Breathing biofeedback device

• US 20070173730A1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vuaant Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Breathresearch, Inc.
• Inventors: Bikko, Nirinjan
• Granted Patent: US 9,788,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/538
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0803 Recording apparatus specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5048 Audio interfaces, e.g. voice or music controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense

Abstract

A breathing biofeedback device, having a microphone configured to acquire sounds of a user'"'"'s breathing; a controller communicatively connected with the microphone, the controller processing the signals acquired by the microphone to produce an output signal, the controller processing the signal whereby the microphone signal is first pre-amplified to a voltage level that can be processed by an audio envelope detector circuit, the envelope detector signal is then fed into the analog-to-digital converter input of the controller allowing it to constantly sample the input volume level, the controller then controlling the output volume level fed to the headphones utilizing a digitally controlled variable-gain amplifier, wherein the output signal is not modified in any manner from the original input, except in volume; and a pair of earphones connected with the controller and configured to convey the output signal to the user.

Claims

1. A breathing biofeedback device, comprising:

a microphone configured to acquire sounds of a user'"'"'s breathing;

a controller communicatively connected with the microphone, the controller processing the signals acquired by the microphone to produce an output signal,

the controller processing the signal whereby the microphone signal is first pre-amplified to a voltage level that can be processed by an audio envelope detector circuit, the envelope detector signal is then fed into the analog-to-digital converter input of the controller allowing it to constantly sample the input volume level, the controller then controlling the output volume level corresponding to the sound of the user'"'"'s breathing fed to the headphones utilizing a digitally controlled variable-gain amplifier, wherein the output signal is not modified in any manner from the original input, except in volume; and

a pair of earphones connected with the controller and configured to convey the output signal to the user.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a display device operatively connected with said controller.

3. The device of claim 2 further comprising a use interface configured to be displayed on said display.

4. The device of claim 3 further comprising a user selectable menu displayed on said display and configured to enable the device to operate in a mode selectable from the group consisting of a basic mode, a stress reduction mode, a breath calibration mode, and an options setting mode.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to include an audio signal processor and a breath state machine, said breath state machine being configured to detect each breath and make adjustments to the audio signal processor, so as to provide the output signal to the user.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to operate in one of several functional modes, said functional modes comprising a basic mode, an anti-snore mode, a stress reduction mode and a fitness training mode.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein in said basic mode, the user is enabled to set at least one of the output volume and effects presets.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein in said anti-snore mode the device is configured to detect the wave frequency and volume of a snore.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein in said anti-snore mode, the output volume incrementally increases as the input volume increases, so as to make the breath audible to the sleeping person, and when the input breathing becomes more like normal breathing, the audio feedback matches the new softer volume with a softer output volume.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein in said stress reduction mode the device is configured to add background sounds with the user'"'"'s breath.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein said background sounds are selectable by the user from pre-programmed options.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein said background sounds are selectable by the user from the group consisting of water sounds, nature sounds, music, a drone and combinations thereof.

13. The device of claim 6 wherein in said fitness training mode, the device is configured to add the sound of a pulse along with the user'"'"'s breath. The pulse acts as a cue for the user to breathe at a certain rate or tempo, supporting cardio programs and heart rate variability training.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the rate and sound level of the pulse are selectable by the user.