Method and apparatus for monitoring vital signs remotely

Abstract

A method and apparatus for monitoring vital signs, such as cardiopulmonary activity, using a ballistograph are provided. The method and apparatus may be used to monitor an infant sleeping in a crib, a patient in a hospital, a person with a chronic disease at home or in professional care, or a person in an elder-care setting.

It is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by an electronic control system, data received from at least one status sensor for collecting status information for a user positioned on a sleep surface;   analyzing, by the electronic control system, the data received from the at least one status sensor to determine that the user is snoring;   in response to determining that the user is snoring, triggering, by the electronic control system, a movement of at least a portion of the sleep surface.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one status sensor comprises an audio sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one status sensor comprises a video sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein analyzing the data received from the at least one status sensor to determine that the user is snoring includes applying a digital filter to the received data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the digital filter is associated with a frequency range indicative of snoring. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein applying the digital filter to the received data includes selecting the digital filter, by the electronic control system, based on the digital filter being associated with the frequency range indicative of snoring. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein analyzing the data received from the at least one status sensor to determine that the user is snoring includes applying a digital filter to the received data to select a portion of a signal represented by the data. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the digital filter filters out portions of the signal that fall outside of a frequency range indicative of snoring. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sleep surface is an upper portion of a mattress and wherein triggering a movement of at least a portion of the sleep surface includes triggering a portion of the mattress to be raised. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein triggering a movement of at least a portion of the sleep surface includes triggering a portion of the sleep surface to be raised. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein triggering a movement of at least a portion of the sleep surface includes triggering a portion of the sleep surface to vibrate. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein triggering a movement of at least a portion of the sleep surface includes triggering a portion of the sleep surface to shake. 
     
     
         13 . A sleep system comprising:
 a sleep surface configured to support a user;   at least one status sensor for collecting status information for a user positioned on the sleep surface; and   an electronic control system configured to:
 receive data from the at least one status sensor; 
 analyze the data received from the at least one status sensor to determine that the user is snoring; and 
 trigger a movement of at least a portion of the sleep surface in response to determining that the user is snoring. 
   
     
     
         14 . The sleep system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one status sensor comprises an audio sensor. 
     
     
         15 . The sleep system of  claim 13 , wherein analyzing the data received from the at least one status sensor to determine that the user is snoring includes applying a digital filter to the received data. 
     
     
         16 . The sleep system of  claim 15 , wherein the digital filter is associated with a frequency range indicative of snoring and wherein the electronic control system is further configured to select the digital filter based on the digital filter being associated with the frequency range indicative of snoring. 
     
     
         17 . The sleep system of  claim 13 , wherein analyzing the data received from the at least one status sensor to determine that the user is snoring includes applying a digital filter to the received data to select a portion of a signal represented by the data. 
     
     
         18 . The sleep system of  claim 17 , wherein the digital filter filters out portions of the signal that fall outside of a frequency range indicative of snoring. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control surface is further configured to trigger a portion of the sleep surface to be raised in response to determining that the user is snoring. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control surface is further configured to trigger a portion of the sleep surface to vibrate in response to determining that the user is snoring.