MODIFYING A PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL STATE OF A SUBJECT

• US 20110004047A1
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• 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: Braspenning, Ralph, Johnson, Mark Thomas, Aarts, Ronaldus Maria
• Granted Patent: US 9,675,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/27
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle

Abstract

An apparatus and method for modifying a psychophysiological state of a subject (150) is presented. The method comprises the steps of: detecting a psychophysiological measure of the subject; processing the detected physiological measure so as to provide a signal indicative of a psychophysiological state of the subject; outputting at least one of an audio stimulus, visual stimulus, haptic stimulus, temperature stimulus and scent stimulus (176, 177) to the subject the output stimulus being derived from an audio-visual data signal provided to the apparatus; and adjusting the output stimulus in real time based on the signal indicative of a psychophysiological state of the subject.

Claims

1. An apparatus for modifying a psychophysiological state of a subject (150) comprising:

sensor means (165) to detect a psychophysiological measure of the subject;

a processor unit (170) to process the detected physiological measure so as to provide a signal indicative of a psychophysiological state of the subject; and

an output unit to output at least one of an audio stimulus, visual stimulus, haptic stimulus, temperature stimulus and scent stimulus to the subject, the output stimulus (176, 177) being derived from an audio-visual data signal provided to the apparatus,

wherein the processor unit modulates the audio-visual data signal in real time based on the signal indicative of a psychophysiological state of the subject and the current value of the audio-visual data signal so as to derive a new value of the output stimulus.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit comprises a television (160).

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the television (160) comprises ambient illumination means incorporated into a housing of the television for modifying the ambient illumination conditions of the television and wherein the ambient illumination means are adapted to output the visual stimulus (176).

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit further comprises a motive source (164) adapted to output the haptic stimulus (177), the motive source being included in a remote control (155).

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output stimulus (176) is arranged to provide a signal indicative of a time at which the subject (150) should perform a predetermined physical activity.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor means (165) is adapted to detect a heartbeat signal (S1) of the subject (150), and wherein the processor unit (170) is adapted to determine a regularity of the detected heartbeat signal so as to determine a psychophysiological state of the subject.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, the apparatus further comprising:

further sensor means (166) to detect a further psychophysiological measure of a further subject (151); and

a further processor unit (171) to process the further detected physiological measure so as to provide a further signal indicative of a further psychophysiological state of the further subject; and

wherein

the output unit outputs at least one of a further audio stimulus, further visual stimulus, further haptic stimulus, further temperature stimulus and further scent stimulus to the further subject, the further output stimulus being derived from an audio-visual data signal provided to the apparatus, the further processing unit modulates the audio-visual signal in real time based on the further signal indicative of a further psychophysiological state of the further subject and the current value of the audio-visual data signal so as to derive a new value of the further output stimulus.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the further output stimulus and the output stimulus provide a common output stimulus (176, 177) to the subject (150) and the further subject (151), the output unit being further adapted to adjust the common output stimulus in real time based on the signal indicative of a psychophysiological state of the subject and the further signal indicative of a further psychophysiological state of the further subject.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the sensor means (165) is adapted to detect a heartbeat signal (S1) of the subject, the further sensor means (166) is adapted to detect a further heartbeat signal (S2) of the further subject (151) and wherein the processor unit (170) is adapted to determine a regularity of the detected heartbeat signal and the further processor unit (171) is adapted to determine a further regularity of the detected further heartbeat signal, the common output stimulus (176, 177) being dependent on a difference between the regularity and the further regularity.

20. A remote control (155) as comprised in the apparatus defined in claim 4, the remote control further comprising sensor means (165, 166) the processor unit (170, 171) and communication means arranged for providing a communication link (175).

6. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

12. A method for modifying a psychophysiological state of a subject comprising the steps of:

detecting a psychophysiological measure of the subject (150);

processing the detected physiological measure so as to provide a signal indicative of a psychophysiological state of the subject; and

outputting at least one of an audio stimulus, visual stimulus, haptic stimulus, temperature stimulus and scent stimulus to the subject, the output stimulus (176, 177) being derived from a provided audio-visual data signal;

and further comprising the step of;

modulating a current value of the audio-visual data signal in real time based on the signal indicative of a psychophysiological state of the subject and the current value of the audio-video data signal so as to derive a new value of the output stimulus.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the output stimulus (176, 177) is arranged to provide a signal indicative of a time at which the subject should perform a predetermined physical activity.

18. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium comprising computer program code which when executed on a computer performs all of the steps of claim 12.

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

19. (canceled)