Brain programmer for increasing human information processing capacity

• US 6,615,197 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2000
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Songhai Chai
• Original Assignee: Songhai Chai
• Inventors: Chai, Songhai
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): Booker, Kelvin
• Application Number:
  US09/523,938
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 706/15, 706/14, 706/924, 706/911, 706/903, 600/27, 600/26
• US Class Current: 706/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0022 by the tactile sense, e.g. vibrations
• 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: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/911 Nonmedical diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/924 Medical

Abstract

The present invention is a signaling system for the improvement of cognitive performance and intelligence, including: a) a method for improving the human cognitive performance and intelligence through a signaling program, a sequence of signals, that is presented to a person, stored in his/her long term memory, and recalled as control signals to effect periodical changes in the chunk size and number of chunks and the percentage of active units in the model of neural representation, thus reducing internal noise, error rate (ER) and response time (RT); b) a Computerized Auditory Program (CAP), which is a recording of a combination of sequences of computer generated sound signals and verbal instructions and signals, and is used as the signaling program mentioned in a) above; and c) a reinforcement system which uses a sequence of vibratory, visual, auditory, or other types of stimulus pulses that are initially associated with the signaling program, for example CAP in one embodiment, through time-correlated presentation and are subsequently presented at intervals in time that are correlated with CAP after CAP presentation has stopped, thus constantly offsetting the dissipation of the CAP memory and maintaining and reinforcing the CAP effects over time.

Claims

1. A method for improving the cognitive performance and intelligence of a person, the method including the following steps:

a) playing a previously recorded audio sequence to the person prior to the person performing a task requiring cognition and intelligence, wherein the previously recorded audio sequence includes a sequence of computer-generated sound signals combined with verbal instructions, wherein the computer-generated sound signals are varied in frequency, sequence, and timing in order to improve the person'"'"'s cognition and intelligence when the task is performed;

b) applying stimulus pulses to the person for a first duration of time in synchronization with the playing of the previously recorded audio sequence in step a), wherein the stimulus pulses and the previously recorded audio sequence are in timed correlation; and

c) applying the stimulus pulses to the person for a second duration of time during the performance of the task to reinforce the memory and effect of the playing of the previously recorded audio sequence, wherein the stimulus pulses are in timed correlation with the previously recorded audio sequence.

2. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the sequence of computer-generated sound signals are combined with verbal signals.

3. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the duration of each stimulus pulse is less than one second.

4. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the stimulus pulses are vibratory pulses emitted by a vibratory device in operative contact with the person.

5. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the stimulus pulses are light flashes emitted by a light source in a peripheral field of vision of the person.

6. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the stimulus pulses are auditory sounds emitted by a speaker positioned within a perceptive range of the person.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the previously recorded audio sequence in step a) is played by an audio playback device comprising a player device and a speaker device.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the speaker device is adapted to be worn by the person as a headset.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the stimulus pulses in steps b) and c) are applied to the person using a stimulus presentation device comprising an audio playback device for playing recorded auditory sounds associated with the stimulus pulses, a sound-to-vibration converter for converting the auditory sounds to vibratory stimulus pulses, and a vibratory device adapted for positioning in operative contact with the person for emitting the vibratory stimulus pulses.

10. The method set forth in claim 9, wherein the vibratory device includes at least two vibrators, each vibrator being adapted for positioning in operative contact with the person.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the stimulus pulses in steps b) and c) are applied to the person using a stimulus presentation device comprising an audio playback device for playing previously recorded auditory sounds associated with the stimulus pulses, a sound-to-flash converter for converting the auditory sounds to light flash stimulus pulses, and a light source adapted for positioning in a peripheral field of vision of the person for emitting the light flash stimulus pulses.

12. The method set forth in claim 11, wherein the light source includes at least two light emitting diodes (LEDs), each LED being adapted for positioning in a peripheral field of vision of the person.

13. The method set forth in claim 12, wherein the each LED is adapted for attachment to a pair of spectacles worn by the person.

14. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the stimulus pulses in steps b) and c) are applied to the person using a stimulus presentation device comprising an audio player device for playing previously recorded auditory sounds associated with the stimulus pulses and a speaker device positioned within a perceptive range of the person for emitting the stimulus pulses.

15. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein, during step a), the previously recorded audio sequence is played for a predetermined period of time.

16. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the stimulus pulses are low frequency signals.

17. A method for improving the cognitive performance and intelligence of a person, the method including the following steps:

a) playing a previously recorded audio sequence to the person using a first audio playback device prior to the person performing a task requiring cognition and intelligence, the previously recorded audio sequence including a sequence of computer-generated sound signals combined with a verbal signal and verbal instructions, the computer-generated sound signals being varied at least in frequency, sequence, and timing in order to improve the person'"'"'s cognition and intelligence when the task is performed, the first audio playback device including a player device and a speaker device adapted to be worn by the person as a headset;

b) applying vibratory stimulus pulses emitted by a stimulus presentation device in operative contact with the person to the person for a first duration of time in synchronization with the playing of the previously recorded audio sequence in step a), the stimulus presentation device including a second audio playback device for playing recorded auditory sounds associated with the stimulus pulses, a sound-to-vibration converter for converting the auditory sounds to vibratory stimulus pulses, and a vibratory device including at least two vibrators, each vibrator being adapted for positioning in operative contact with the person for emitting the vibratory stimulus pulses, the duration of each stimulus pulse being less than one second, the stimulus pulses and the previously recorded audio sequence being in timed correlation; and

c) applying the vibratory stimulus pulses using the stimulus presentation device to the person for a second duration of time during the performance of the task to reinforce the memory and effect of the playing of the previously recorded audio sequence, the duration of each stimulus pulse being less than one second, the stimulus pulses being in timed correlation with the previously recorded audio sequence.

18. A method for improving the cognitive performance and intelligence of a person, the method including the following steps:

a) playing a previously recorded audio sequence to the person for a predetermined period of time using a first audio playback device prior to the person performing a task requiring cognition and intelligence, the previously recorded audio sequence including a sequence of computer-generated sound signals combined with a verbal signal and verbal instructions, the computer-generated sound signals being varied at least in frequency, sequence, and timing in order to improve the person'"'"'s cognition and intelligence when the task is performed, the first audio playback device including a player device and a speaker device adapted to be worn by the person as a headset;

b) applying stimulus pulses emitted by a stimulus presentation device in operative contact with the person to the person for a first duration of time in synchronization with the playing of the previously recorded audio sequence in step a), the duration of each stimulus pulse being less than one second, the stimulus pulses and the previously recorded audio sequence being in timed correlation; and

c) applying the stimulus pulses using the stimulus presentation device to the person for a second duration of time during the performance of the task to reinforce the memory and effect of the playing of the previously recorded audio sequence, the duration of each stimulus pulse being less than one second, the stimulus pulses being in timed correlation with the previously recorded audio sequence.

19. The method set forth in claim 18, wherein the stimulus pulses are light flashes and the stimulus presentation device includes a second audio playback device for playing previously recorded auditory sounds associated with the stimulus pulses, a sound-to-flash converter for converting the auditory sounds to light flash stimulus pulses, and a light source including at least two light emitting diodes (LEDs), each LED being adapted for attachment to a pair of spectacles worn by the person in a peripheral field of vision of the person for emitting the light flash stimulus pulses.

20. The method set forth in claim 18, wherein the stimulus pulses are auditory sounds and the stimulus presentation device includes a second audio player device for playing previously recorded auditory sounds associated with the stimulus pulses and a speaker device positioned within a perceptive range of the person for emitting the stimulus pulses.