Positive acknowledgement method that information is received

• US 9,701,197 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Bendickson, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Laura
• Application Number:
  US13/240,396
• Time in Patent Office: 2,119 Days
• Field of Search: 340501, 340502, 3405731, 600544, 600545
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/22 Motor vehicles operators, e.g. drivers, pilots, captains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/378 Visual stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/00 Safety devices for propulsion-unit control, specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles, e.g. preventing fuel supply or ignition in the event of potentially dangerous conditions for electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; road vehicle drive control systems for purposes not related to the control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/00; drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A device for acknowledging warning indicators includes an electro-encephalograph for detecting signals in the midline occipital region of the user'"'"'s brain, and a display system for displaying flashing indictors having differing flashing frequencies. The electro-encephalograph detects differing signals caused by the differing flashing frequencies whenever the user observes one of the flashing indicators, and the device thereby recognizes that the user has observed the warning indicator.

Claims

1. An apparatus for acknowledging an indicator comprising:

a processor;

memory connected to the processor that stores computer executable code;

a display connected to the processor that displays one or more indicators, the display device comprising a heads-up display (HUD); and

an electro-encephalography sensor connected to the processor that senses brain wave patterns, wherein the electro-encephalography sensor is configured to sense electrical activity in a midline occipital region of a user'"'"'s brain,

wherein the computer executable code is configured to;

display two or more flashing indicators, each having a flashing frequency consciously imperceptible to the user, and each flashing frequency being distinct from any other flashing indicator flashing frequency, a first flashing indicator of the two or more flashing indicators comprising a textual flashing indicator associated with a warning state, a second flashing indicator of the two or more flashing indicators is a continuously flashing indicator incorporated into a speedometer in a vehicle;

receive data measuring one or more brain wave patterns from the electro-encephalography sensor, wherein at least one of the one or more brain wave patterns are associated with the midline occipital

region of the user'"'"'s brain;

interpret the data measuring one or more brain wave patterns to determine if the user has observed one of the two or more flashing indicators;

determine that the user has observed the first flashing indicator based on the interpreted data measuring the one or more brain wave patterns caused by the user observing the flashing frequency of the first flashing indicator;

reduce a prominence of the first flashing indicator in response to the determination that the user has observed the first flashing indicator based on the interpreted data measuring the one or more brain wave patterns;

execute a predetermined issue resolution response associated with an issue indicated by the first flashing indicator in response to the determination that the user has observed the first flashing indicator based on the interpreted data measuring the one or more brain wave patterns;

determine that the user has not observed the second flashing indicator and speedometer for a predetermined period of time based on the interpreted data measuring the one or more brain wave patterns;

perform one or more escalation responses associated with the second flashing indicator, wherein performance of the one or more escalation responses associated with the unobserved second flashing indicator includes delivery of an audible warning;

track a level of escalation necessary to attract the user'"'"'s conscious observation; and

monitor the user'"'"'s alertness based on the interpreted data measuring the one or more brain wave patterns.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electro-encephalography sensor is integrated into a helmet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer executable code is further configured to perform one or more acknowledgment responses when the processor determines that the user has observed the first flashing indicator.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer executable code is further configured to perform one or more additional escalation responses until the user observes the second flashing indicator.

5. A method for determining that a user has observed an indicator comprising:

displaying at least two flashing indicators on a heads-up display (HUD), each flashing indicator having a distinct flashing frequency consciously imperceptible to a user, at least one flashing indicator of the at least two flashing indicators incorporated into a speedometer in a vehicle;

sensing, by at least one electro-encephalography sensor configured to sense electrical activity in a midline occipital region of the user'"'"'s brain, brain wave patterns of the user observing at least one of the at least two flashing indicators, wherein at least some of the brain wave patterns are associated with the midline occipital region of the user'"'"'s brain;

determining which of the at least two flashing indicators the user is observing based on the brain wave patterns caused by the user observing one of the at least two flashing indicators;

reducing a prominence of the observed flashing indicator in response to the determination that the user is observing the observed flashing indicator based on the brain wave patterns;

executing a predetermined issue resolution response associated with an issue indicated by the observed flashing indicator in response to the determination that the user is observing the observed flashing indicator based on the brain wave patterns;

performing one or more escalation responses associated with unobserved flashing indicators of the at least two flashing indicators, wherein performing the one or more escalation responses associated with the unobserved flashing indicators includes delivering an audible warning;

tracking a level of escalation necessary to attract the user'"'"'s conscious observation;

applying the tracked level of escalation to subsequent flashing indicators; and

continuously tracking a duration of time between observations of the speedometer via the at least one flashing indicator incorporated into the speedometer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the at least two flashing indicators has a flashing frequency differentiated from the flashing frequency of every other of the at least two flashing indicators by at least 0.25 hertz.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising performing one or more acknowledgment responses when the user has observed one of the at least two flashing indicators.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more acknowledgement responses comprise removing one of the one or more at least two flashing indicators.

9. A method for monitoring alertness of a user comprising:

continuously displaying an indicator on a heads-up display (HUD) device, the indicator having a distinct flashing frequency consciously imperceptible to the user, the indicator incorporated into a speedometer in a vehicle;

sensing, by at least one electro-encephalography sensor configured to sense electrical activity in a midline occipital region of the user'"'"'s brain, brain wave patterns of the user, wherein at least some of the brain wave patterns are associated with the midline occipital region of the user'"'"'s brain;

determining that the user has failed to observe the indicator for a predetermined period of time based on the brain wave patterns;

performing one or more escalation responses upon the determination that the user has failed to observe the indicator for the predetermined period of time based on the brain wave patterns, the escalation response indicating that the user has not observed the indicator of the speedometer for the predetermined period of time, wherein performing the one or more escalation responses includes delivering an audible warning;

subsequently determining that the user has observed the indicator and the speedometer based on the brain wave patterns;

tracking a level of escalation necessary to attract the user'"'"'s conscious observation;

reducing a prominence of the observed indicator in response to the determination that that the user has observed the indicator and the speedometer based on the brain wave patterns; and

applying the tracked level of escalation to subsequent flashing indicators.