Time-based unobtrusive active eye interrogation

• US 9,339,181 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2015
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Brown, Allen L. Jr., Burger, Douglas C., Horvitz, Eric, Hyde, Roderick A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Kare, Jordin T., Karkanias, Chris Demetrios, Leuthardt, Eric C., Manferdelli, John L., Mundie, Craig J., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Pell, Barney, Tegreene, Clarence T., Wattenburg, Willard H., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Zare, Richard N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martinez, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMAS, BRANDI N
• Application Number:
  US14/790,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20150374231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 320 Days
• Field of Search: 351243-246, 351/205, 351208-211, 351/221, 351/200, 351/203, 351/206, 351/223
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0025 characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0041 characterised by display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0091 Fixation targets for viewing direction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/10 Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/152 for aligning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/42 Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the gastrointestinal, the endocrine or the exocrine systems A61B1/00, A61B5/4857, A61B5/486, A61B5/4866, A61B5/4869 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6821 Eye
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining a physiological parameter of a subject through interrogation of an eye of the subject with an optical signal are described. Interrogation is performed unobtrusively. The physiological parameter is determined from a signal sensed from the eye of a subject according to a schedule, under the control of a scheduling controller.

Claims

1. A method of measuring information from an eye of a subject, comprising;

delivering an interrogation signal to the eye of the subject with an interrogation signal source;

detecting a response signal from the eye of the subject with a response signal sensor;

determining whether the eye of the subject is in alignment with respect to at least one of the interrogation signal source and the response signal sensor;

determining a physiological parameter of the subject from the response signal detected from the eye of the subject when the eye of the subject is in alignment with respect to the at least one of the interrogation signal source and the response signal sensor; and

collecting samples of the physiological parameter according to a schedule under the direction of a scheduling controller.

2. The method of claim 1, including:

transmitting at least one of information regarding the subject, information regarding the system used for determining the physiological parameter, or information regarding the physiological parameter to a data processing system.

3. The method of claim 1, including:

receiving at least one of information regarding the subject, information regarding the system used for determining the physiological parameter, or information regarding the physiological parameter from a data processing system.

4. The method of claim 1, including:

sharing at least one of information regarding the subject, information regarding the system used for determining the physiological parameter, or information regarding the physiological parameter between two or more data processing systems.

5. The method of claim 1, including determining the identity of the subject by comparing login information entered by the subject with login information in a registry.

6. The method of claim 1, including modifying the procedure for collecting a sample of the physiological parameter if a predetermined number of samples meeting an acceptance criterion has not been collected within a predetermined portion of the sampling period.

7. The method of claim 1, including determining the physiological parameter of the subject from the response signal detected from the eye of the subject according to a programmed schedule.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the programmed schedule is personalized for the subject.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein modifying the procedure for collecting a sample of the physiological parameter includes modifying a signal-to-noise ratio acceptance criterion, modifying a sampling interval acceptance criterion, or modifying the schedule.

10. The method of claim 1, including at least one of reporting information regarding the physiological parameter to an interested party and comparing the physiological parameter determined from the response signal to a previous measurement of a physiological parameter to determine a physiological trend.

11. The method of claim 1, including at least one of:

utilizing the physiological parameter determined from the response signal to assess an emotional state of the subject, utilizing the physiological parameter determined from the response signal to assess the alertness of the subject, and utilizing the physiological parameter determined from the response signal to determine a response of the subject to an input presented to the subject.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering an interrogation signal to the eye of the subject with an interrogation signal source and detecting a response signal from the eye of the subject with a response signal sensor are performed unobtrusively or performed without detection by the subject.

13. The method of claim 1, including at least one of moving at least one of the interrogation signal source and the response signal sensor into alignment with the eye of the subject if a predetermined number of samples meeting an acceptance criterion has not been collected within a predetermined portion of the sampling period and activating a gaze attractor adapted to attract the gaze of the subject and bring the eye of the subject into alignment with at least one of the interrogation signal source and the response signal sensor if a predetermined number of samples meeting an acceptance criterion has not been collected within a predetermined portion of the sampling period.