Method and apparatus for processing bio-information

• US 20060094934A1
• Filed: 10/19/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Makino, Kenichi, Takai, Motoyuki, Inoue, Makoto, Sako, Yoichiro, Terauchi, Toshiro, Miyajima, Yasushi, Shirai, Katsuya, Asukai, Masamichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,641,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change

Abstract

A bio-information processing apparatus includes a bio-information sensor for measuring the bio-information of a subject in a non-contact manner and in a nonrestricted manner; and a circuit for estimating the psychological state of the subject and the intensity thereof on the basis of the measured value of the bio-information measured using the bio-information sensor and on the basis of an initial value or a standard value of the measured value.

Claims

1. A bio-information processing apparatus comprising:

a bio-information sensor measuring bio-information of a subject in a non-contact manner and in a nonrestricted manner; and

a circuit estimating a psychological state of the subject and the intensity thereof based on a measured value of the bio-information measured using the bio-information sensor and based on an initial value or a standard value of the bio-information.

2. The bio-information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bio-information sensor is a video camera or an infrared video camera.

3. The bio-information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bio-information sensor is a sensor for measuring at least one of body movement, respiration, a heartbeat, a pulse, blinking, and a body surface temperature of the subject.

4. The bio-information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the psychological state of the subject is at least one of an arousal level, concentration level, interest, emotion, and feelings of the subject.

5. The bio-information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the psychological state of the subject is determined from changes in at least one of a heartbeat rate, respiration rate, and blinking rate of the subject.

6. A reproduction apparatus comprising:

reproduction means for reproducing at least one of a video signal and a sound signal;

a bio-information sensor for measuring bio-information of a viewer in a non-contact manner and in a nonrestricted manner;

a circuit for estimating a psychological state of the viewer and an intensity thereof based on a measured value of the bio-information measured using the bio-information sensor and based on an initial value or a standard value of the bio-information; and

means for causing at least one of the video signal and the sound signal reproduced by the reproduction means to be modified in accordance with an estimation result of the estimation circuit.

7. The reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the bio-information sensor is a video camera or an infrared video camera.

8. The reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the bio-information sensor is a sensor for measuring at least one of body movement, respiration, a heartbeat, a pulse, blinking, and a body surface temperature of the viewer.

9. The reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the psychological state of the viewer is at least one of an arousal level, concentration level, interest, emotion, and feelings of the viewer.

10. The reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the psychological state of the viewer is determined from changes in at least one of a heartbeat rate, respiration rate, and blinking rate of the viewer.

11. The reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the means for modifying at least one of the video signal and the sound signal modifies at least one of a reproduction speed, sound volume, color, and content of the signal.

12. The reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising recording means for recording the bio-information and at least one of the sound signal and the video signal that are modified based on the bio-information.

13. The reproduction apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the recording means is one of an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc, a magnetic tape, a hard disk, a semiconductor memory, and an integrated circuit card.

14. The reproduction apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the optical disc is one of a compact disk-recordable, a compact disk-rewritable, a mini disc, a digital versatile disk±

recordable, a digital versatile disk±

rewritable, a digital versatile disk-random access memory, a multiple layer recordable disk and a high definition recordable disc.

15. The reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein prohibition and permission of a function for changing at least one of the video signal and the sound signal in accordance with the bio-information can be selected by a user.

16. A reproduction apparatus comprising:

a reproduction section reproducing at least one of a video signal and a sound signal;

a bio-information sensor measuring bio-information of a viewer in a non-contact manner and in a nonrestricted manner;

a circuit estimating a psychological state of the viewer and an intensity thereof based on a measured value of the bio-information measured using the bio-information sensor and based on an initial value or a standard value of the bio-information; and

a device operable to cause at least one of the video signal and the sound signal reproduced by the reproduction means to be modified in accordance with an estimation result of the estimation circuit.