Sleep device having a system and method for enhancing sleep

Abstract

A sleep aid system includes a primary device and a secondary device. The primary device includes a sensor configured to generate data indicative of a physical characteristic of a user. The primary device is configured to determine a sleep stage of the user based on the data from the sensor, and determine a sleep stimulus to change a sleep environment of the user based on the sleep stage. The secondary device includes a user interface configured to output, as part of the sleep stimulus, at least one of an audio stimulus or a visual stimulus. The secondary device is configured to receive the sleep stimulus from the primary device and output the sleep stimulus using the user interface.

Description

SLEEP DEVICE HAVING A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCING SLEEPCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001| This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application Serial No. 63 / 753,540 filed February 4, 2025, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] Aspects of the disclosure generally relate to a sleep device having a system and method for enhancing sleep.BACKGROUND[0003| Sleep devices, such as Restore® by Hatch, can be employed to provide ambient light and / or sound to aid a user in a peaceful sleep.SUMMARY

[0004] In an illustrative example, a sleep aid system includes a primary device and a secondary device. The primary device includes a sensor configured to generate data indicative of a physical characteristic of a user, a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising programming instructions. When executed by the processor, the programming instructions cause the processor to: determine a sleep stage of the user based on the data from the sensor, and determine a sleep stimulus to change a sleep environment of the user based on the sleep stage. The secondary device is in communication with the primary device and includes a user interface configured to output, as part of the sleep stimulus, at least one of an audio stimulus or a visual stimulus. The secondary device includes a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising programming instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to receive the sleep stimulus from the primary device and output the sleep stimulus using the user interface.

[0005] In some aspects, the sensor includes at least one of a heart rate monitor, a motion detector, and an environmental sensor.

[0006] In some aspects, the user interface of the secondary device includes: a light source to generate light, the light source having variable colors and intensities, and a speaker configured to output an audible sound based on an audio signal having at least one of a customizable sound or customizable frequency.

[0007] In some aspects, the physical characteristic includes at least one of a sound emitted by the user, a movement, a heart rate, a gesture, a temperature, an eye movement, or a respiratory pattern.

[0008] In some aspects, the primary devices is at least one of a wearable device, a smart phone, a portable media player, a tablet, a laptop, a gaming console, or a reality headset.[0009J In some aspects, the sleep stage is selected from among a plurality of sleep stages that include stages of a sleep cycle.[0010| In some aspects, to determine the sleep stage, the programming instructions of the primary device further cause the processor to compare the data to a threshold level associated with a selective sleep stage among the plurality of sleep stages.10011] In some aspects, the data is indicative of a heart rate, the sleep stage is selected from among a plurality of sleep stages including active sleep and awake, and the programming instructions of the primary device further cause the processor to determine that the sleep stage is the active sleep in response to the heart rate being less than or equal to a heart rate threshold associated with the active sleep, or determine that the sleep stage is awake in response to the heart rate greater than the heart rate threshold.

[0012] In some aspects, the sleep stimulus for the active sleep is different from that of the awake.10013] In an illustrative example, a method includes detecting, by one or more sensors, a physical characteristic of a user; determining a sleep stage of the user based on the physical characteristic detected; determining a sleep stimulus to change a sleep environment of the user based on the sleepstage; and outputting, as part of the sleep stimulus, at least one of an audio stimulus or a visual stimulus using one or more user interfaces.

[0014] In some aspects, the physical characteristic includes at least one of a sound emitted by the user, a movement, a heart rate, a gesture, a temperature, an eye movement, or a respiratory pattern.[0015| In some aspects, the sleep stage is selected from among a plurality of sleep stages that include stages of a sleep cycle.

[0016] In some aspects, the method further includes, to determine the sleep stage, comparing data of the physical characteristic to a threshold level associated with a selective sleep stage among the plurality of sleep stages.

[0017] In some aspects, the physical characteristic includes a heart rate of the user and the method further includes: determining that the sleep stage is an active sleep in response to a heart rate of the user being less than or equal to a heart rate threshold associated with the active sleep, and determining that the sleep stage is awake in response to the heart rate being greater than the heart rate threshold.

[0018] In some aspects, the sleep stimulus for the active sleep is different from that of the awake.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram for a sleep aid system; and

[0020] FIG. 2 illustrates an example process for the sleep aid system of FIG. 1.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components.Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis forteaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

[0022] Some sleep aid devices may not detect restlessness and / or have adaptive responses. For example, a sleep aid device may operate using static programs for providing auditory, visual, or other environmental stimuli, without the ability to adjust in response to a user’s real-time behavior or physiological state. Such systems, including white noise generators and light-based sleep tools, fail to account for variations in user restlessness or changing sleep conditions throughout a sleep period, which may reduce their effectiveness and contribute to suboptimal sleep quality.

[0023] Disclosed herein are systems and methods for a system that may detect restlessness and adjust environmental conditions based on the same. Using a sleep aid device, the system guides individuals through sleep cycles via synchronized audio and / or visual stimuli to assist individuals to achieve relaxation and deep sleep. Accordingly, the system of the present disclosure provides techniques for sleep enhancement that dynamically modify environmental stimuli based on realtime user data providing more effective support for sustained and restorative sleep.

[0024] The systems described herein may include a dockable peripheral device equipped with sensors to detect restlessness through biodata like movements such as, heart rates, and / or breathing rates. In addition, a wearable device may provide real-time sleep stage and disturbance monitoring. A central sleep-aid device may dynamically adjust the light and sound stimuli to create a soothing sleep environment. In one example, the adjusting may include timing and intensity of a ‘sunrise alarm,’ where the light, based on biometric feedback, is adjusted to gradually wake up an individual.

[0025] In one example, the peripheral device may be a primary device capable of monitoring an individual’s inputs and the environmental factors. The primary device may include motion sensors or a microphone to detect snoring. The sleep-aid device may be considered a secondary device configured to adjust the specific audio and visual stimuli in real-time based on signals from the primary device. The sleep aid device may carry out the method of dynamically and adaptively adjusting the stimuli or output to align with a user’s sleep sags or relaxation goals. The system may enhance sleep quality by delivering coordinated, non-invasive stimuli to the user. Theadjustments may be made to the intensity, frequency, and type of audio and visual outputs, in response to the feedback from the sensors or pre-set programs. The system may adjust to the user’ s states and environmental factors, as well as user preferences.

[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram for a sleep aid system 100 for enhancing sleep. The sleep aid system 100 may include a primary or peripheral device 101 as well as a secondary device 102. The primary device 101 may be a device capable of receiving data regarding a user and may be in the form of a user device 130, a wearable device 132, or another device 133 embedded in a bed. In a non-limiting example, the other device 133 may be a pad with a series of sensors. The user device 130 may include a user’s phone such as a smart phone, tablet, e-reader, laptop, gaming console, portable media player, virtual reality headset, or other suitable computing device.[0027| The wearable device 132 may be an electronic device designed to be worn on the body. Such devices may be equipped with sensors, processors, and connectivity options to provide various functionalities. For example, the wearable device 132 may include smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses, cameras, clothing, earpieces, headsets, rings, head-mounted displays, location trackers, adhesive patches, etc. Further, the wearable device 132 may be any device configured to come in contact or be near a user. In one example, this may include a device to be worn on a user’s wrist, head, angle, chest, etc. In other examples, the device 132 may be embedded in a bed where the user sleeps.

[0028] The primary device 101 may collect data via sensors in the primary device 101 and transmit such data for further processing (e.g., transmit data via wired and / or wireless communication link). The primary device 101 may include sensors configured to detect physical characteristics of the user, such as but not limiting to, detecting sounds and snoring of a user, movement of the user, heart rate, sleep stage, gestures, temperature, other heat patterns, eye movement etc. This may be done by detecting respiratory patterns and vibrations indicative of user sleep behavior.

[0029] The secondary device 102 may be a stand-alone device configured to be arranged at or near a bed of a user. In one example, the secondary device 102 may be configured to rest on a nightstand or nearby dresser. Additionally or alternatively, the secondary device 102 may beconfigured to hang on a wall, from a household item such as a lamp, etc. As explained, the sleep device may be an audio-visual device intended to be a sleep aid.

[0030] Each of the primary device 101 and secondary device 102 may include various types of components, processors, memory, each enclosed by a housing. In an illustrative example, the devices 101, 102 may each include a processor 104 that may employ / execute various processes, methods and algorithms to perform functions of the respective device 101, 102 as described herein. For example, the processor 104 of the primary device 101 may execute instructions for sleep applications, including snore detection, alarms, sounds, etc. In another example, using data from the primary device 101, the processor 104 of the secondary device 102 may also execute instructions for sleep applications.[00311 Instructions for the respective devices 101, 102 may be maintained in a non-volatile manner using a variety of types of computer-readable storage medium 108. The computer-readable storage medium 108 (also referred to herein as memory 108, or storage) includes any non-transitory medium (e.g., a tangible medium) that participates in providing instructions or other data that may be read by the processor 104. Computer-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted from computer programs created using a variety of programming languages and / or technologies, including, without limitation, and either alone or in combination, Java, C, C++, C#, Objective C, Fortran, Pascal, Java Script, Python, Perl, and PL / structured query language (SQL). Likewise, a remote server 120 may include a processor and controller configured to provide instructions for certain applications, including the vehicle virtual assistant.[00321 The secondary device 102 may include an audio system having audio playback functionality through loudspeakers 112 or headphones. The audio playback may include audio from sources including satellite radio, decoded amplitude modulated (AM), or frequency modulated (FM) radio signals, and audio signals from compact disc (CD) or digital versatile disk (DVD) audio playback, streamed audio from a mobile device, commands from a navigation system, etc. Audible commands from a virtual assistant may also be included in the audio playback, as well as noise canceling functionalities.

[0033] Each of the primary and secondary devices 101, 102 may include various sensors 114 and input devices including at least one microphone 110. The microphone 110 may be configuredreceive audio signals external to the device 101, 102 having the microphone 110. This may include acoustic sounds such as breathing, snoring, or spoken words by a user. The sensors 114 may include other forms of sensors or additional microphones. For example, the sensors 114 may include vibration sensors, thermometers, pressure sensors, optical sensors, and other devices capable of detecting human conditions (e.g., physical characteristics of a user). The sensors 114 and microphone 110 may collect data and transmit such data for further processing.

[0034] The devices 101, 102 may include a wireless transceiver 116, such as a BLUETOOTH module, a ZIGBEE transceiver, a Wi-Fi transceiver, an IrDA transceiver, a radio frequency identification (RFID) transceiver, etc., configured to communicate with compatible wireless transceivers of various user devices, as well as with a communication network 118.[0035| The communication network 118 may allow for communication between the primary device 101, the secondary device 102 and external devices, servers, etc., including the remote server 120 and a database 122. The remote server 120 may include one or more computer hardware processors coupled to one or more computer storage devices for performing steps of one or more methods as described herein and may enable the device 102 to communicate and exchange information and data with systems and subsystems external to the devices 101, 102.[0036| The secondary device 102 may include a display 117. The display 117 may be configured to present information to the user, such as the time of day, settings, etc. The display 117 may also be configured to receive user inputs, such as settings, preferences, etc.

[0037] The secondary device 102 may also include a light system 119. The light system 119 may include one or more light sources, such as light emitting diodes, configured to illuminate all or part of the secondary device 102. The processor 104 may illuminate the lights in certain sequences, frequencies, and colors to aid in setting a sleep environment for the user. The light system 119 may be dynamically and adaptively adjusted based on a determination of a sleep stage of the user, as described herein.

[0038] In some aspects, the audio system, the display 117, and the light system 119 are examples of a user interface for outputting a sleep stimulus, as described herein.

[0039] The specific methods used to adaptively modify outputs at the secondary device 102 and / or the peripheral devices 132, 138, may include various processing of received data from the device 101. In one example, the data may include audible data that is determined to include snoring sounds. In another example, the data may indicate restlessness, which may include being awake, or a certain sleep cycle stage, which may generally be referred to as active sleep.

[0040] FIG. 2 illustrates an example process 200 for the sleep aid system 100 of FIG. 1. The process may be carried out by the processors 104 of the primary device 101 and the secondary device 102, or another remote processor via the communication network 118 and / or server 120. The process 200 begins at block 205 where the processor 104 of the primary device 101 receives data from the sensors 114 of the primary device 101. The data may include audio data, biometric data, etc., each which may indicate the presence of certain human behavior or stated differently, may be indicative of physical characteristics of the user.10041] At block 210, the processor 104 of the primary device may determine a sleep stage of the user based on the data obtained from block 205. This may be done by analyzing the data, and determining whether the data exceeds certain thresholds. For example, does the data include an audio signal that exceeds a threshold decibel, does the data indicate a certain level of restlessness, a heart rate below a threshold indicating sleep, etc. The processor 104 may detect a restlessness stage, sleep stage, wake stage, etc. While the processes are described generally as being performed by the processor 104 of the primary device 101, the processor 104 of the secondary device 102 may also be responsible for at least a portion of the processing, including evaluating the raw data from the sensors 114 of the primary device 101.

[0042] At block 215, the primary device 101 may instruct the secondary device 102 to output certain stimuli based on the determined sleep stage. Stated differently, the primary device 101 determines a sleep stimulus to change the sleep environment of the user based on the sleep stage. The output mechanism may be one of an audible, visual, or haptic output to aid in facilitating the next sleep stage, relaxing the user, guided wake up routines, etc. The output may be in an audible sound (e.g., an audio stimulus) such as music, white noise, etc. In addition to or in lieu of audible sound, the output may be a visual adjustment (e.g., of a visual stimulus) such as adjusting the light color or intensity of the light system 119 of the secondary device 102. This may include the sunrisealarm, which adjusts intensity of light based on biometric feedback. In some aspects, the primary device 102 associates one or more sleep stimulus with a respective sleep stage. For example, if the user is determined to be in a restlessness stage, the associated sleep stimulus includes dimming light of the secondary device 102 and outputting sounds that are employed to calm the user (e.g., slow rhythmic music, sounds of the ocean, etc.). If the sleep stage is in light sleep, the sleep stimuli may include outputting white noise. The sleep stimulus may be adjusted continuously and dynamically via a feedback loop to ensure a seamless transition between sleep phases or to counteract disturbances.[00431 In one example, during the evening the secondary device 102 may be instructed to emit soft, warm light paired with low frequency sounds to promote relaxation. As the user progresses into deeper sleep, the stimuli fade or adjust to maintain sleep. Upon waking, the secondary device 102 may simulate a natural sunrise fade using gradual light intensification and gentle audio cues.|0044] In another example, the system 100 may enhance relaxation by synchronizing breathing lights with user respiration rates. Upon detecting that a user fell asleep, the system 100 may transition to a white noise state. The examples are numerous. The system 100 may include a continuous feedback loop configured to dynamically adjust the stimuli based on real-time data. Further, the adjustments may be updated and customizable, as well as having a learning capability that personalizes the sleep responses over time.

[0045] As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”[0046| The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the substance of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

[0047] Computing devices described herein generally include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions may be executable by one or more computing devices such as those listed above. Computer-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted fromcomputer programs created using a variety of programming languages and / or technologies, including, without limitation, and either alone or in combination, Java™, C, C++, C#, Visual Basic, Java Script, Perl, etc. In general, a processor (e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions, e.g., from a memory, a computer-readable medium, etc., and executes these instructions, thereby performing one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein. Such instructions and other data may be stored and transmitted using a variety of computer-readable media.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A sleep aid system, comprising:a primary device including:a sensor configured to generate data indicative of a physical characteristic of a user;a processor; anda non-transitory computer readable medium comprising programming instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:determine a sleep stage of the user based on the data from the sensor; anddetermine a sleep stimulus to change a sleep environment of the user based on the sleep stage;a secondary device in communication with the primary device and including: a user interface configured to output, as part of the sleep stimulus, at least one of an audio stimulus or a visual stimulus;a processor; anda non-transitory computer readable medium comprising programming instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive the sleep stimulus from the primary device and output the sleep stimulus using the user interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a heart rate monitor, a motion detector, and an environmental sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:the user interface of the secondary device includes:a light source to generate light, the light source having variable colors and intensities, anda speaker configured to output an audible sound based on an audio signal having at least one of a customizable sound or customizable frequency.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical characteristic includes at least one of a sound emitted by the user, a movement, a heart rate, a gesture, a temperature, an eye movement, or a respiratory pattern.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary devices is at least one of a wearable device, a smart phone, a portable media player, a tablet, a laptop, a gaming console, or a reality headset.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sleep stage is selected from among a plurality of sleep stages that include stages of a sleep cycle.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein, to determine the sleep stage, the programming instructions of the primary device further cause the processor to compare the data to a threshold level associated with a selective sleep stage among the plurality of sleep stages.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:the data is indicative of a heart rate,the sleep stage is selected from among a plurality of sleep stages including active sleep and awake, andthe programming instructions of the primary device further cause the processor to determine that the sleep stage is the active sleep in response to the heart rate being less than or equal to a heart rate threshold associated with the active sleep, or determine that the sleep stage is awake in response to the heart rate greater than the heart rate threshold.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the sleep stimulus for the active sleep is different from that of the awake.

10. A method comprising:detecting, by one or more sensors, a physical characteristic of a user; determining a sleep stage of the user based on the physical characteristic detected; determining a sleep stimulus to change a sleep environment of the user based on the sleep stage; andoutputting, as part of the sleep stimulus, at least one of an audio stimulus or a visual stimulus using one or more user interfaces.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the physical characteristic includes at least one of a sound emitted by the user, a movement, a heart rate, a gesture, a temperature, an eye movement, or a respiratory pattern.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the sleep stage is selected from among a plurality of sleep stages that include stages of a sleep cycle.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, to determine the sleep stage, comparing data of the physical characteristic to a threshold level associated with a selective sleep stage among the plurality of sleep stages.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the physical characteristic includes a heart rate of the user, the method further comprises:determining that the sleep stage is an active sleep in response to a heart rate of the user being less than or equal to a heart rate threshold associated with the active sleep, and determining that the sleep stage is awake in response to the heart rate being greater than the heart rate threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sleep stimulus for the active sleep is different from that of the awake.

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