BRAINWAVE ANALYSIS AND FEEDBACK METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 3,826,243 A
• Filed: 07/10/1972
• Issued: 07/30/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Weston Arthur Anderson
• Original Assignee: Weston Arthur Anderson
• Inventors: Anderson, Weston Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/270,520
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2.1B,2.6B 324/77A,77B,77E
• US Class Current: 600/545
• 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 5/374 Detecting the frequency distribution of signals, e.g. detecting delta, theta, alpha, beta or gamma waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms

Abstract

A method and apparatus for minimizing spurious responses in brainwave analysis and feedback instruments. A plurality of Fourier amplitude coefficients of the incoming brainwave signals are determined, and these coefficients are appropriately combined to be representative of certain brainwave states and to suppress noise signals that have a relatively wide bandwidth.

Claims

1. The method of analyzing the brain wave signal of an animal comprising the steps of:

a. sensing said brain wave signal, b. determining a plurality of Fourier amplitude coefficients of said brain wave signal, c. combining said Fourier amplitude coefficients to obtain a composite coefficient representative of a brain wave state, and d. indicating said brain wave state.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of sensing comprises the steps of sensing said brain wave signals and amplifying said brain wave signals.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sensing said brain wave signals comprises the steps of sensing previous recorded brain wave signals and amplifying said recorded brain wave signals.

4. ThE method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining a plurality of Fourier amplitude coefficients comprises determining two Fourier amplitude coefficients and said step of combining said Fourier amplitude coefficients comprises multiplying one of said Fourier amplitude coefficients by a constant factor to obtain a resultant factor and adding said resultant factor to the other of said Fourier amplitude coefficient to obtain said composite coefficient.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said constant factor is minus one.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of indicating said brain wave state comprises generating an audio frequency sound responsive to said composite coefficient.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the said step combining said Fourier amplitude coefficients to obtain a composite coefficient comprises the forming of a plurality of said composite coefficients, each representative of a certain brain wave state.

8. Apparatus for analyzing the brain wave signal of an animal comprising:

a. means for sensing said brain wave signal, b. means for determining a plurality of Fourier amplitude coefficients from said brain wave signal, c. means for combining said Fourier amplitude coefficients to form a composite coefficient representative of a brain wave state, and d. means for indicating said brain wave state responsive to said composite coefficient.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the means for sensing comprises means for sensing said brain wave signal and means for amplifying said brain wave signal.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said means for sensing said brain wave signal comprises means for sensing a previously recorded brain wave signal and means for amplifying said brain wave signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein means for determining a plurality of FOurier amplitude coefficients comprises the means for determining two Fourier amplitude coefficients and means for combining said Fourier amplitude coefficients comprises means for multiplying one of said Fourier amplitude coefficients by a constant factor to obtain a resultant factor and means for adding said resultant factor to the other of said Fourier amplitude coefficient to obtain said composite coefficient.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said constant factor is minus one.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for indicating comprises an audio frequency sound generating means responsive to said composite coefficient.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for combining said Fourier amplitude coefficients to form a composite coefficient comprises a means for forming a plurality of composite coefficients, means for forming each of said composite coefficients including a separate combining means, each of said separate composite coefficients representative of a certain brain wave state, and said indicating means comprises means for providing plural indications, each indication representative of a certain brain wave state.