Sleep Surface Pressure Control Based on Sleep Stage and Position
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sleep surfaces lack the ability to dynamically adjust firmness based on the sleeper's position and sleep stage, which can lead to suboptimal sleep quality despite sufficient time and preparation.
Innovation Solution
A sleep surface with pressure devices and sensors that adjust firmness in multiple zones, controlled by a system that monitors pressure and biometric data to optimize firmness settings for improved sleep performance, including the use of test pressures to determine and implement more effective target pressure profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the sleep surface firmness is kept constant, then the device complexity is reduced, but the sleep quality cannot be optimized dynamically based on sleep stage and position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic firmness adjustment by enabling the sleep surface to change its mechanical properties in real-time based on detected sleep stage and position. The system transitions from a static firmness setting to a dynamic one that adapts to the sleeper's physiological state, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity by making the system responsive only when conditions change.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback mechanisms where sleep stage detection and position sensing continuously monitor the sleeper's state, and this information feeds back to automatically adjust firmness settings. This closed-loop control enables dynamic adaptation without requiring complex manual intervention, as the system self-regulates based on sensor input.
2Reliability
If pressure devices adjust firmness in multiple zones based on sleep stage, then sleep quality is optimized, but the device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic adjustments to firmness settings that align with the natural cycles of sleep stages. Rather than continuous adjustment, the system modifies firmness periodically when transitions between sleep stages are detected, reducing energy consumption while maintaining sleep quality optimization during critical phases of the sleep cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different firmness levels to different zones of the sleep surface based on the detected sleep position and stage. This localized adjustment allows the system to optimize support where needed while maintaining lower energy consumption by not uniformly adjusting the entire surface, addressing the contradiction between reliability and energy use.
3Reliability
If the system uses test pressures to determine optimal target pressure profiles, then sleep quality is improved, but the time required for optimization increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary testing of different pressure profiles during periods when the sleeper is not in deep sleep stages, such as during wakeful periods or lighter sleep phases. This allows the system to pre-optimize pressure settings without significantly disrupting or extending the actual deep sleep time, thus improving sleep performance while minimizing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies test pressures selectively rather than continuously, using partial testing during specific sleep stages or transitions. By applying test pressures only when necessary and for limited durations, the system achieves optimization without excessively extending the total time required, balancing reliability improvement with time efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
A bed includes components to control pressure of a sleep surface, for example based on sleep position and sleep stages of a user. In some embodiments target pressures for the sleep surface are iteratively adjusted over multiple sleep sessions so to achieve improvements in sleep states and/or sleep quality for the user.