IP Verse

Methods And Systems For Gathering And Analyzing Human Biological Signals

Patent No. US12377240 (titled "Methods And Systems For Gathering And Analyzing Human Biological Signals") was filed by Eight Sleep Inc on Jan 15, 2025.

What is this patent about?

’240 is related to the field of home automation and, more specifically, to systems that gather and analyze human biological signals to control appliances. The background acknowledges that existing technologies for regulating bed temperature, such as electric blankets, are rudimentary, requiring manual operation and lacking advanced functionality. The patent aims to improve sleep environment control by automating adjustments based on real-time user data.

The underlying idea behind ’240 is to create a smart bed that can independently adjust the temperature of different zones based on the biological signals and preferences of multiple users. This involves using sensors to monitor parameters like heart rate, breathing rate, and temperature, then processing this data to determine the appropriate heating or cooling adjustments for each user's side of the bed. The system aims to personalize the sleep experience by catering to individual needs and preferences.

The claims of ’240 focus on a method for operating a bed device that involves obtaining biological signals from two users on different zones of the bed. Based on these signals, the system generates control signals to set different temperatures for each zone. The temperature settings are based on user-specified preferences, and the control signals are sent to temperature control devices to independently heat or cool the zones.

In practice, the invention uses a sensor strip integrated into a bed pad or mattress to gather biological data. This strip can include piezo sensors for heart and breathing rate, and temperature sensors. The data is then processed by a microcontroller to determine the appropriate temperature settings for each zone. The heating or cooling is achieved using a zoned heating coil system, where each zone can be independently controlled. The system can also adapt to users switching sides of the bed by identifying them based on their unique biological signatures.

The differentiation from prior approaches lies in the system's ability to independently control multiple zones of the bed based on real-time biological data and user preferences. Unlike simple electric blankets, this system automates the temperature adjustment process and personalizes it for each user. Furthermore, the system can integrate with other smart home devices, allowing for coordinated control of the sleep environment, such as adjusting lighting or thermostat settings based on sleep stage.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the mid-2020s when ’240 was filed, systems commonly relied on sophisticated sensor technologies for gathering physiological data, at a time when home automation systems were becoming increasingly integrated and personalized. At that time, controlling environmental factors based on real-time analysis of user biometrics was an active area of development, when hardware or software constraints made the seamless integration of diverse sensor data and appliance control non-trivial.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner allowed the claims because the prior art of record, specifically Petrovski, teaches a sleep aid for assisting the modification of a breathing rate in a human, comprising: a substantially flexible mattress configured to receive a fluid; a fluid pump on fluid communication with the flexible mattress and configured to pump the fluid at a modulated rate; and a control module functionally coupled to the fluid pump. However, the prior art fails to teach, make obvious, or suggest, a method for operating a bed device, the method comprising: obtaining at least one first biological signal from a first user, the at least one first biological signal indicating a presence of the first user on a first zone of the bed device; obtaining at least one second biological signal from a second user, the at least one second biological signal indicating a presence of the second user on a second zone of the bed device adjacent the first zone; generating a plurality of control signals for the bed device in response to the obtained at least one first biological signal and the at least one second biological signal, the plurality of control signals comprising (1) a first instruction to set the temperature of the first zone to a first temperature and (2) a second instruction to set the temperature of the second zone to a second temperature that is different from the first temperature, wherein the first instruction is based at least in part on a first user-specified preference of the first user and the second instruction is based at least in part on a second user-specified preference of the second user; and sending the plurality of control signals to respective temperature control device associated with the bed device such that the first and second zones are heated or cooled differently according to the plurality of control signals, as presented in the claimed invention.

Claims

This patent contains 30 claims, with claim 1 being the only independent claim. Independent claim 1 is directed to a method for operating a bed device by obtaining biological signals from two users and generating control signals to adjust the temperature of different zones based on user preferences. The dependent claims generally elaborate on and refine the method of the independent claim, adding details regarding specific biological signals, filtering techniques, user identification, sleep phase determination, environmental control, and system components.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
First biological signal
(Claim 1)		“In one embodiment of the invention, one or more user sensors, associated with a piece of furniture, such as a bed, measure the bio signals associated with a user, such as the heart rate associated with said user or breathing rate associated with said user.”A signal obtained from a first user that indicates their presence on a first zone of a bed device.
First zone
(Claim 1)		“In one embodiment of the invention, one or more user sensors, associated with a piece of furniture, such as a bed, measure the bio signals associated with a user, such as the heart rate associated with said user or breathing rate associated with said user. In one embodiment, the appliance is a bed device, capable of heating or cooling the user's bed.”A specific area of the bed device associated with the first user.
Second biological signal
(Claim 1)		“In one embodiment of the invention, one or more user sensors, associated with a piece of furniture, such as a bed, measure the bio signals associated with a user, such as the heart rate associated with said user or breathing rate associated with said user.”A signal obtained from a second user that indicates their presence on a second zone of the bed device adjacent to the first zone.
Second zone
(Claim 1)		“In one embodiment of the invention, one or more user sensors, associated with a piece of furniture, such as a bed, measure the bio signals associated with a user, such as the heart rate associated with said user or breathing rate associated with said user. In one embodiment, the appliance is a bed device, capable of heating or cooling the user's bed.”A specific area of the bed device adjacent to the first zone, associated with the second user.
Temperature control device
(Claim 1)		“In one embodiment, the appliance is a bed device, capable of heating or cooling the user's bed. In another embodiment, the appliance is a thermostat, a light, a coffee machine, or a humidifier.”A device associated with the bed device that heats or cools the first and second zones according to the plurality of control signals.

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US12377240

EIGHT SLEEP INC
Application Number
US19022402
Filing Date
Jan 15, 2025
Status
Granted
Expiry Date
Jun 5, 2035
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents