Smart Bed Snore Control Based on Partner Sleep Disturbance Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bed technologies fail to effectively address the issue of snoring, as they do not differentiate between instances where snoring bothers one sleeper and when it does not, leading to unnecessary adjustments and potential disturbance of non-bothered sleepers.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a controller with sensors that analyze environmental data to determine if one user is snoring and if it is bothering another user, issuing commands to adjust the sleeping environment to reduce snoring only when necessary, using a processor and computer-readable memory to receive data streams from sensors like acoustic and pressure sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the bed system continuously monitors and adjusts sleeping environment parameters to reduce snoring, then snore control effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors snoring through acoustic sensors and restless sleep through pressure sensors, creating a closed-loop feedback system that automatically adjusts sleeping environment parameters (mattress firmness, position) to reduce snoring while consuming energy only when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The mattress firmness and position are made dynamically adjustable during sleep based on real-time sensor data, allowing the system to transition between different states (soft/firm, elevated/flat) to optimize snore control without requiring complex permanent structural changes
2Reliability
If the bed system adjusts sleeping environment parameters frequently to reduce snoring, then snore control effectiveness is improved, but disturbance to non-bothered sleepers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system independently monitors and adjusts sleeping parameters for each user position in the bed, allowing localized intervention only for the snoring partner while maintaining the sleeping environment unchanged for the non-bothered partner
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from pressure sensors to detect restless sleep and acoustic sensors to detect snoring, triggering adjustments only when snoring is actually detected and causing disturbance, thereby avoiding unnecessary adjustments that would disturb non-bothered sleepers
3Measurement precision
If the bed system uses multiple sensors and continuous monitoring to detect snoring and restless sleep, then measurement precision is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs periodic monitoring at scheduled intervals during sleep rather than continuous monitoring, reducing energy consumption while maintaining adequate detection accuracy for snoring and restless sleep events
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from pressure sensors to detect restless sleep and triggers acoustic sensor analysis only when restless sleep is detected, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining high measurement precision for snore detection when needed
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system improves sleep quality by minimizing disturbances caused by snoring, ensuring adjustments are only made when snoring is bothersome, thus enhancing the sleep experience for both users without unnecessary interventions.
Implementation Method 1
The one or more sensors include an acoustic sensor and wherein one of the one or more streams of data is a stream of acoustic data. To determine, from at least one of the received one or more streams of data, that the second user is snoring, the controller is configured to analyze the acoustic data.
Implementation Method 2
The one or more sensors include a pressure sensor and wherein one of the one or more streams of data is a stream of pressure data. To determine, from at least one of the received one or more streams of data, that the first user is experiencing restless sleep, the controller is configured to analyze the stream of pressure data.
Data Source
AI summary
A controller is configured to receive one or more streams of data, each stream of data representing a sensed phenomenon in the environment of a bed on which a first user is sleeping and a second user is sleeping. The controller is further configured to determine that the first user is experiencing restless sleep. The controller is further configured to determine that the second user is snoring. The controller is further configured to issue a snore-control command to a controllable home automation device such that the controllable home automation device alters a feature of the second user’s sleeping environment in a way that is likely to reduce the second user’s snoring. The controller is further configured to determine again that that the second user is still snoring and issue a second snore-control command.