PROCESSING A BIO-PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNAL

• US 20120029322A1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Wartena, Frank, Aarts, Ronaldus Maria
• Application Number:
  US13/262,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029322A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/398 Electrooculography [EOG], e.g. detecting nystagmus; Electroretinography [ERG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for processing at least one bio-physiological signal of a sleeping object, such as a brain wave signal or electroencephalography (EEG) signal, an electro-oculogram (EOG) signal, or an electro-myogram (EMG) signal. The signal is captured by at least one sensor, which may be included in a pliable device such as a pillow or headgear. A processing unit (18) processes the at least one bio-physiological signal and thereby generates an output signal (28; 38; 44) based on the at least one bio-physiological signal and based on a signal pattern stored or generated in the processing unit (18), the output signal (28; 38; 44) comprising a temporally varying output signal pattern, wherein the output signal pattern depends on a current sleep state of the sleeping object. The output signal may be reproduced in a human-perceptible form.

Claims

1. Apparatus for processing a bio-physiological signal, comprising:

a plurality of sensors (12;

20;

60) for capturing at least one bio-physiological signal of a sleeping object; and

an image acquisition device for determination of the position and/or orientation of the head

processing unit (18) for selection of at least one sensor in dependence of the input from the image acquisition device and for processing the at least one bio-physiological signal and thereby generating an output signal (28;

38;

44) based on the at least one bio-physiological signal and based on a signal pattern stored or generated in the processing unit (18), the output signal (28;

38;

44) comprising a temporally varying output signal pattern, wherein the output signal pattern depends on a current sleep state of the sleeping object.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bio-physiological signal is a brain wave signal.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an output unit (30;

34;

40) for reproducing the output signal in a human-perceptible form.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pillow (10) that comprises said sensors (12).

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image acquisition device is an infrared camera.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output signal (28) is a two-dimensional graphical signal.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output signal (28;

44) comprises a color signal having a temporally varying intensity and/or hue.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output signal (38) is an audio signal.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output signal (38) is stored in a storage.

10. Method of processing a bio-physiological signal, comprising the steps of:

taking an image of a part of a sleeping object,

capturing at least one bio-physiological signal of a sleeping object; and

processing the at least one bio-physiological signal using a processing unit (18), thereby generating an output signal (28;

38;

44) based on the at least one bio-physiological signal and based on a signal pattern stored or generated in the processing unit (18), the output signal (28;

38;

44) comprising a temporally varying output signal pattern, wherein the output signal pattern depends on a current sleep state of the sleeping object.

12. Data Carrier including a Computer program for performing the steps of the method as claimed in claim 10.

11. Computer program or Computer program product for performing the method as claimed in 10 when executed on a computer.

13. Computer for executing a computer program as claimed in claim 11.