Brain wave synchronizer

• US 5,306,228 A
• Filed: 05/05/1992
• Issued: 04/26/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rubins, Tye
• Original Assignee: Rubins, Tye
• Inventors: Rubins, Tye
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LACYK, JOHN P
• Application Number:
  US07/878,825
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 600/26-28
• US Class Current: 600/27
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/00 Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0648 the light being directed to the eyes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0651 Diodes

Abstract

A device for inducing the brain waves of a user to assume a predetermined frequency including a playback device, stereo earphones, and at least one light mounted on glasses in front of each eye of the user. Three separate control signals are pre-recorded superimposed onto a single control track. This composite signal is read by the playback device and is decomposed into the separate control signals by filters in a decoder/controller. One control signal drives a first LED and another drives a second LED. The number of sinusoids within the first and second control signal determining the light intensity. The third control signal is passed alternately to two speakers, with the switching between the speakers being controlled by the state of the first and second control signal. Conventional earphones and a conventional tape player may be used. The invention also includes the method according to which the control signals are pre-recorded, played back, filtered, and applied to the lights and speakers.

Claims

1. An arrangement, including earphones having first and second speakers and a stereo connector, for inducing brain waves with a predetermined synchronization frequency in the brain of a user, comprising:

a recording medium with a dingle, pre-recorded control track;

a playback device being arranged to read the control rack and to generate an electrical composite control signal corresponding to the control track;

a decoder/controller including a first filter with an output comprising a first filtered control signal, a second filter with an output comprising a second filtered control signal, and a third filter with an output comprising a third filtered control signal, with each filter having the composite control signal as an input signal;

a first connector means for connecting the playback device electrically with the decoder/controller;

a visual presentation means for screening the eyes of a user from ambient light;

a second connector means for connecting the visual presentation means electrically with the decoder/controller;

first and second light, each mounted on the visual presentation means so as to be in front of a respective one of the eyes of the user;

a light-switching means for activating the first and second lights at a synchronization frequency when selected ones of the filtered control signals have a substantially non-zero amplitude, said light-switching means including a first amplifier that is electrically connected to the first light and a second amplifier that is electrically connected to the second light;

a sound-switching means for applying a selected one of the filtered control signals alternately to the first and second speakers of the earphones and for producing audible tones pulsating at the synchronization frequency;

the sound-switching means includes a first amplifier that is electrically connected to a first switch and a second amplifier that is electrically connected to a second switch;

the first filter is connected to the first amplifier;

the second filter is connected to the second amplifier;

the third filter is connected to inputs of the first and second switches;

the first and second speakers are connected to outputs of the first and second switches, respectively; and

,

encoder means for varying, during recording of the first and second control signals, the number of sinusoids in the first and second control signals.

2. An arrangement, including earphones having first and second speakers and a stereo connector, for inducing brain waves with a predetermined synchronization frequency in the brain of a user, comprising:

a recording medium with a single, prerecorded control track;

a playback device being arranged to read the control track and to generate an electrical composite control signal corresponding to the control track;

a decoder/controller including a plurality of filters, each filter having the composite control signal as an input signal and generating a corresponding filtered control signal;

a first connector means for connecting the playback device electrically with the decoder/controller;

a visual presentation means for screening the eyes of the user from ambient light;

a second connector means for connecting the visual presentation means electrically with the decoder/controller;

first and second lights, each mounted on the visual presentation means so as to be in front of a respective one of the eyes of the user;

a light-switching means for activating the first and second lights at a synchronization frequency when selected ones of the filtered control signals have a substantially non-zero amplitude; and

a sound-switching means for applying a selected one of the filtered control signals alternately to the first and second speaker of the earphones and for producing audible tones pulsating at the synchronization frequency.

3. An arrangement as defined in claim 2, in which:

the filters include a first filter for passing a first one of the filtered control signals, a second filter for passing a second one of the filtered control signals, and a third filter for passing a third one of the filtered control signals;

the light-switching means includes a first amplifier that is electrically connected to the first light and a second amplifier that is electrically connected to the second light;

the first filter is connected to the first amplifier and the second filter is connected to the second amplifier;

the first and second lights are connected to the first and second amplifier, respectively;

the sound-switching means includes a first switch that is electrically connected to the first speaker and a second switch that is electrically connected to the second speaker; and

the first amplifier is connected to the first switch and the second amplifier is connected to the second switch;

third filter is connected to inputs of the first and second switches;

the first and second speakers are connected to outputs of the first and second switches respectively;

whereby, when the first filtered control signal has a positive amplitude, the first switch closes to electrically transmit the third filtered control signal to the first speaker , and when the second filtered control signal has a positive amplitude, the second switch closes to electrically transmit the third filtered control signal to the second speaker.

4. A method for inducing brain waves with a predetermined synchronization frequency in the brain of a subject, comprising the following steps:

A) pre-recording onto a single control track of a recording medium a superimposed, composite control signal including a first control signal, with a first frequency range, a first alternating pattern of active and inactive period portions, and a first quantity of sinusoids , a second control signal, with a second frequency range, a second alternating pattern of active and inactive period portions, and a second quantity of sinusoids, and a third control signal with a third frequency range;

B) varying, during recording, the number of sinusoids in the first and second control signal as a means of varying the intensity of illumination of first and second lights;

C) reading the control track to generate a composite input signal;

D) filtering the composite input signal in a decoder/controller and extracting and separating the first, second and third control signals;

E) applying the first control signal to the first light and applying the second control signal to the second light for activating the lights at a predetermined synchronization frequency;

F) producing an audible tone alter in a first speaker and a second speaker at the predetermined synchronization frequency by applying the third signal to the first speaker during the active period portions of the first signal and applying the third signal to the second speaker during the active portion of the second signal.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, further including the step of pre-recording the third control signal with a base frequency during the active period portions of the second signal and with a deveated frequency during the active portion of the second signal, with the difference between the base frequency and the deviated frequency being equal to the predetermined synchronization frequency.

6. A method as defined in claim 4, further including the step of reducing the intensity of illumination of the lights during recording by proportionally reducing the number of sinusoids in the first and second control signals.

7. An arrangement, including earphones having first and second speakers and a stereo connector, for inducing brain waves with a predetermined synchronization frequency in the brain of a user, comprising:

a recording medium with at least one, prerecorded control track, wherein the track includes a pulsed waveform signal having a frequency greater than a predetermined threshold flicker rate;

a playback device being arranged to read the control track and to generate an electrical control signal corresponding to the control track;

a visual presentation means for screening the eyes of the user from ambient light;

a connector means for connecting the visual presentation means electrically with the playback device;

first and second lights, each mounted on the visual presentation means so as to be in front of a respective one of the eyes of the user;

light-switching means for activating the first and second lights at the predetermined threshold flicker rate when the control signal has a substantially non-zero amplitude; and

sound-switching means for applying the control signal to the first and second speaker of the earphones and for producing audible tones.

8. The arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined threshold flicker rate is approximately 40 Hertz.

9. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the recording medium includes a magnetic tape.

10. The arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the first and second lights further comprise a light emitting diode.

11. The arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the pulsed waveform signal further comprises a sinusoidal waveform contained within a period of a pulse.

12. The arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the arrangement further comprises an unitary housing, and the recording medium and the playback device are contained in the unitary housing.

13. The arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the arrangement further comprises an operational amplifier connected to an output of the playback device to receive the electrical control signal, and wherein the first and second lights include diodes connected to and actuated by the operational amplifier.

14. The arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the playback device and the light-switching means operate in synchronism.

15. A brain wave synchronizer for stimulating the brain of a user to obtain a brain wave synchronization frequency, comprising:

a unitary medium containing an audio program and a brain wave synchronization program;

a reader means for reading the audio program and the brain wave synchronization program;

a power source;

a controller means for receiving the audio and brain wave synchronization programs read by the reader means, connected to the power source;

a light emitting device, actuated by the controller means in accordance with the brain wave synchronization program, adapted to be disposed proximal to an eye of the user; and

an audio emission device, actuated by the controller means in accordance with the brain wave synchronization program and the audio program, adapted to be disposed proximal to an ear of the user;

whereby the light emitting device and the audio emission device stimulate the user'"'"'s brain.

16. The brain wave synchronizer of claim 15, wherein the medium further comprises a magnetic recording tape.

17. The brain wave synchronizer of claim 16, wherein the reader means further comprises a magnetic recording tape player.

18. The brain wave synchronizer of claim 17, wherein the light emitting device includes a light emitting diode mounted to an opaque lens of a spectacle frame adapted to be worn by the user, and the audio emission device includes an electromagnetic transducer.