Patent ID: 7306567
Filing Date: 2007-12-11
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A portable alarm system that can be worn on a user's limb, the portable alarm system comprising: a single housing that contains an accelerometer, a user interface, a display for rendering the user interface and a processing unit; the accelerometer operating to detect motion on at least one plane; the user interface enabling a user to program various alarm parameters and settings for the portable alarm system; a strap that enables the housing to be attached to a user's limb; and a processing unit, the processing unit being communicatively coupled to the accelerometer and the user interface, and in response to inputs from the accelerometer and the user interface, in cooperation with programming instructions, is operative to: receive a user selected alarm setting via the user interface, the alarm setting including an alarm time, a threshold, and a sleep cycle count; monitor the accelerometer for data indicating a positive movement of the user's limb to which the single housing is attached by means of the strap; analyzing the accelerometer data to establish the timing of sleep cycles and to identify shallow sleep periods of the sleep cycles; applying heuristics to estimate the conclusion of a sleep cycle based on sleep cycle data for the user, wherein the step of applying heuristics to estimate the conclusion of a sleep cycle based on sleep cycle data for the user further comprises the steps of: receiving a user selected mode setting via the user interface that can enable alarm modes selected from a group of alarm modes including modes for: