Suggestion-based virtual sessions engaging the mirror neuron system

• US 10,204,525 B1
• Filed: 05/19/2015
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffroy H. Tillis
• Original Assignee: Jeffroy H. Tillis
• Inventors: Tillis, JeffRoy H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Musselman, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US14/716,609
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip

Abstract

Improved methods for rehabilitation, transformation, training, and learning are provided for a person as a viewer which enable the viewer to experience a virtual session, comprised of one or more virtual scenarios intended to activate the mirror neuron system, that includes suggestion, hypnosis, hypnotic induction and/or hypnotic suggestion in verbal and/or visual forms, where said suggestion, hypnotic induction and/or hypnotic suggestion may possibly be applied to and/or utilized in relationship with the various components and/or aspects individually and/or collectively that make up a virtual session which are presented in this description of the present invention, which includes one or more virtual scenarios, a virtual character which may be created to be in the likeness of the viewer, where said virtual character and possibly additional virtual characters that are human and/or non-human may be animated to properly perform one or more acts and/or motions and/or movements and possibly express dialog and/or speak and/or otherwise be represented to speak and/or think and/or make sound, where said virtual character made in the likeness of the viewer may be animated to speak and/or otherwise be represented to speak and/or think using the voice of the viewer themselves, that may include other audio, including narrative-based and/or the virtual character(s) expressing verbal hypnotic suggestion(s), hypnotic guidance, hypnotic instruction(s), and/or suggestion(s), guidance, instruction(s), and/or similar, which may be viewed from one or more perspectives and/or one or more points of view, may include one or more virtual environments, locations, special effects, weather, and/or similar, being displayed through video based imagery and/or computer-based imagery, in 2D, 2D stereo, 3D, 3D stereo, and/or more advanced methods such as holography, with the viewer experiencing the virtual scenario through playback and possibly passively, actively, and/or with interactivity using proper apparatus, with the virtual session allowing for data collection, and the viewer experiencing the virtual session alone and/or with assistance, for rehabilitation, transformation, training, and learning.

Claims

1. A method for rehabilitating a user, comprising:

displaying a virtual scenario to a user using a screen or a head-mounted display, wherein the virtual scenario is designed for stroke rehabilitation of the user, wherein the virtual scenario comprises a virtual character performing at least one physical action, wherein the virtual character is a likeness of the user, and wherein the at least one physical action is smooth, coordinated, and representative of life-like movements depicting successful achievement of prescribed goals;

playing at least one verbal hypnotic suggestion to the user using an audio component; and

displaying at least one non-verbal hypnotic suggestion to the user using at least the screen or the head-mounted display, wherein the at least one non-verbal hypnotic suggestion comprises virtual visualization, wherein a combination of displaying the virtual scenario, the at least one verbal hypnotic suggestion, and the at least one non-verbal hypnotic suggestion instructs the user to imitate the at least one physical action, and wherein the imitation of the at least one physical action by the user is translated into smooth, pre-directed motion to the virtual character regardless of a quality of the imitation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one physical action comprises a task-oriented motion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the task-oriented motion comprises movement of upper limbs of the user or movement of lower limbs of the user, wherein the movement of the upper limbs comprises one or more of a shoulder range-of-motion (ROM) task, an elbow ROM task, a wrist ROM task, and a finger ROM task.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting data using a computer, wherein at least one data collection device is provided for collecting the data related to at least one of attentiveness, level of completion, performance assessment values, and vigilance latency of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual scenario comprises at least one of one or more additional virtual characters, props, and scene elements, and wherein each of the one or more additional virtual characters is human or non-human.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user interacts with at least one of the one or more additional virtual characters, props, and scene elements, and wherein the interaction reinforces the intent to imitate the at least one physical action.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the user to the virtual scenario comprises using one or more technologies including virtual reality, augmented reality, and holography, and wherein displaying the virtual scenario comprises using at least one of a 2D display, a 2D stereo display, a 3D display, and a 3D stereo display.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

imparting forms of hypnotic induction, wherein the forms of hypnotic induction include at least one of sensory deprivation, sensory stimulation, sound stimulation, light stimulation, olfactory cues, visceral stimulation, cranial electrotherapy stimulation, and biofeedback.

9. A system for rehabilitating a user, comprising:

a computer configured to render a virtual scenario;

a display component comprising at least one of a screen or a head-mounted display; and

an audio component,

wherein the virtual scenario is configured for stroke rehabilitation of the user,

wherein the display component is configured to display a virtual character in the virtual scenario performing at least one physical action,

wherein the virtual character is a likeness of the user,

wherein the at least one physical action is smooth, coordinated, and representative of life-like movements depicting successful achievement of prescribed goals,

wherein the audio component is configured to provide the user with at least one verbal hypnotic suggestion,

wherein at least one of the audio component and the display component is configured to provide the user with at least one non-verbal hypnotic suggestion,

wherein the at least one non-verbal hypnotic suggestion comprises virtual visualization, and

wherein a combination of displaying the virtual scenario, the at least one verbal hypnotic suggestion, and the at least one non-verbal hypnotic suggestion instructs the user to imitate the at least one physical action, and wherein the imitation of the at least one physical action by the user is translated into smooth, pre-directed motion to the virtual character regardless of a quality of the imitation.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one physical action comprises a task-oriented motion.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the task-oriented motion comprises movement of upper limbs of the user or movement of lower limbs of the user, wherein the movement of the upper limbs comprises one or more of a shoulder range-of-motion (ROM) task, an elbow ROM task, a wrist ROM task, and a finger ROM task.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

at least one data collection device configured to collect data related to at least one of attentiveness, level of completion, performance assessment values, and vigilance latency of the user.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the display component is further configured to display at least one of one or more additional virtual characters, props, and scene elements, and wherein each of the one or more additional virtual characters is human or non-human.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interacts with at least one of the one or more additional virtual characters, props, and scene elements, and wherein the interaction reinforces the intent to imitate the at least one physical action.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the virtual scenario comprises at least one of one or more technologies including virtual reality, augmented reality, and holography, and wherein the display component comprises at least one of one or more of a 2D display, a 2D stereo display, a 3D display, and a 3D stereo display.

16. A method for rehabilitating a user, the method comprising:

displaying a virtual scenario to a user using a screen or a head-mounted display, wherein the virtual scenario is designed for motor impairment recovery, wherein the virtual scenario comprises a virtual character performing at least one physical action, wherein the at least one physical action is smooth, coordinated, and representative of life-like movements depicting successful achievement of prescribed goals; and

playing at least one verbal hypnotic suggestion to the user using an audio component; and

displaying at least one non-verbal hypnotic suggestion to the user using at least the screen or the head-mounted display, wherein the at least one non-verbal hypnotic suggestion comprises virtual visualization, wherein a combination of displaying the virtual character, the at least one verbal hypnotic suggestion, and the at least one non-verbal hypnotic suggestion instructs the user to imitate the at least one physical action by the user, and wherein the imitation of the at least one physical action by the user is translated into smooth, pre-directed motion to the virtual character regardless of a quality of the imitation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one physical action comprises a task-oriented motion.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

collecting data, wherein at least one data collection device is provided for collecting the data related to at least one of attentiveness, level of completion, performance assessment values, and vigilance latency of the user.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the virtual scenario comprises at least one of one or more additional virtual characters, props, and scene elements, and wherein each of the one or more additional virtual characters is human or non-human.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the user interacts with at least one of the one or more additional virtual characters, props, and scene elements, and wherein the interaction reinforces the intent to imitate the at least one physical action.