Method and system for forming an acoustic signal from neural timing difference data

• US 6,584,357 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2000
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Dawson, Thomas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAYNO, CARL HERNANDZ
• Application Number:
  US09/690,786
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 607/54, 128/897
• US Class Current: 607/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/08 Devices or methods enabling eye-patients to replace direct visual perception by another kind of perception
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/007 in which the audio signals are in digital form data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02

Abstract

A non-invasive system and process for converting sensory data, e.g., visual, audio, taste, smell or touch, to neural firing time differences in a human brain and using acoustic signals to generate the neural firing time differences. Data related to neural firing time differences, the acoustic signals, and a user'"'"'s response map may be stored in memory. The user'"'"'s response map may be used to more accurately map the calculated neural firing time differences to the correct neural locations.

Claims

1. A method of storing data related to acoustic signals configured to alter neural firing times in a brain, the method comprising:

non-invasively projecting a first acoustic signal into the brain, the first acoustic signal affecting a neural firing time at a first neural location in the brain;

storing a user sensory response and data related to the first acoustic signal in a memory;

non-invasively projecting a second acoustic signal into the brain; and

storing a user sensory response and data related to the second acoustic signal in the memory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first acoustic signal varies in amplitude from the second acoustic signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first acoustic signal varies in frequency from the second acoustic signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first acoustic signal varies in duration from the second acoustic signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second acoustic signal affects the neural firing time of the first neural location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second acoustic signal affects the neural firing time of a second neural location.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

non-invasively projecting additional acoustic signals into the brain, the additional acoustic signals affecting neural firing times at a plurality of neural locations in the brain; and

storing user sensory responses and data related to the additional acoustic signals in a memory, wherein a map of neural locations, user sensory responses and data related to the acoustic signals is created.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising categorizing the data related to the signals by targeted neural locations.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein non-invasively projecting at least one of the first and second acoustic signals comprises gating high frequency acoustic signals on then off at low frequencies.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second acoustic signals each comprise a pulsed signal generated by a primary transducer array and a secondary transducer array, the primary transducer array generating a reference wave and the secondary transducer array generating a diffraction pattern.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second acoustic signals are projected into a visual cortex of the brain.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first acoustic signal causes the user to perceive a first bright area in a simulated visual field, and the second acoustic signal causes the user to perceive a second bright area in the simulated visual field.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second acoustic signals are projected into a cochlear channel of the brain.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first acoustic signal causes the user to perceive a first sound in a simulated auditory range, and the second acoustic signal causes the user to perceive a second sound in the simulated auditory range.

15. A method of customizing a library of data related to acoustic signals configured to alter neural firing times in a brain, the method comprising:

retrieving data related to a first acoustic signal from a memory;

projecting a first acoustic signal into the brain using the data related to a first acoustic signal, the first acoustic signal affecting a neural firing time at a first neural location in the brain;

storing a user sensory response with the data related to the first acoustic signal in the memory;

retrieving data related to a second acoustic signal form the memory;

projecting a second acoustic signal in the brain using the data related to the second acoustic signal; and

storing a user sensory response with the data related to the second acoustic signal in the memory.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second acoustic signal affects the neural firing time of the first neural location.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the second acoustic signal affects the neural firing time of a second neural location.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second acoustic signals each comprise a pulsed signal generated by a primary transducer array and a secondary transducer array, the primary transducer array generating a reference wave and the secondary transducer array generating a diffraction pattern.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising calibrating components that generate the first and second acoustic signals.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising transferring the user sensory responses and the data in the memory to a second memory.

21. A method for projecting sensory data in a human brain, the method comprising:

receiving a sensory input;

calculating neural firing time differences for mapped neural locations in the brain based on the sensory input;

selecting data in a memory related to signals configured to generate the neural firing time differences in the brain; and

projecting the signals to generate the neural firing time differences into the brain.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the neural firing time differences cause the brain to experience the sensory input.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the neural firing time differences cause the brain to experience a sensation that is similar to the sensory input.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein projecting the signals comprises:

emitting a first acoustic energy as a coherent signal source toward the brain; and

producing a diffraction pattern for the first emitted acoustic energy, the diffraction pattern causing the neural firing time differences.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising summing the signals configured to generate the neural firing time differences in the brain.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

selecting a reference signal based on a type of transducer used to produce the signals configured to generate the neural firing time differences in the brain; and

applying the reference signal to the brain, wherein signals configured to generate the neural firing time differences in the brain shape the pulse of the reference signal.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the sensory input is selected from a group consisting of an image, a sound, a video, a textual piece, an audio piece, a smell, a taste and a tactile sensation.

28. A system of storing data related to acoustic signals configured to alter neural firing times in a brain, the system comprising:

a transducer system configured to non-invasively project a first acoustic signal and a second acoustic signal into the brain, the first and second acoustic signals affecting one or more neural firing times at one or more neural locations in the brain;

a signal generator coupled to the transducer system; and

a memory coupled to the signal generator, the memory configured to store;

data related to the first and second acoustic signals; and

user sensory responses produced by the first and second acoustic signals,

wherein the signal generator is configured to select data in the memory related to signals configured to generate the neural firing time differences in the brain, the transducer system is configured to apply the signals to generate the neural firing time differences in the brain.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising an input device configured to allow a user to modify the data into the memory.

30. The system of claim 28, further comprising an input device configured to allow a user to enter new data into the memory.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the data related to the first and second acoustic signals are categorized by targeted neural locations.

32. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

a processing module coupled to the signal generator and the memory, the processing module being configured to calculate neural firing time differences for mapped neural locations in the brain based on a sensory input.