Stressor Sensor and Stress Management System

• US 20090005657A1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Aarts, Ronaldus Maria, Bodlaender, Maarten Peter, Saini, Privender Kaur
• Granted Patent: US 8,323,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period

Abstract

A stressor detection system (100) comprises sensor means (101) arranged for being attached to a person for obtaining a time-varying signal representing a physical quantity relating to an environment of the person, and processing means (102) for deriving a stressor value from the obtained signal representing a degree to which the environment is inducing stress in the person. The processing means is arranged for deriving an amount of complexity comprised in the signal, and for deriving a higher stressor value for a larger amount of information. The processing means is further arranged for performing a spectral frequency analysis of the signal and for deriving the stressor value also in dependence on the spectral frequency analysis. The sensor means comprises a microphone (105), a camera (104), and a tri-axial accelerometer.

Claims

1. A stressor detection system (100) comprising

sensor means (101) arranged for being attached to a person for obtaining a time-varying signal representing a physical quantity relating to an environment of the person, and

processing means (102) for deriving a stressor value from the obtained signal representing a degree to which the environment is inducing stress in the person.

2. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means is arranged for deriving an amount of complexity comprised in the signal, and for deriving a higher stressor value for a larger amount of information.

3. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means is arranged for performing a spectral frequency analysis of the signal and for deriving the stressor value also in dependence on the spectral frequency analysis.

4. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor means is arranged for obtaining a further time-varying signal representing a further physical quantity relating to an environment of the person,

the processing means is arranged for deriving a further stressor value from the further obtained signal and for deriving a combined stressor value from the stressor value and the further stressor value.

5. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor means comprises a microphone (105) and the obtained signal comprises an audio signal obtained from the microphone.

6. The stressor detection system according to claim 5, wherein the processing means is arranged for deriving the stressor value also in dependence on at least one of:

an amplitude of the audio signal,

an envelope of the audio signal,

a dose of the audio signal, and

a loudness of the signal.

7. The stressor detection system according to claim 5, wherein the processing means is arranged for giving a larger weight to a disturbing component of the audible signal component, the disturbing component comprising frequencies

above a predetermined bound and below an upper bound of frequencies that the person is able to hear, where the predetermined bound is smaller than the upper bound, or

frequencies below a predetermined bound and above a lower bound of frequencies that the person is able to hear, where the lower bound is smaller than the predetermined bound.

8. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor means comprises a light sensor for obtaining a light intensity signal representing an intensity of visible environmental light, and the processing means is arranged for deriving the stressor value in dependence on the intensity.

9. The stressor detection system according to claim 8, wherein the processing means is arranged for deriving a value relating to an envelope of the light intensity signal and for deriving the stressor value also in dependence on the derived value.

10. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor means comprises a light sensor for obtaining a plurality of light signals each representing the intensity of a distinct color component of environmental light, and the processing means is arranged for deriving the stressor value in dependence on the light signals.

11. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor means comprises a camera (104) for obtaining at least one image relating to what the person is looking at, and the processing means is arranged for deriving the stressor value also in dependence on the image.

12. The stressor detection system according to claim 11, wherein the processing means is arranged for deriving an amount of complexity of the at least one image and for deriving the stressor value also in dependence on the amount of complexity of the at least one image.

13. The stressor detection system according to claim 11, wherein the processing means is arranged for deriving an amount of movement from the at least one image and for deriving the stressor value also in dependence on the amount of movement.

14. The stressor detection system according to claim 11, wherein the processing means is arranged for performing an object recognition on the at least one image and for deriving the stressor value also in dependence on the object recognition.

15. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an acceleration sensor for obtaining an acceleration signal, and further comprising means for extracting from the acceleration signal an externally-induced acceleration signal representing an acceleration of the person not caused by a muscle contraction of the person, and the processing means is arranged for taking into account the externally-induced acceleration signal.

16. The stressor detection system according to claim 15, wherein the means for extracting is arranged for including an acceleration signal component with frequencies below a predefined lower threshold and further including an acceleration signal component with frequencies above a predefined upper threshold, where the upper threshold is larger than the lower threshold.

17. The stressor detection system according to claim 15, further comprising an electromyography system (104) for obtaining an electromyography signal and wherein the means for extracting is arranged for performing the extracting also in dependence on the electromyography signal.

18. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, further comprising means (105) for obtaining a stress value relating to stress experienced by the person, and means for establishing a relation between the signal and the stress experienced by the person.

19. The stressor detection system according to claim 18, wherein the means for obtaining the stress value is arranged for obtaining a physiological quantity of the person relating to stress experienced by the person.

20. A stressor detection method comprising deriving a stressor value from a time-varying signal, the time-varying signal representing a physical quantity relating to an environment of the person, the stressor value representing a degree to which the environment is inducing stress in the person.