Sensor strip for gathering human biological signals and controlling a bed device

Abstract

Introduced are methods and systems for an adjustable bed device configured to: gather biological signals associated with multiple users, such as heart rate, breathing rate, or temperature; analyze the gathered human biological signals; and heat or cool a bed based on the analysis.

1 . A system for automatically heating a mattress comprising:
 a sensor strip, comprising:
 a user sensor configured to measure a biological signal associated with a user, wherein said user sensor comprises a piezo sensor and a temperature sensor, and further wherein said biological signal comprises a heart rate associated with said user and a breathing rate associated with said user; and 
 a computer bus, wherein said computer bus comprises three straight strips, wherein said three straight strips include a first strip coupled at a first right angle to a second strip, and said second strip is coupled at a second right angle to a third strip, and further wherein said first strip is configured to bend backwards at specified locations, thereby extending a total length of said sensor strip; and 
   an environment sensor associated with a bed, said environment sensor configured to measure an environment property, wherein said environment property comprises a temperature, a humidity, a light intensity, or a sound; and   a coil, divided into a plurality of zones corresponding to a plurality of users, wherein each zone of said plurality of zones is controlled independently of remaining zones of said plurality of zones, and wherein each said zone is further divided into a plurality of subzones, wherein said coil is configured to uniformly heat each subzone in said plurality of subzones; and   a computer processor communicatively coupled to said sensor strip and said coil, said computer processor configured to determine a control signal, and a time to send said control signal to said coil.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said control signal comprises an instruction to heat said coil to a high temperature, wherein said high temperature comprises an average high temperature associated with said user. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said time comprises average bedtime associated with said user. 
     
     
         4 . A system comprising:
 a sensor strip, comprising:
 a user sensor configured to measure a biological signal associated with a user; and 
 a computer bus configured to bend at specified locations, thereby changing a length of said sensor strip; and 
   a coil, configured to modify temperature of a mattress; and   a computer processor communicatively coupled to said sensor strip and said coil, said computer processor configured to determine a control signal, and a time to send said control signal to said coil.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said coil is divided into a plurality of zones corresponding to a plurality of users, wherein each zone of said plurality of zones is controlled independently of remaining zones of said plurality of zones. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein each said zone is further divided into a plurality of subzones, wherein said coil is configured to uniformly heat each subzone in said plurality of subzones. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein said coil has a density that is higher in said subzone corresponding to lower back, or feet, than in said plurality of subzones corresponding to other parts of said user's body. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein each said zone is further divided into a plurality of subzones, wherein said coil is configured to uniformly cool each subzone in said plurality of subzones. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said coil has a density that is higher in said subzone corresponding to lower back, or feet than in said plurality of subzones corresponding to other parts of said user's body. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a power supply, wherein said power supply is configured to independently supply power to each of said plurality of zones corresponding to said plurality of users. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said user sensor comprises at least one of a piezo sensor or a temperature sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said sensor strip comprises a body, wherein said body comprises a fabric layer, foam layer, a piezo sensor, and temperature sensor. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said sensor strip comprises a tail region, wherein said tail region comprises a polycarbonate stiffener layer, a stiffener foam layer, piezo sensor wire leads, and temperature sensor wire leads. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said biological signal associated with said user corresponds to a presence associated with said user, a motion associated with said user, a breathing rate associated with said user, a temperature associated with said user, or a heart rate associated with said user. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said control signal comprises one of: an instruction to heat said coil, or an instruction to cool said coil. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said time comprises average bedtime associated with said user. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said computer bus comprises three straight strips, wherein said three straight strips include a first strip that is coupled at a first right angle to a second strip, and said second strip is coupled at a second right angle to a third strip, and further wherein said first strip is configured to bend backwards at specified locations, thereby extending a total length of said sensor strip. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said coil comprises a left coil and a right coil, wherein said left coil and said right coil are mirror images of each other, and further wherein said left coil comprises a plurality of consecutive elongated rectangles, each rectangle sharing and elongated edge with a neighboring rectangle, and further wherein each said rectangle is missing a short edge, wherein said short edge is different from a first short edge missing in said neighboring rectangle. 
     
     
         19 . A system comprising:
 a sensor strip, comprising:
 a user sensor configured to measure a biological signal associated with a user, said biological signal comprising a heart rate associated with said user, a breathing rate associated with said user, a temperature associated with said user, or a motion associated with said user; 
 a computer bus configured to bend at specified locations, thereby changing a length of said sensor strip; and 
   a computer processor communicatively coupled to said sensor strip, said computer processor configured to identify said user based on at least one of: said heart rate associated with said user, said breathing rate associated with said user, said temperature associated with said user, or said motion associated with said user.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said computer processor is configured to display said biological signal over time, in a graphical user interface. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said computer processor is configured to determine a sleep phase associated with said user, based on said biological signal. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said computer processor is configured to calculate an average bedtime associated with said user. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said user sensor comprises at least one of a piezo sensor or a temperature sensor. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said sensor strip comprises a body, wherein said body comprises a fabric layer, foam layer, a piezo sensor, and temperature sensor. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said sensor strip comprises a tail region, wherein said tail region comprises a polycarbonate stiffener layer, a stiffener foam layer, piezo sensor wire leads, and temperature sensor wire leads. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said computer bus comprises three straight strips, wherein a first strip is coupled at a first right angle to a second strip, and said second strip is coupled at a second right angle to a third strip, and further where said first strip is configured to bend backwards at predetermined locations, thereby extending a total length of said sensor strip. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a material layer coupled to said computer processor, said material configured to receive a control signal from said computer processor, and to heat or cool based on said control signal. 
     
     
         28 . A system comprising:
 a sensor strip configured to obtain a biological signal associated with a user from a sensor, wherein said biological signal corresponds to a heart rate associated with said user, a temperature associated with said user, a motion associated with said user, and breathing rate associated with said user;   a processor configured to:
 identify said user based on at least one of: said heart rate associated with said user, said breathing rate associated with said user, said temperature associated with said user, or said motion associated with said user; 
 determine a control signal, and a time to send said control signal to a coil, using said processor, wherein said control signal comprises one of an instruction to heat said coil to a high temperature, or an instruction to cool said coil to a low temperature, and further wherein said time comprises an average bedtime associated with said user; and 
 sending said control signal at said average bedtime associated with said user to said coil, such that said coil is heated or cooled according to said control signal. 
   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein said high temperature comprises an average high temperature associated with said user. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein said low temperature comprises an average low temperature associated with said user. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein said sensor strip comprises a body, wherein said body comprises a fabric layer, foam layer, a piezo sensor, and temperature sensor. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein said sensor strip comprises a tail region, wherein said tail region comprises a polycarbonate stiffener layer, a stiffener foam layer, piezo sensor wire leads, and temperature sensor wire leads. 
     
     
         33 . A method to manufacture a sensor strip, said method comprising:
 placing a first fabric layer with a coated surface associated with said first fabric layer facing up, wherein said first fabric layer comprises a first and a second long edge, and a first and a second short edge;   placing a first foam layer on top of said first fabric layer, wherein said first foam layer is centered between said first and said second long edge, and wherein said first foam layer is closer to said first short edge then to said second short edge, and wherein a 1st region between said first foam layer and said second short edge is a tail region;   placing a temperature sensor on top of said first foam layer;   placing a piezo sensor on top of said first foam layer;   placing a second foam layer on top of said piezo sensor, wherein said second foam layer is centered between said first and said second long edge, and wherein said second foam layer is closer to said first short edge then to said second short edge, and wherein a region between said second foam layer and said second short edge is said tail region;   placing a second fabric layer on top of said second foam layer; and   laminating said first and said second fabric layer, said first and said second foam layer, said piezo sensor, and said temperature sensor.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , said method further comprising:
 placing a first polycarbonate stiffener layer on top of said tail region associated with said first fabric layer;   placing a first stiffener foam layer on top of said first polycarbonate stiffener layer;   placing a plurality of wireless leads associated with said piezo sensor and a plurality of wireless leads associated with said temperature sensor on top of said first stiffener foam layer;   placing a second stiffener foam layer on top of said plurality of wireless leads associated with said piezo sensor, and said plurality of wireless leads associated with said temperature sensor;   placing a second polycarbonate stiffener layer on top of said second stiffener foam layer; and   laminating said first and said second polycarbonate stiffener layer, said first and said second stiffener foam layer in said plurality of wireless leads associated with said piezo sensor, and said plurality of wireless leads associated with said temperature sensor.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said first foam layer and said second foam layer have a same shape, said shape comprising a first and a second long edge, and a first and a second short edge, wherein said first long edge comprises a plurality of protrusions, and a plurality of gaps. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said placing said second foam layer further comprises:
 orienting said second foam layer so that said plurality of gaps associated with said second foam layer are on top of said plurality of protrusions associated with said first foam layer.