Arrangement And Method To Wake Up A Sleeping Subject At An Advantageous Time Instant Associated With Natural Arousal
Intelligent alarm clock arrangement adapted into an electric device and utilizing the microphone, loudspeaker or other alarming device, memory unit, processor and timer feature thereof. The apparatus is located near a sleeping subject so as to sample and analyze the statistical properties of sound signals produced by the movements of the sleeping subject and to classify the sleep states according to the analyzed signals into a peaceful calm deep sleep, a light sleep with arousals and awake periods associated with the movements. An alarm wakes up the subject during a pre-programmed time window, if there are arousals, awake state and movements present at that time to induce the awakening at a biologically advantageous instant. Instead of the local alarm function, the device may perform a remote alarm using a call or sending a message to a pre-programmed phone number when the awakening of the sleeping subject is detected.
Claim CLM-00001. 1. A method for detecting light sleep or arousal of a sleeping subject, comprising the steps of:
operating an electronic device to perform the following sub-steps, said device being a portable electronic communication device or a portable data processing device, said device including i) a microphone to capture sound signals, ii) an alarm part to perform an awakening alarm function, iii) a power supply provided with sufficient capacity for operating said device over a predetermined operation time, iv) a memory, and v) a processor to operate the device, a) adaptively analysing the sound signals captured by the microphone both prior to a predetermined awakening-time window and during the awakening-time-window, wherein the analysis is executed more frequently during the awakening-time-window or a level of analysis changes for the awakening-time-window, the analyzing of the sound signals including an analysis of an amplitude of the sound signals, and at least one of the group consisting of spectral content of the sound signals, duration of the sound signals, and a distribution of the sound signals, and b) performing the awakening alarm function within the awakening-time-window when the analysis of the sound signals produced by movements of the subject during the awakening-time-window indicates ongoing light sleep or arousal from sleep, or that the end of the awakening-time-window is reached.
Claim CLM-00006. 6. A portable electronic communication or data processing device for detecting light sleep or arousal, of a sleeping subject, comprising:
a microphone surrounded by a predetermined material for recording sound signals produced movements of the sleeping subject; an alarm unit to perform an awakening alarm function; and a power supply with sufficient capacity for performing predetermined operations over a predetermined operation time, a memory, and a processor to operate the device, wherein, said device is configured to perform an adaptive analysis of the sound signals produced by the movements of the sleeping subject, the microphone records the sound signals for the adaptive analysis both prior to a predetermined awakening-time window and during the awakening-time-window, wherein the analysis is executed more frequently during the awakening-time-window or a level of analysis changes for the awakening-time-window, the analysis of the sound signals includes as analysis of an amplitude of the sound signals by the processor, and at least one of the group consisting of spectral content of the sound signals, duration of the sound signals, and a distribution of the sound signals, and said device is configured to perform the awakening alarm function within the awakening-time-window when the analysis of the sound signals produced by movements of the subject during the awakening-time-window indicates ongoing light sleep or arousal from sleep, or that the end of the awakening-time-window is reached.
Claim CLM-00010. 10. A method for detecting light sleep or arousal, comprising:
operating a portable electronic device to capture sound signals; with the device, detecting the sound signals caused by movements of a sleeping subject both prior to a predetermined awakening-time window and during the awakening-time-window; adaptively analysing the sound signals captured by the microphone both prior to the predetermined awakening-time window and during the awakening-time-window, wherein the analysis is executed more frequently during the awakening-time-window or a level of analysis changes for the awakening-time-window, the analysing of the sound signals including an analysis of an amplitude of the sound signals, and one of the group consisting of spectral content of the sound signals, duration of the sound signals, and a distribution of the sound signals; and performing the awakening alarm function within the awakening-time-window when the analysis of the sound signals produced by movements of the subject during the awakening-time-window indicates ongoing light sleep or arousal from sleep, or that the end of the awakening-time-window is reached, wherein, a battery power supply of the device provides with sufficient capacity for operating i) the device over a predetermined operation time, ii) a memory with a pre-programmed software, and iii) a processor for said analyzing the amplitude, the spectral content, the duration, and the distribution of the detected sound signals.
