GB2471333A

GB2471333A - A babies sleeping mat having a soothing device

Info

Publication number: GB2471333A
Application number: GB0911120A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bradley Ramon Hill
Original assignee: LUXURY ENTERTAINMENTS Ltd
Current assignee: LUXURY ENTERTAINMENTS Ltd
Priority date: 2009-06-26
Filing date: 2009-06-26
Publication date: 2010-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 2029-06-26
Also published as: GB0911120D0; WO2010149766A1; GB2471333B

Abstract

A baby soothing apparatus comprises a tactile stimuli generating unit 103 and control means109 operable to produce at least one of a number of different tactile stimuli from said tactile stimuli generating unit 103. The stimulus may be heat, warmth or vibration. The generating unit 103 is encapsulated in a waterproof housing and inserted into a waterproof compartment 503 in a sleeping mat. The sleeping mat may be formed with an animal shape.

Description

BABY SOOTHING APPARATUS

Field of the Invention.

This invention relates to an apparatus for soothing a baby or infant.

Background to the Invention.

Parents of young and new-born infants are well aware of the occasional difficulty experienced in getting their child to sleep. Conversely, parents are also well aware of the soothing ability of the ordinary motor vehicle which, anecdotally, is able to sooth most children to sleep within a short time of being in the running vehicle.

Currently, baby soothing devices exist which impart a rocking motion to a child's pushchair or cot. These devices, however, are cumbersome and can not be described as portabte and, indeed, require the user to provide an appropriate cot or pushchair to place on the device. In addition, the rocking motion produced is not at all similar to the soothing sensations provided by a running motor vehicle.

Summary of the Invention.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a baby soothing apparatus is provided which may comprise a tactile stimuli generating unit, and control means operable to produce at least one of a number of different tactile stimuli from the tactile stimuli generating unit, wherein the tactile stimuli generating unit and the control means maybe encapsulated in a waterproof housing where the waterproof housing may be arranged to be inserted into a further waterproof compartment in a covering, where the covering forms a sleeping mat.

The invention defined above advantageously provides a baby soothing device which more closely emulates the stimulation provided by a running motor vehicle

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whilst also providing a safe and comfortable place for a baby or infant to lay, resulting in more effective soothing of the baby or infant.

Preferably, the tactile stimuli generating unit may comprise at least one of at least one vibration generating means and at least one heating means wherein the at least one vibration generating means may comprise an electric motor driving an off axis load and wherein the at least one heating means may comprise a resistive heating element.

Preferably, the control means may be operable to independently control the operation of the at least one vibration generating means and the at least one heating means to produce the different tactile stimuli. Preferably, the control means may be operable to control one of: intensity of vibration and duration of vibration, produced by the at least one vibration generating means and the control means may also be operable to control one of: temperature of heat emitted by, and/or a duration in which heat is emitted from, the at least one heating means.

Preferably, the control means may further comprise a memory unit, where the control means may be operable to produce at least one of a number of patterns of tactile stimuli from the tactile stimuli generating unit, and wherein a program, which when executed by the control module results in the tactile stimuli generating unit producing the at least one of a number of patterns of tactile stimuli, may have previously been stored in the memory unit. Preferably, the producing at least one of a number of patterns of tactile stimuli from the tactile stimuli generating unit may comprise operating the at least one vibration generating means and/or the at least one heating means in a predetermined sequence.

Preferably, the tactile stimuli generating unit and the control means may be arranged between an upper resilient layer of material and a lower resilient layer of material, wherein the upper resilient layer of material, the tactile stimuli generating unit and control means, and the lower resilient layer of material may

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be encapsulated in the waterproof housing and the waterproof housing encapsulating the upper resilient layer of material, the tactile stimuli generating unit and control means, and the lower resilient layer of material may be arranged to be inserted into the further waterproof compartment in the covering.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, a sleeping mat is provided which may comprise an outer layer, and an internal, waterproof, compartment which may be adapted to receive a waterproof housing, where the waterproof housing may encapsulate at least a tactile stimuli generating unit and a control means, wherein the waterproof housing may be insertable into the internal waterproof compartment in a removable manner.

Preferably, the outer layer of the sleeping mat may be formed of a soft material and may have the appearance of an animal shape.

Description of the Drawings.

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the attached figures in which: Figure. 1 shows a schematic representation of a baby soothing device in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic view of the soothing unit of the baby soothing device of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a diagrammatical view of a control unit of the baby soothing device of Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a diagrammatical view of a vibration generating transducer of the baby soothing device of Figure 1; Figure 5A shows a front plan view of a housing containing the baby soothing device of Figure 1; Figure 5B shows a rear plan view of the housing depicted in Figure 5A; and Figure 6 shows a diagrammatical view of the baby soothing device shown in Figures 1 to 4 inserted in the housing shown in Figures 5A and 56.

Detailed DescriDtiOn.

As schematically depicted in Figure 1, a first embodiment of a baby soothing apparatus 101 has a stimulation unit 103 comprising a vibration generating unit and a heating unit 107. The stimulation unit 103 is connected to a user interface unit 109 which provides a user interface allowing a user to control the operation of the heating unit 107 and the vibration generating unit 105 as will be set out in further detail below.

Figure 2 shows a diagrammatical representation of the stimulation unit 103 shown schematically in Figure 1. The stimulation unit 103 is provided with a housing 201 which contains a power supply unit 203, a control module 205, a heating module 207 and 6 vibration generating transducers 209a.. .209n. The heating module 207 is equivalent to the heating unit 107 shown schematically in Figure 1 and comprises a resistive heating element that generates heat when an electrical signal is passed through the resistive heating element. Resistive heating elements are well known in the art and will not be described in further detail herein. The 6 vibration generating transducers 209a. . .209n are equivalent to the vibration generating unit 105 schematically depicted in Figure 1.

The housing 201 is formed of a vinyl synthetic fire rated material and has a width of approximately 325 mm, a length of approximately 400 mm, and a depth of approximately 25 mm. The housing material is also waterproof and is able to prevent water from the exterior of the housing 201 from penetrating through the housing 201 into the interior of the housing 201. The skilled person will understand the meaning of waterproof and that, although in absolute terms no material is ever fully waterproof at a microscopic/atomic level, the material of the housing 201 is waterproof to a sufficient standard to stop large scale amounts of water from penetrating into the interior of the housing. The material of the housing 201 can have a range of levels of waterproofness equivalent to resisting anywhere between 1000 mm to 20000 mm hydrostatic head of water, as is understood in the art. Alternatively, the material of the housing has a level of waterproofness which is sufficient to prevent liquid penetration through the material where the liquid is at a pressure of 9.8 KPa.

It can be seen that the housing is of a generally rectangular planar shape having a depth dimension substantially less than either of the width or length dimension, and a length greater than its width. Two layers of fire retardant polyurethane foam are provided inside the housing 201. Each layer of fire retardant polyurethane foam is resilient in nature and provides soft cushioning within the housing 201. Each layer of foam forms a planar layer 25 mm thick which conforms to the planar shape of the housing 201 and extends across substantially the entire surface area of the housing. The electronic components of the stimulation unit 103, such as the control module 205, power supply unit 203, vibration generating transducers 209a... 209n and heating module 207 are encapsulated between the two layers of foam within the housing 201 and the two layers of foam are stitched together around their periphery. Thus it can be appreciated that the resulting structure of the stimulation unit 103 so formed has a sandwich like form in which, from the upper planar surface of the housing 201 to the bottom planar surface of the housing 201, the cross section comprises: upper layer of housing 201, upper foam layer, electronic components, lower foam layer, and bottom layer of housing 201.

The heating module 207 has a substantially rectangular planar shape and is arranged in a central position within the housing such that a longitudinal axis of the housing 201 and a longitudinal axis of the heating module 207 coincide. The 6 vibration generating transducers 209a. .. 209n are arranged symmetrically around the heating module 207 with 3 vibration generating transducers arranged on each long side of the heating module 207 with equidistant spacing from the longitudinal axis of the housing 201 and the heating module 207. The vibration generating transducers 209a. .209n are arranged with respect to the heating module 207 such that they are arrayed on either side of the heating module 207 and extend longitudinally on either side of the heating module 207 further than the length of the heating module 207 in the longitudinal direction. The power supply unit 203 and the control module 205 are situated towards an edge of the housing 201 as shown in Figure 2.

The housing 201 is stitched together around its periphery and an opening is provided in housing 201 to allow a power cable to be routed from the exterior of the housing 201 to the power supply unit 203 and also a control cable to be routed from the user interface unit 109 exterior to the housing 201 to the control module 205 within the housing 201. The power supply unit 203 is electrically coupled to the control module 205 and is operable to supply the control module 205 with electrical current. In the present embodiment, the electrical current supplied by the power supply unit 203 is a mains AC voltage of 240V at 50Hz.

The control module 205 is electrically connected to the power supply unit 203 and receives the electrical signal supplied by the power supply unit 203. The control module 205 is also individually electrically coupled to each of the 6 vibration generating transducers 209a. . . 209n and is also individually electrically coupled to the heating module 207. The control module 205 is also electrically coupled to the user interface unit 109 via the control cable to receive control signals from the user interface unit 109. The control module 205 incorporates a timer module 211, the use of which will be described further below and a memory module 213. Any suitable type of timer circuitry and memory can be used in the control module 205 of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 3, the user interface unit 109 comprises a hand held remote device that is electrically hardwired to the control module 205 in the stimulation unit 103 via the control cable. The user interface unit 109 comprises a number of push buttons on the upper surface that can be operated, i.e. pressed, by the user of the baby soothing apparatus in order to activate various functions of the apparatus which will be described in further detail below. Control interfaces are well known in the art and a detailed description will not be provided herein. As well as the push buttons provided on the user interface unit 109, status indicator light emitting diodes (LEDs), are also provided which correspond to a number of the push buttons and which light when their corresponding button is pressed, or when the function which is selected by their corresponding button being pressed is active. Further details of the functions provided by the buttons on the user interface unit 109 are provided below.

Referring to Figure 4, a single one of the 6 vibration generating transducers 209a. .. 209n is shown. Each vibration generating transducer 209a. . .209n is encapsulated within a hard protective casing 401. The hard protective casing takes the form of a rectangular box formed from a plastics material, having an internal width of approximately 20mm, an internal height of approximately 15mm, and an internal length of approximately 40mm which is sufficient to allow the vibration generating transducer 209a. .. 209n to be encapsulated inside. Each vibration generating transducer consists of an electric motor 403 which has a rotary output shaft 405 to which is connected a weight 407. The weight 407 is arranged on the output shaft 405 of the electric motor 403 such that its centre of mass does not coincide with that of the output shaft 405. Thus, when the output shaft 405 is driven by the electric motor 403, the rotation of the off axis centre of mass of the weight 407 results in an unbalanced force which rotates with the output shaft 405 and causes vibration. Vibration caused by off axis loads is a well known phenomenon and will not be described herein in any further detail.

Each electric motor 403 operates on a voltage supply of 12 Volts DC and has a working current of 36mA. At the working current, the speed of rotation of the electric motor's output shaft 405 is 4300 rpm. The power supply unit 203 incorporates suitable electronics for down-converting the AC mains power input supply to a suitable DC input voltage for use with the electric motors 403 and the other electronic components of the invention. Apparatus for converting from AC to DC electricity, or providing different voltages to that of the input voltage are

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well known in the art and the skilled person will appreciate that any such device could be used in the present invention to convert the input electrical supply to a suitable electrical supply for powering the internal electronic components within the stimulation unit 103.

The vibrations produced by the electric motor 403 are transmitted to the casing 401 and from there to the rest of the stimulation unit 103 by conduction. The vibrations produced by each vibration generating transducer 209a. .. 209n are such that they are localised to a particular area surrounding each vibration generating transducer 209a...209n. In this way, localised areas of vibration can be defined on the planar surfaces of the stimulation unit 103 which correspond to one or more of the vibration generating transducers 209a... 209n which are activated.

The baby soothing apparatus of the present invention also provides a covering for the stimulation unit 103 that offers a comfortable surface for a baby or infant to rest upon whilst also allowing the heat produced by the heating module 207 and the vibration produced by each of the 6 vibration generating transducers 209a.. . 209n to be felt by the baby or infant lying on the covering. Referring to Figures 5A, 5B, and 6, the covering 501 takes the form of a generally substantially planar shape and is shaped in the form of an animal -the front and rear surfaces of the covering 501 providing a pictorial representation of the animal's features. The covering 501 is made from any suitable material and in this preferred embodiment of the invention comprises an exterior surface which is soft to the touch. The length and width of the covering 501 is substantially greater than its height/depth so that it forms a mat upon which a baby or infant can lie. The covering 501 is formed of a material, such as polyester fibres, that is suitable for washing in a washing machine. The material of the covering 501 conforms to relevant safety standards such as those set by the British Standard Institute (BSI) or Kite Mark scheme.

The covering 501 contains an internal compartment 503, formed from a synthetic vinyl fire retardant material, which is of a generally planar shape and has

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approximately similar internal dimensions to the external dimensions of the stimulation unit 103 such that the stimulation unit 103 fits within the internal compartment 503 within the covering 501. The vinyl fire retardant material of the internal compartment 503 is stitched together in such a way as to form a continuous surface on all sides of the interior compartment 503 except one which forms an opening to the exterior of the covering 501 on the rear surface of the covering 501 as shown in Figure 58. The stimulation unit 103 can be inserted into the internal compartment 503 in the interior of the covering 501 through this opening. The opening to the internal compartment 503 is closed by a waterproof zip closure 505 which extends, on the exterior of the covering 501, across the entire length of the opening of the internal compartment 503, save for a small opening through which cables (i.e. the power supply cable and the control signal cable) from the stimulation unit 103 can exit form the interior of the covering 501 to the exterior of the covering 501.

The synthetic vinyl material of the internal compartment 503 is waterproof and so provides a barrier to water from the exterior of the internal compartment 503 penetrating through the material forming the internal compartment 503 and into the interior of the internal compartment 503. The skilled person will understand the meaning of waterproof and that, although in absolute terms no material is ever fully waterproof at a microscopic/atomic level, the material forming the internal compartment 503 is waterproof to a sufficient standard to stop large scale amounts of water from penetrating into the interior of the internal compartment 503. The material forming the internal compartment 503 can have a range of levels of waterproofness equivalent to resisting anywhere between 1000 mm to 20000 mm hydrostatic head of water, as is understood in the art.

Alternatively, the material of the internal compartment 503 has a level of waterproofness which is sufficient to prevent liquid penetration through the material where the liquid is at a pressure of 9.8 KPa.

In operation, the stimulation unit 103 is inserted into the internal compartment 503 of the covering 501 and the internal compartment 503 is zipped shut to retain the stimulation unit 103 inside. The power supply cable and the control signal cable from the stimulation unit 103 are able to pass through the opening in the zip closure of the internal compartment 503 to the exterior of the covering 501. Once the stimulation unit 103 has been inserted into the covering 501 and secured by closing the zip 505, the covering 501 can be turned over so that the front surface of the covering 501 is upper most and the covering 501 can be laid flat on a suitable surface. The baby or infant can then be laid on the flat, soft, surface of the covering 501.

The power supply cable is attached to a suitable wall power outlet to supply power to the baby soothing apparatus and specifically to the power supply unit 203 therein. The control module 205 receives the electrical power supplied by the power supply unit 203 and also control signals from the user interface unit 109 which correspond to pushes of the various control buttons on the user interface unit 109. The control module 205, in response to the control signals from the user interface unit 109, routes electrical power from the power supply unit 203 to individual ones of the 6 vibration generating transducers 209a. . .209n and also the heating module 207, in accordance with the control signals received from the user interface unit 109, in order to cause them to turn on or off in order to produce vibration and heat or stop producing vibration and heat, respectively.

The control module 205 is able to control the operation of the vibration generating transducers 209a.. .209n and the heating module 207 individually so that it can control any combination of those devices at any one time. In addition, the control module 205 can control the electrical power supplied to each one of the 6 vibration generating transducers 209a. . .209n and the heating module 207 in order to control the amplitude of the vibration produced, or the amount of heat produced, respectively. The control module 205 is also able to control the duration of the electrical signal supplied to each of the 6 vibration generating transducers 209a. . .209n and the heating module 207, respectively.

The user of the baby soothing apparatus can control the type, strength and duration of vibration, as well as the heat produced by the various components in the stimulation unit 103 from the user interface unit 109 which is located external to the covering 501 and connects to the control module 205 in the stimulation unit 103 via the control cable that passes into the interior of the stimulation unit 103 via the opening in the zip closure 505 of the internal compartment 503 of the covering 501 and the opening in the housing 201 of the stimulation unit 103.

Returning to Figure 3, the functions of the various push buttons and indicator LEDs on the user inter-lace unit 109 will now be explained with reference to the operation of the heating module 207 and the vibration generating transducers 209a. .209n.

Each of the 6 vibration generating transducers 209a. .209n is represented on the user interface unit 109 by a transducer activation push button, 301a...301f, bearing the number of the respective transducer -1 through 6. Pressing one or more of the transducer activation buttons 301 a...301f, causes the control module 205 to activate the corresponding vibration generating transducer(s) 209a. ..209n. When a particular vibration generating transducer 209a, -.209n is activated, a corresponding activation indicator L.E.D 303a...303f, located adjacent to the corresponding transducer activation button 301a...301f, is lit to indicate activation. A pair of vibration intensity buttons 305a. -305f are provided for each vibration generating transducer 209a.. .209n, arranged adjacent the corresponding transducer activation button 301a.301f and the activation indicator L.E.D 303a...303f. A first one of the pair of vibration intensity buttons 305a. -.305f is marked with a "plus' sign and, when pressed, causes the control module 205 to increase the intensity of the vibration generated by the vibration generating transducer 209a. .209n that corresponds to the button pressed. The control module 205 does this by supplying more electrical power to that particular vibration generating transducer 209a. 209n to increase the speed of rotation of the electric motor 403 of the particular vibration generating transducer 209a... 209n. Similarly, a second one of the pair of vibration intensity buttons 305a. .305n is marked with a negative" sign and, when pressed, causes the control module 205 to decrease the intensity of the vibration generated by the particular vibration generating transducer 209a. -209n that corresponds to the button pressed. The control module 205 does this by reducing the electrical power supplied to that vibration generating transducer 209a... 209n to decrease the speed of rotation of the electric motor 403 of that particular vibration generating transducer 209a.. . 209n.

The user interface unit 109 also features a "program" button 307 and four program indication L.E.D.s 309a, 309b, 309c, 309d arranged adjacent to the program button 307. The control module 205 has a number of programs stored in the memory module 213 where the programs relate to a particular sequence of operating the vibration generating transducers 209a. . .209n. The intensity of vibration of each vibration generating transducer, the vibration generating duration, and number or position of vibration generating transducers activated can be controlled by the control module 205 implementing a particular pre-programmed sequence in order to provide vibration sequences having different effects.

For example, a first program sequence could be one in which all of the vibration generating transducers 209a...209n are activated for a first period and deactivated for a second period where the sequence then repeats over so that a "heartbeat" type vibrational pattern is produced. A second sequence could be where the vibration generating transducers 209a... 209n are activated in a sequential manner from one end of the stimulation unit 103 to the other end in order to produce a "wave effect" movement of the vibration along the length of the stimulation unit 103. In a third sequence, all vibration generating transducers 209a. . .209n are activated in a random pattern such that only a single vibration generating transducer 209a. . .209n is active at any one time but at least one area of vibration is maintained on the surface of the stimulation unit 103 at any time.

A fourth program sequence is a random combination of the three other program sequences described above.

These four program sequences are maintained in the memory unit 213 within the control module 205 and the stimulation unit 103 is supplied with these four program sequences pre-programmed into the memory module 213. Pressing the program button 307 causes the control module 205 to activate the first one of the program sequences automatically. Sequential presses of the program button 307 cause the control module 205 to step through and activate the other stored program sequences in a sequential manner. Once all of the stored program sequences have been sequentially cycled through, a further press of the program button 307 deselects all program sequences, before further presses of the program button 307 cycle sequentially through the stored program sequences again.

When a particular one of the four program sequences is activated, the corresponding program activation indicator LED 309a, 309b, 309c, 309d is lit.

The timer module 211 within the control module 205 activates a countdown upon activation of one of the program sequences and provides a signal to the control module 205 at the expiry of the countdown. In response to the countdown expiry signal, the control module 205 shuts off the program sequence, i.e. cuts power to the vibration generating transducers 209a...209n. Typically the control module 205 will shut off an activated program sequence after approximately 15 minutes of the program sequence being activated. Whilst a particular one of the program sequences is being performed, the user can still exert control over the individual vibration generating transducers 209a. . .209n using their respective activation and intensity buttons 301a...301f, 305a...305f respectively, thus allowing the user to tailor any one of the program sequences to their specific requirements.

The user interface unit 109 also comprises a heater control button 311 and associated heater operation indication LED 313. Pressing the heater control button 311 causes the control module 205 to toggle the heater module 207 in the stimulation unit 103 on and off by respectively supplying or cutting off electrical power to the heater module 207. When the heater module 207 is toggled on, the heater operation indication LED 313 is lit. When one of the program sequences as described in the preceding paragraph is activated, the heater module 207 can still be controlled independently such that it can be turned on or off while a program sequence is running. e

The user interface unit 109 also comprises a start/stop button 315 and associated power indicator L.E.D. 317. When pressed, the start/stop button 315 causes the control module 205 to toggle between supplying electrical power to the 6 vibration generating transducers 209a.. 209n and/or the heating module 207 or to cease routing electrical power to the 6 vibration generating transducers 209a...209n and/or the heating module 207. Memory module 213 stores the last user settings before the start/stop button 315 is pressed to turn off the stimulation unit 103. When the start/stop button 315 is next pressed to activate the stimulation unit 103, the stimulation unit 103 begins operation with the last settings used by the user prior to being turned off.

Thus the user of the baby soothing apparatus is able to control the intensity, position, and pattern of vibration, and the amount of heating produced by the stimulation unit 103 to find the particular soothing motion most effective for soothing their child. Moreover, by ensuring that the elements of the stimulation unit 103 are encapsulated within the stimulation unit housing 201 inside foam insulation layers and by then encapsulating the stimulation unit 103 into a soft, child-friendly, covering 501, a sleeping mat is provided which is a safe and comfortable place for a baby to lay but which can also offer the additional soothing motion reminiscent of that provided by a running motor vehicle.

Encapsulating the rigid components of the invention (such as the control module 205, the power supply unit 203, the heating module 207, and the vibration generating transducers 209a. . . 209n) between the two foam insulation layers within the waterproof housing 201 and then encapsulating the housing 201 within a waterproof compartment 503 within a soft, padded covering 501 provides three types of insulation between a baby or infant laying on the device.

Firstly, there is direct electrical insulation between the baby lying on the covering 501 and the electrical components of the invention since the various layers of material forming the respective housings/coverings are electrical insulators.

Secondly, there is indirect electrical isolation provided between the baby and the electrical components of the invention by means of the double waterproof membrane encapsulation of the electrical components. In the case of a spillage of liquid onto the baby soothing apparatus, eg. as a result of a knocked over baby's bottle or glass of water, or indeed, as a result of urination of the baby or infant whilst laying on the device, the spilt liquid is not able to contact the live electrical components due to the two waterproof membranes of the covering 501 and the housing 201, respectively, and hence there is no risk of electrocution to the baby laying on the baby soothing apparatus. Thirdly, physical isolation, in the form of cushioning, is provided between the rigid components within the baby soothing apparatus and the baby/infant lying on the surface of the baby soothing apparatus thus providing a comfortable place to lie.

In addition, by providing the stimulation unit 103 in a removable manner from within the covering 501, the covering 501, which is likely to get dirty in normal use, can still be washed in a washing machine once the stimulation unit 103 has been removed. Also, the covering 501 can be used as a sleeping mat in its own right without inserting the stimulation unit 103 therein. Providing the covering 501 with the appearance of a soft toy animal also makes the baby soothing apparatus more appealing to slightly older infants, and provides a degree of choice with respect to the appearance of the apparatus for the parents who operate the device.

Since the rigid components of the invention are encapsulated within flexible materials that have a substantially planar form, the baby soothing apparatus is able to be rolled up into a cylinder from its initial flat configuration to make the device more easily portable.

Modifications.

The skilled person will understand that although the baby soothing apparatus described in the detailed specification has been described as having 6 vibration generating transducers 209a. . . 209n, any number of transducers could be used.

Obviously, the user interface unit 109 would comprise either additional or fewer transducer activation buttons 301a...301f, corresponding more or fewer activation indication L.E.D.s 303a. ..303f, and corresponding more or fewer pairs of vibration intensity buttons 305a. . .305f to reflect the greater or fewer number of transducers. In addition, the pre-programmed program sequences would also be modified to incorporate the greater or lesser number of transducers.

The skilled person will also understand that although the vibration generating transducers 209a. .209n have been described as electric motors having off axis weights to generate a rotational imbalance which causes the vibration, any other apparatus capable of generating vibration could be used as a vibration generating transducer in the present invention.

The invention has been described as having a single, resistive-element type heater module 207. The skilled person will understand that any type of heat generation device could be employed in the present invention. Additionally, any number of such devices could be incorporated into the stimulation unit in any combination of positions with respect to any number and arrangement of the vibration generating transducers 209a. . 209n to provide user-controllable "zonal" heating across the surface of the stimulation unit 103. The user interface unit 109 would be updated to incorporate the different number of heater modules and would allow the heater modules to be individually controlled in a similar manner to the vibration generating transducers 209a... 209n.

In the above modification, the skilled person would appreciate that the timer unit 211 within the control module 205, as well as controlling the duration of the vibrations generated by the respective vibration generating transducers 209a. .. 209n, could also be used to provide duration control over the heater module(s) so that it/they could be turned on for various durations. In addition, the skilled person would appreciate that the present invention could incorporate a temperature sensor in communication with the control module to monitor the temperature of the heating module(s) 207. The control module 205 could use a temperature feedback loop incorporating the temperature sensor so that it could use the temperature readings from the heater module(s) to maintain the heater module(s)'s heat output at a given temperature by selectively turning on or off the electrical power supply to the heater module(s) 207 to maintain a constant temperature. The skilled person would also appreciate that the heater module(s) 207 could be controlled to provide any temperature of heat required and suitable temperature "up" and "down" buttons (analogous to the vibration intensity control buttons 305a... 305f) could be provided on the user interface unit 109 to control this operation. The control module 205, in response to control signals from the temperature "up" or "down" buttons would adjust the amount of electrical power supplied to the heating module 207 to achieve the desired temperature output.

The skilled person will also understand that the baby soothing apparatus of the present invention could even be implemented without any heating module 207 at all. In such a case, the vibration generating transducers 209a.. . 209n would still be positioned within the stimulation unit 103 in any suitable pattern but the user interface unit 109 would not feature a heater control button 311.

Only four program sequences have been described in relation to the present invention. The skilled person will understand that the present invention could include any one of a number of operational sequences depending on the specific number of vibration generating transducers 209a.. . 209n used in the stimulation unit. The program button 307 on the user interface unit 109 and the associated program indicator LEDs 309a, 309b, 309c, 309d would obviously be modified in number to reflect the different programs which could be selected. In addition, the heating module 207 (or heater modules if more than one heater module is implemented) could also be incorporated into the program sequence so that it (they) turns on or off in a pattern as part of the overall sequence to enhance the soothing effect provided by the stimulation unit 103. Alternatively, the heating module 207 could be activated at a different predefined temperature and/or duration for each of the program sequences.

Although the user interface unit 109 has been described as being hardwired to the control module 205 by the control cable, the skilled person will understand that the control module 205 and the user interface unit 109 could each incorporate a wireless communication module (such as a BluetoothTM or WiFi

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module) to allow the user interface unit 109 to be physically decoupled from the stimulation unit 103 and to communicate its control signals to the control module 205 wirelessly.

Whereas the control module 205 of the present invention has been described as being individually electrically coupled to each of the vibration generating transducers 209a.. . 209n and the heating module 207, the skilled person would appreciate that all of the transducers and the heating module (or heating modules if the invention is modified to include a plurality of heating modules) could be coupled to the control module 205 by a common communication bus.

In such an arrangement, the transducers and heating module(s) would incorporate processing logic to enable them to be individual addressed by the control module 205, and the control module 205 would output control signals having individual addressing corresponding to the individual transducers and heater modules.

Although the present invention has been described as being powered by a 240V, 50Hz AC power supply, the skilled person would appreciate that any other type of power supply could be used provided that the elements of the baby soothing apparatus such as the control module 205, heater module(s) 207 and vibration generating transducers 209a... 209n were suitably matched for operation with that power supply. Also, the electric motors of the vibration generating transducers 209a. .. 209n of the present invention have been described as having specific parameters such as voltage supply and operational speed. The skilled person would appreciate that any type of electric motor could be used in the vibration generating transducers of the present invention provided that they are compatible with the chosen power supply.

The covering of the baby soothing apparatus has been depicted in the form of a rabbit in Figures 5A, SB, and 6. The skilled person would obviously appreciate that the outer covering of the baby soothing apparatus could take any form provided that the covering maintains a substantially planar shape and that it incorporates the waterproof internal compartment 503, into which the stimulation unit 103 can be inserted.

Claims

IClaims 1. A baby soothing apparatus comprising: a tactile stimuli generating unit (103); and control means (205) operable to produce at least one of a number of different tactile stimuli from said tactile stimuli generating unit; wherein said tactile stimuli generating unit (103) and said control means (205) are encapsulated in a waterproof housing (201) where said waterproof housing (201) is arranged to be inserted into a further waterproof compartment (503) in a covering (501), where said covering (501) forms a sleeping mat.
2. The baby soothing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tactile stimuli generating unit (103) comprises at least one of: at least one vibration generating means (105; 209); and at least one heating means (107; 207).
3. The baby soothing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one vibration generating means (105; 209) comprises an electric motor driving an off axis load.
4. The baby soothing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one heating means (107; 207) comprises a resistive heating element.
5. The baby soothing apparatus of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein said control means (205) is operable to independently control operation of said at least one vibration generating means (105; 209) and said at least one heating means (107; 207) to produce said different tactile stimuli.
6. The baby soothing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control means (205) is operable to control one of: intensity of vibration and duration of vibration, produced by said at least one vibration generating means (107; 209).
7. The baby soothing apparatus of claims 5 or 6, wherein the control means (205) is operable to control one of: temperature of heat emitted by, and/or a duration in which heat is emitted from, said at least one heating means (107; 207).
8. The baby soothing apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the control means (205) further comprises a memory unit (213), where said control means (205) is operable to produce at least one of a number of patterns of tactile stimuli from said tactile stimuli generating unit (103), and w herein a program, which when executed by the control module (205) results in the tactile stimuli generating unit (103) producing said at least one of a number of patterns of tactile stimuli, has previously been stored in said memory unit (213).
9. The baby soothing apparatus of claim 8, wherein said producing at least one of a number of patterns of tactile stimuli from said tactile stimuli generating unit (103) comprises operating said at least one vibration generating means (105; 209) and/or said at least one heating means (107; 207) in a predetermined sequence.
10. The baby soothing apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein said tactile stimuli generating unit (103) and said control means (205) is arranged between an upper resilient layer of material and a lower resilient layer of material, wherein said upper resilient layer of material, said tactile stimuli generating unit (103) and control means (205), and said lower resilient layer of material are encapsulated in said waterproof housing (201) and the waterproof housing (201) encapsulating said upper resilient layer of material, said tactile stimuli generating unit (103) and control means (205), and said lower resilient layer of material is arranged to be inserted into said further waterproof compartment (503) in the covering (501).
11. A sleeping mat (501) comprising: an outer layer; and an internal, waterproof, compartment (503) adapted to receive a waterproof housing (201), where said waterproof housing (201) encapsulates at least a tactile stimuli generating unit (103) and a control means (205), wherein said waterproof housing (201) is insertable into said internal waterproof compartment (503) in a removable manner.
12. The sleeping mat of claim 11, wherein said outer layer is formed of a soft material.
13. The sleeping mat of any one of claims 11 or 12, wherein said outer layer has an appearance of an animal shape.
14. A baby soothing apparatus as substantially herein before described with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 6.
15. A sleeping mat as substantially herein before described with reference to any one of Figures 5A, 5B, or 6.