Method and apparatus for measuring sleeping positions

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: adjusting the individual's sleeping position by increasing levelness of said center axis of the individual in the selected sleeping position, whereby said sleeping posture in the selected sleeping position is improved.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein said selected sleeping position comprises: prone, supine, fetal, or fetal/prone.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 wherein said plurality of landmarks further comprise: a position at about the top middle of the head of the individual.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: extrapolating one of said digital coordinates corresponding to one of said landmarks, wherein said one of said landmarks is unprobable.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6 wherein said step of extrapolating comprises use of a ZADJUSTMENT.

Claim 9

The method of claim 6 wherein said ZADJUSTMENT comprises: ZADJUSTMENT.sub.ANKLE =-K.sub.ANKLE *LENGTH.sub.HIP TO KNEE, ZADJUSTMENT.sub.KNEE =-K.sub.KNEE *LENGTH.sub.HIP TO KNEE, or ZADJUSTMENT.sub.HIP =-K.sub.HIP *LENGTH.sub.HIP TO KNEE, where K ANKLE is ankle thickness, K KNEE is knee thickness and K HIP is hip thickness.

Claim 10

The method of claim 8 wherein said center axis is defined by an alignment index comprising: ALIGNMENT INDEX=HEAD OFFSET+SHOULDER OFFSET+HIP OFFSET+KNEE OFFSET, where said head, shoulder, hip, and knee offsets comprise, HEAD OFFSET=POSITION.sub.HEAD --ANKLE.sub.REF, SHOULDER OFFSET=(POSITION.sub.LEFT SHOULDER (Z)+POSITION.sub.RIGHT SHOULDER (Z))/2--ANKLE.sub.REF, HIP OFFSET=(POSITION.sub.LEFT HIP (Z)+POSITION.sub.RIGHT HIP (Z))/2+ZADJUSTMENT.sub.HIP --ANKLE.sub.REF, and KNEE OFFSET=(POSITION.sub.LEFT KNEE (Z)+POSITION.sub.RIGHT KNEE (Z))/2+ZADJUSTMENT.sub.KNEE /2--ANKLE.sub.REF, where, ANKLE.sub.REF =(POSITION.sub.LEFT ANKLE (Z)+POSITION.sub.RIGHT ANKLE (Z))/2+ZADJUSTMENT.sub.ANKLE /2.

Claim 11

The method of claim 9 wherein said hip offset comprises: HIP OFFSET=POSITION.sub.BASE OF SPINE --ANKLE.sub.REF.

Claim 12

The method of claim 2 wherein said step of adjusting the individual's sleeping position by increasing levelness of said center axis of the individual in the selected sleeping position comprises selecting a sleeping product.

Claim 13

The method of claim 11 wherein said sleeping product is a mattress.

Claim 14

The method of claim 2 wherein said step of adjusting the individual's sleeping position by increasing levelness of said center axis of the individual in the selected sleeping position comprises designing a sleeping product having means for leveling said center axis.

Claim 15

The method of claim 13 wherein said means for leveling comprises a sleeping product having varying areas of firmness.

Claim 16

The method of claim 13 wherein said means for leveling comprises a sleeping product having varying areas of thickness.

Claim 17

The method of claim 1 wherein said dimensional coordinate measuring system comprises a three dimensional coordinate measuring system comprising: a movable arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints with each joint corresponding to a degree of freedom, each of said joints including a rotational transfer housing for housing position transducer means, said transducer means producing a position signal; a support base attached to said first end of said movable arm; said probe attached to said second end of said movable arm; and means for receiving said position signals from said transducer means and providing a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of said probe.

Claim 18

The method of claim 1 wherein said probe includes: a pair of first and second switches, said first switch corresponding to data "take" and said second switch corresponding to data "acceptance".