Smart Bed Thermal Control Using Sleep Phase Bio-Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sleep support technologies, such as electric blankets, lack automation and additional functionality beyond heating, requiring manual operation and failing to adapt to the user's sleep phase or biological signals, thereby not optimizing sleep quality.
Innovation Solution
A system that gathers human biological signals like heart rate, breathing rate, and temperature, and environment properties to control home appliances, such as bed heating/cooling devices, thermostats, and lights, based on the user's sleep phase and preferences, ensuring optimal sleep conditions and wake-up times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If electric blankets are used to provide heating functionality, then the bed can be warmed, but the device lacks automation and additional functionality beyond heating
Solution Approach 1:
The bed device integrates multiple functions including heating elements, cooling elements, and biological signal sensors into a single unified system. This allows the bed to perform heating, cooling, and sleep phase detection functions simultaneously, transforming a single-function electric blanket into a multi-functional smart bed device that adapts to different sleep needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines previously separate devices (electric blanket, sensors, control system) into an integrated bed device. The heating and cooling elements are merged with biological signal sensors and a control system within the same bed structure, enabling coordinated operation to optimize sleep quality through both thermal regulation and sleep phase monitoring.
2Extent of automation
If electric blankets are manually operated, then the heating function can be controlled, but automation is lost and user convenience decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The bed device incorporates biological signal sensors that continuously monitor sleep phases and provide feedback to the control system. Based on this feedback, the system automatically adjusts heating and cooling element operation to match the user's sleep phase, eliminating the need for manual operation while maintaining optimal comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated control system autonomously manages the bed's heating and cooling functions by processing biological signal data and automatically adjusting thermal conditions. The device serves itself by detecting sleep phases and independently regulating temperature without requiring user intervention, thereby achieving automation.
3Reliability
If electric blankets are used to keep the occupant warm, then thermal comfort is provided, but sleep quality optimization is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The bed device dynamically adjusts its thermal regulation based on real-time detection of sleep phases. During deep sleep stages, heating is optimized to support tissue repair, while during lighter sleep stages, cooling may be applied to maintain comfort. This dynamic adaptation to changing sleep conditions optimizes sleep quality rather than providing static thermal comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (heating/cooling intensity, timing) based on detected sleep phase parameters. By monitoring biological signals and adjusting thermal parameters according to sleep stage transitions, the device adapts its behavior to optimize sleep quality across different sleep phases rather than maintaining constant thermal conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Introduced are methods and systems for an adjustable bed device configured to: gather biological signals associated with multiple users, such as heart rate, breathing rate, or temperature; analyze the gathered human biological signals; and heat or cool a bed based on the analysis.