JP7552310B2 - Sleeping equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to sleep equipment.

The following Patent Document 1 discloses an invention related to a vehicle seat. In this vehicle seat, the state of the user is estimated by an estimation means based on the change in the internal pressure of the massage bag detected by a detection device.

JP 2017-52332 A

However, while the above prior art can estimate whether a user is prone to falling asleep from the user's breathing, there is room for improvement in terms of providing the user with a comfortable sleep based on the depth of the user's sleep.

Taking the above facts into consideration, the present invention aims to provide a sleep device that can provide a user with a comfortable sleep based on the user's sleep depth.

The sleep apparatus of the present invention as described in claim 1 comprises a support mat supported by a support frame having legs supported relative to a vehicle cabin , the support frame being deformable into a first state capable of supporting a user in a supine position and a second state capable of supporting the user in a seated position by deformation of the support frame, a plurality of air bladders arranged in the front-to-rear direction of the support mat and in two rows in the width direction of the support mat symmetrically about a center line of the support mat extending in the front-to -rear direction to support the user and having adjustable internal pressure, a first detection unit capable of measuring the internal pressure and outputting a signal based on the internal pressure, a second detection unit capable of detecting the user's heart rate based on the signal, a memory unit storing sample data showing a correlation between a predetermined heart rate and a predetermined brain wave during sleep, a state estimation unit estimating the user's sleep depth based on the heart rate of the user detected by the second detection unit and the sample data, and a control unit controlling the internal pressure of the air bladders when the user's sleep depth estimated by the state estimation unit has reached a predetermined sleep depth.

According to the present invention described in claim 1, a support mat and a support frame that supports the support mat are provided. Then, as the support frame deforms, the support mat deforms into a first state capable of supporting a user in a supine position and a second state capable of supporting a user in a seated position. Therefore, for example, when the user is prone to falling asleep, the support mat can be set to the first state, allowing the user to sleep on the support mat. Also, when the user is awake, the support mat can be set to the second state, allowing the user to sit on the support mat.

In the present invention, a plurality of air bags are provided in the support mat in the width direction of the support mat, and these air bags can support the user. In addition, by adjusting the internal pressure of these air bags, it is possible to change the user's posture and the body pressure acting on the user's body.

It is preferable to promote blood circulation in the user's body while the user is sleeping, and in order to promote blood circulation in the body, it is preferable to change the posture of the body or to change the body pressure acting on the body. However, when the user is in a shallow sleep, stimulating the user's body will disturb the user's sleep.

Here, the present invention includes a first detection unit, a second detection unit, a memory unit, a state estimation unit, and a control unit, and by using these, the air bag can be controlled based on the depth of sleep of the user.

In more detail, the first detection unit measures the internal pressure of the air bag and outputs a signal based on the internal pressure. The second detection unit detects the user's heart rate based on the signal output from the first detection unit.

Meanwhile, the memory unit stores sample data showing the correlation between a specific heart rate and specific brain waves during sleep, and the state estimation unit estimates the depth of sleep of the user based on the user's heart rate detected by the second detection unit and the sample data stored in the memory unit.

The control unit then controls the internal pressure of the air bag when the sleep depth of the user estimated by the state estimation unit reaches a predetermined sleep depth. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to adjust the internal pressure of the air bag to promote blood circulation in the user's body while preventing disturbance of the user's sleep.

As described above, the sleep device according to the present invention described in claim 1 has the excellent effect of providing the user with a comfortable sleep based on the user's sleep depth.

FIG. 2 is a side view, seen from the width direction of the sleeping apparatus, showing a schematic configuration of the sleeping apparatus according to the present embodiment when it is in bed mode. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the sleeping apparatus according to the present embodiment when viewed from above and below, showing the configuration of the sleeping apparatus when in bed mode. FIG. 1 is a side view of the sleeping apparatus according to the present embodiment, seen from the width direction, and typically showing the configuration of the sleeping apparatus when in a seat mode. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a sleep aid according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the sleep equipment according to the present embodiment.

An example of an embodiment of the sleeping apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 5. Note that the arrow FR shown appropriately in each figure indicates the front side in the front-to-rear direction of the "sleeping apparatus 10" according to this embodiment, the arrow UP indicates the upper-lower upper side of the sleeping apparatus 10, and the arrow RH indicates the right side in the width direction of the sleeping apparatus 10. Note that, hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the front-to-rear direction means the front-to-rear direction of the sleeping apparatus 10, the up-down direction means the up-down direction of the sleeping apparatus 10, and the width direction means the width direction of the sleeping apparatus 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sleep device 10 is, as an example, disposed in the passenger compartment 14 of a vehicle 12, and includes a "support mat 18" capable of supporting a user 16, and a "support frame 20" that supports the support mat 18.

The support mat 18 is composed of a mat body (not shown) formed into a rectangular plate shape using soft urethane foam or the like, and a surface 22 that covers the mat body and is made of a cloth material.

The support mat 18 can be transformed into a first state capable of supporting the user 16 in a supine position, and a second state (see FIG. 3) capable of supporting the user 16 in a seated position, by the deformation of the support frame 20 as described below. In the following, the state of the sleep apparatus 10 when the support mat 18 is in the first state will be referred to as the bed mode, and the state of the sleep apparatus 10 when the support mat 18 is in the second state will be referred to as the seat mode.

The support frame 20 comprises a first frame 24, a second frame 26, a third frame 28 and a base frame 30. When the sleep apparatus 10 is in bed mode, the first frame 24 supports the upper body of the user 16, the second frame 26 supports the area around the thighs of the user 16, and the third frame 28 supports the area around the lower legs of the user 16. The base frame 30 is disposed vertically below the first frame 24, the second frame 26 and the third frame 28, and these are rotatably connected to the base frame 30.

The support frame 20 is provided with an actuator (not shown) that can rotate the first frame 24, the second frame 26, and the third frame 28 relative to the base frame 30, and a controller that operates the actuator. When the user 16 operates the controller, the actuator is driven to rotate the first frame 24, the second frame 26, and the third frame 28, and the sleep apparatus 10 is transformed between the bed mode and the seat mode. The support frame 20 is supported relative to the vehicle interior 14 via legs (not shown). In FIG. 3, each component of the support frame 20 is shown in a simplified form to make it easier to understand the configuration of the support mat 18.

In this embodiment, the support mat 18 has multiple "air bags 32" built in, the condition of the user 16 is estimated based on the internal pressure of the air bags 32, and the internal pressure of the air bags 32 is controlled based on the estimated condition of the user 16.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the air bags 32 are built into the support mat 18, are made of an elastically deformable material, and are bag-shaped with the longitudinal direction being the width direction. In this embodiment, as an example, a plurality of air bags 32 are arranged in the front-rear direction, and are arranged in two rows symmetrically with respect to the center line CL extending in the front-rear direction of the support mat 18. In addition, a predetermined amount of compressed air is normally injected into these air bags 32, and they are in a state capable of supporting the user 16. In addition, compressed air is supplied to the air bags 32 from a "compressor 34" via a "solenoid valve 36" as shown in FIG. 4.

Each of these air bags 32 is provided with a "pressure sensor 38" as a first detection unit, and the pressure sensor 38 is capable of measuring the internal pressure of the air bag 32 and outputting a predetermined signal based on the internal pressure. The signal output from the pressure sensor 38 is then output to the control device 40.

The control device 40 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 42, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 44, a storage 46, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 48, and an input/output interface 50. These components that make up the control device 40 are connected to each other via a bus 52 so that they can communicate with each other.

The ROM 42 is capable of storing various programs and various data, and the RAM 44 is capable of temporarily storing programs or data. As described below, the RAM 44 functions as a working area for the CPU 48. The storage 46 is configured with a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) and stores various programs and data including an operating system. The ROM 42 or the storage 46 stores programs for processing signals output from the pressure sensor 38 and for controlling the internal pressure of the air bag 32.

The CPU 48 is a central processing unit that is capable of executing various programs and controlling each part. In more detail, the CPU 48 reads programs from the ROM 42 or storage 46, and executes the programs using the RAM 44 as a working area. The CPU 48 then controls each component connected to the CPU 48 and performs various calculation processes according to these programs.

The input/output interface 50 is electrically connected to the pressure sensor 38, a control unit (not shown) of the solenoid valve 36, and a control unit (not shown) of the compressor 34.

The control device 40 configured with the above hardware is capable of implementing various functions. The functional configuration of the control device 40 will be explained below with reference to FIG. 5.

The control device 40 includes, as functional components, a "storage unit 54", a "respiratory heart rate detection unit 56" as a second detection unit, a "state estimation unit 58", a "valve control unit 60", and a "compressor control unit 62". Each functional configuration is realized by the CPU 48 reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 42 or storage 46.

The memory unit 54 stores sample data showing the correlation between the heart rate, breathing, and brain waves of a specific subject while sleeping. In more detail, the sample data stores time series data of the heart rate waveform, breathing waveform, and brain wave waveform of a specific subject while sleeping. The specific subject may be the user 16.

The respiratory heart rate detection unit 56 filters the waveform obtained based on the signal output from the pressure sensor 38 to extract the heart rate waveform and respiratory waveform of the user 16.

The state estimation unit 58 estimates the sleep depth of the user 16 based on the heart rate waveform and respiration waveform of the user 16 detected by the respiration heart rate detection unit 56 and the sample data stored in the memory unit 54. In detail, the state estimation unit 58 detects a portion of the sample data that has a heart rate waveform and a respiration waveform similar to the heart rate waveform and respiration waveform of the user 16, and estimates which state of sleep depth the user 16 is in, from stage 1 to stage 4, from the electroencephalogram waveform corresponding to that portion. Then, the state estimation unit 58 outputs a predetermined signal to the valve control unit 60 and the compressor control unit 62 when the sleep depth of the user 16 is in a predetermined sleep depth, i.e., stage 4.

When the sleep apparatus 10 is in bed mode, the valve control unit 60 controls the control unit of the solenoid valve 36 upon receiving a signal from the state estimation unit 58 to control the number and position of the air bags 32 into which compressed air is injected.

When the sleep apparatus 10 is in bed mode, the compressor control unit 62 controls the control unit of the compressor 34 upon receiving a signal from the state estimation unit 58 to control the flow rate and pressure of the compressed air injected from the compressor 34 into the air bag 32.

The valve control unit 60, compressor control unit 62, compressor 34, and solenoid valve 36 configured as described above function as a control unit. That is, the valve control unit 60, compressor control unit 62, compressor 34, and solenoid valve 36 are capable of controlling the internal pressure of each air bag 32 when the sleep depth of the user 16 estimated by the state estimation unit 58 has reached a predetermined sleep depth.

For example, in this embodiment, when a signal is input from the state estimation unit 58 to the valve control unit 60 and the compressor control unit 62, the air bag 32 on one side in the width direction may be inflated and the air bag 32 on the other side in the width direction may be deflated to encourage the user 16 to turn over. Also, when a signal is input from the state estimation unit 58 to the valve control unit 60 and the compressor control unit 62, a specific air bag 32 may be repeatedly inflated and deflated to promote blood circulation in the user 16.

(Actions and Effects of the Present Embodiment)
Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a support mat 18 and a support frame 20 that supports the support mat 18 are provided. Then, as the support frame 20 deforms, the support mat 18 deforms into a first state capable of supporting the user 16 in a supine position, and a second state capable of supporting the user 16 in a seated position. Therefore, for example, when the user 16 is prone to falling asleep, the support mat 18 can be set to the first state, allowing the user 16 to sleep on the support mat 18. Also, when the user 16 is awake, the support mat 18 can be set to the second state, allowing the user 16 to sit on the support mat.

In this embodiment, multiple air bags 32 are provided in the width direction of the support mat 18, and these air bags 32 can support the user 16. In addition, by adjusting the internal pressure of these air bags 32, the posture of the user 16 can be changed and the body pressure acting on the body of the user 16 can be changed.

It is preferable to promote blood circulation in the body of user 16 while user 16 is sleeping, and in order to promote blood circulation in the body, it is preferable to change the posture of the body or change the body pressure acting on the body. However, if user 16 is not in a deep sleep, stimulating the body of user 16 will disturb the sleep of user 16.

In this embodiment, the device is equipped with a pressure sensor 38, a respiratory and heart rate detection unit 56, a memory unit 54, a state estimation unit 58, a valve control unit 60, a compressor control unit 62, a compressor 34, and a solenoid valve 36, and by using these, the air bag 32 can be controlled based on the sleep depth of the user 16.

More specifically, the pressure sensor 38 measures the internal pressure of the air bag 32 and outputs a signal based on the internal pressure. In addition, the respiratory heart rate detection unit 56 detects the heart rate of the user 16 based on the signal output from the pressure sensor 38.

Meanwhile, the memory unit 54 stores sample data showing the correlation between a specific heart rate and specific brain waves during sleep, and the state estimation unit 58 estimates the depth of sleep of the user 16 based on the heart rate of the user 16 detected by the respiratory heart rate detection unit 56 and the sample data stored in the memory unit 54.

The valve control unit 60, compressor control unit 62, compressor 34, and solenoid valve 36 control the internal pressure of the air bag 32 when the sleep depth of the user 16 estimated by the state estimation unit 58 reaches a predetermined sleep depth. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to adjust the internal pressure of the air bag 32 to promote blood circulation in the body of the user 16 while suppressing disturbance of the sleep of the user 16.

Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to provide the user 16 with a comfortable sleep based on the depth of sleep of the user 16.

The sleeping apparatus 10 can be placed not only in the passenger compartment 14 of the vehicle 12, but also in a bedroom of a building. The air bag 32 is also not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and may be configured such that one air bag is divided into multiple chambers. In such a configuration, the multiple chambers function as the air bag 32 in this embodiment.

10 Sleeping apparatus 18 Support mat 20 Support frame 32 Air bag 34 Compressor (control unit)
36 Solenoid valve (control unit)
38 Pressure sensor 54 Memory unit 56 Respiration and heart rate detection unit (second detection unit)
58 State estimation unit 60 Valve control unit (control unit)
62 Compressor control unit (control unit)

Claims (1)

a support mat supported by a support frame having legs supported relative to a vehicle interior , the support mat being deformable into a first state capable of supporting a user in a supine position and a second state capable of supporting the user in a seated position by deformation of the support frame;
The support mat is provided with a plurality of air bags in a front-rear direction of the support mat, and two rows in a width direction of the support mat are provided symmetrically with respect to a center line of the support mat extending in the front -rear direction, the air bags being capable of supporting the user and capable of adjusting the internal pressure;
A first detection unit capable of measuring the internal pressure and outputting a signal based on the internal pressure;
A second detection unit capable of detecting a heartbeat of the user based on the signal;
A storage unit storing sample data indicating a correlation between a predetermined heart rate and a predetermined brain wave during sleep;
a state estimation unit that estimates a sleep depth of the user based on the heart rate of the user detected by the second detection unit and the sample data;
a control unit that controls an internal pressure of the air bag when the sleep depth of the user estimated by the state estimation unit has reached a predetermined sleep depth;
A sleep device having: