JPH0228840B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a clock device having an alarm function,
More specifically, the present invention relates to a clock device having a function of detecting the depth of sleep and adjusting the time when an alarm sound is sounded.

Brain wave measurements have revealed that humans alternate between deep sleep and light sleep in waves during sleep. Also, when you are woken up from a light sleep state, you feel refreshed even if your sleep time is relatively short, but when you are forced to wake up from a deep sleep state, even if you have had enough sleep, you feel refreshed and feel refreshed. Experience has shown that it is unpleasant.

Therefore, an alarm clock has been proposed that measures brain waves during sleep and is configured to not sound an alarm when a waveform (called δ waves, frequency 1 to 4 Hz) characteristic of deep sleep appears. . (Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 1973-
38375) However, since electroencephalograms are extremely weak electrical currents, measuring them requires at least one pair of wet electrodes to be brought into contact with the scalp, which is a nuisance and causes a sense of dysesthesia to be incorporated into daily life. Furthermore, since brain waves exhibit extremely irregular waveforms, it may be difficult for even experienced psychiatrists to distinguish them, and it is nearly impossible to distinguish them by signal processing using electric circuits.

Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to extract information that is related to the level of neural activity in the brain and that can be easily processed through a sensor that causes little discomfort even when worn on the head on a daily basis, and to use this information to wake up the brain. It is linked to a clock.

For the above purpose, in the present invention, a sensor that converts eye movements into electrical signals is used to determine the level of neural activity in the brain.

It is known that there is a correlation between the level of neural activity in the brain and the level of eye movements; when neural activity is active, the frequency of eye movements is high, and when a person is in a state of deep sleep or meditation, the frequency of eye movements is low. . Therefore, it is possible to determine the level of neural activity from the frequency of eye movements, and the change in sleep depth can be determined from the change over time.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a timepiece device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and arrows indicate signal flows. The clock mechanism 1 is an electronic clock having a time reference signal source, a time keeping mechanism, a time display device, and a driving power source, and is operated by an operating member 2. The alarm time and detection period setting mechanism 3 is operated by the operation member 2, and has the function of receiving a time reference signal from the clock mechanism 1 and starting the sound generation mechanism 6 at the alarm setting time, and the function of starting the sounding mechanism 6 at the alarm setting time, and setting an arbitrary or fixed alarm before and after the alarm setting time. It has a function of setting a detection period and driving the sensor 4 and determination circuit 5 during this detection period.

The eye movement detection sensor 4 converts the movement of the eyeball into an electrical signal, and the main part consists of a resistive element or a capacitive element, and is used by being placed on the eyelid. The sleep depth determination circuit 5 processes the signal from the sensor 4 based on the time reference signal from the clock mechanism 1, counts the frequency of eye movements from the number of eye movements within a certain period of time, and detects changes over time. Determine sleep depth and its transition. Furthermore, based on the determination, a drive signal is generated to drive the sounding mechanism 6.

The sound generation mechanism 6 is a buzzer that generates sound in response to a drive signal from the determination circuit 5, or a speaker that emits electronic sounds of various pitches.
Adjustments and sound stop operations are performed.

Although the above configuration is essential to the present invention, the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 further includes a function of displaying deep sleep time.

The determination circuit 5 drives the deep sleep time counter 7 during the period when the neural activity is below a predetermined level, and the counter 7 adds up the deep sleep time based on the time reference signal from the clock mechanism 1. The accumulated deep sleep time is displayed on the display device 8 and reset using the operating member 2. When using this function, the sensor 4 and the determination circuit 5 are constantly driven, regardless of the previous detection period.

The biofeedback method is a method that quantitatively displays and recognizes the state of the body, makes efforts to change the situation toward the goal, and guides the person toward the goal by making the person recognize the changed results. However, using the clock device of the present invention, it is possible to induce a meditative state or a sleep state by the biofeedback method. In this case, the setting mechanism 3 sets an arbitrary detection period regardless of the wake-up time, the signal from the sensor 4 is processed by the determination circuit 5 to determine the neural activity level of the brain, and the sound generation mechanism 6 is driven. Generates a signal sound that corresponds to the level of neural activity. Signal tones stimulate the brain and increase the activity level, but if the volume decreases as the activity level decreases, or if the pitch of the intermittent tones is made sparse, biofeedback will function and induce a meditative or meditative state. induced into a sleep state.

FIG. 2 is a time chart explaining the operation of the timepiece device of the present invention. The horizontal axis shows time, and the vertical axis shows brain activity level expressed as eye movement frequency. Hereinafter, the operation of the timepiece device of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. 2, with reference to components 1 to 8 shown in FIG.

The operating member 2 is operated to set the wake-up time t5, the detection period T1 for biofidback, and the detection period T2 or T3 for the wake-up in the setting mechanism 3. When a person goes to bed at time t1, the biofeedback functions during period T1, and the brain activity level decreases smoothly as shown by curve 11, leading to a state of restful sleep or meditative state. At time t2, the biofeedback stops and prevents sound production during restful sleep.

When the time reaches t3, the sensor 4 and the determination circuit 5 are activated, and the sleep depth as shown by the curve 12 or 13 is measured. When the alarm period is set to T2, the time t when the maximum value of the brain activity level appears within the period, as shown in curve 12.
4, the sounding mechanism 6 is activated and an alarm sound for alarming is produced. When the level of activity progresses as shown in curve 13, no local maximum appears within period T2. In such a case, an alarm sound is emitted at the end t5 of the set period T2.

On the other hand, if the setting period T3 is set before and after the alarm setting time t5, the time at which the maximum value of the brain activity level first appears (t4 or t
6), but if the maximum value is not detected, the sound is generated at the end t7 of the period T3.

Further, instead of detecting the maximum value of the brain activity level and emitting the sound, it is also possible to detect the value and emit the sound when the brain activity level exceeds a predetermined level set in advance.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing an embodiment of an eye movement detection sensor that is a component of the present invention, and the sensor is incorporated inside the eye mask 15. As shown in FIG. 16 is a rubber band for fixing the eye mask 15 to the face, and 17 is a lead wire.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part of the eye mask shown in FIG. 3, in which a sensor 4 made of a flexible capacitive element or a resistive element is sandwiched between a light-shielding fabric 18 and a soft fabric 19. . When the eye mask is worn, the soft fabric 19 lightly contacts the closed eyelids. When the eyeball moves, the flexible sensor 4 deforms, and the capacitance or resistance changes due to the deformation strain, which is detected as an electrical signal.

Eye masks are commonly used as sleep aids, and there is no discomfort in wearing them on a daily basis.

As explained above, the alarm clock device of the present invention eliminates insomnia by inducing a peaceful sleep state using the biofeedback function, and promises a refreshing awakening by emitting an alarm sound at the most favorable time. It is useful for health management by displaying sound sleep time, and has great practical value as it extends the function of alarm clocks to the field of health equipment.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings all show embodiments of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the clock device, FIG. 2 is a time chart explaining the operation of the clock device, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the eye movement detection sensor. , FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part of the eye mask. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Clock mechanism, 2... Operation member, 3... Setting mechanism, 4... Sensor, 5... Judgment circuit, 6... Sound generation mechanism, 7... Deep sleep time counter, 8... Display device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A clock mechanism, a setting mechanism that sets the alarm time and detection period, an eye movement detection sensor that converts eye movement into an electrical signal, and a time when the eye movement frequency reaches its maximum value by processing the signal from this sensor. a determination circuit that determines and issues a signal, a sounding mechanism that emits an alarm sound in response to a signal from the determination circuit and the first signal from the setting mechanism, and a clock mechanism, the setting mechanism, and the sounding mechanism. and an operating member to be operated, and is configured to determine the depth of sleep during a predetermined detection period before the alarm setting time, and to appropriately advance the sound generation time of the alarm sound depending on the sleep depth. An alarm clock device that detects eye movement.