# US 11,109,798 B2 · Adjusting alarms based on sleep onset latency

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,109,798 B2
- Document ID: US11109798B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/934,983
- Filed: 2020-07-21
- Published: 2020-11-05
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2015-09-30
- Assignees: Apple Inc.
- Applicants: Apple Inc.
- Inventors: Roy J. Raymann; Wren N. Dougherty; Divya Nag; Deborah M. Lambert; Stephanie Greer; Thomas R. Gruber
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11109798B2

## CPC

- A61B 5/4809: {Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not}
- G06Q 10/109: Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
- G08B 21/06: indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
- H04L 67/535: {Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34)}
- H04M 1/72451: according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
- H04W 4/70: Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
- A61B 5/01: Measuring temperature of body parts {; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue} (clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20)
- A61B 5/02416: {using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation (A61B5/14552 takes precedence)}
- A61B 5/0816: {Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency (measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00)}
- A61B 5/11: Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb {(A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721)}
- A61B 5/4815: {Sleep quality}
- A61B 5/742: {using visual displays (displays for heart-related electrical signals, e.g. ECG, A61B5/339)}
- A61B 2560/0242: adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

In some implementations, a mobile device can adjust an alarm setting based on the sleep onset latency duration detected for a user of the mobile device. For example, sleep onset latency can be the amount of time it takes for the user to fall asleep after the user attempts to go to sleep (e.g., goes to bed). The mobile device can determine when the user intends or attempts to go to sleep based on detected sleep ritual activities. Sleep ritual activities can include those activities a user performs in preparation for sleep. The mobile device can determine when the user is asleep based on detected sleep signals (e.g., biometric data, sounds, etc.). In some implementations, the mobile device can determine recurring patterns of long or short sleep onset latency and present suggestions that might help the user sleep better or feel more rested.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, indication of a desired sleep duration;
calculating, by the computing device, a suggested time for a user to go to sleep based on a scheduled alarm time, an average intended sleep time, the desired sleep duration, and an average sleep onset latency; and
presenting, by the computing device, a message including the suggested sleep time on a display of the computing device prior to the suggested sleep time.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining, by the computing device over a set of previous days, a daily intended sleep time indicating when the user attempted to go to sleep; and
determining, by the computing device, the average intended sleep time for the user based on each of the daily intended sleep times over the set of previous days.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
calculating, by the computing device over the set of previous days, a daily sleep onset latency based on a difference between the daily intended sleep time and a daily actual sleep time; and
calculating, by the computing device, the average sleep onset latency based on each of the daily sleep onset latencies over the set of previous days.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
detecting, by the computing device over the set of previous days, pressure applied to a pressure sensor of the computing device at each of the daily intended sleep times; and
determining, by the computing device over the set of previous days, a reduction in an amount of the pressure applied to the pressure sensor indicating the daily actual sleep time.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
presenting, by the computing device, a user interface on a display of the computing device; and
prompting, by the computing device, for entry of the indication of the desired sleep duration.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving, by the computing device, selection of a sleep timer setting via the user interface, the sleep timer setting being a timed sleep setting which sets an alarm timer to the desired sleep duration without consideration of the average sleep onset latency duration.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving, by the computing device, selection of a sleep timer setting via the user interface, the sleep timer setting being a timed nap setting which sets an alarm timer to ensure that the desired sleep duration is achieved by considering the average sleep onset latency.

### Claim 8

A system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:
receiving, by a computing device, indication of a desired sleep duration;
calculating, by the computing device, a suggested time for a user to go to sleep based on a scheduled alarm time, an average intended sleep time, the desired sleep duration, and an average sleep onset latency; and
presenting, by the computing device, a message including the suggested sleep time on a display of the computing device prior to the suggested sleep time.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:
determining, by the computing device over a set of previous days, a daily intended sleep time indicating when the user attempted to go to sleep; and
determining, by the computing device, the average intended sleep time for the user based on each of the daily intended sleep times over the set of previous days.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:
calculating, by the computing device over the set of previous days, a daily sleep onset latency based on a difference between the daily intended sleep time and a daily actual sleep time; and
calculating, by the computing device, the average sleep onset latency based on each of the daily sleep onset latencies over the set of previous days.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:
detecting, by the computing device over the set of previous days, pressure applied to a pressure sensor of the computing device at each of the daily intended sleep times; and
determining, by the computing device over the set of previous days, a reduction in an amount of the pressure applied to the pressure sensor indicating the daily actual sleep time.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:
presenting, by the computing device, a user interface on a display of the computing device; and
prompting, by the computing device, for entry of the indication of the desired sleep duration.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause receiving, by the computing device, selection of a sleep timer setting via the user interface, the sleep timer setting being a timed sleep setting which sets an alarm timer to the desired sleep duration without consideration of the average sleep onset latency duration.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause receiving, by the computing device, selection of a sleep timer setting via the user interface, the sleep timer setting being a timed nap setting which sets an alarm timer to ensure that the desired sleep duration is achieved by considering the average sleep onset latency.

### Claim 15

A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause:
receiving, by a computing device, indication of a desired sleep duration;
calculating, by the computing device, a suggested time for a user to go to sleep based on a scheduled alarm time, an average intended sleep time, the desired sleep duration, and an average sleep onset latency; and
presenting, by the computing device, a message including the suggested sleep time on a display of the computing device prior to the suggested sleep time.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:
determining, by the computing device over a set of previous days, a daily intended sleep time indicating when the user attempted to go to sleep; and
determining, by the computing device, the average intended sleep time for the user based on each of the daily intended sleep times over the set of previous days.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:
calculating, by the computing device over the set of previous days, a daily sleep onset latency based on a difference between the daily intended sleep time and a daily actual sleep time; and
calculating, by the computing device, the average sleep onset latency based on each of the daily sleep onset latencies over the set of previous days.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:
detecting, by the computing device over the set of previous days, pressure applied to a pressure sensor of the computing device at each of the daily intended sleep times; and
determining, by the computing device over the set of previous days, a reduction in an amount of the pressure applied to the pressure sensor indicating the daily actual sleep time.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:
presenting, by the computing device, a user interface on a display of the computing device; and
prompting, by the computing device, for entry of the indication of the desired sleep duration.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further cause receiving, by the computing device, selection of a sleep timer setting via the user interface, the sleep timer setting being a timed sleep setting which sets an alarm timer to the desired sleep duration without consideration of the average sleep onset latency duration.