence or absence of crying and / or restlessness of the baby at the time is the value adopted in the determination of the various functions μ(x) mentioned above and is indicated as and

[0186] If at time t max If the baby continues to cry, a message is sent to the parents, and a function μ(x) with a larger weight used in the vibration intensity value Vibr is recorded to characterize the baby's crying.

Claims

1. A soothing device (100) for an infant placed on a mattress, the soothing device comprising a mattress support or base, the mattress support or base comprising: - a weight detection device configured to detect the weight of the baby on the mattress, - a crying detection device configured to detect crying of the infant, - a vibration device for vibrating the mattress, characterized in that the soothing device comprises a control device (1) configured to determine the center of gravity (S) of the baby on the mattress in response to the weight detection device configured to detect the weight of the baby on the mattress bar ) and the restlessness of the baby, the control device is configured to control the vibration device to vibrate the mattress at a position different from the center of gravity of the baby on the mattress in response to at least detecting the crying of the baby and / or detecting the restlessness of the baby, and to vibrate the mattress for a maximum time period (t max ) and does not exceed the maximum time period.

2. The soothing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The weight detection device includes a plurality of force sensors arranged on the mattress support or base according to a matrix scheme and with one force sensor at a certain distance from another force sensor. The control device is configured to process the center of gravity (S) of the baby placed on the mattress based on data detected by the plurality of force sensors. bar ).

3. The soothing device according to claim 2, characterized in that The control device is configured to determine the restlessness of the infant by verifying that the weight of the infant in at least one of the plurality of force sensors changes at two consecutive moments. g ).

4. The soothing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The soothing device includes a device configured to detect the intensity of the baby's crying, the device including a capacitor powered by the electrical signal generated by the crying detection device, and the intensity of the baby's crying is the voltage on the capacitor.

5. The soothing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The soothing device includes a device configured to detect the humidity level of the mattress (x h ) and is configured to adjust the humidity level (x h ) changes and the weight of the baby to detect the urination level of the baby's diaper (x m ) device.

6. The soothing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The soothing device includes a device configured to adjust the center of gravity (S) of the infant on the mattress according to two consecutive moments. bar ) and the weight of the baby to detect whether the baby has filled the diaper.

7. The soothing device according to claim 3, characterized in that The control device comprises software for execution and a memory in which the software is installed, the software operating according to fuzzy logic in which basic rules are defined and membership functions (μ(x)) for at least a first input signal and a second input signal of the control device are defined. pg ), μ(x z ), μ(x a ), μ(x g ), μ(x t ), μ(x h ), μ(x m )) is processed, wherein the first input signal is an electrical signal (x) of each force sensor in the plurality of force sensors f ), the second input signal is related to the crying of the baby (x a ), the control device is configured to process the audio signal related to the baby's restlessness (x g ) and the crying of the infant (x a ) related membership function (μ(x a ), μ(x g )), the vibration intensity of the mattress is determined according to the restlessness of the baby (x g ) and / or the crying of said infant (x a ) related membership function (μ(x a ), μ(x g )) is determined by weighting.

8. The soothing device according to claim 7, characterized in that The control device receives the crying intensity (x z ) and the third input signal related to the humidity of the mattress (x h ), the control device is configured to process the membership function (μ(x)) associated with the third input signal and the fourth input signal when the baby cries and the humidity of the mattress is higher than a threshold value. z ), μ(x h )), the vibration intensity of the mattress is determined according to the restlessness of the baby (x g ), the crying of the infant (x a ), the crying intensity of the baby (x z ) and the humidity of the mattress (x h ) related membership function (μ(x z ), μ(x a ), μ(x g ), μ(x h )) is determined by weighting.

9. The soothing device according to claim 8, characterized in that The soothing device includes a device configured to detect the humidity level of the mattress (x h ) and is configured to adjust the humidity level (x h ) changes and the weight of the baby to detect the urination level of the baby's diaper (x m ) device, the control device receives the temperature (x t ), the control device is configured to generate an electric signal (x) of each force sensor in the plurality of force sensors according to the electric signal (x f ) to process the weight of the infant (x pg ) and is configured to treat the urination level (x m ), the control device is configured to process the weight (x pg ) and the temperature of the mattress (x t ) and the urination level of the infant's diaper (x m )-related membership function, the vibration intensity of the mattress is determined according to the restlessness of the baby (x g ), the crying of the infant (x a ), the crying intensity of the baby (x z ), the humidity of the mattress (x h ), the weight of the infant (x pg ), the temperature of the mattress (x t ) and the urination level of the infant's diaper (x m ) related membership function (μ(x pg ), μ(x z ), μ(x a ), μ(x g ), μ(x t ), μ(x h ), μ(x m )) is determined by weighting.

10. The soothing device according to claim 9, characterized in that The soothing device comprises data on the condition of the baby inserted by the user and stored in the memory, the data being considered as input signals by the software, and a membership function (μ(x F ), μ(x B ), μ(x G ), μ(x A )) takes a value of 0 or 1 according to the presence or absence of relevant data, and the vibration intensity of the mattress is determined according to the restlessness of the baby (x g ), the crying of the infant (x a ), the crying intensity of the baby (x z ), the humidity of the mattress (x h ), the weight of the infant (x pg ), the temperature of the mattress (x t ) and the urination level of the infant's diaper (x m ) related membership function (μ(x pg ), μ(x z ), μ(x a ), μ(x g ), μ(x t ), μ(x h ), μ(x m )) and according to the membership function (μ(x F ), μ(x B ), μ(x G ), μ(x A )) is determined by weighting.

11. The soothing device according to claim 10, characterized in that With the infant's restlessness (x g ), the crying of the infant (x a ), the crying intensity of the baby (x z ), the humidity of the mattress (x h ), the weight of the infant (x pg ), the temperature of the mattress (x t ) related membership function (μ(x z ), μ(x a ), μ(x g ), μ(x t ), μ(x h )) is determined based on the presence or absence of crying of the infant and / or agitation of the infant within a maximum time period associated with a previous operation performed by the soothing device.

12. The soothing device according to claim 9, characterized in that The maximum time period (t max ) varies according to the presence or absence of crying of the infant and / or agitation of the infant within a maximum time period associated with a previous operation performed by the soothing device.

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