You’ve Heard of the Pandemic Pivot — What about the Consumer Sleep Pivot?

As non-contact sleep tracking continues to grow, Patent Forecast is noticing companies in the imaging industry shifting their technologies to consumer sleep. We covered Google and its Soli chip, as well as ObjectVideo Labs using its video analytics for infrared sleep monitoring. In October 2021, Praesidium Labs announced that it had raised $6M in Series A funding for its “patented and proprietary technology” that can detect human vital signs from a distance. Praesidium Labs is another example of a company realizing that it could use its assets for sleep tracking. The startup’s original patent filings were actually directed to a home security system that could detect intruders and monitor people using radar. Its most recent application, filed in March 2021, is a continuation-in-part (CIP) that includes much more detail on “monitoring sleeping occupants” with a contact-free system by detecting metrics such as heart rate, respiration, and movement. While Praesidium Labs’ issued patent does cover those vital signs, its CIP, which has not yet been issued, is its first publication that is actually directed to sleep monitoring. Whether Praesidium will be able to secure this new asset remains to be seen given the aforementioned competition in the space. Still, Praesidium seems to be an early pivoter to sleep technology. At this rate, we anticipate that other companies will follow, and that patent filings will be early indicators of these moves. Keep up with Patent Forecast® to be the first to know about these new developments.