Biofeedback Virtual Reality Sleep Assistant

Abstract

Biofeedback virtual reality sleep assistant technologies monitor one or more physiological parameters while presenting an immersive environment. The presentation of the immersive environment changes over time in response to changes in the values of the physiological parameters. The changes in the presentation of the immersive environment are configured using biofeedback technology and are designed to promote sleep.

1 . A method for promoting sleep, the method comprising, with a biofeedback virtual reality system:
 monitoring a physiological signal received from a sensor over time;   presenting an immersive virtual environment with a virtual reality device, the immersive virtual environment comprising a display of visual elements designed to promote sleep;   detecting a change in the physiological signal, and in response to the detected change in the physiological signal:
 applying biofeedback technology to determine an adjustment to the immersive virtual environment, wherein the adjustment is to change the display of visual elements; and 
 presenting the adjustment to the immersive virtual environment with the virtual reality device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising receiving the physiological signal at a mobile or wearable sensing and computing device, and determining one or more physiological parameters based on the physiological signal. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , where the presenting of the immersive virtual environment is in response to a user actively attempting to control a physiological parameter being sensed by the sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising selecting the immersive virtual environment from a plurality of stored immersive virtual environments based on the physiological signals and/or user customization data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising determining user customization data and determining the adjustment to the immersive virtual environment based on the user customization data. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the immersive virtual environment comprises an audio soundtrack, and the method comprises applying biofeedback technology to determine an adjustment to the audio soundtrack and applying the adjustment to the audio soundtrack with the virtual reality device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising determining a mapping defining a relationship between physiological signals and elements of the immersive virtual environment, wherein the mapping is defined to promote sleep, and using the mapping to determine the adjustment to the immersive virtual environment. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , comprising storing data relating to adjustments made to the immersive virtual environment over time and physiological signals monitored after the adjustments have been made, applying an artificial intelligence or machine learning technique to the stored data to algorithmically learn a modification to the mapping; and updating the mapping to include the learned modification. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising detecting a sleep state based on the monitoring of the physiological signal and turning off the display of visual elements in response to the sleep state. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the physiological signal represents a respiration rate or a heart rate or muscle activity, the monitoring detects a change in the respiration rate, heart rate, or muscle activity and the method comprises, in response to the change in the respiration rate, heart rate or muscle activity, changing a speed, quantity, density, frequency, color, brightness, contrast, direction, depth, focus, point of view, and/or complexity of one or more of the visual elements in the presentation of the immersive virtual environment. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the immersive virtual environment further comprises an audio soundtrack, and the method comprises changing the volume, content, speed, complexity, and/or intensity of the audio soundtrack in response to the change in the respiration rate or heart rate. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the physiological signal represents a respiration rate or a heart rate, the monitoring detects a decrease in the respiration rate or heart rate, and the method comprises, in response to the decrease in the respiration rate or heart rate, decreasing speed, and increasing quantity, density and/or frequency of one or more of the visual elements in the presentation of the immersive virtual environment. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the immersive virtual environment further comprises an audio soundtrack, and the method comprises increasing the volume or degree of surround sound at which the audio soundtrack is played in response to the decrease in the respiration rate or heart rate. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the physiological signal represents a respiration rate or a heart rate or a rate of muscle activity, the monitoring detects a change in the respiration rate or heart rate or muscle activity, and the method comprises, in response to the change in the respiration rate or heart rate or muscle activity, changing speed, quantity, density, and/or frequency of one or more of the visual elements in the presentation of the immersive virtual environment. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising changing the volume at which the audio soundtrack is played in response to the change in the respiration rate or heart rate. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising determining a value of a physiological parameter based on the physiological signal, wherein the physiological parameter has a range of possible values, the immersive virtual environment comprises a plurality of visual stages, each of the visual stages comprises a different arrangement of visual elements, each of the visual stages corresponds to a different subset of the range of possible values of the physiological parameter, determining the adjustment comprises selecting a visual stage corresponding to the determined value of the physiological parameter, and presenting the adjustment comprises presenting the selected visual stage. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the immersive virtual environment comprises a plurality of audio stages, each of the audio stages comprises a different arrangement of audio elements, each of the audio stages corresponds to a different subset of the range of possible values of the physiological parameter, determining the adjustment comprises selecting an audio stage corresponding to the determined value of the physiological parameter, and presenting the adjustment comprises presenting the selected audio stage. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising, determining, a value of a physiological parameter from the physiological signal, wherein the physiological parameter comprises a respiration rate, a heart rate, an electroencephalography (EEG) measurement, a measure of muscle activity, and/or a human body temperature, and determining the adjustment to the immersive virtual environment based on the value of the physiological parameter. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the immersive virtual environment further comprises an audio soundtrack, and the method comprises determining a visual adjustment to adjust the display of visual elements and determining an audio adjustment to adjust the audio soundtrack. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  comprising determining the visual adjustment independently of the determining of the audio adjustment. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the immersive virtual environment comprises a plurality of different sensory stimuli, and the method comprises independently adjusting each of the different sensory stimuli in response to the change in the physiological signal. 
     
     
         22 . A biofeedback virtual reality system for promoting sleep, the biofeedback virtual reality system comprising:
 a sensor to detect a physiological signal;   a mobile or wearable computing device to:
 receive the physiological signal; 
 determine a value of a physiological parameter based on the physiological signal; 
 map the value of the physiological parameter to a stage of an immersive virtual environment of a plurality of stored immersive virtual environments, each of the stored immersive virtual environments comprising a succession of stages designed to promote sleep, each of the stages comprising a different arrangement of sensory stimuli; and 
   a virtual reality device in communication with the mobile or wearable computing device, the virtual reality device to present the stage of the immersive virtual environment;   wherein the mobile or wearable computing device is to determine a new value of the physiological parameter and map the new value of the physiological parameter to a new stage of the immersive virtual environment; and   wherein the virtual reality device is to present the new stage of the immersive virtual environment in response to the new value of the physiological parameter.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the mobile or wearable computing device comprises a smartphone, a tablet computer, an attachable/detachable device, a smart watch, smart glasses, a smart wristband, smart jewelry, and/or smart apparel. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein at least two of the mobile or wearable computing device, the virtual reality device, and the sensor are embodied as a unitary device. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the mobile or wearable computing device receives the physiological signal through wireless communication and/or the mobile or wearable computing device communicates with the virtual reality device through wireless communication. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the sensor comprises a motion sensor, and wherein the mobile or wearable computing device determines a respiration rate from the output of the motion sensor. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the mobile or wearable computing device comprises a positioner to position the mobile or wearable computing device to detect human body motion indicating breathing. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the mobile or wearable computing device is to receive a plurality of different physiological signals, determine a value of each of a plurality of different physiological parameters based on the plurality of different physiological signals, and determine a stage of the immersive virtual environment based on the values of the different physiological parameters. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the immersive virtual environment comprises an arrangement of visual elements including an avatar that interacts with the immersive virtual environment in response to the physiological signal. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 22 , comprising a gaze detector in communication with the mobile or wearable computing device, wherein the mobile or wearable computing device is to manipulate the immersive virtual environment in response to output of the gaze detector. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising, wherein the virtual reality device comprises virtual reality eyewear and headphones. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the virtual reality device comprises high-definition video glasses, a non-rigid sleep mask, a television, a projector to project a display of visual elements onto a wall or ceiling, and/or one or more remote speakers. 
     
     
         33 . A biofeedback virtual reality sleep assistant embodied in one or more computer accessible media, the biofeedback virtual reality sleep assistant comprising:
 a physiological signal processor to receive one or more physiological signals from one or more sensing devices;   a physiological signal processing module to monitor one or more physiological parameters from the one or more physiological signals over time, each of the physiological parameters having a range of possible values, and to determine a value of each of the physiological parameters at a plurality of different instances in time;   a physiological parameter mapping module to map the values of the one or more physiological parameters at an instance in time to a stage of an immersive virtual environment selected from a plurality of stored immersive virtual environments, each of the immersive virtual environments comprising at least a visual display and an audio soundtrack, each of the visual display and the audio soundtrack having a plurality of successive stages designed to promote sleep; and   an immersive environment control module to present the stage of the selected immersive virtual environment by one or more virtual reality devices;   wherein the physiological signal processing module is to detect changes in the values of the one or more physiological parameters over time; and   wherein the physiological parameter mapping module is to change the stage of the selected immersive virtual environment in response to the changes in the values of the one or more physiological parameters.   
     
     
         34 . The sleep assistant of  claim 33 , wherein the physiological parameter mapping module map the values of the one or more physiological parameters to a stage of an immersive virtual environment by executing a continuous mapping function or by accessing a lookup table. 
     
     
         35 . The sleep assistant of  claim 33 , wherein the physiological parameter mapping module is to map the values of the one or more physiological parameters to a stage of the visual display and separately map the values of the one or more physiological parameters to a stage of the audio soundtrack. 
     
     
         36 . The sleep assistant of  claim 33 , wherein the immersive environment control module is to construct the selected immersive virtual environment in real time by adding, deleting, or changing elements of the visual display and/or the audio soundtrack based on the values of the one or more physiological parameters. 
     
     
         37 . The sleep assistant of  claim 33 , wherein the immersive environment control module is to communicate with a smart device to control an aspect of a physical environment in response to changes in the values of the one or more physiological parameters over time. 
     
     
         38 . An article of manufacture comprising, embodied in one or more computer accessible storage media: an immersive virtual environment comprising a display of visual elements and an audio soundtrack, wherein the display and the audio soundtrack each have a plurality of stages that are coordinated with different values of at least one physiological parameter.