Method for monitoring and communicating biomedical electromagnetic fields

• US 9,031,643 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2013
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Eggenberger, Christian, Hietler, Esther, Malkin, Peter K., Sorenson, Paul T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stice, Paula J
• Application Number:
  US14/087,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20140145859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and a method of monitoring and communicating biomedical data to a remote receiver. Specifically, the present invention provides a system and method that can monitor a biomedical-based electromagnetic field, e.g., heart rate variability (HRV) field, emitted from a human user (“sender”), and/or communicate the biomedical-based electromagnetic field to a remote receiver by measuring the biomedical-based electromagnetic field emitted from the sender, creating an electronic signal corresponding to the field and transmitting or broadcast and/or apply the signal to a remote receiver.

Claims

1. A method of communicating a Heart Rate Variability (HRV) fields of two or more users participating in an on-line collaboration environment via respective client devices over a network via a server device, said method comprising:

detecting, at a respective client device of a respective user, a Heart Rate Variability (HRV) field emitted by that user at a respective device while the users participating in the on-line collaboration environment;

recording, at said respective client devices of the users, the Heart Rate Variability (HRV) field of the respective users;

encoding, at the client devices of the users, the recorded Heart Rate Variability (HRV) field as data;

transmitting, from the client devices of the users, the encoded HRV field data together with a message to a server device;

receiving, at the server device, the encoded HRV field data with the message;

decoding, at the server device, the encoded HRV field data;

summing, at the server device, each of the decoded HRV field data of the users currently participating in the on-line collaboration environment and encoding the summed HRV field data;

transmitting the encoded summed HRV field data to each user client device in the on-line collaboration environment;

decoding, at the each user client device in the on-line collaboration environment, the transmitted encoded summed HRV field data to obtain the summed HRV field of the two or more users;

displaying, at the each client user device, the message; and

simultaneously broadcasting, at the each user client device, the decoded summed HRV field data of the two or more users as an electromagnetic signal for direct application to each user in the on-line collaboration environment to influence a physical state of the each user in the on-line collaboration environment, the simultaneously broadcasting including;

transforming the decoded summed HRV field data to an effect for sensing by the each user in the on-line collaboration environment; and

emitting the effect to the each user in the on-line collaboration environment in order for the each user in the on-line collaboration environment to experience the effect.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the encoded summed HRV field data with a symbol indicating a state of common emotion of the each user at a time of the recording said HRV field, the encoded summed HRV field data and the symbol representing the state of the common emotion; and

,

transmitting the encoded summed HRV field data and said associated symbol together with the message to the each user client device in the on-line collaboration environment,

said message and symbol being displayed at said each user client device thereby informing said each user in the on-line collaboration environment about the common emotive state of users in the on-line collaboration environment.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

selecting, by a user in the on-line collaboration environment, via a respective client device, said displayed symbol; and

, in response, broadcasting said decoded summed HRV field data for direct application to the each user in the on-line collaboration environment.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing in a memory storage device associated with said each user in the on-line collaboration environment, one or more symbol definitions, each respective symbol definition including a different encoded HRV field data corresponding to a respective different physical or an emotional state and a respective different associated symbol; and

generating, for said sender, a display interface adapted to indicate said stored symbol definitions configured for selection by a first user in the on-line collaboration environment when generating a message,

wherein said transmitted message includes the encoded summed HRV field data and said symbol of the emoticon definition selected by said first user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said stored symbol definitions are adapted for reuse by said first user when sending subsequent messages to other users.

6. A system for communicating an electromagnetic signal associated with a Heart Rate Variability (HRV) fields of two or more users participating in an on-line collaboration environment comprising:

client devices associated with the two or more users, each of said client devices comprising at least one medium for embodying machine readable data and machine performable program code;

at least one interface for communicating externally; and

, at least one processor adapted to perform operations responsive to the medium and interface, the operations comprising;

detecting, using a field monitor at a respective client device of a respective user, a Heart Rate Variability (HRV) field emitted by that user at a respective device while the users participating in the on-line collaboration environment;

recording, at said respective client devices of the users, the Heart Rate Variability (HRV) field of the respective users;

encoding, at the client devices, the recorded Heart Rate Variability (HRV) field as data;

transmitting, from the client devices, the encoded HRV field data together with a message to a server device, said server device associated with the on-line collaboration environment, said server device comprising at least one medium for embodying machine readable data and machine performable program code;

at least one interface for communicating externally; and

, at least one processor adapted to perform operations responsive to the medium and interface, the operations comprising;

receiving, at the server device, the encoded HRV field data with the message via said at least one interface of said server device;

decoding, at the server device the encoded HRV field data;

summing, at the server device, each of the decoded HRV field data of the users currently participating in the on-line collaboration environment and encoding the summed HRV field data;

transmitting the encoded summed HRV field data to each user client device in the on-line collaboration environment;

the each user client device in the on-line collaboration environment decoding the transmitted encoded summed HRV field data at to obtain the summed HRV field of the two or more users;

the each user client device displaying the message; and

simultaneously broadcasting, at the each user client device, the decoded summed HRV field data of the two or more users as an electromagnetic signal for direct application to each user in the on-line collaboration environment to influence a physical state of the each user in the on-line collaboration environment, the simultaneously broadcasting including;

transforming the decoded summed HRV field data to an effect for sensing by the each user in the on-line collaboration environment; and

emitting the effect to the each user in the on-line collaboration environment in order for the each user in the on-line collaboration environment to experience the effect.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said message includes content indicating a current physical status of said sender, said system further comprising:

the each user in the on-line collaboration environment comparing a physical status of the two or more users indicated by the decoded summed HRV field data with a corresponding physical state of the two or more users as experienced by the each user from the applied decoded HRV field data of the broadcast electromagnetic signal, wherein the result of the comparison is indicative of an authenticity of the message.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said operations performed by said at least one processor of said first communications device comprises:

associating, by one of the two or more users, the encoded summed HRV field data with a symbol indicating a state of common emotion of said each user at a time of the recording said HRV field, the encoded summed HRV field data and the symbol representing the state of the common emotion;

transmitting the encoded summed HRV field data and said associated symbol together with the message to the each user in the on-line collaboration environment, said message and symbol being displayed at said receiver thereby informing said second user about a corresponding emotive state of said sender; and

selecting by a user in the on-line collaboration environment, via a respective client device, said displayed symbol; and

, in response, broadcasting said decoded summed HRV field data for direct application to the each user in the on-line collaboration environment.