Motion sickness reduction

• US 9,795,760 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2005
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samuel Kim
• Original Assignee: Samuel Kim
• Inventors: Kim, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): MATTHEWS, CHRISTINE HOPKINS
• Application Number:
  US11/286,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20060079729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,354 Days
• Field of Search: 600 27, 600 28, 345649, 382104
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/005 images, e.g. video
• 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: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• 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

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses and systems for enabling a passenger in a moving vehicle to read text or view an image while avoiding or reducing the symptoms of motion sickness, by providing the passenger a view of the text or image simultaneously with a view of external stationary reference points. The methods, apparatuses, and systems, in some embodiments, include the use of a transparent medium which can display text or images. Other embodiments include a video camera capturing video images and substantially simultaneously displaying such images together with text or images on a means of display.

Claims

1. A motion sickness abatement device comprising:

a video camera, said video camera being physically coupled to a vehicle, said video camera being adapted to primarily receive a first external image from a direction forwardly of, and external to said vehicle and to produce a signal corresponding to said first external image;

a wireless communication device operatively coupled to said video camera, said wireless communication device being adapted to receive an image signal corresponding to said first external image from said video camera and to transmit a wireless signal corresponding to said image signal;

a personal digital assistant disposed within said vehicle, said personal digital assistant being adapted to receive said wireless signal and, based on said wireless signal, display an image corresponding to said first external image and, concurrently, display a second image of a document unrelated to said first external image, based on data stored within said personal digital assistant, to a passenger whereby said second image may be read while said first and second images are viewed simultaneously, thereby minimizing motion sickness in said passenger.

2. A motion sickness abatement device as defined in claim 1 wherein said first image comprises a substantially stationary external point of reference.

3. A motion sickness abatement device as defined in claim 1 wherein said personal digital assistant is disposed within said vehicle and forwardly of said passenger.

4. A method of moderating motion sickness of a vehicle passenger comprising:

physically coupling a video camera to a vehicle such that said video camera receives a first external image of said vehicle'"'"'s environment primarily forwardly of said vehicle;

operatively coupling said video camera to a wireless communication device, said wireless communication device being adapted to transmit a wireless signal corresponding to said first external image of said vehicle'"'"'s environment within said vehicle;

receiving said wireless signal at an electronic device within said vehicle, said electronic device having an electronic display;

displaying by said electronic display, to said vehicle passenger, an image corresponding to said first external image; and

concurrently displaying on said electronic display a document image, said document image being related to document data stored within said electronic device, so as to allow said vehicle passenger to view said first external image while reading said document image, and thereby moderate said motion sickness.

5. A method of moderating motion sickness of a vehicle passenger as defined in claim 4 wherein said electronic device comprises a personal electronic device.