Patent ID: 8638950

Claim:
A digital sound machine for inducing sleep, comprising: a housing; at least one speaker for reproducing sounds; a digital memory storing samples to be replayed of sounds previously recorded at a record rate that each contain start and end sounds that are acoustically seamless and that last a certain duration at said record rate; user-input control means; and a processor-implemented sound controller mounted to said housing and connected to said digital memory to said user-input control means and to said speaker and operative in sleep-induce mode, in response to user-input control entered via said user-input control means, (1) to replay a sound sample repetitively for a first time interval greater than the sample duration at the record rate the whole number of times that the sample duration is contained within the first time interval, and (2) to replay the sound sample for a second time interval that consists of a certain number of third time intervals during which, for every third time interval less than said second time interval, the sound sample is replayed at another, progressively slower rate the whole number of times that the selected sample duration, factored by the ratio of said record and each another, progressively slower rate, is contained within each said third time interval, wherein said certain number of third time intervals and each said another progressively slower rate are selected to replay the sound sample as to induce sleep as it is replayed at each progressively slower rate each said whole number of times the duration of the sound sample, factored by the ratio of said record and each another progressively slower rate, is contained in each said third time interval of said second interval.