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Consumer Sleep Technology
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Patent US8540650
Issued 2013-09-24
Method And An Apparatus For Measuring And Analyzing Movements Of A Human Or An Animal Using Sound Signals
A method, an arrangement and a computer application for conducting measurements of sleep disorders by capturing and analyzing the sounds associated with movements of the subject during a long-term or overnight monitoring session. A small-sized consumer apparatus such as an MP3 recorder may be attached to the subject for capturing the emanating sounds. Specially selected materials can be used to alter the spectral content of the sound so as to optimize the reception at the recording apparatus.
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- 1. A portable electronic arrangement for conducting sound-based measurements of sleep disorders, wherein a subject of the measurements is either a human or an animal, said arrangement comprising at least one microphone for capturing a sound signal, a processing unit for processing instructions, a memory for storing instructions and data, an attaching means for facilitating physical positioning to a predetermined measurement location of at least a chest or a limb of the subject or a nearby object, and a user input means for receiving control information,
wherein said arrangement is configured to initiate continuous, digital sound recording utilizing said at least one microphone in response to obtained control information to capture ambient sounds emanating from a vicinity of the measurement location during a measurement period and comprising sounds associated with movements of the subject, wherein said arrangement is configured to capture sounds of body movement against a contact surface external to the body, wherein the body movement is at least one element selected from a group consisting of: respiratory movement, body movement, tissue movement and limb movement, against the external contact surface, configured to store at least part of the recorded sound data in said memory, configured to stop the recording, upon termination of the measurement period, in response to an expiry of a timer or receipt of control information, wherein said arrangement further comprises sound-modifying material to be positioned on a sound path of the sound of the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to intentionally alter a spectral content of the sound associated with the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to fall on a preferred range relative to an apparatus according to a predetermined criterion prior to receipt by the microphone of the apparatus, wherein the material is configured to generate higher frequencies to the sound associated with the movement, and wherein the sound-modifying material alters the spectral content according to the predetermined criterion prior to receipt by the microphone, and wherein said microphone or at least part of an electronic consumer apparatus is coated with said sound-modifying material.
- 8. A portable electronic arrangement for conducting sound-based measurements of sleep disorders, wherein a subject of the measurements is either a human or an animal, said arrangement comprising at least one microphone for capturing a sound signal, a processing unit for processing instructions, a memory for storing instructions and data, an attaching means for facilitating physical positioning to a predetermined measurement location of at least a chest or a limb of the subject or a nearby object, and a user input means for receiving control information,
wherein said arrangement is configured to initiate continuous, digital sound recording utilizing said at least one microphone in response to obtained control information to capture ambient sounds emanating from a vicinity of the measurement location during a measurement period and comprising sounds associated with movements of the subject, wherein said arrangement is configured to capture sounds of body movement against a contact surface external to the body, wherein the body movement is at least one element selected from a group consisting of: respiratory movement, body movement, tissue movement and limb movement, against the external contact surface, configured to store at least part of the recorded sound data in said memory, configured to stop the recording, upon termination of the measurement period, in response to an expiry of a timer or receipt of control information, wherein said arrangement further comprises sound-modifying material to be positioned on a sound path of the sound of the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to intentionally alter a spectral content of the sound associated with the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to fall on a preferred range relative to an apparatus according to a predetermined criterion prior to receipt by the microphone of the apparatus, wherein the material is configured to generate higher frequencies to the sound associated with the movement, and wherein the sound-modifying material comprises an object coated with, comprising a layer of, or being made of said sound-modifying material, said object comprising a metal wire figure.
- 14. A portable electronic arrangement for conducting sound-based measurements of sleep disorders, wherein a subject of the measurements is either a human or an animal, said arrangement comprising at least one microphone for capturing a sound signal, a processing unit for processing instructions, a memory for storing instructions and data, an attaching means for facilitating physical positioning to a predetermined measurement location of at least a chest or a limb of the subject or a nearby object, and a user input means for receiving control information,
wherein said arrangement is configured to initiate continuous, digital sound recording utilizing said at least one microphone in response to obtained control information to capture ambient sounds emanating from a vicinity of the measurement location during a measurement period and comprising sounds associated with movements of the subject, wherein said arrangement is configured to capture sounds of body movement against a contact surface external to the body, wherein the body movement is at least one element selected from a group consisting of: respiratory movement, body movement, tissue movement and limb movement, against the external contact surface, configured to store at least part of the recorded sound data in said memory, configured to stop the recording, upon termination of the measurement period, in response to an expiry of a timer or receipt of control information, wherein said arrangement further comprises sound-modifying material to be positioned on a sound path of the sound of the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to intentionally alter a spectral content of the sound associated with the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to fall on a preferred range relative to an apparatus according to a predetermined criterion prior to receipt by the microphone of the apparatus, wherein the material is configured to generate higher frequencies to the sound associated with the movement, and wherein the sound-modifying material is in a form of a rivet coated with, comprising a layer of, or being made of said sound-modifying material.
- 15. A portable electronic arrangement for conducting sound-based measurements of sleep disorders, wherein a subject of the measurements is either a human or an animal, said arrangement comprising at least one microphone for capturing a sound signal, a processing unit for processing instructions, a memory for storing instructions and data, an attaching means for facilitating physical positioning to a predetermined measurement location of at least a chest or a limb of the subject or a nearby object, and a user input means for receiving control information,
wherein said arrangement is configured to initiate continuous, digital sound recording utilizing said at least one microphone in response to obtained control information to capture ambient sounds emanating from a vicinity of the measurement location during a measurement period and comprising sounds associated with movements of the subject, wherein said arrangement is configured to capture sounds of body movement against a contact surface external to the body, wherein the body movement is at least one element selected from a group consisting of: respiratory movement, body movement, tissue movement and limb movement, against the external contact surface, configured to store at least part of the recorded sound data in said memory, configured to stop the recording, upon termination of the measurement period, in response to an expiry of a timer or receipt of control information, wherein said arrangement further comprises sound-modifying material to be positioned on a sound path of the sound of the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to intentionally alter a spectral content of the sound associated with the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to fall on a preferred range relative to an apparatus according to a predetermined criterion prior to receipt by the microphone of the apparatus, wherein the material is configured to generate higher frequencies to the sound associated with the movement, and wherein the sound-modifying material is in a form of a plastic pearl coated with, comprising a layer of, or being made of said sound-modifying material.
