Patent Publication Number: US-2018049569-A1

Title: Smart pillow to avoid neck pain

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201610684323.6, filed Aug. 18, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to pillows, and more particularly to a smart pillow to avoid neck pain and pressure sores on the skin. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A pillow is used to support a user&#39;s head and neck while lying down or sitting. However, the user&#39;s neck may get strained because of poor posture or pressure sores can result from constant pressure on one spot of the neck. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic top view of a smart pillow. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the smart pillow of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an air bag of the smart pillow of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of a correspondence table stored in a body of the smart pillow of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the exemplary embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure. 
     The term “comprising” means “including but not limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series, and the like. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an exemplary embodiment of a smart pillow (smart pillow  1 ) includes a body  11 , a processing unit  12 , a plurality of pressure sensors  13 , and a plurality of air bags  14 . The processing unit  12 , the pressure sensors  13 , and the air bags  14  are mounted in the body  11 . The pressure sensors  13  can detect values of pressure on the body  11 , and transmit the detected pressure values to the processing unit  12 . With further reference to  FIG. 3 , each air bag  14  includes a bi-directional valve  141 . The bi-directional valve  141  can adjust an intake air amount and an outlet air amount of the air bag  14 . The processing unit  12  can receive and record the pressure values transmitted by the pressure sensors  13 , and control the bi-directional valves  141  of the air bags  14  in accordance with the received pressure values to adjust the intake air amounts or the outlet air amounts of the air bags  14 . 
     When a user uses the smart pillow  1 , the processing unit  12  controls the bi-directional valves  141  of the air bags  14  to adjust volumes of each of the air bags  14  in the body  11 . The smart pillow  1  guides and supports the user&#39;s neck to avoid neck pain due to poor posture and prevents a constant and excessive pressure at one location of the body. 
     In the present exemplary embodiment, the body  11  is made of a silicone material. The body  11  is U-shaped, and includes a head portion  101  and two neck portions  102  connected to opposite ends of the head portion  101 . The head portion  101  can support the user&#39;s head, and the neck portions  102  can support the user&#39;s neck. The pressure sensors  13  include at least one first pressure sensor  131  and at least one second pressure sensor  132 . The air bags  14  include at least one first air bag  1401  and at least one second air bag  1402 . The first pressure sensor  131  and the first air bag  1401  are mounted in the head portion  101 , and the second pressure sensor  132  and the second air bag  1402  are mounted in the neck portions  102 . The processing unit  12  can receive a pressure value detected by the first pressure sensor  131 , and control the bi-directional valve  141  of the first air bag  1401  to adjust an intake air amount or an outlet air amount of the first air bag  1401  in accordance with the pressure value detected by the first pressure sensor  131 . The processing unit  12  can also receive a pressure value detected by the second pressure sensor  132 , and control the bi-directional valve  141  of the second air bag  1402  in a similar manner. 
     With reference to  FIG. 4 , in the present exemplary embodiment, the body  11  stores a correspondence table  2 . The correspondence table  2  defines a relationship between pressure value ranges of the body  11  and indrawn and released air amounts of each of the air bags  14 . The processing unit  12  can receive the pressure values detected by the first and second pressure sensors  131  and  132 , and make determinations based on the correspondence table  2 . The processing unit  12  can then control the bi-directional valves  141  of the first and second air bags  1401  and  1402  accordingly, and adjust volumes of the first and second air bags  1401  and  1402 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , in the present exemplary embodiment, the smart pillow  1  further includes a temperature sensor  15  and a heating unit  16 . The temperature sensor  15  can detect a temperature of the body  11 , and transmit the detected temperature value to the processing unit  12 . The heating unit  16  may be an infrared emitting device. The processing unit  12  can receive the temperature value detected by the temperature sensor  15 , and control the heating unit  16  in accordance with the received temperature value to maintain the body  11  within a predefined temperature range. Therefore, the user&#39;s neck can be kept optimally warm, and blood circulation in the neck is promoted. 
     The smart pillow  1  further includes a music player unit  17 . The processing unit  12  can receive the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor  13 , and determine whether or not the received pressure value is greater than a predefined pressure value. The processing unit  12  can control the music player unit  17  to start playing music when the received pressure value is greater than the predefined pressure value as a pacifier for the sleeping user. 
     The smart pillow  1  further includes a vibration sensor  18 . The vibration sensor  18  can detect a number of breaths of the user and a time of each breath. The processing unit  12  can thus record the user&#39;s sleeping characteristics. 
     The exemplary embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Many details are often found in the art such as the other features of a pillow. Therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure, up to and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.