# US 9,750,919 B2 · Sleep control device and sleep control method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,750,919 B2 - Document ID: US9750919B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/432,888 - Filed: 2012-11-29 - Published: 2015-10-01 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-29 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Hisashi Iizuka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9750919B2 ## CPC - A61M 21/02: for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia (for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021) - A61B 5/02055: {Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature} - A61B 5/4812: {Detecting sleep stages or cycles} - A61B 5/7275: {Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor} - G16H 20/30: relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising - G16H 40/63: for local operation - G16H 50/20: for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems - A61B 5/01: Measuring temperature of body parts {; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue} (clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20) - A61B 5/021: Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels - A61B 5/024: Measuring pulse rate or heart rate - A61B 5/0531: Measuring skin impedance - A61B 5/08: Measuring devices for evaluating the respiratory organs - 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 5/7246: {using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity} - A61M 2021/0083: {especially for waking up} - A61M 2205/3303: Using a biosensor - A61M 2230/06: Heartbeat rate only - A61M 2230/10: Electroencephalographic signals - A61M 2230/16: Visual evoked potential [VEP] - A61M 2230/30: Blood pressure (A61M2230/04 takes precedence) - A61M 2230/42: Rate - A61M 2230/50: Temperature - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract A sleep variable calculation portion predicts a change in a sleep depth of a sleeping subject. When the sleep variable calculation portion predicts that the subject may be in a transition state in which the sleep depth of the subject further increases at a wake-up time of the subject, a stimulus presentation device provides a stimulus to the subject at a point in time preceding the wake-up time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sleep control device, comprising: a processor programmed to: predict a change in a sleep depth of a sleeping subject; provide a stimulus to the subject at a second time preceding a first time, when the predicting the change has predicted that the subject may be in a transition state in which the sleep depth of the subject further increases at the first time that is set to wake the subject up; predict a phasic REM sleep period during which the sleeping subject has a phasic REM sleep, and provide the stimulus to the subject at the second time so as to inhibit the subject from progressing into the phasic REM sleep from a tonic REM sleep based on the predicted phasic REM sleep period. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sleep control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to: predict a plurality of phasic REM sleep periods during which the sleeping subject has the phasic REM sleep, and provide the stimulus to the subject at the second time so as to inhibit the subject from progressing into the phasic REM sleep from the tonic REM sleep during a phasic REM sleep period, among the predicted phasic REM sleep periods, that is closest to the first time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sleep control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to predict a tonic REM sleep period during which the sleeping subject has the tonic REM sleep, and the second time is included in the predicted tonic REM sleep period. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sleep control device according to claim 1, wherein the second time is predicted as a transition state in which the sleep depth of the subject further decreases. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sleep control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to provide the stimulus, which does not wake the subject up until the first time, at the second time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sleep control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to predict a cycle of a change in the sleep depth of the sleeping subject, and the second time is included in a sleep depth decreasing period predicted as a transition state in which the sleep depth of the subject further decreases in the predicted cycle of the change in the sleep depth. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sleep control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to: predict a cycle of a change in the sleep depth of the sleeping subject, and provide the stimulus to the subject at the second time, such that a sleep depth increasing period closest to the first time, among sleep depth increasing periods as the transition state in which the sleep depth of the subject further increases in the predicted cycle of the change in the sleep depth, is further shortened when it is predicted that the subject may be in the transition state in which the sleep depth of the subject further increases at the first time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sleep control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to provide a weaker stimulus to the subject as a time elapsed from an onset of sleep of the subject increases. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sleep control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to provide the stimulus to the subject at the second time based on a correlation between a time elapsed from an onset of sleep of the subject at the second time and a strength of the stimulus.