Method and apparatus for measuring and analyzing physiological signals for active or passive control of physical and virtual spaces and the contents therein

• US 6,254,536 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1998
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IBVA Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IBVA Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: DeVito, Drew
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Cary
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASTORINO, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US09/206,440
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300-301, 600/544-545, 600/584-595, 225/441-444, 340/825.19, D17/99, 463/30-31, 341/20
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for measuring and performing real-time FFT analysis of bioelectrical signals such as (EEG and EMG) for the control of systems. Passive and active interaction with various electronic media such as video games, movies, music, virtual reality, and computer animations is also disclosed. A method and apparatus for detecting the presence of a subject in a controlled area and for controlling real or virtual spaces is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A control system comprising:

at least one controlled device;

at least one sensor for picking up bio-signals from a subject; and

a controller having an input connected to said sensor, an FFT processor for converting said bio-signals into one or more control parameters, a selector having at least one device selection map, a command processor having at least one command map, and an output for sending one or more device commands to said device;

said selector being responsive to at least one of said control parameters to generate a device selection parameter;

said command processor being selectively responsive to said device selection parameter and to at least one of said control parameters to generate said device commands for controlling said device.

2. The control system of claim 1 further comprising:

an indicator having a predetermined association with said device for providing signals observable by said subject.

3. The control system of claim 2 wherein

the device selection map maps a predetermined control parameter characterizing at least one characteristic of said indicator to said device;

and

said selector selects said device in response to said predetermined control parameter.

4. The control system of claim 1 wherein:

said controller further comprises an indicator output connected to said indicator; and

said controller generates an indicator output signal responsive to said device selection parameter.

5. A controller apparatus comprising:

an input for receiving relationship signals;

a selector responsive to said relationship signals for selecting a subject;

a control processor connected to said selector, having an input for receiving bio-signals from said selected subject, and having an output for providing control signals to one or more objects;

said control processor being operative to perform fourier transform calculations on said bio-signals and mapping one or more results of said calculations to control signals.

6. The control apparatus of claim 5 wherein:

said relationship signals are indicative of a predetermined relationship between said selected subject and an item; and

said item comprises one or more of said objects.

7. The control apparatus of claim 6 wherein

said predetermined relationship comprises a spatial orientation of a subject in real or virtual space relative to said item or objects or representations of said items or objects in said real or virtual space.

8. The control apparatus of claim 5 wherein

said relationship signals are representative of at least one of the following:

(a) spatial orientation of a subject in real or virtual space,

(b) relationships of items, objects, or subjects, or between items, objects, or subjects in real or virtual spaces or between real or virtual spaces,

(c) physical characteristics of a real or virtual space.

9. The control apparatus of claim 8 wherein said relationship signals are representative of a spatial orientation of a subject in a virtual space.

10. The control apparatus of claim 8 wherein said relationship signals are representative of relationships of items, objects, or subjects or between items, objects, or subjects in a virtual space.

11. The control apparatus of claim 8 wherein said relationship signals are representative of relationships of items, objects, or subjects or between items, objects, or subjects in a real space.

12. The control apparatus of claim 8 wherein said relationship signals are representative of a spatial orientation of a subject in a real space.

13. The control apparatus of claim 5 wherein

said selector being responsive to said relationship signals to evaluate the relationships of one or more subjects to one or more items and to map said selected subject to a selected item wherein said selected subject and said selected item satisfy a predetermined relationship.

14. A control system comprising:

a plurality of appliances;

a first sensor for picking up bio-signals from a first subject;

a second sensor for picking up bio-signals from a second subject; and

a controller having a first input connected to said first sensor, a second input connected to said second sensor, an FFT processor for converting said bio-signals into one or more control parameters, a router, a command processor, and an output for sending one or more commands to said appliances;

said FFT processor performs FFT calculations on said bio-signals and generates one or more control parameters;

said router responsive to at least one of said control parameters to generate an appliance pointer for a selected one or more of said plurality of appliances;

said command processor being responsive to said appliance pointer to choose a selected command map having a predetermined relationship with said selected one or more of said plurality of appliances and further responsive to at least one of said control parameters to generate said commands using said selected command map for controlling said selected one or more of said plurality of appliances.