Means for enhancing the productivity of video telecommunication systems

• US 5,443,076 A
• Filed: 05/22/1992
• Issued: 08/22/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marcel Bau
• Original Assignee: Marcel Bau
• Inventors: Bau, Marcel
• Primary Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Application Number:
  US07/887,044
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 128/731-732
• US Class Current: 600/544
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/378 Visual stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/38 Acoustic or auditory stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

The method and means for enhancing productivity of video telecommunication systems interrelating conferees at physically separated stations that involves the preconditioning of all conferees utilizing a head band providing left and right temporal leads to a versatile EEG-computer linkage, and speakers linked to a synthetic sound generator, exposing individual conferees to a variable light and sound environment where the colors violet to red are associated with sounds ranging in frequency from low to high by exposing the conferee to the sequential flashing of lights in the order violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, with the associated sounds, and then in the reverse order to thereby stimulate alpha rhythm functioning respectively in the right and left brain hemispheres, repeating such sequential flashing of lights until essentially uniform and synchronized alpha rhythm functioning is achieved in both brain hemispheres, thereby establishing in the EEG-computer linkage a record of the light and sound conditions which should sustain for the individual the synchronized alpha rhythm brain functioning, and during a conference having each conferee wear a left temporal probe with lead to the EEG-computer linkage and a speaker with lead to the synthetic sound generator, whereby the EEG-computer linkage will provide for the conferee the predetermined and adjusted colored light illumination and sound frequency exposure, the averaged alpha rhythm pattern for conferees at each station being comparatively projected on television screens at both stations, and general conformance in the patterns thus projected indicating that a conference is progressing favorably.

Claims

1. An improvement in video, telecommunication systems wherein geographically spaced conference stations are interconnected by telephone, television and computer lines enabling such systems to be more productive by functioning on an essentially real time basis, said improvement comprising the provision at each conference station of:

a. television screen means arranged at one end of the conference station,

b. at least one work area at the opposite end of the conference station, each comprising a desk housing,

c. versatile television camera means including means for quickly switching between an adjustment for panoramic viewing of a group of conferees, and separate enlarged viewing of individual conferees, said camera means including means for projecting a signal to the remote conference station,

d. means for illumination of the occupants of the work areas including a plurality of variable light source means aimed at respective ones of said work areas for illumination of the occupant thereof, with each light source containing individually variable white light and red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet light sources,

e. electronic equipment means, said electronic equipment means including versatile EEG facility means for monitoring brain functioning of the conferees, a variable synthetic sound generator and modulator means for correlating ranges of frequencies of the output of said variable synthetic sound generator with corresponding color lights of said means for illumination,

f. a compartment at each work area housing;

(1) a head set for pre-conference use in selecting optimum light and sound adjustment for the occupant, providing left and right temporal EEG leads and an ear piece coupled with the variable sound generator, and

(2) a small ear suspended unit for in-conference use on the left ear providing a left temporal EEG lead and linkage to the variable sound generator,

g. a versatile computer interconnecting with the EEG inputs and variable light sources for each work area, and with the television screens and television camera means, and with the remote conference station, and

h. each work area having a control panel including inter alia;

(1) a first button to be activated during pre-conference mode, and

(2) a second button to be activated during the conference mode,

respective desk housings adapted to accommodate participating conferees in each conference station prior to the beginning of a conference, a respective conferee positioning the head set for pre-conference use at his work station on his head, said EEG leads connected to said versatile computer whereby said versatile computer monitors the brain functioning of the conferee when the conferee activates said first button, said computer operably connected to said means for illumination and said variable synthetic sound generator, whereupon when the conferee activates said first button, said computer, responsive to the detected brain functioning of the conferee, adjusts said means for illumination and said variable synthetic sound generator so as to stimulate the conferee until the conferee achieves both a high level of alpha rhythm functioning, and as close as possible, a conformance between the alpha rhythm functioning in the left and right hemispheres of the conferee'"'"'s brain, all as monitored by said versatile computer, said versatile computer recording for subsequent conference use the necessary data including those adjustments of said means for illumination and said variable synthetic sound generator necessary to achieve the high level of alpha rhythm functioning and the closest possible conformance between the alpha rhythm functioning in the left and right hemispheres,

said conferee during said conference mode with said small ear suspended unit positioned on the left ear and said second button activated, enabling said versatile computer through said left temporal EEG lead to monitor the brain functioning of the left hemisphere of the individual conferee, said versatile computer comparing the brain functioning EEG readings during the conference to the recorded data stored therein based upon the pre-conference readings to thereafter adjust said means for illumination and said variable synthetic sound generator as necessary to achieve as close as possible the previously determined alpha rhythm functioning level established prior to the conference,

said television screen means providing the multiple functions of;

(1) during pre-conference mode, displaying for individual conferees, graphics and data meaningful in the pre-conference adjustment of light and sound sources, and

(2) during conference mode, displaying on one screen interchangable panoramic views and enlarged individual views of conferees at the remote station, and on the other a divided projection displaying at the top the visual aids as used by both stations, and in a small lower section a running graphic comparison of the level of alpha rhythm brain functioning of conferees at both stations,

whereby the improved system, when functioning as intended, is assuring enhanced conference productivity so long as the projected alpha rhythm patterns of both stations are in substantial conformance, and indicating a breakdown in conference productivity if the projected alpha rhythm patterns assume and maintain non-conforming configurations.

2. The improvement in the video telecommunication system as defined in claim 1, wherein said versatile EEG facility means includes separate EEG units at each work area.

3. The improvement in the video telecommunication system as defined in claim 1, wherein said versatile EEG facility means includes a single versatile EEG unit to service the several work areas.

4. The improvement in the video telecommunication system as defined in claim 3, wherein the several work areas constitute separate areas of a unitary conference table.

5. The improvement in the video telecommunication system as defined in claim 4, wherein at least one work area has a panel section, with a video camera beneath it for viewing tables, graphs and other visual aids being used by the conferees.

6. The improvement in the video telecommunication system as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for illumination of the occupants of the work areas include a lower and upper light source means, wherein the light sources are colored red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet and have one left-to-right orientation in the lower light source and the reverse orientation in the upper light source.

7. The improvement in the video telecommunication system as defined in claim 6, wherein the intensity of the white light, and of the colored lights collectively in the adjusted balance of relative intensities, being adjusted for optimum illumination for the television camera means.

8. The improvement in the video telecommunication system as defined in claim 1, wherein the synthetic sound generators include means for providing for continuous variation of the pitch and rhythm of the generated sound between finite limits.

9. The improvement in the video telecommunication system as defined in claim 1, wherein each said control panel includes a third button to be activated, when the respective conferee plans an extensive discourse, for switching the television camera means from panoramic viewing to enlarged viewing of the respective conferee and for activating a projection on a portion of the second television screen at both stations, of the alpha rhythm pattern of said conferee.

10. The improvement in the video telecommunication system as defined in claim 1, wherein a section of the second television screen is utilized to periodically project computer generated graphics said graphics generated by said versatile computer means based on the EEG readings of the participating conferees of each station so as to provide a real time portrayal of the progress of the conference with respects to an agreement of the conferees.

11. The improvement claimed in claim 10, wherein said graphics at a first stage comprises a square formed by first and second triangles joined at their bases and representing substantial synchronization of the left and right hemispheres of the brain the alpha level for the conferees, said substantial synchronization first occuring during the pre-conference mode after conditioning by said illumination means and said sound generation means, said graphics including first indicia indicating thought impulses originating in the left hemisphere, and reacted to by the right hemisphere, second indicia indicating thought impulses originating in the right hemisphere and reacted to by the left hemisphere, third indicia representing paths of inter-communication between the two hemispheres, said graphics further including a vertical line dividing the square into left and right triangles and producing in effect, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth smaller triangles, said third triangle representing conscious decompression, said fourth triangle representing conscious compression, said fifth triangle representing unconscious decompression, and said sixth triangle representing unconscious compression, said third and fifth triangles remaining unchanged in size throughout the conference while said fourth and sixth triangles vary in size in response to the varying EEG inputs to said computer means based on the reduction of alpha rhythm and increase in beta rhythm in the left brain hemispheres during the conference, after the pre-conference stage, said graphics including fourth and fifth indicia at opposite ends of the horizontal line formed at the bases of said first and second triangles, said fourth and fifth indicia comprising respective scale means which permit a visual indication of the extent of the change in size of said fourth and sixth triangles and thus the extent, or lack thereof, of progress towards a meeting of the minds of the conferees.

12. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said camera means includes means for permanently recording the signals being generated.