FR2776524A1 - Device for providing data on the biological clock activity of a person - Google Patents

Abstract

The device comprises a sensor having a value which is representative of the biological activity of the body, a filter for the value detected by the sensor designed to furnish a relative position of the value in a cycle representative of a time variation of the biological activity. The cycle has a duration greater than a minute and places data representative of the relative position.

Description

The present invention relates to a period management device

  of activities. It applies, in particular, to the management of sleep periods and, even more particularly, to devices intended to cause the awakening of a sleeper, devices commonly called "alarm clocks" or "alarm clocks

morning ".

  The alarm clocks known to date, allow you to choose a waking time but work independently of the time of falling asleep, the duration of waking before falling asleep, food or drink absorbed, sleep cycles already passed, and the likely quality of arousal. The present invention intends to remedy these drawbacks. To this end, the present invention aims, according to a first aspect, a device for managing periods of activity, characterized in that it comprises: - at least one physiological sensor adapted to supply information on a physiological functioning of the user, - means for processing information on a physiological functioning of the user, information coming from the sensors, adapted to provide at least one preferred hour of termination of a predetermined activity, and - a means of making said user available , from said preferential time. We observe here that the end of the activity considered, for example sleep, concerns both the start and the end of the activity, in the example

  sleep, both falling asleep and waking up.

  Thanks to the provisions of the present invention, the user is informed of the preferred time to start or interrupt a sleep period. He can thus, according to the embodiments of the present invention, choose the best time to go to bed or be awake at the best time

to get up.

  According to particular characteristics, at least one physiological sensor is adapted to detect an operating parameter of the

cardiovascular system.

  Thus, changes in heart rate or blood pressure, or arrhythmias can be used to detect an end of the activity period. According to particular characteristics, at least one physiological sensor is adapted to detect a respiratory functioning parameter. Thus, the rhythm of respiration, the respiratory flow, the chemical composition of the exhaled gas, the regularity of respiration can be used to

  detect an end of the activity period.

  According to particular characteristics, at least one physiological sensor is adapted to detect a parameter of cerebral electrical functioning. Thus, the electric cerebral waves can be used to detect an end of the period of activity, in particular during a period

sleep.

  According to particular characteristics, at least one physiological sensor is adapted to detect a parameter of muscular functioning. Thus, muscular electrical activity and body movements can be used to detect an end of the activity period, by

  particular during a period of. sleep.

  According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a timepiece, such as a watch or an alarm clock, characterized in that it incorporates at least part

  of a device as succinctly set out above.

  According to a third aspect, the present invention relates to a pillow, characterized in that it incorporates at least part of a device such as

succinctly set out above.

  According to a fourth aspect, the present invention relates to a memory, removable or not, capable of being read by a computer system or a microprocessor and retaining representative information.

  instructions of a program of the information processing means.

  Other advantages, aims and characteristics of the invention

  will emerge from the description which follows made with reference to the appended drawings

  in which: FIGS. 1A and 1B respectively represent views from above and from below, in perspective, of a first embodiment of the device of the present invention, incorporated in a watch; - Figure 2 schematically shows an electronic circuit incorporated in the device illustrated in Figure 1; - Figure 3 shows an operating flow diagram of the electronic circuit illustrated in Figure 2; - Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of the device according to the present invention incorporated in a pillow and an alarm clock; The first embodiment described and shown with reference to Figures 1 to 3, relates to a device incorporated in a watch intended for

  woke the user at the end of a sleep cycle.

  In FIG. 1A are shown a watch case 101, of known type, connected, by strap attachments 102 to an elastic strap (not shown). The strap fasteners are adapted to hold the ends of the strap and the case 101 together. The case 101 comprises a mechanism which sets in motion, in a conventional manner, an hour hand 103 and a minute hand 104 in such a way that they these indicate the current time. Two sound generators (or electro-acoustic transducers) 105 of the type known in the field of electronic watches and electronic games are adapted to emit sounds audible by the user, during sleep. They are located on the upper face of the housing 101 (figure

  1A), on either side of the watch face.

  A display 106, placed here on the watch face, is adapted to display alphanumeric symbols to represent an hour (hours and minutes) of maximum wake-up time. The display 106 is well known in the field of watches with digital display, it is, for example, liquid crystal. Four keys of a keyboard 107 are placed on the periphery of the housing 101,

  known manner in the field of watches.

  It is observed, on the underside of the housing 101 (FIG. 1B), that the latter carries a pulse sensor 109, a vibrator (or electromechanical transducer) 110 and, in each of the strap attachments 102, a

piezoelectric sensor 108.

  The housing 101 comprises an electronic circuit illustrated in FIG. 2, which receives electrical signals from the sensors 108 and 109 and from the keypad 107 and sends electrical signals to

  the display 106, electro-acoustic transducers 105 and the vibrator 110.

  This circuit is organized around a bus 209 and comprises, connected to this bus, the driver (in English "driver") of the display 106, a central unit 206, a read only memory 205, a random access memory 204, the keyboard 107, the pulse sensor 109, the vibrator 110, the electro-acoustic transducers

  , a motion sensor 201 and the piezoelectric crystals 108.

  Bus 209 is made up of power lines. It carries signals from a clock (not shown) to synchronize the operation of all the electronic components. The central unit 206, the read-only memory 205 and the random access memory 204 are preferably incorporated in a single integrated circuit, called a microcontroller. For explanatory purposes, they are

  considered as separate in the description of Figure 2. Similarly, the

  means and functions allowing the display of the instant time, by means of hands 103 and 104 are not represented here, because they are

  well known to those skilled in the watchmaking profession.

  Ii he j; j i I '' i 1 1 i ihil I rUi S! ii The keypad 107 allows the user to set his watch, set the time, choose a maximum wake-up time (see Figure 3),

according to known techniques.

  The pulse sensor 109 is adapted to detect each heartbeat. In a first variant, the pulse sensor 109 is a sensor for radial movements, with respect to the axis of the arm which carries the watch of the first embodiment of the invention (that is to say of vertical movements, in Figures 1A and 1B). It is then made up of a

  movement or acceleration, for example with piezoelectric crystal.

  In a second variant, the pulse sensor is a sound sensor which receives the sounds caused by the passage of blood through the blood vessels, near the watch. These sounds may as well be infrasonic (of the order of 1 Hertz) since this frequency corresponds to the resting heart rate, audible, or ultrasonic, since the displacement of the sans in the blood vessels causes sound waves of flow. In a third variant, the pulse sensor is an electrical sensor adapted to perceive the electrical signals emitted at each heartbeat, according to techniques known in electrocardiography or in cardiac monitoring systems during sports efforts (indoor bikes , running, ...). In addition, this sensor is adapted to capture the electrical activity of the muscles or that of the brain, these three electrical activities (cardiac, muscular and cervical) having the same general variations during

sleep cycles.

  In a fourth variant, the pulse sensor receives the signals from the piezoelectric crystals 108, which represent the voltage of the

  elastic strap that encloses the wrist that wears the watch.

  In all cases, the pulse sensor extracts the signals it receives, the low frequency signals (of the order of hertz), which correspond to the heartbeat) and transmits a signal to the central unit 206 at each detection. a heartbeat. The central processing unit analyzes the pulse signals received from the pulse sensor 109 and processes them to, on the one hand, eliminate parasitic signals (due, for example to the movements of the user), on the other hand, restore the signals missing (too weak to have been detected). These treatments are carried out taking into account the number of clock signals that have separated the heartbeat signals and the fact that the heartbeats are generally regular. These processing operations are of known type in the extraction and reconstruction of signals in a known frequency range, of a

set of signals.

  The movement sensor 201 is adapted to detect movements of the user's wrist. It can consist of the pulse sensor exposed above, the signals of which are representative of movements but must be treated taking into account the fact that the movements cause "parasitic" signals of high intensity and of low regularity, compared to the signals. cardiac. The motion sensor 201 can also consist of piezoelectric crystals known in the field of accelerometers. Finally, the piezoelectric crystals 108 make it possible to constitute a blood pressure sensor, since the signal voltage at the output of these

  crystals is representative of the tension on the elastic strap of the watch.

  The vibrator 110 is of a type known in the field of telephone communications, and pagers. It is adapted to emit, in contact with the skin, a vibration perceptible by the user, in response to a

alternative control signal.

  It is observed here that the pulse sensor 109, the movement sensor and the blood pressure sensor can be confused and use different parameters of the same signals (sound, electrical, movement). If we refer to the book "sleep and dream", by Mr. Pierre MAGNIN, published by Presses Universitaires de France, we learn that: - "the period of falling asleep can vary from a few minutes to a few hours. [REM sleep] generally appears after 1 hr 30 min of true sleep, then the deep sleep episodes (SLP) are reduced, while the duration of the [REM sleep] phases increases as the sleep progresses. In fact, the succession of the phases of [REM sleep] and [deep sleep] develops according to a periodicity with variable rhythm.The longest [deep sleep] phase occurs before the first passage of [REM sleep]. "(p. 38), and -" When the phases of [REM sleep] approach the awakening, we notice a synergy of manifestations during these phases between the rising temperature (...) and the accelerations respiratory and

cardiac. "(p. 57).

  - "If we consider that there is a delay of 90 to 100 minutes, at night, in adults between the start of the episode of [REM sleep] and the start of the next one, such a cycle would determine 4 to 5 sequences with the same frequency of dreams that would occur at the end of the cycle and just before the next

  periodic reset. "(p. 74).

  - "[REM sleep covers between 20 and 25% of total sleep, but it appears in successive episodes dividing deep slow sleep. [REM sleep] is actually very deep sleep. During its manifestations, the subject is practically refractory to all arousal stimuli. Its interruption is damaging for the overall quality of sleep and for

health. "(p. 95).

  Thus, according to the invention, when it is applied to sleep management, by controlling the waking time, an attempt is made to wake the sleeper according to the following two constraints: - on the one hand, before the maximum time alarm clock that it sets, via the keypad 107 and the display 106 and - on the other hand, at the beginning of a cycle, that is to say after the end of a

REM sleep period.

  To this end, the central unit 206 implements software including a

  simplified flowchart is illustrated in figure 3.

  Read-only memory 204 stores the instructions for this program, in a "program" register and the constants used

by this program.

  The RAM 205 keeps, in registers which, for convenience, have the same names as the variables whose value they keep: the value of the maximum wake-up time, in the "max_hour" register; the value of the instantaneous hour, in the "inst_hour" register; - the values of cycle start times, in a "cycl_ hours" register; the last five values of duration of sleep cycles, in a "cycldur" register; and - the values of the means of the physiological parameters, on

  a period of a few minutes, in "physparam" registers.

  It is observed here that the memory registers considered may as well have a capacity limited to binary information, as a capacity sufficient to contain an array of several thousand values, for

each physiological parameter.

  In FIG. 3, we first observe an operation 301 for initializing the device, and, in particular its classic watch functions (setting the year, month, day, hour, minute, of the second instant), according to known techniques by which the user implements the

  keypad 107, display 106 and hands 103 and 104.

  Operation 301 actually follows the placing of batteries in the watch. During operation 301, the registers of the random access memory 204 are all initialized to the value zero, with the exception of the register "insthour" which

  permanently contains the instant time.

  During operation 301, the user is asked to supply the duration of his sleep cycles, the value of this duration being kept in the "cycldur" register. The "cycidur" register works on "first entry,

  first out "and keeps only the last five values it receives.

  he ii 'ili l'., I; Then, during an operation 302, the user chooses a maximum alarm time, that is to say the time at which he wants to be sure of being awakened. For this purpose, it uses the keypad 107 and the display 106, according to techniques known in the programming of watches having alarm functions. When the alarm time does not allow the progress of a complete cycle, that is to say when the difference between the instantaneous time, kept in the register "insf_hour" and the maximum time of awakening, kept in the register "max._hour" is less than the value kept in the register "cycl-dur", the user is informed that he will be awakened on time

  maximum wake-up call, via vibrator 110 and display 106.

  In this case, the operation is identical to that of a watch with alarm clock

of known type.

  Otherwise, during an operation 303, the central unit 206 receives signals from the pulse sensor 109, the blood pressure sensor 108 and the motion sensor 201 and processes them to: eliminate the parasitic signals, - restore missing signals, determine physiology parameter intensity, averaged

on every minute of the night.

  For each of the physiological parameters (here the pulse, the blood pressure and the muscular activity), the central unit 206 places in the register "physjparam" the results of these treatments, at the end of each elapsed minute. The "physparam" register functions, for this purpose, as a "first in, first out" memory and keeps only the values

  corresponding to the last ten hours.

  During an operation 304, the central unit 206 determines the end of a cycle, that is to say the end of a waking period or a period of REM sleep, by determining the appearance low frequency of heartbeat, low, steady blood pressure, and low

number of muscle movements.

  To this end, the central unit 206 analyzes the values of the physiological parameters and determines: that the standby is completed, when at least two of the physiological parameters take a value lower than the average of the same parameters taken over the last sixty minutes, and this for a period

  D2 greater than five minutes (light or deep sleep).

  - a REM sleep phase is completed when, after at least two of the physiological parameters have exceeded the average value of these parameters, taken over the previous 110 minutes, and this for a duration D1 of at least three minutes (REM sleep), at least two of the physiological parameters take a value lower than the average of the same parameters, taken over the last period of twice the duration D1, and this for a duration D2 greater than five minutes (light or deep sleep) . For example, the table below, which successively presents the values of the physiological parameters averaged over the last one hundred and ten minutes and the values measured for one minute, pulse blood pressure movements phase detected averages of the last one hundred and ten minutes

56 10 4 D2

  successive values for the following minutes

10 1 D2

10 2 D2

57 10 1 D2

58 10 3 D2

60 10.5 5 D1

62 10.5 7 D1

10.5 4 D1

11 6 D1

11 12 D1

63 11 15 D1

66 11 10 D1

10 3 X

58 10 8 D2

10 2 D2

10.5 2 D2

54 10 2 D2

55 10 2 D2

56 10 2 D2

  corresponds to a REM phase followed by six

  minutes of light or deep sleep.

  During operation 304, the central unit 206 therefore successively performs: - the detection of each physiological parameter being exceeded by each average value, during the last minute (value kept in the "physparam" register) of the average value over the last 110 minutes (value calculated from the values stored in the "physparam" register); - counting the number of minutes of such successive overruns for at least two parameters; - if this last count, D1, is greater than 3 minutes, the detection of the exceeding by each average value of a physiological parameter, during two times D1 of minutes, (value calculated from the values kept in the "physparam" register ") of the average value during the last minute (value kept in the" physparam "register); counting the number of minutes of such successive overruns for at least two parameters; - if this last count, D2, is greater than 5 minutes, the memorization of the cycle end time, instant time, in the register

"cyclhour".

  The "cyclhour" register functions like a "first in, first out" register and therefore only keeps the last two hours of

start of cycle.

  At the end of operation 304, the central unit 206 adds the value of

  the last cycle time, in the "cycldur" register.

  During a test 305, the central unit determines whether the next cycle start is after the maximum wake-up time (kept in the "maxhour" register of the random access memory 204), or not. To this end, the central unit 206 adds to the last cycle start time detected during the previous operation 304, the average value of the non-zero values of cycle times, kept in the "cycldur" register and determines whether the sum thus calculated is greater than or

  no at the time kept in the "max_hour" register.

  When the result of test 305 is negative, operations 303 and 304 are repeated. When the result of the test 305 is positive, during an operation 306, the central unit 206 controls the operation of the vibrator, then, when the user has not reacted at the end of a period of thirty seconds, I central unit 206 controls the operation of the generators

  105, until the user presses one of the keys 107.

  Then, operations and test 302 to 306 are repeated.

  On reading the description of Figures 1 to 3, it is understood that the

  first embodiment of the invention comprises: - at least one physiological sensor adapted to provide information on the physiological state of the user (here the pulse sensor 109, the blood pressure sensor 108 and the motion sensor 201 ), - means (here the electronic circuit illustrated in FIG. 2) for processing information on the physiological state of the user, information coming from the sensors, adapted to provide at least one preferential hour of termination of a predetermined activity (here the wake-up time preceding the maximum wake-up time and closest to this maximum wake-up time), and - a means of making said time available to said user

  preferential (here the vibrator 110 and the acoustic transducer 105).

  According to a variant, when the user is awakened by the device, that is to say when he actuates the keyboard 107, at the end of the operation 306, the display 106 is controlled by the central unit 206 to display the next proposed wake-up time, that is to say the next scheduled end of cycle, if the user continues his sleep period. If the user then continues overnight,

  the central unit 206 again causes an awakening at the start of the next cycle.

  In FIG. 4 are shown a pillow 401, surrounded by a pillowcase 402, comprising a sensor 403 of the pressure in the pillow, an electronic circuit 409 comprising an acoustic transmitter 410 and a transmitter / receiver 404. Furthermore a alarm clock 405 has a

  transmitter / receiver 406, a buzzer 407 and an electronic circuit 408.

  The 401 pillow is a pneumatic pillow. The pressure sensor 403 is an acoustic microphone. For example, the microphone membrane separates a closed chamber and the rest of the pillow. The transmitter / receiver 404 is adapted to transmit at a short distance a signal perceptible by the transmitter / receiver 406 adapted for this purpose, and vice versa. For example,

  the transmitter is a radio or ultrasonic transmitter.

  The alarm clock 405 comprises a keyboard 411, a display 412 and at least one electroacoustic transducer 407 intended to emit an alarm bell. The circuit 408, which is connected to all the electrical components of the alarm clock 405, functions like the circuit of the first embodiment, with signals that it receives from the transmitter / receiver 406. It turns on the alarm signals first to circuit 409 and it controls the emission of sounds inside the pillow, by the acoustic transmitter 410, then, after a first period, if the user has not used the alarm clock keypad , circuit 408

rings 407.

  It is observed that, in this second embodiment, the acoustic sensor makes it possible to sensor the cardiac sound frequencies, the

  head movements and respiratory movements.

  As a variant, an electric field sensor is added to the acoustic sensor 403, in order to pick up the electric waves emitted by the brain, during sleep, according to techniques known for the use of electroencephalograms. These well-known electric waves are filtered, discriminated and analyzed according to well-known signal processing techniques which are not detailed here (reference may be made to the book mentioned above for details of these different waves and their

  correspondence with the different sleep phases).

  In a variant not shown, at least one sensor is inserted in

the mattress.

  In a variant not shown, an electrical wave sensor is

  inserted in the alarm clock and captures the brain waves mentioned above

  above, remotely, without the need for a sensor to be located

user contact.

  In a variant not shown, at least one sensor measures the

  tension on the bed sheet or on the pillowcase.

  In the same way, the device of the invention applies to the management of bedtime or falling asleep time, the daytime cycles being

  detected in the same way as sleep cycles.

  For applications other than the alarm clock, the preferential end of activity period information can be displayed on a display and the user's attention can be called by implementation.

  a sound generator or a vibrator.

Claims (10)

  1. Device for managing periods of activity, characterized in that it comprises: - at least one capture means (109, 108, 201, 403) adapted to provide information on a quantity representative of non-ocular activity of the user, - processing means (204, 205, 206) of information coming from each capture means, adapted to provide at least one piece of information representative of a phase in a cycle of variation of said quantity, cycle of regular period or not, and - a means of provision (105, 110, 407, 410) of said   representative phase information.   2. Device for managing periods of activity, characterized in that it comprises: - at least one physiological sensor (109, 108, 201, 403) adapted to provide information on a physiological functioning of the user, - means for processing (204, 205, 206) information on a physiological functioning of the user, information coming from the sensors, adapted to provide at least one preferential hour of termination of a predetermined activity, and - a means of setting provision (105, 110, 407, 410) of said preferential time.   3. Device for managing periods of activity, characterized in that it comprises: - at least one capture means (109, 108, 201, 403) adapted to provide information on a quantity representative of non-ocular activity of the user, - processing means (204, 205, 206) adapted to carry out a frequency analysis of information coming from each capture means, supplying at least one information representative of a phase in a cycle of variation of said quantity, cycle of regular period or not, and - a means of provision (105, 110, 407, 410) of said   representative phase information.   4. Device for managing periods of activity, characterized in that it comprises: - at least one capture means (109, 108, 201, 403) without bilateral contact, adapted to provide information on a quantity representative of l 'non-ocular activity of the user, - processing means (204, 205, 206) of information coming from each capture means, adapted to provide at least information representative of a phase in a cycle of variation of said quantity, cycle of regular period or not, and - a means of provision (105, 110, 407, 410) of said   representative phase information.   5. Device for managing periods of activity, characterized in that it comprises: - at least one capture means (109, 108, 201, 403) adapted to provide information on a quantity representative of the cardiovascular activity of the user, - processing means (204, 205, 206) of information coming from each capture means, adapted to supply at least one piece of information representative of a phase in a cycle of variation of said quantity, period cycle regular or not, and a means of provision (105, 110, 407, 410) of said   representative phase information.   6. Device for managing periods of activity, characterized in that it comprises: - at least one capture means (109, 108, 201, 403) adapted to provide information on a quantity representative of non-ocular activity of the user, when said sensor is in relation with the user allowing a capture of said quantity, - means for storing information representative of variation of each said quantity, - an estimation means (204, 205, 206) phase of cycles of variation of said information when each capture means is not in contact with the user allowing a capture of said quantity, and - a means of provision (105, 110, 407, 410) of said phase representative information. 7. Device for managing periods of activity, characterized in that it comprises: - at least one capture means (109, 108, 201, 403) adapted to provide information on a quantity representative of non-ocular activity of the user, - processing means (204, 205, 206) of information coming from each capture means, adapted to provide at least one piece of information representative of a phase in a cycle of variation of said quantity, cycle of regular period or not, and - a means of providing (105, 110, 407, 410) of said phase representative information, when said phase reaches a predetermined value. 8. Device for managing periods of activity, characterized in that it comprises: - at least one capture means (109, 108, 201, 403) adapted to provide information on a quantity representative of the muscular activity d '' at least one member of the user, - processing means (204, 205, 206) of information coming from each capture means, adapted to provide at least information representative of a phase in a cycle of variation of said quantity, cycle of regular period or not, and a means of provision (105, 110, 407, 410) of said   representative phase information.   9. Timepiece (101, 405), such as a watch or alarm clock, characterized in that it incorporates a device according to any one of claims I to 8.   10. Pillow (401), characterized in that it incorporates a device   according to any one of claims I to 8.