KR102377703B1 - Sleep diagnosis device - Google Patents

Abstract

A sleep diagnosis device according to an aspect according to the technical spirit of the present disclosure includes a sensing unit including a plurality of sensors for obtaining sleep diagnosis data of a user, a memory storing the sleep diagnosis data, and broadcasting the sleep diagnosis data a BLE module, and one of the plurality of sensors with the lowest power consumption is activated, the remaining sensors are deactivated, and the user's sleep entry is detected using the activated sensor, and the user sleeps. When it is detected that it has not entered the BLE module, it controls to deactivate the broadcast function of the BLE module and the data storage function of the memory. and a processor controlling to obtain diagnostic data.

Description

Sleep Diagnosis Device {SLEEP DIAGNOSIS DEVICE}

The technical idea of the present disclosure relates to a sleep diagnosis device, and more particularly, to a sleep diagnosis device for diagnosing a user's sleep state by directly or indirectly contacting a predetermined position of the body.

Sleep (sleep) is one of the important factors in human physical and mental health. Adequate sleep has the effect of recovering from fatigue, improving immunity and concentration, relieving stress, and recovering inflammation or muscle recovery. For adults, it is generally recommended to get enough sleep of about 7 to 8 hours per day.

However, it is difficult for modern people to get enough sleep due to various internal/external environmental factors or stress, and even if they sleep more than 7 hours a day, the time for maintaining a deep sleep state is often short. Sleep disorders such as lack of sleep or insomnia not only cause a decrease in work concentration or productivity, but can also be a major factor in harming physical or mental health.

People suffering from sleep disorders can find out the cause of sleep disorders and treat their symptoms through polysomnography, etc. However, polysomnography is expensive and has the inconvenience of having to spend one night in a hospital's examination room to measure it. In particular, polysomnography may be cumbersome and inconvenient because it requires that the device be attached to too many areas such as the nose, face, and scalp.

Recently, with the development of smart devices, wearable devices that are worn on or in contact with the human body to sense the user's sleep state have appeared. However, in the case of such a wearable device, a user may feel uncomfortable due to its volume or weight, and it may be difficult to drive for a long time according to a capacity limit of a battery provided in the device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sleep diagnosis device that is attached to a predetermined area of a user's body and acquires data for diagnosing a user's sleep state.

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a sleep diagnosis device that can be operated for a long time by minimizing the size of the user and minimizing unnecessary power consumption at the same time.

In order to achieve the above object, a sleep diagnosis device according to an aspect according to the technical spirit of the present disclosure includes a sensing unit including a plurality of sensors for acquiring a user's sleep diagnosis data, the sleep diagnosis data Detects whether the user has entered sleep using a memory for storing the sleep diagnosis data, a communication unit that outputs the sleep diagnosis data to the outside, and any one of the plurality of sensors with the lowest power consumption among the plurality of sensors. and a processor controlling the sensing unit to obtain the sleep diagnosis data.

According to an embodiment, when the processor detects whether the sleep has entered, the processor cuts off power supply to the remaining sensors except for the one of the plurality of sensors, and detects that the user has not entered the sleep In this case, power supply to the communication unit and the memory may be cut off.

According to an embodiment, the communication unit may include a BLE module, and the processor may control the BLE module to broadcast the sleep diagnosis data.

According to an embodiment, the plurality of sensors may include at least one of an inhalation/exhalation detection sensor, an acceleration sensor, a sound pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor.

According to an embodiment, the inhalation/exhalation detection sensor includes a ring-shaped sensor cover, a first electrode coupled to one side opening of the sensor cover to block the one side opening, and the other side opening coupled to the other side opening of the sensor cover. It may include a second electrode to block the, and a plurality of conductive microballs accommodated in an accommodation space formed by the sensor cover, the first electrode, and the second electrode.

According to an embodiment, the sleep diagnosis data may be selected from among data related to detection of an inhalation section and an exhalation section, data related to motion detection during sleep, data related to detection of a sound generated during sleep, and data related to body temperature change during sleep. It may include at least one.

According to an embodiment, the sleep diagnosis device forms a predetermined area, an adhesive pad coated with an adhesive on one surface, and the other surface of the attachment pad, and includes the sensing unit, the memory, the communication unit, and the processor. It may be a band-type sleep diagnosis device that further includes a device body having an accommodating space for accommodating it.

The sleep diagnosis device according to the technical spirit of the present disclosure may directly or indirectly contact a user's body to effectively acquire various sleep diagnosis data. In particular, the sleep diagnosis device according to the present embodiment is implemented as a band-type sleep diagnosis device attached to a region between the user's nose and mouth, so that more accurate sleep diagnosis data may be obtained.

In addition, the sleep diagnosis device can minimize power consumption by transmitting sleep diagnosis data to the analysis device using a low-power short-distance wireless communication method such as BLE, and controls internal components to minimize standby power when detecting whether the user is sleeping can do. Accordingly, long-term sleep diagnosis data can be smoothly collected even with an ultra-small sleep diagnosis device having a small capacity battery.

Effects that can be obtained by the band-type sleep diagnosis device according to the technical spirit of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned above are common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains from the description below. It will be clearly understood by those who have

In order to more fully understand the drawings cited in this disclosure, a brief description of each drawing is provided.
1 is a conceptual diagram of a sleep diagnosis system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
2 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of a band-type sleep diagnosis device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
3 is a view showing an embodiment of an inhalation/exhalation detection sensor included in a band-type sleep diagnosis device.
4 is a ladder diagram for explaining a sleep diagnosis operation of the sleep diagnosis system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an operation in which the sleep diagnosis device controls the state of components in the device according to a result of detecting whether a user is sleeping, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Exemplary embodiments according to the technical spirit of the present disclosure are provided to more completely explain the technical spirit of the present disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the following embodiments are modified in various other forms may be, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. Rather, these embodiments are provided so as to more fully and complete the present disclosure, and to fully convey the technical spirit of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

Although the terms first, second, etc. are used in this disclosure to describe various members, regions, layers, regions, and/or components, these members, parts, regions, layers, regions, and/or components refer to these terms It is self-evident that it should not be limited by These terms do not imply a specific order, upper and lower, or superiority, and are used only to distinguish one member, region, region, or component from another member, region, region, or component. Accordingly, a first member, region, region, or component to be described below may refer to a second member, region, region, or component without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the concepts of this disclosure belong, including technical and scientific terms. In addition, commonly used terms as defined in the dictionary should be construed as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and unless explicitly defined herein, in an overly formal sense. shall not be interpreted.

In cases where certain embodiments may be implemented otherwise, a specific process sequence may be performed different from the described sequence. For example, two processes described in succession may be performed substantially simultaneously, or may be performed in an order opposite to the described order.

In the accompanying drawings, variations of the illustrated shapes can be expected, for example depending on manufacturing technology and/or tolerances. Accordingly, embodiments according to the technical spirit of the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the specific shape of the region shown in the present disclosure, but should include, for example, a change in shape resulting from a manufacturing process. The same reference numerals are used for the same components in the drawings, and duplicate descriptions thereof are omitted.

As used herein, the term 'and/or' includes each and every combination of one or more of the recited elements.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the technical spirit of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a sleep diagnosis system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the sleep diagnosis system 10 may include a sleep diagnosis device 100 and an analysis device 200 .

The sleep diagnosis device 100 is implemented to be in contact with a predetermined region of the user's body, and may acquire (collect) various data (hereinafter, defined as 'sleep diagnosis data') for diagnosing the user's sleep state. The sleep diagnosis device 100 may transmit the acquired sleep diagnosis data to the analysis device 200 .

For example, the sleep diagnosis device 100 may be implemented as a band-type sleep diagnosis device 100 that is attached or adhered to a predetermined area of the user's body. The predetermined area may correspond to an area capable of more effectively detecting the user's breathing state or snoring during sleep - for example, the area between the user's nose and mouth (pharyngeal area), but is not limited thereto.

The band-type sleep diagnosis apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment may include a main body 101 and an attachment pad 102 . A plurality of pores for air flow may be formed in each of the device body 101 and the attachment pad 102 , but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The attachment pad 102 may form a contact area in direct contact with the user's skin. Depending on the embodiment, the attachment pad 102 may indirectly contact the skin (via clothing, etc.). The attachment pad 102 may be embodied as a flexible material that is deformable to correspond to a contact surface with the skin. An adhesive is applied to one surface (eg, a bottom surface) of the attachment pad 102 , so that the band-type sleep diagnosis device 100 can be attached and fixed to the user's skin.

The device body 101 may be formed on the attachment pad 102 . The device main body 101 may form a space in which various components and parts for driving the band-type sleep diagnosis device 100 are built-in. Components embedded in the device body 101 will be described later with reference to FIG. 2 .

According to an embodiment, an air vent 103 may be formed on one side of the device body 101 . The air vent 103 allows the sensors (eg, a sound pressure sensor and/or a temperature sensor, etc.) built into the device body 101 to more accurately detect a sound generated during a user's breathing or a change in temperature due to exhalation. do. When the band-type sleep diagnosis device 100 is attached to the area between the user's nose and mouth, the air vent 103 may be attached to face the user's nose, but is not limited thereto.

The analysis device 200 may be communicatively connected to the sleep diagnosis device 100 . The analysis device 200 may obtain sleep diagnosis data output from the sleep diagnosis device 100 , and generate and provide sleep diagnosis information of the user by using the obtained sleep diagnosis data. The sleep diagnosis information may include various information related to the user's sleep state, such as whether sleep apnea is present, snoring, movement during sleep (tossing and turning, etc.), and time for each sleep phase (light sleep time, deep sleep time). According to an embodiment, at least a part of the sleep diagnosis information may be generated by the processor 160 (refer to FIG. 2 ) included in the sleep diagnosis device 100 . In this case, the analysis device 200 may receive at least a portion of the sleep diagnosis information from the sleep diagnosis device 100 .

The analysis device 200 may include a mobile terminal such as a smart phone or a tablet PC. When the analysis device 200 is a mobile terminal, the mobile terminal acquires sleep diagnosis data output (broadcast) from the sleep diagnosis device 100, and generates sleep diagnosis information using the acquired sleep diagnosis data An application (APP) that performs an operation may be installed. According to an embodiment, the analysis device 200 may include various computing devices such as a PC or a server.

2 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of a sleep diagnosis device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an inhalation/exhalation detection sensor included in a band-type sleep diagnosis device.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the sleep diagnosis device 100 includes a communication unit 110 , an input unit 120 , an output unit 130 , a sensing unit 140 , a memory 150 , a processor 160 , and a power supply unit 170 . ) may be included. Since the control components included in the sleep diagnosis apparatus 100 are not limited to the embodiment of FIG. 2 , the types of control components included in the sleep diagnosis apparatus 100 may be variously changed.

The communication unit 110 may include at least one communication module for connecting the sleep diagnosis device 100 to another electronic device such as the analysis device 200 . In particular, the sleep diagnosis device 100 according to the present embodiment may include a module supporting a low-power wireless communication method such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Although the BLE module 112 is shown as an example of a module supporting the low-power wireless communication method in FIG. 2 , the present invention is not limited thereto.

The BLE module 112 is a module for transmitting and receiving data according to the BLE method, and may include a BLE transceiver. However, according to an embodiment, when the sleep diagnosis device 100 has only a data transmission function, the BLE module 112 may include only a BLE receiver.

The input unit 120 may include at least one input means for power on/off, driving control, and the like of the sleep diagnosis device 100 . For example, the input unit 120 may include a button or a touch panel formed at a predetermined position of the device body 101 .

The output unit 130 may include at least one output unit for outputting information based on the operation state of the sleep diagnosis device 100 , the battery state, and the detection result of the sensing unit 140 . For example, the output unit 130 may include a light source (LED, etc.), a speaker, a buzzer, etc. formed at a predetermined position of the device body 101 .

The sensing unit 140 may include at least one sensor for collecting various sleep diagnosis data related to the user's sleep state. For example, the sensing unit 140 may include an inhalation/exhalation detection sensor 142 , an acceleration sensor 144 , a sound pressure sensor 146 , and a temperature sensor 148 , but is not limited thereto.

The inhalation/exhalation detection sensor 142 may be implemented as a sensor for detecting minute movements or vibrations occurring during the user's inhalation and exhalation. For example, the inhalation/exhalation sensor 142 may be implemented as a micro-vibration sensor having directivity. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the micro-vibration sensor will be described with reference to FIG. 3 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , the inhalation/exhalation detection sensor 142 may include a sensor cover 142a, a first electrode 142b, a second electrode 142c, and a plurality of conductive microballs 142d. can

The sensor cover 142a may form the exterior of the inhalation/exhalation detection sensor 142 . For example, the sensor cover 142a may be formed in a circular ring or polygonal ring shape, and the electrodes 142b and 142c may be respectively fastened to both openings of the sensor cover 142a to block both openings. Accordingly, an accommodation space S in which the plurality of conductive microballs 142d are accommodated may be formed by the sensor cover 142a and the electrodes 142b and 142c.

Each of the electrodes 142b and 142c may be formed of a conductive metal, and the electrodes 142b and 142c may have different polarities.

The plurality of conductive microballs 142d may be formed of a conductive metal. The plurality of conductive microballs 142d may be in contact with the first electrode 142b and the second electrode 142c, respectively, to electrically connect the first electrode 142b and the second electrode 142c. . As the first electrode 142b and the second electrode 142c are electrically connected, a current of a predetermined size may be formed in the inhalation/exhalation detection sensor 142 . That is, the sleep diagnosis data collected by the inhalation/exhalation detection sensor 142 may correspond to a current value.

On the other hand, the plurality of conductive microballs 142d are accommodated in the accommodation space S, and may move in the accommodation space S according to the movement or vibration of the inhalation/exhalation sensor 142 . According to the movement of the plurality of conductive microballs 142d, the contact area of each of the first electrode 142b and the second electrode 142c with the plurality of conductive microballs 142d changes, and the According to the change, the magnitude of the current formed in the inhalation / exhalation detection sensor 142 may change. In particular, in each of the user's inhalation section and the exhalation section, the movement direction of the inhalation/exhalation detection sensor 142 may be opposite. As a result, the current formed in the inhalation / exhalation detection sensor 142 may have different magnitudes in the inhalation section and the exhalation section. The analysis device 200 (or the processor 160 ) detects each of the user's inhalation and exhalation sections, or whether apnea, etc., based on the current value collected from the inhalation/exhalation detection sensor 142 . can do.

However, the inhalation/exhalation detection sensor 142 included in the sleep diagnosis device 100 is not limited to the microvibration sensor of FIG. 3 , and can detect movement or vibration occurring during the user's inhalation and exhalation. It may be implemented with various types of sensors.

Fig. 2 will be described again.

The acceleration sensor 144 may collect sleep diagnosis data related to a user's movement (tossing and turning, etc.) during sleep. For example, the acceleration sensor 144 may be implemented as a 9-axis gyro sensor, and in this case, the sleep diagnosis data may include a slope value measured by the 9-axis gyro sensor. The analysis device 200 (or the processor 160 ) collects information related to the user's movement during sleep (the time of occurrence, the degree of movement, the number of movements, etc.) based on the inclination value for each time provided from the acceleration sensor 144 . can be obtained

The sound pressure sensor 146 may collect sleep diagnosis data related to a sound (snoring, etc.) generated by the user, and the temperature sensor 148 may collect sleep diagnosis data related to a temperature change during the user's sleep. can be collected The analysis device 200 (or the processor 160) is based on the sleep diagnostic data provided from the sound pressure sensor 146 and the temperature sensor 148, the user's snoring (number of times, etc.) and body temperature changes during sleep. information can be obtained.

The memory 150 may store data, commands, and algorithms for the operation of the sleep diagnosis device 100 . Also, the memory 150 may store sleep diagnosis data collected by the sensing unit 140 . The memory 150 may include at least one volatile memory (eg, RAM, cache memory, etc.) and at least one non-volatile memory (eg, flash memory, etc.).

The processor 160 may control the overall operation of the sleep diagnosis device 100 . The processor 160 may include hardware such as a CPU, an application processor (AP), a microcomputer (or microcomputer), an integrated circuit, an embedded processor, or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

The processor 160 may control the operation of the sensing unit 140 to collect the user's sleep diagnosis data. When the sleep diagnosis data is collected through the sensing unit 140, the processor 160 controls the communication unit 110 and/or the memory 150 to process, store, and/or transmit the collected sleep diagnosis data. can do. A detailed control operation of the processor 160 will be described later in more detail with reference to FIG. 4 .

Meanwhile, the sleep diagnosis device 100 may be provided with a power supply unit (eg, a battery) that provides power for driving the control components. When the sleep diagnosis device 100 is the band type sleep diagnosis device shown in FIG. 1 , the capacity of the battery may also be small depending on the size limit of the sleep diagnosis device 100 and the device body 101 . According to the present embodiment, a control method for securing sufficient driving time of the sleep diagnosis apparatus 100 by minimizing power consumption of a battery may be provided. The control method will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 5 .

4 is a ladder diagram for explaining a sleep diagnosis operation of the sleep diagnosis system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a sleep diagnosis device controlling states of internal components according to a result of detecting whether a user is sleeping, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the sleep diagnosis device 100 may come into contact with the user's body according to being attached to or worn on a predetermined area of the user's body. When in contact with the user's body, the sleep diagnosis apparatus 100 may detect whether the user enters into sleep (S100).

For example, the processor 160 of the sleep diagnosis device 100 may detect whether the user enters sleep by using the sensing unit 140 . In particular, the processor 160 may control driving of components to minimize power consumption of the sleep diagnosis device 100 while detecting whether the sleep has entered. This embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 5 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , the sleep diagnosis device 100 may acquire sensing data through any one of the sensors 142 , 144 , 146 , and 148 included in the sensing unit 140 ( S101 ). The sleep diagnosis device 100 may detect whether the user is sleeping based on the acquired sensing data (S103).

The processor 160 activates only one sensor having the lowest power consumption and standby power consumption among the sensors 142, 144, 146, and 148 included in the sensing unit 140, and deactivates the remaining sensors. Sensors can be controlled so that they do not consume power. For example, the processor 160 may control to supply power only to the activated sensor, and control not to supply power to the other sensors.

For example, the activated sensor may be an inhalation/exhalation sensor 142 or an acceleration sensor 144 . When the inhalation/exhalation detection sensor 142 is activated, the processor 160 may acquire sensing data (current value, etc.) from the inhalation/exhalation detection sensor 142 continuously or at predetermined time intervals. The processor 160 may detect whether the user enters the sleep state by detecting whether the user's inhalation/exhalation is regularly changed for a predetermined period or more based on the acquired sensing data. When the acceleration sensor 144 is activated, the processor 160 may acquire sensing data (such as a slope value) from the acceleration sensor 144 continuously or at predetermined time intervals. The processor 160 may detect whether the user enters the sleep state by detecting whether the user does not move for a predetermined period or more or the degree of movement is less than a reference value based on the acquired sensing data.

When the user's sleep is detected (YES in S105), the sleep diagnosis device 100 activates the communication unit 110, the sensing unit 140, and the memory 150 provided in the device 100 (S107), Operations for diagnosing the user's sleep state may be performed according to step S110 of FIG. 4 . For example, the processor 160 may supply power to the BLE module 112 to activate a broadcast function, and supply power to the memory 150 to activate a data storage function.

On the other hand, when the user's sleep is not detected (NO in S105), the sleep diagnosis device 100 may deactivate the communication unit 110 and the memory 150 provided in the device 100 (S109).

When detecting that the user does not enter the sleep state from the sensed data, the processor 160 may deactivate the operation of the communication unit 110 or the memory 150 in order to minimize the consumption of standby power. For example, the processor 160 may inactivate the driving of the communication unit 110 and the memory 150 by controlling that power is not supplied to the communication unit 110 and the memory 150 . Accordingly, other functions, such as a data transmission/reception function or a storage function, may be deactivated during a sleep detection operation, so that power consumption may be minimized.

According to an embodiment, the sleep diagnosis apparatus 100 may re-perform steps S101 to S103 after performing step S109. On the other hand, since there is a high possibility that the user does not immediately enter the sleep state, the sleep diagnosis device 100 may wait for a preset time after step S109 and then perform steps S101 to S103 again. Accordingly, power consumption due to unnecessary repetition of the operation of detecting whether the user is sleeping can also be prevented.

Fig. 4 will be described again.

When it is detected that the user has entered the sleep state, the sleep diagnosis device 100 may collect (acquire) sleep diagnosis data through the sensing unit 140 (S110).

According to an embodiment, the processor 160 does not perform the sensing operation of step S100 and controls the sensing unit 140 to collect sleep diagnosis data after a predetermined time has elapsed from the time it is attached to or worn on the user's body. You may.

When entering the sleep state is detected, the processor 160 may activate inactivated sensors, the communication unit 110 , the memory 150 , and the like. The processor 160 may acquire sleep diagnosis data from each of the sensors 142 , 144 , 146 , and 148 included in the sensing unit 140 . The sleep diagnosis data may be acquired continuously or every preset period. Examples of the sleep diagnosis data have been described above with reference to FIG. 2 , and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The sleep diagnosis device 100 may process and/or store the collected (acquired) sleep diagnosis data (S120).

The processor 160 may store the collected sleep diagnosis data in the memory 150 . In this case, the processor 160 may temporarily store the sleep diagnosis data in a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory to output (transmit) the sleep diagnosis data without performing a separate processing operation on the sleep diagnosis data. In this case, the processing or analysis operation of the sleep diagnosis data may be performed later by the analysis device 200 receiving the sleep diagnosis data.

According to an embodiment, the processor 160 may process the sleep diagnosis data and store it in the memory 150 . For example, the processor 160 may remove noise from the sleep diagnosis data (signal, etc.) and then store it in the memory 150 . Alternatively, the processor 160 may store only the sleep diagnosis data collected when a predetermined event (apnea, tossing, snoring, etc.) occurs in the memory 150 . To this end, the processor 160 may extract only the sleep diagnosis data of a portion in which a change of more than a reference value occurs due to the predetermined event from the collected sleep diagnosis data.

The sleep diagnosis device 100 may output the processed and/or stored sleep diagnosis data to the outside ( S130 ).

The processor 160 may control the communication unit 110 to output the stored sleep diagnosis data. For example, the processor 160 may control the communication unit 110 to output sleep diagnosis data collected and stored during a predetermined period at every preset period. Alternatively, the processor 160 may control the communication unit 110 to immediately output (continuous and real-time output) the collected sleep diagnosis data.

In particular, according to this embodiment, the processor 160 may control the BLE transmitter of the BLE module 112 to output the sleep diagnosis data according to a broadcast method. The BLE module 112 may output the sleep diagnosis data according to the broadcast method without performing a pairing process with the analysis device 200 according to the Bluetooth method. Accordingly, since power consumption according to the pairing process and the pairing state maintenance operation is prevented, power consumption in the output (transmission) process of sleep diagnosis data can be minimized.

According to an embodiment, the sleep diagnosis device 100 may generate at least a part of the sleep diagnosis information from the sleep diagnosis data. For example, after generating the sleep diagnosis information from sleep diagnosis data for a predetermined time, the processor 160 may control the BLE module 112 to broadcast the sleep diagnosis information. Accordingly, since sleep diagnosis information is not continuously broadcast, but is broadcast at predetermined time intervals, power consumption by the BLE module 112 can be further reduced. Alternatively, the processor 160 may control the BLE module 112 to broadcast sleep diagnosis data or sleep diagnosis information corresponding to the predetermined event only when a predetermined event is detected while generating the sleep diagnosis information.

The analysis device 200 may obtain the sleep diagnosis data output from the sleep diagnosis device 100 ( S140 ), and generate and provide sleep diagnosis information of the user using the acquired sleep diagnosis data ( S150 ).

The analysis device 200 may acquire sleep diagnosis data broadcast from the sleep diagnosis device 100 . To this end, the analysis device 200 may be provided with a BLE receiver (not shown) capable of receiving data according to the BLE method.

A processor (not shown) of the analysis device 200 may generate sleep diagnosis information by processing and analyzing the received sleep diagnosis data. For example, the processor may generate the sleep diagnosis information through noise removal and section analysis on the received sleep diagnosis data. As described above in FIG. 1, the sleep diagnosis information includes information such as the number or time of apnea during sleep, information such as the number, period, and size of snoring, information such as the number or period of movement (tossing and turning) during sleep, and /or it may include various information related to the user's sleep state, such as a deep sleep diagnosis (period or rate of deep sleep).

Specifically, the analysis device 200 may detect whether the user is sleep apnea from the sleep diagnosis data collected by the inhalation/exhalation detection sensor 142 . For example, in the case of the analysis device 200, a phenomenon in which the user's inhalation section and the exhalation section are not detected for more than a preset time occurs more than a predetermined number of times, or a sound due to respiration is not detected from the sound pressure sensor 146, etc., sleep It can be judged that the symptoms of apnea have developed. When the expression of the sleep apnea symptom is determined, the analysis device 200 outputs a notification through a notification means (speaker, etc.) provided in the analysis device 200, or through a communication unit (not shown), another user's terminal, emergency The notification may be transmitted to the server of the institution, the sleep diagnosis device 100 , and the like. Upon receiving the notification, the sleep diagnosis device 100 may output a sound corresponding to the notification through the output unit 130 or the like.

In addition, the analysis device 200 may generate information related to the user's movement (tossing and turning) during sleep from the sleep diagnosis data collected by the acceleration sensor 144 . For example, the analysis device 200 may detect that the user has tossed and turned when a movement greater than or equal to a reference value is identified from the sleep diagnosis data. The information related to movement during sleep may include movement period, intensity, time, and the like. According to an embodiment, the analysis device 200 may further generate deep sleep (deep sleep) diagnostic information based on the generated information. The deep sleep diagnosis information is determined according to the intensity or period of movement, and may include information on a period or rate of deep sleep.

In addition, the analysis device 200 may generate information related to the user's snoring during sleep from the sleep diagnosis data collected by the sound pressure sensor 146 . For example, the information may include the presence or absence of snoring, a period, a size, and the like. Also, the analysis device 200 may generate information related to a temperature change during the user's sleep from the sleep diagnosis data collected by the temperature sensor 148 .

The analysis device 200 may store the generated sleep diagnosis information in a memory (not shown) or transmit it to a server (not shown). The analysis device 200 provides the sleep diagnosis information to the user through a display (not shown), etc., thereby enabling the user to diagnose a sleep state.

The sleep diagnosis apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment may be in direct or indirect contact with the user's body to effectively acquire various sleep diagnosis data. In particular, the sleep diagnosis device 100 according to the present embodiment is implemented as a band-type sleep diagnosis device attached to a region between the user's nose and mouth, so that more accurate sleep diagnosis data may be obtained.

In addition, the sleep diagnosis device 100 can minimize power consumption by transmitting sleep diagnosis data to the analysis device 200 using a low-power short-distance wireless communication method such as BLE, and reduce standby power when detecting whether the user is sleeping. Internal components can be controlled to minimize. Accordingly, even with the ultra-small sleep diagnosis device 100 having a small capacity battery, long-term sleep diagnosis data can be smoothly collected.

Since the descriptions of the above embodiments are merely examples with reference to the drawings for a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure, they should not be construed as limiting the technical spirit of the present disclosure.

In addition, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the basic principles of the present disclosure.

100: band type sleep diagnosis device
101: device body
102: adhesive pad
142a: sensor cover
142b: first electrode
142c: second electrode
142d: conductive micro ball
200: analysis instrument

Claims (5)

a sensing unit including a plurality of sensors for acquiring user's sleep diagnosis data;
a memory for storing the sleep diagnosis data;
a BLE (bluetooth low energy) module for broadcasting the sleep diagnosis data; and
A processor for controlling the sensing unit, the memory, and the BLE module,
The sensing unit includes an inhalation / exhalation detection sensor for acquiring data related to the detection of the inhalation section and the exhalation section,
The inhalation / exhalation sensor is,
ring-shaped sensor cover;
a first electrode coupled to one opening of the sensor cover to block the one opening;
a second electrode coupled to the other opening of the sensor cover to block the other opening; and
and a plurality of conductive microballs accommodated in an accommodation space formed by the sensor cover, the first electrode, and the second electrode.
According to claim 1,
The processor is
Controls the BLE module to broadcast the sleep diagnosis data in real time, or is obtained based on the sleep diagnosis data, and sleep diagnosis related to at least one of the user's sleep apnea, snoring, movement during sleep, and sleep phase time A sleep diagnosis device that controls the BLE module to broadcast information at predetermined time intervals.
According to claim 1,
The plurality of sensors further include at least one of an acceleration sensor, a sound pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor,
The sleep diagnosis data is
The sleep diagnosis device comprising at least one of data related to the detection of the inhalation section and the exhalation section, data related to motion detection during sleep, data related to the detection of a sound generated during sleep, and data related to body temperature change during sleep.
According to claim 1,
The processor is
Activating any one sensor with the lowest power consumption among the plurality of sensors, inactivating the remaining sensors, and detecting whether the user enters into sleep by using the activated sensor,
When it is detected that the user has not entered sleep, control to deactivate the broadcast function of the BLE module and the data storage function of the memory,
When sleep entry is sensed, the sleep diagnosis device controls to acquire the sleep diagnosis data through the plurality of sensors by activating the remaining sensors.
According to claim 1,
an attachment pad having a predetermined area and having a pressure-sensitive adhesive applied thereto;
a device body formed on the other surface of the attachment pad and having an accommodating space for accommodating the sensing unit, the memory, the communication unit, and the processor; and
The sleep diagnosis device further comprising an air vent formed on one side of the device body.

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