APPARATUS FOR DETECTING, DIAGNOSING AND EXERCISING AN INDIVIDUAL'S FUNCTIONALITIES

• US 20170224265A1
• Filed: 08/17/2015
• Published: 08/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrea Cagno
• Original Assignee: Andrea Cagno
• Inventors: Cagno, Andrea
• Application Number:
  US15/504,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20170224265A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0025 characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/032 Devices for presenting test symbols or characters, e.g. test chart projectors A61B3/036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1124 Determining motor skills
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/162 Testing reaction times
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0053 Apparatus generating random stimulus signals for reaction-time training involving a substantial physical effort
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/052 characterised by provision for recording or measuring trainee's performance devices for psychotechnics, e.g. for vehicle drivers A61B5/16, A61B5/18

Abstract

Apparatus (11) for detecting, diagnosing and exercising an individual'"'"'s functionalities, comprising: a plurality of emitters (15) emitting optical stimuli perceivable by an individual (13); a control unit (19) adapted to control the activation of the emitters (15) and programmed for activating the emitters (15) according to at least one parameter (P) and in accordance with a predetermined sequence (Q); a memory unit (21) in which predetermined sequences (Q) for the activation of the emitters (15) are stored, each sequence (Q) being identified by a univocal sequence reference and comprising the references of a group of emitters (15) belonging to the plurality of emitters and arranged along a path corresponding to the movement to be induced in the eyes of the individual (13); a sensor (31) “Eyetracker” capable of generating an electrical signal indicative of eye movements for detecting eye movements of an individual (13); a processing unit (25) operationally connected to the control unit (19) and programmed for processing the signal, for calculating the time (T_C) elapsed between the activation of an emitter (15) and the moment at which the individual'"'"'s eyes become fixed on said or another emitter (15) of the sequence, for comparing the time (T_C) with a predetermined threshold (S₁) and for selecting, according to the value resulting from the comparison, the value of the at least one parameter (P) and a predetermined sequence (Q) out of the stored sequences (Q) to be performed in a subsequent working cycle of the apparatus.

Claims

1. Apparatus (11) for detecting, diagnosing and exercising an individual'"'"'s functionalities, comprising:

a plurality of emitters (15) emitting optical stimuli perceivable by an individual (13);

a control unit (19) adapted to control the activation of said emitters (15) and programmed for activating said emitters (15) according to at least one parameter (P) and in accordance with a predetermined sequence (Q);

a memory unit (21) in which predetermined sequences (Q) for the activation of said emitters (15) are stored, each sequence (Q) being identified by a univocal sequence reference and comprising the references of a group of emitters (15) belonging to said plurality of emitters and arranged along a path corresponding to the movement to be induced in the eyes of said individual (13);

a sensor (31) “

Eyetracker”

capable of generating an electrical signal indicative of eye movements for detecting eye movements of an individual (13);

a processing unit (25) operationally connected to said control unit (19) and programmed for processing said signal, for calculating the time (T_C) elapsed between the activation of an emitter (15) and the moment at which the individual'"'"'s eyes become fixed on said or another emitter (15) of the sequence, for comparing the time (T_C) with a predetermined threshold (S₁) and for selecting, according to the value resulting from said comparison, the value of said at least one parameter (P) and a predetermined sequence (Q) out of said stored sequences (Q) to be performed in a subsequent working cycle of the apparatus.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit (25) is programmed for selecting the value of said at least one parameter (P) and the predetermined sequence (Q) so as to minimize the time (T_C) elapsed between the activation of an emitter (15) and the moment at which the individual'"'"'s eyes become fixed on said or another emitter (15) of the sequence.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus (11) is equipped with a motion sensor (23) capable of generating an electrical signal indicative of the variation of the position of a body movable in space.

4. Method of controlling an apparatus (11) for detecting, diagnosing and exercising an individual'"'"'s functionalities, comprising:

a plurality of emitters (15) emitting optical stimuli perceivable by an individual (13);

a control unit (19) adapted to control the activation of said emitters (15) and programmed for activating said emitters (15) according to at least one parameter (P) and in accordance with a predetermined sequence (Q);

a memory unit (21) in which predetermined sequences (Q) for the activation of said emitters (15) are stored, each sequence (Q) being identified by a univocal sequence reference and comprising the references of a group of emitters (15) belonging to said plurality of emitters and arranged along a path corresponding to the movement to be induced in the eyes of said individual (13);

a sensor (31) “

Eyetracker”

capable of generating a signal indicative of eye movements for detecting eye movements of an individual (13);

a processing unit (25) operationally connected to said control unit (19), wherein the following steps are provided;

controlling the activation of said emitters (15) according to at least one parameter (P) and in accordance with a predetermined sequence (Q);

comparing with a predetermined threshold (S₁) the time (T_C) elapsed between the activation of an emitter (15) and the moment at which the individual'"'"'s eyes become fixed on said or another emitter (15) of the sequence (Q);

selecting at least one parameter (P) and a predetermined sequence (Q) to be performed in a subsequent working cycle of the apparatus (11), out of said sequences stored in the memory unit (21), according to the result of said comparison.

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein the following steps are provided:

comparing with a predetermined threshold (S₂) the time (T_S) elapsed between the activation of an emitter (15) and the moment at which the individual'"'"'s movement begins or a specific movement of the individual prescribed by the exercise being performed is detected;

selecting at least one parameter (P) and a predetermined sequence (Q) to be performed in a subsequent working cycle of the apparatus, out of said sequences (Q) stored in the memory unit (21), according to the result of said comparison.

6. Method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein there is provided the step of varying, as a result of the comparison, said at least one parameter (P) while maintaining the same sequence (Q) as in the preceding cycle, or of varying, as a result of the comparison, the sequence (Q) while maintaining said at least one parameter (P) of the preceding cycle.

7. Method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein there is provided the step of varying, as a result of the comparison, said at least one parameter (P) and the sequence (Q) with respect to the preceding cycle.

8. Method according to claim 6, wherein there is provided the step of varying the value of said at least one parameter (P) so as to reduce the performing speed of the sequence when T_C>

S₁ and so as to increase the performing speed of the sequence when T_C<

S₁.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein the value of said at least one parameter (P) is varied by a value such that T_C=S ₁.

10. Method according to claim 5, wherein the sequences (Q) stored in the memory unit (21) are classified on the basis of a grade of difficulty in performance by an individual, and wherein the processing unit (25) is programmed for selecting a sequence (Q) of lower difficulty than the performed sequence when T_C>

S₁ and for selecting a sequence (Q) of higher difficulty than the performed sequence when T_C<

S₁.