Psychosomatic state determination system

• US 20060232430A1
• Filed: 02/23/2004
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Navigation Research Institute, Michiko Takaoka
• Original Assignee: Electronic Navigation Research Institute, Michiko Takaoka
• Inventors: Shiomi, Kakuichi, Takaoka, Michiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,737,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/575
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• 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 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices

Abstract

The present invention provides a psychosomatic state determination system 1 for the purpose of predicting or determining the psychosomatic state of a subject without imparting any awareness to the subject, comprising a data processing means 20 for calculating a psychosomatic state exponent such as Lyapunov exponent from the time series signal of a load value or a barycentric position of the subject, and an evaluation means 22 for comparing the temporal tendency of a psychosomatic state exponent calculated in said data processing means with the temporal tendency of a known psychosomatic state exponent corresponding to a psychosomatic state to thereby predict the psychosomatic state of the subject.

Claims

1. A psychosomatic state determination system for predicting a psychosomatic state such as a wakeful state and a non-wakeful state of a subject, comprising:

a data processing means for calculating a psychosomatic state exponent such as Lyapunov exponent from a time series signal of a load value or a barycentric position of a subject; and

an evaluation means for comparing a temporal tendency of a psychosomatic state exponent calculated in said data processing means with a temporal tendency of a known psychosomatic state exponent corresponding to a psychosomatic state to thereby predict a psychosomatic state of said subject.

3. A psychosomatic state determination system according to either claim 1 or 2, comprising a sensor for outputting a load value of said subject.

4. A psychosomatic state determination system according to claim 3, wherein said sensor is one single unit.

5. A psychosomatic state determination system according to claim 3, wherein said sensor is either a pressure sensor, such as a piezoelectric element, a pressure-sensitive resistor element and a potentiometer, or an acceleration sensor.

6. A psychosomatic state determination system according to claim 3, wherein said sensor is attached to a chair or a bed to which a load of said subject is applied.

7. A psychosomatic state determination system according to claim 6, wherein said chair or bed has an elastic material such as a spring therein.

8. A psychosomatic state determination system according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a noise elimination means for eliminating an unwanted frequency component included in a time series signal of a load value or a barycentric position of said subject.

9. A psychosomatic state determination system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said system extracts samples from a time series signal of a load value or a barycentric position of said subject at a frequency of from 10 Hz to 100 Hz.

10. A psychosomatic state determination system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said system comprises an amplifying means for amplifying a time series signal of a load value or a barycentric position of said subject.

11. A psychosomatic state determination system according to claim 3, wherein said system comprises a calculation means for calculating a barycentric position of said subject from each of load values output from a plurality of said sensors.

12. A psychosomatic state determination system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said system comprises a warning means for sounding an alarm by using a display and/or a speaker to said subject or for communicating to an administration station which manages said subject, based on a psychosomatic state predicted or determined of said subject.

13. A psychosomatic state determination system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said system comprises an action detection means for detecting in time sequence an operation status or a driving behavior of said subject:

and

wherein said evaluation means compares a temporal tendency and/or a value of a known psychosomatic state exponent corresponding to a status detected in said action detection means and a psychosomatic state with a temporal tendency and/or a value of said calculated psychosomatic exponent to thereby predict or determine a psychosomatic state for each of said states of said subject.

14. A psychosomatic state determination system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said system comprises a stimuli outputting means for giving to said subject a stimulus such as a physical stimulus or an audio-visual stimulus;

and

wherein said evaluation means compares a temporal tendency and/or a value of a known psychosomatic state exponent at a time when said stimulus is output from said stimuli outputting means with a temporal tendency and/or a value of said calculated psychosomatic state exponent to thereby predict or determine a psychosomatic state for each of said states of said subject.

15. A psychosomatic state determination system according to claim 14, wherein said stimuli outputting means promotes a change in a behavior of said subject by outputting said stimulus effective for preventing from falling into an abnormal psychosomatic state from said stimuli outputting means based on a psychosomatic state predicted or determined of said deteeminee.

2. A psychosomatic state determination system for determining a psychosomatic state such as a wakeful state and a non-wakeful state of a subject, comprising:

a data processing means for calculating a psychosomatic state exponent such as Lyapunov exponent from a time series signal of a load value or a barycentric position of a subject; and

an evaluation means for comparing a value of psychosomatic state exponent calculated in said data processing means with a value of a known psychosomatic state exponent corresponding to a psychosomatic state to thereby determine a psychosomatic state of said subject.