Stressor sensor and stress management system

• US 8,323,191 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Bodlaender, Maarten Peter, Aarts, Ronaldus Maria, Saini, Privender Kaur
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory A
• Assistant Examiner(s): JIAN, SHIRLEY XUEYING
• Application Number:
  US12/158,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20090005657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,177 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period

Abstract

A stressor detection system (100) comprises sensor means (101) arranged for being attached to a person for obtaining a time-varying signal representing a physical quantity relating to an environment of the person, and processing means (102) for deriving a stressor value from the obtained signal representing a degree to which the environment is inducing stress in the person. The processing means is arranged for deriving an amount of complexity comprised in the signal, and for deriving a higher stressor value for a larger amount of information. The processing means is further arranged for performing a spectral frequency analysis of the signal and for deriving the stressor value also in dependence on the spectral frequency analysis. The sensor means comprises a microphone (105), a camera (104), and a tri-axial accelerometer.

Claims

1. A stressor detection system comprising:

a sensor adapted to be attached to a person for obtaining a time-varying signal representing a first physical quantity relating to an environment of the person, and

a processor which receives the time-varying signal from the sensor, compresses the time-varying signal to obtain a compressed signal, derives an amount of complexity included in the received signal by comparing the received signal and the compressed signal, and derives a first stressor value from the amount of complexity representing a degree to which the environment is inducing stress in the person, wherein signals with larger amounts of complexity derive a higher stressor value;

an output which provides feedback related to the stressor value.

2. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, wherein the processor performs a spectral frequency analysis of the received signal and derives a stressor value based on the spectral frequency analysis.

3. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor obtains a second time-varying signal representing a second physical quantity relating to the environment of the person, the second physical quantity being different from the first physical quantity, and

the processor receives the second time-varying signal and derives a second stressor value from the second received signal and derives a combined stressor value from the first stressor value and the second stressor value.

4. The stressor detecting system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a microphone and the time-varying signal includes an audible signal obtained from the microphone, and wherein the processor assigns a larger weight to a disturbing component of the audible signal, the disturbing component including at least one of:

frequencies above a predetermined bound and below an upper bound of frequencies that the person is able to hear, wherein the predetermined bound is smaller than the upper bound, and

frequencies below a predetermined bound and above a lower bound of frequencies that the person is able to hear, wherein the lower bound is smaller than the predetermined bound.

5. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a light sensor for obtaining a light intensity signal representing an intensity of visible environmental light and

the processor derives the stressor value based on the light intensity.

6. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a light sensor for obtaining a plurality of light signals each representing the intensity of a distinct color component of environmental light and

the processor derives the stressor value based on the light signals.

7. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a camera for obtaining at least one image and

the processor derives an amount of complexity of the at least one image and derives the stressor value based on the complexity of the at least one image.

8. The stressor detection system according to claim 7, wherein the processor derives an amount of movement from the at least one image and derives the stressor value based on the amount of movement.

9. The stressor detection system according to claim 7, wherein the processor performs an object recognition on the at least one image and derives the stressor value based on the object recognition.

10. The stressor detection system according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor includes an acceleration sensor for obtaining an acceleration signal, and

the processor extracts, from the acceleration signal, an externally-induced acceleration signal representing an acceleration of the person not caused by a muscle contraction of the person and derives the stressor value based on the externally-induced acceleration signal.

11. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, further including an electromyography system for obtaining an electromyography signal and wherein the processor derives the stressor value based on the electromyography signal.

12. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, further including a user interface enabling a person to indicate a stress value relating to stress experienced by the person, and wherein the processor establishes a relation between the stressor value and the stress experienced by the person.

13. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines a size of the time-varying signal, compresses the time-varying signal to obtain a compressed signal, determines a size of the compress signal, determines a compression ratio by comparing the size of the time-varying signal and the size of the compress signal, and derives the stressor value from the compression ratio.

14. The stressor detection system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a microphone and the obtained time-varying signal includes an audio signal obtained from the microphone, and

the processor derives the stressor value based on at least one of:

an envelope of the audio signal,

a dose of the audio signal, and

a loudness of the signal.

15. A stressor detection method, the method comprising:

receiving a time-varying signal representing a physical quantity relating to an environment of a person from a sensor;

determining a size of the time-varying signal with a processor;

compressing the time-varying signal to obtain a compressed signal with the processor;

determining a size of the compress signal with the processor;

determining a compression ratio by comparing the size of the time-varying signal to the size of the compress signal with the processor;

deriving a stressor value from a time-varying signal with the processor, the stressor being based on the compression ratio;

outputting the stressor value.

16. The method according to claim 15, further including:

obtaining a second time-varying signal representing a second physical quantity with a second sensor, the second physical quantity being different from the physical quantity;

deriving a second stressor value from the second received signal; and

deriving a combined stressor value from the first stressor value and the second stressor value.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the sensor is at least one of an audio sensor, a light sensor, a camera, an odor sensor, an accelerometer and an electromyography sensor.

18. The method according to claim 15, further including:

indicating a stress value relating to stress experienced by the person through a user interface, and

establishing a relation between the stressor value and the stress experienced by the person.

19. The method according to claim 15, further including:

performing a spectral frequency analysis of the received time-varying signal; and

deriving a stressor value based on the spectral frequency analysis.