The recent patent, US20230309913A1, awarded to Huawei Technologies Co., tries to tackle the prevalent issue of sleep monitoring using wearable gadgets. The problem at hand has long been the high power consumption required for long-time sleep monitoring using wearable gadgets such as the Huawei Band 6. This results in shortened battery life and poor user experience.
The root of the issue is the need to keep sensors in the wearable gadgets continuously enabled to collect and analyze physiological data from the user's sleep. Moreover, these devices often conduct monitoring regardless of whether the user is in deep sleep or just dozing off, meaning they are possibly collecting unnecessary data, further draining battery life.
Huawei's patent presents a solution by creating a new system for watching sleep. This system enables and disables a special monitoring device in tune with the user's sleep and waking up times. It only collects data when it's useful - when the individual is in long, deep sleep - ensuring power is not wasted collecting data during short naps or periods of wakefulness.
The solution is designed around the notion that most adults have very regular sleep patterns. Instead of keeping the sensor on at all times, the patented technology examines historical sleep data to predict when the user will be in long, deep sleep and only turns on during these times. This way, the system can also deal with individuals who work night shifts and sleep during the day.
With this patent, the world of health gadgets may witness a revolution. The users of devices like Huawei's Band 6 will be able to enjoy longer battery life without sacrificing the benefits of sleep monitoring. Imagine, for example, a night shift nurse on his day off, wearing the Band 6. The device, understanding his sleep patterns, turns itself on and works its nightly shift while he sleeps, without the worry of the battery draining out mid-sleep.
The patent might bestow upon users the peace of mind of knowing that their sleep is being monitored efficiently, with lesser power consumption, enabling them to focus more on improving their sleep based on the more precise data the device provides.
However, as it is the case with patents, there's no guarantee that this technology will hit the market; it often takes years for patented technology to be widely available in consumer products. While the diagrams provided with the patent suggest how this technology could manifest in wearable gadgets like fitness wristbands, only time will tell when and how this vision will be brought to life.