# US 11,298,048 B2 · Sleep position trainer with non-movement timer

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- Number: US 11,298,048 B2
- Document ID: US11298048B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/498,683
- Filed: 2018-03-29
- Published: 2020-04-02
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-29
- Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- Applicants: Nightbalance B.V.
- Inventors: Robert Franciscus Van Der Hulst; Thijs Van Oorschot; Eline Christiane Van Beest
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298048B2

## CPC

- A61B 5/1116: {Determining posture transitions}
- A61B 5/1126: {using a particular sensing technique}
- A61B 5/4815: {Sleep quality}
- A61B 5/4818: {Sleep apnoea}
- A61B 5/486: {Biofeedback (using electroencephalography [EEG] A61B5/375)}
- A61B 5/7455: {characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation}
- A61B 5/746: {Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms}
- A61B 2562/0219: Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

A sleep position trainer (1) has a normal operational mode for alerting when a posture of the body detected by the position sensor (34) corresponds with an undesired body posture. The sleep position trainer further comprises a non-movement timer (t1) for timing a non-movement period of the user wearing the sleep position trainer. An output signal is send to an alert unit in case that a posture of the body detected by a position sensor (34) corresponds with a body posture when a threshold value of the non-movement timer (t1) of at least 15 minutes is exceeded.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Sleep position trainer apparatus which is configured to avoid an undesired posture during a sleep period, the sleep position trainer apparatus comprising:
a control unit (CU) which includes a control programme which is programmed to generate an output signal based on at least one received input signal;
at least one sensor (S) for detecting a sleep related event, which sensor is operatively connected to the control unit to provide a sensor signal as a first input signal to the control unit, wherein the sleep position trainer comprises a position sensor for detecting a body posture of a person wearing the sleep position trainer;
an alert unit (AU) for providing an alert stimulus to the user wearing the sleep position trainer apparatus, which alert unit is operatively connected to the control unit to receive the generated output signal from the control unit, whereafter the alert stimulus is generated;
wherein the sleep position trainer has a normal operational mode for alerting during a user's sleep period, in which normal operational mode the control unit generates an output signal to the alert unit, and the alert unit generates an alert stimulus when a posture of the body detected by the position sensor corresponds with at least one predefined undesired body posture, wherein the sleep position trainer further comprises a non-movement timer for timing a non-movement period of the user wearing the sleep position trainer, wherein the non-movement timer has a plurality of initial threshold values of at least 15 minutes and each corresponding to one of a plurality of body postures other than the at least one predefined undesired posture, wherein the control unit (CU) is programmed to determine, during a given sleep period, adapted threshold values corresponding to the plurality of body postures by, upon movement away from a selected body posture of the plurality of body postures, decreasing the initial threshold value corresponding to the selected body posture of the plurality of body postures based on time of non-movement in the selected body posture of the plurality of body postures, and increasing adapted threshold values corresponding to others of the plurality of body postures, up to a maximum of the initial threshold values corresponding to the others of the plurality of body postures, corresponding to an amount of time away from the others of the plurality of body postures, and wherein the control unit (CU) is programmed to send an output signal to the alert unit when a posture of the body detected by the position sensor corresponds with one of the plurality of body postures and the non-movement timer exceeds a lesser of the initial threshold value or the adapted threshold value corresponding to the one of the plurality of body postures.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Sleep position trainer according to claim 1, wherein the initial threshold values are predetermined threshold values.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

Sleep position trainer according to claim 1, wherein non-movement of the user is detectable by the position sensor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Sleep position trainer according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (CU) is programmed to select the alert stimulus which is to be generated by the alert unit from a group of alert stimuli that differ from each other.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

Sleep position trainer according to claim 4, wherein one of the group of alert stimuli has a zero-intensity.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

Sleep position trainer according to claim 4, wherein the control unit (CU) is programmed to select a selected one of the group of alert stimuli based on detection of an occurrence of a sleep disturbing event.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

Sleep position trainer according to claim 4, wherein the control unit (CU) is programmed to select a selected one of the group of alert stimuli when the sensor detects a high risk on a sleep event.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

Sleep position trainer according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (CU) is programmed to wait a predetermined period of time before sending the output signal to the alert unit.