Apparatus for analyzing brain wave

• US 20100010365A1
• Filed: 05/05/2009
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Terao, Motoyasu, Sasago, Yoshitaka, Oho, Shigeru
• Application Number:
  US12/453,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20100010365A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/544
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• 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 5/7267 involving training the classification device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/063 preventing starting of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/24 Drug level, e.g. alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

To increase intensity of the brain wave signal for detection. Provided is an apparatus for analyzing a brain wave which is installed on a vehicle comprising: a detection unit for detecting the brain wave signal, and separating and analyzing the detected brain wave signal; a discrimination unit for generating a control signal according to an intensity of the brain wave signal analyzed by the detection unit; a processing control unit for controlling subsequent processing according to a type of each of the plurality of control signals produced by the discrimination unit; at least one brain wave signal induction unit for generating a graphic inducing a predetermined type of the brain wave; and a display for displaying the generated graphic according to the received signal from the brain wave signal induction unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for analyzing a brain wave which is installed on a vehicle comprising:

a detection unit for detecting the brain wave signal, and separating and analyzing the detected brain wave signal;

a discrimination unit for generating a control signal according to an intensity of the brain wave signal analyzed by the detection unit;

a processing control unit for controlling subsequent processing according to a type of each of the plurality of control signals produced by the discrimination unit;

at least one brain wave signal induction unit for generating a graphic inducing a predetermined type of the brain wave; and

a display for displaying the generated graphic according to the received signal from the brain wave signal induction unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discrimination unit generates control signal by repeating at least two stages in a hierarchy, each corresponding to at most six control signals.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the each generation of the plurality of control signal at least two stages is performed by at least two of the brain wave signal induction unit different from each other.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an input unit for controlling a start of an operation of the discrimination unit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is installed on one of a ceiling above a seat and a headrest of the seat.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects the brain wave without contacting user'"'"'s head.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit for storing pattern of the brain wave signal,

wherein the discrimination unit compares the pattern of brain wave signal stored in the storage unit and the brain wave signal detected by the detection unit, and discriminates between a brain wave caused by a primary task such as driving a vehicle and a brain wave caused by controlling an electronic device for a task other than the primary task.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit for storing pattern of brain wave signal inappropriate for the primary task,

wherein the discrimination unit compares the pattern of brain wave signal stored in the storage unit and the brain wave signal detected by the detection unit, and detects abnormality which includes a state of driving under an influence of alcohol, a state of working under the influence of alcohol, a state of sleeping while driving, a state of sleeping while working, a state of driving while looking aside for a long period, and a state of working while looking aside for a long period.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit comprises an individual difference determination/correction unit for determining and correcting the detected brain wave signal while considering an individual difference thereof to thereby generate a signal used for control.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a brain wave component intensity display unit for generating signal for displaying a component intensity of the brain wave detected by the detection unit on the display.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the component intensity of the brain wave is displayed as one of a length of a bar of a bar chart, a size of a graphic, and an area of a graphic.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a BCI training unit,

Wherein the BCI training unit comprises a proficiency determination unit for determining proficiency in operating the apparatus for analyzing a brain wave.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit,

wherein the storage unit include a first storage unit for storing a brain wave signal of primary task relating to driving, and a second storage unit for storing a brain wave signal of task other than the primary task relating to an operation of the apparatus for analyzing a brain wave.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the graphic inducing the predetermined type of the brain wave is a representation partially changed in shape or color.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a shape/color control unit for changing one of a shape and a color of a part close to an edge of display area on the display.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the shape/color control unit changes one of a background color, character color, negative/positive inversion, and a representation in a complementary color.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation inhibition unit for inhibiting an operation on the apparatus in a case of which processing of the operation requires more steps than a predetermined number of steps.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a BCI training unit,

wherein the BCI training unit comprises a proficiency determination unit for determining proficiency in operating the apparatus for analyzing a brain wave,

wherein the operation inhibition processing unit determines a threshold of the step number to be used for inhibiting the operation based on the proficiency determined by the BCI training unit.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, detecting an abnormal brain wave signal, and prohibiting driving based on the detected brain wave signal.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a storage unit for storing a pattern of abnormal brain wave signal,

wherein the discrimination unit detects abnormal brain wave signal, by comparing the pattern of abnormal brain wave signal stored in the storage unit and the brain wave signal detected by the detection unit.