Systems and methods for providing biometric related to performance of a physical movement

• US 9,936,891 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Precision Biometrics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Precision Biometrics, Inc.
• Inventors: Marcarian, David, Peters, Michael Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Stout, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US13/156,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20120316453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,498 Days
• Field of Search: 600546, 600595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/09 Rehabilitation or training
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1124 Determining motor skills
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/002 Electrically operated systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/06 Devices for exercising or strengthening fingers or arms; Devices for holding fingers or arms in a proper position for playing for teaching typing G09B13/00; exercising apparatus for developing or strengthening the muscles for physical training A63B21/00, A63B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/003 Repetitive work cycles; Sequence of movements

Abstract

A biometric feedback system for providing biometric feedback to a subject while the subject performs a controlled physical movement includes an applied-force-recording interface and at least one controller electrically coupled to the applied-force-recording interface. The at least one controller receives applied force from the subject during the controlled physical movement and the applied-force-recording interface records data related to the applied force. The biometric feedback system also includes a dynamic surface electromyograph (“sEMG”) device that detects muscle tension along at least one muscle group of the subject while the subject performs the controlled physical movement and records data related to the muscle tension. A hub receives and processes data from the applied-force-recording interface and the dynamic sEMG device. A visual display displays the processed data from the hub.

Claims

1. A biometric feedback system for providing biometric feedback to a subject while the subject performs a controlled physical movement to play music, the biometric feedback system comprising:

an applied-force-recording hardware interface and at least one controller electrically coupled to the applied-force-recording hardware interface, the at least one controller configured and arranged to receive applied force from the subject while the subject performs the controlled physical movement to play the music, the applied-force-recording hardware interface configured and arranged to record at least one of an amount of force or a duration of force applied to the at least one controller by the subject while the subject performs the controlled physical movement to play the music;

a dynamic surface electromyograph (“

sEMG”

) hardware module and at least one set of measuring electrodes electrically coupled to the dynamic sEMG hardware module, the at least one set of measuring electrodes configured and arranged for coupling to an exterior portion of the subject in proximity to at least one muscle group and detecting both action and muscle tension potentials along the at least one muscle group, the dynamic sEMG hardware module configured and arranged to measure the detected action potentials while the subject performs the controlled physical movement to play the music;

one or more image recording devices that record images of the subject performing the controlled physical movement to play the music, wherein the images include videos and an audio signal;

a hardware hub configured and arranged for receiving the data from the applied-force-recording hardware interface, the images from the one or more image recording devices, and the data from the dynamic sEMG hardware module during the controlled physical movement to play the music, and wherein the hardware hub processes and synchronizes the received data and images into at least one displayable image and pre-processes the received data and images for analysis by a computer;

the computer that is configured and arranged to receive the pre-processed data and images from the hardware hub, wherein the computer analyzes a plurality of pre-processed data and images in sets from a plurality of subsequent tests of the controlled physical movement to play the music to provide a real time comparison that tracks the subject'"'"'s progress over time during the plurality of tests, and wherein the real time comparison includes measured tension potentials of the left and right trapezius muscles of the subject;

a visual display electrically coupled to the hardware hub via the computer, the visual display configured and arranged for receiving and synchronously displaying the processed data and images and the real time comparison from the hardware hub and the computer, wherein the audio signal for the music is played on a sound reproduction device; and

wherein the system is configured to provide real time feedback from one or more remote locations to the subject, wherein the real time feedback includes one or more instructions to adjust the subject'"'"'s performance of the controlled physical movement to play the music and is provided to the subject during the performance of the controlled physical movement to play the music, wherein the one or more instructions are based on analysis of the real time comparison and playing of the audio signal and wherein the real time feedback is employable by the subject to make real time physical adjustments to force, action and muscle tension in the subject'"'"'s performance of the controlled physical movement to play the music.

2. The biometric feedback system of claim 1, wherein the data collected from the applied-force-recording hardware interface and the data collected from the dynamic sEMG hardware module are collected concurrently.

3. The biometric feedback system of claim 1, wherein the data collected from the applied-force-recording hardware interface and the data collected from the dynamic sEMG hardware module are displayed concurrently.

4. The biometric feedback system of claim 1, wherein the data collected from the applied-force-recording hardware interface and the data collected from the dynamic sEMG hardware module are displayed concurrently in real time.

5. The biometric feedback system of claim 1, wherein the data collected from the applied-force-recording hardware interface and the data collected from the dynamic sEMG hardware module are viewable by a third person at a remote location.

6. The biometric feedback system of claim 1, further comprising at least one processor coupled to the hardware hub, the at least one processor configured and arranged for providing additional processing power for processing the received data into at least one displayable image.

7. The biometric feedback system of claim 1, further comprising at least one video-recording device coupled to the hardware hub, the at least one video-recording device configured and arranged to capture at least one of a video or at least one static image of the subject as the subject performs the controlled physical movement.

8. The biometric feedback system of claim 7, wherein the at least one video-recording device is a webcam.

9. The biometric feedback system of claim 1, wherein the controller is a musical instrument.

10. The biometric feedback system of claim 1, wherein the controller is a musical instrument with a tactile interface.

11. The biometric feedback system of claim 1, wherein the applied-force-recording hardware interface is a musical instrument digital interface.

12. A method for providing biometric feedback to a subject as the subject performs a controlled physical movement to play music using a controller, the method comprising:

coupling the controller to an applied-force-recording hardware interface;

recording, by the applied-force-recording hardware interface, data related to at least one of an amount of force or a duration of force that is applied to the controller by the subject as the subject performs the controlled physical movement to play the music;

physically coupling at least one set of measuring electrodes to an exterior portion of the subject such that the at least one set of measuring electrodes are disposed in proximity to at least one muscle group of the subject;

coupling the at least one set of measuring electrodes to a dynamic surface electromyograph (“

sEMG”

) hardware module;

detecting muscle tension and action along the at least one muscle group during the controlled physical movement using the at least one set of measuring electrodes;

recording, by the dynamic sEMG hardware module, data related to the detected muscle tension and action from the at least one set of measuring electrodes as the subject performs the controlled physical movement to play the music;

recording, by one or more video recording devices, images of the subject performing the controlled physical movement to play the music, wherein the images include video and an audio signal;

transmitting the force data from the applied-force-recording hardware interface, the images from the one or more video recording devices, and the muscle tension data and the action data from the dynamic sEMG hardware module to a hardware hub that synchronizes the force data, the muscle tension data, the action data, and the images into at least one displayable image and pre-processes the force data, the muscle tension data, the action data, and the images for analysis by a computer;

employing computer to receive the pre-processed data and images from the hardware hub, wherein the computer analyzes a plurality of pre-processed data and image sets from a plurality of subsequent tests of the controlled physical movement to play the music to provide a real time comparison that tracks the subject'"'"'s progress over time during the plurality of tests, and wherein the real time comparison includes measured tension potentials of the left and right trapezius muscles of the subject; and

displaying the processed synchronized data and images from the hardware hub and the real time comparison from the computer on a visual display, wherein the audio signal is played on a sound reproduction device; and

providing real time feedback from one or more clinicians that are remotely located to the subject, wherein real time feedback includes one or more instructions to adjust the subject'"'"'s performance of the controlled physical movement to play the music and is provided to the subject during the performance of the controlled physical movement to play the music, wherein the one or more instructions are based on the one or more clinicians'"'"' analysis of the real time comparison and playing of the audio signal, and wherein the real time feedback is employable by the subject to make real time physical adjustments to force, action and muscle, tension in the subject'"'"'s performance of the controlled physical movement to play the music.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising capturing video of the subject as the subject performs the controlled physical movement using at least one video-recording device.

14. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having processor-executable instructions for reading data from an applied-force-recording hardware interface and a dynamic surface electromyography (“

sEMG”

) device as a subject performs a controlled physical movement to play music using a controller coupled to the applied-force-recording hardware interface, the processor-executable instructions when installed onto a device enable the device to perform actions, comprising;

pre-processing force data received from the applied-force-recording hardware interface as the subject applies force to the controller, the force data comprising at least one of an amount of force or a duration of force applied to the controller by the subject as the subject performs the controlled physical movement to play the music;

pre-processing muscle tension data and action data received from the dynamic sEMG device as the subject applies force to the controller, the dynamic sEMG device comprising measuring electrodes and a dynamic sEMG hardware module, the muscle tension data and the action data comprising potentials detected along at least one muscle group by the measuring electrodes and measured by the dynamic sEMG hardware module;

pre-processing recorded images received from one or more video recording devices as the subject performs the controlled physical movement to play the music, wherein the images include video and an audio signal;

analyzing a plurality of pre-processed sets of synchronized muscle tension data, force data, and images from a plurality of subsequent tests of the controlled physical movement to play the music to provide a real time comparison that tracks the subject'"'"'s progress over time during the plurality of tests, and wherein the real time comparison includes measured tension potentials of the left and right trapezius muscles of the subject; and

displaying the preprocessed data and images and the real time comparison on a visual display, wherein the audio signal is played on a sound reproduction device, and

providing real time feedback from one or more clinicians that are remotely located to the subject, wherein time feedback includes one or more instructions to adjust the subject'"'"'s performance of the controlled physical movement to play the music and is provided to the subject during the performance of the controlled physical movement to play the music, wherein the one or more instructions are based on the one or more clinicians'"'"' analysis of the real time comparison and playing of the audio signal, and wherein the real time feedback is employable by the subject to make real time physical adjustments to force, muscle tension, and action in the subject'"'"'s performance of the controlled physical movement to play the music.

15. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 14, wherein displaying the processed data on a visual display comprises concurrently displaying the processed data on a visual display.

16. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 15, wherein concurrently displaying the processed data on the visual display comprises concurrently displaying the processed data on the visual display along with at least one synchronized video recording of the subject performing the controlled physical movement.

17. A biometric feedback device comprising:

an applied-force-recording hardware interface and a dynamic surface electromyography (“

sEMG”

) device coupled to a hardware hub; and

a processor in communication with the hardware hub, the processor for executing processor-readable instructions that enable actions, including;

pre-processing force data received from the applied-force-recording hardware interface as the subject applies force to a controller coupled to the applied-force-recording hardware interface, the force data comprising at least one of an amount of force or a duration of force applied to the controller by the subject as the subject performs a controlled physical movement to play music;

pre-processing muscle tension data and action data received from the dynamic sEMG device as the subject applies force to the controller, the dynamic sEMG device comprising measuring electrodes and a dynamic sEMG hardware module, the muscle tension data and action data comprising potentials detected along at least one muscle group by the measuring electrodes and measured by the dynamic sEMG hardware module;

pre-processing recorded images received from one or more video recording devices as the subject performs the controlled physical movement to play the music, wherein the images include video and an audio signal;

analyzing a plurality of pre-processed sets of synchronized muscle tension data, force data, and images from a plurality of subsequent tests of the controlled physical movement to play the music to provide a real time comparison that tracks the subject'"'"'s progress over time during the plurality of tests, and wherein the real time comparison includes measured tension potentials of the left and right trapezius muscles of the subject; and

displaying the pre-processed data and images and the real time comparison on a visual display, wherein the audio signal is played on a sound reproduction device; and

wherein the device is configured to provide real time feedback from one or more remote locations to the subject, wherein real time feedback includes one or more instructions to adjust the subject'"'"'s performance of the controlled physical movement to play the music and is provided to the subject during the performance of the controlled physical movement to play the music, wherein the one or more instructions are based on of the real time comparison and playing of the audio signal, and wherein the real time feedback is employable by the subject to make real time physical adjustments to force, action and muscle tension in the subject'"'"'s performance of the controlled physical movement to play the music.

18. The biometric feedback device of claim 17, wherein displaying the processed data on the visual display comprises concurrently displaying the processed data on the visual display.

19. The biometric feedback device of claim 18, wherein concurrently displaying the processed data on the visual display comprises concurrently displaying the processed data on the visual display along with at least one synchronized video recording of the subject performing the controlled physical movement.