DK201500068A1 - A method and system for eliciting the relaxation response and cultivating attention - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention unveils a discovery that it is possible to measure whether a person is voluntarily paying attention at this moment or not, by measuring a particular style of movement of non-respiratory bodily actions, characterised by the qualities of slow, continuous, gentle and if necessary, repetitive. Because in order to move any part of the body in this particular way, it requires the person to voluntarily pay attention to the muscle movement of the non-respiratory bodily action itself to maintain it from moment to moment. This bridges the intangible faculty of human voluntary attention with technology. The invention describes an interactive system senses human non-respiratory bodily actions, constantly comparing sensed input signal with at least one predetermined threshold to determine whether the person is voluntarily attending to the non-respiratory bodily action he is performing, or not. If determined the person is voluntarily attending to the non-respiratory bodily action, system generates feedback to motivate the person to continuously sustain voluntary attention to the non-respiratory bodily action. Thus a feedback loop is formed to continuously motivate the person to voluntarily pay attention to the non-respiratory bodily action. This helps the person voluntarily direct and sustain attention away from stressful thoughts, and develops own skills of relieving stress and cultivating attention. Importantly, the disclosed system can be seamlessly integrated into many everyday products, to turn them into stress relieving devices, without interfering their normal functionalities. Furthermore, the system can also make voluntarily paying attention to non-respiratory bodily actions as meaningful social activities.

Description

Field of the invention

This invention relates to technology mediated stress relieving, well-being exercises and attention training.

Background

Stress is a major contributing factor to the six leading causes of death in the United States: cancer, heart disease, accidents, respiratory disorders, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide[2]. Leading medical experts estimate that 90% of disease is caused or complicated by stress[1 ].

Even mild chronic stress negatively impacts one’s health, physiology, and ability to learn and perform. [3]

The word ’stress’ here refers to distress, which differs from eustress, the ‘positive’ stress which prepares our bodies to adapt to changing demands of the environment in optimal ways. When a situation is perceived as stressful, our bodies release hormones to increase heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, metabolic rate and blood flow to the muscles, gearing our bodies either to do battle with an opponent or to flee [4], this is the so called ‘fight-or-flight’ stress response. While the stress response is natural and has evolved to protect the body, it is the distress, the prolonged or repeated triggering or the inability to return to a neutral state that finally causes damage as the body is preoccupied with preparing to react rather than healing itself. [3]

In modern society, absolute stressors, such as physical threats to our safety, are rare. It is often the negative thoughts in our heads prolong and accumulate stress in our mind and body, while the stressors are actually not present in the here and now. This phenomenon is deeply rooted in one of our important cognitive capabilities: mind-wandering. Mind-wandering is the ability to think about what is not going on here and now. Research shown that people spend 46.9 percent of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they are doing, and concluded a wandering mind is unhappy. [6] Another study reported that 80 percent of everyone’s thoughts contain some sort of negative content [8]. Mind-wandering is closely related to another important cognitive capability: automatic processing. Highly practiced activities become automatic and thereby require less attention to perform. [17] This explains our ‘autopilot’ experience as we go through daily routines, we are able to do mundane tasks almost automatically, while intensely thinking about other things. The capability of automatic processing allows a large portion of our attention left unfocused, which enables our mind to wander away to often negative and stressful thoughts.

One key aspect of stress management is to effectively relief accumulated stress, when stressors are not present. This aspect mainly concerns with directing people’s attention away from the constant stream of, often stressful and negative, thoughts. Psychologists distinguish two different kinds of attention: voluntary attention and involuntary attention. Voluntary attention is an internal process that people voluntarily directing attention. Involuntary attention is an external process that stimulus events can involuntarily capture attention. [18]

Most existing stress relieving products take advantage of people’s involuntary attention, by using technology to create external stimulus in order to involuntarily capture people’s attention away from stressful thoughts. One example is sensory birthing rooms, which implemented in Nordsjaellands Hospital in Denmark. The birthing rooms are equipped with a large Philips luminous textile panel that displays calming visual stimulus, and adaptable lighting and sound systems to capture the mother’s attention through various relaxing stimulus to reduce the stress of giving birth. [9] Pare is an interactive therapeutic robot in the form of a baby seal. It behaves as if it is alive, create stimulus such as imitating the voice of a real baby seal, cute facial and bodily expressions to capture and hold patients attention. [10] Several products focus on technology guided breathing: Resperate is a Walkman-like device that uses stimulus such as auditory tones to guide relaxed breathing to reduce stress and blood pressure. [11] SlressEraser [12] and emWave [13] are handheld devices uses visual stimulus as guidance to slow down breathing and reduce stress. These products aim to induce a state of relaxation, where technology creates external stimulus to dominate the stress relieving process, and people passively follow.

Regarding the approach of technology capturing people’s involuntary attention, U.S. Pat. No. 20110015468 describes a method of maintaining a state in a subject, by measuring physiological parameters of the subject, comparing the measured parameter to a lower threshold and a upper threshold, generating an output if the parameter is below the lower threshold which indicates the subject is too relaxed, or above the upper threshold which indicates the subject is too stressed. The output involuntarily captures subject’s attention, in this way warns the person about own state.

The main disadvantage of this approach is that it makes people dependent on technology and external stimulus, rather than recognising everyone of us already have self-regulative skills to relief stress and support development of such skills.

Harvard professor Herbert Benson introduced the discovery of the relaxation response in 1975. The relaxation response, counteracts the stress response, is a coordinated physiological response characterised by decreased arousal, diminished heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure, in association with a state of “well-being”. This response helps mitigate the negative effects of stress on the body and mind in an effort to return the body to homeostasis. [3] An essential aspect is that the relaxation response can be elicited by anyone, it is a self-regulative stress relieving process.

The eliciting of the relaxation response takes advantage of people’s voluntary attention. There are only two elements required to elicit the relaxation response. 1) the person direct and pay attention to the repetition of a word, sound, phrase, prayer, or muscular activity. 2) passively disregarding everyday thoughts that inevitably come to mind and returning to your repetition. [4] However, the main difficulty in successfully elicit the relaxation response is that our everyday thoughts exert an extremely heavy pull to our attention, and easily distract our attention away from the repetition. It takes reasonable practise to become aware of that our attention is absorbed by thoughts, and able to bring the attention back again and again to the repetition.

Existing technical approach that takes advantage of people’s voluntary attention to help eliciting the relaxation response only focuses on respiratory actions. Respiratory actions can be both an involuntary physiological process and a voluntarily regulated behaviour. The common technique of slow, deep and calm breathing effectively elicits the relaxation response, which requires voluntary attention to sustain it from moment to moment. Bellybio is a mobile app turns mobile phone into a sensor for respiratory actions. [19] By placing the phone on the lower part of the belly while lying down, it senses the breathing by measuring the increase/decrease of the angle between the phone and the belly. The app plays a relaxing music once detected the person is voluntarily regulating the breath to be slow and deep, to motivate the person keep the voluntary attention on maintaining the slow, deep and calm breathing.

Pending danish patent application PA 201400285 describes a method of measuring subject’s respiratory action inside a vehicle, compare the measured signal with a predetermined threshold to determine whether the person is voluntarily regulating own breathing at the moment, or not. If the person is voluntarily regulating own breathing, in-vehicle electronics generate output to motivate the person to keep the voluntary regulating own breathing inside the vehicle.

There does not exist a technological system focus on motivating people self-regulate own psychophysiological state through non-respiratory bodily actions to effectively elicit the relaxation response, which honours everyone of us already have self-regulative skills, and technology effectively help people developing such skills.

Summary of the invention

The key to successfully elicit the relaxation response is that a person is able to voluntarily sustain attention to an object and able to bring the attention back every time the attention wandered away. The critical step for effective technology mediation is that there must be a way to measure whether the person is voluntarily sustaining attention to an object, or not. As voluntary attention is an internal process, there does not exist such a method to measure voluntary attention through technological system until now.

Focusing on the aspect of muscular activity, which is proposed by Professor Herbert Benson as one kind of object the person may voluntarily pay attention to in order to effectively eliciting the relaxation response, this invention unveils a discovery of a practical method to measure human voluntary attention, which is by: measuring a particular style of movement of non-respiratory bodily actions that characterised by the qualities of slow, continuous, gentle and if necessary, repetitive. Because in order to move any part of the body in such particular way, it requires the person to voluntarily pay attention to the muscle movement of non-respiratory bodily action itself from moment to moment.

This particular style of bodily movement is found most prominently in the Chinese meditative martial art Tai Chi. One key element of the Tai Chi practise is to voluntarily sustain attention on maintaining the body moves in a slow, continuous and gentle way, with the effect of calm the mind and body. Importantly, this particular style of moving the body can be applied to every non-respiratory bodily actions we do in our everyday lives, and in fact we are already doing it. One example is that when we caress a sleeping baby, our hands move slowly, continuously, gently and repetitively, and this kind of non-respiratory bodily actions often associate with a feeling of love, calm and kindness.

Because the measuring of slow, continuous, gentle and repetitive non-respiratory bodily action is practical and relatively easy, this method bridges the intangible faculty of human voluntary attention with modern technology, thus enabling technology mediation. Some bodily actions are caused by respiratory actions, such as the expansion and contraction of the chest and abdomen. The term non-respiratory bodily action refers to any bodily actions are not caused by respiration.

The present invention provides a method of eliciting the relaxation response and cultivating attention comprising: processing by signal processing mean, at least one real-time non-respiratory bodily action signal input of a person is performing; determining, whether said person is voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action, by constantly comparing said real-time non-respiratory bodily action signal input with at least one predetermined threshold; and generating feedback that can be immediately perceived by said person through at least one response system, if said person is voluntarily paying attention on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment, whereby said feedback is configured for motivating said person to keep voluntarily sustaining attention on said non-respiratory bodily action. This method enables technology systems to detect that a person is voluntarily paying attention at this moment, and motivate the person to voluntarily direct and sustain attention away from the stressful and negative thoughts. This may help the person effectively eliciting the relaxation response. The fact that it is the person voluntarily direct and sustain own attention to non-respiratory bodily action from moment to moment, it cultivates people’s skill of voluntarily paying attention. The measurement of voluntary attention is done by measuring the movement of any non-respiratory bodily action, which enables this method may be easily integrated into everyday lives. In one embodiment, the non-respiratory bodily action is caressing, which can be applied to any objects with a surface suitable for caressing, suitable objects may include touch sensitive screens of mobile devices, tablets, and wearable devices. Technology such as touch sensitive textile, wood, plastic, paper, leather...etc, enable many everyday objects such as our clothes, sofas, tables, pillows, steering wheels.,.etc become capable of measuring our caressing action. Thus, this method can be seamlessly integrated into many everyday objects, and turn them into objects can effectively help people eliciting the relaxation response.

The method further comprising: reducing, adjusting said generated feedback, or stop generating feedback through said response system, as soon as said person is not voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment. In this way the method reminds that the person is not voluntarily attending to the non-respiratory bodily action at this moment, by adjusting the feedback. In one embodiment, the system may reduce the volume of an auditory feedback, or adding more noise to the auditory feedback to remind the person to voluntarily bring back the attention to said non-respiratory bodily action. In another embodiment, the system may stop generating feedback to reflect that said person may have on purposely stopped voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action and continued with other activities.

The method further comprising: monitoring the moment to moment said non-respiratory bodily action of said person, generating said real-time signal of said non-respiratory bodily action, and sending said real-time signal to said signal processing mean; wherein monitoring the moment to moment said non-respiratory bodily action is provided by sensors such as motion sensors, touch sensors, pressure sensors, audio sensors or visual sensors, which is dedicated to detect and measure said person’s said non-respiratory bodily action.

The method further comprising: wherein said at least one response system includes for example audio, visual, tactile systems or other response systems.

Further more, said generated feedback may be configured to reflect said person is voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment, or motivate said person to keep voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action, wherein said generated feedback includes for example ambient visuals, lights, nature sounds, calm music, tactile feedbacks, game incentives, and social connections.

Said generated feedback may also be configured to trigger a product function. In one embodiment, when system determines said person is voluntarily attending to a non-respiratory bodily action of using a product at this moment, the system may automatically trigger a product function without requiring the person to press a button or flip a switch. This is because voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action already indicated a clear intention said person has at the moment, therefore, it is possible to simplify product interaction, by omitting certain physical interactions such as pressing a button. This may encourage said person to become more mindful with daily behaviours, because products can become simpler to use if he choose to voluntarily attending to non-respiratory bodily actions of using everyday products.

The invention discloses several candidates of measurable parameters may be used as predetermined threshold to determine whether said person is voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment, or not. These predetermined thresholds may be personalised thresholds.

One predetermined threshold may be real-time velocity of said non-respiratory bodily action, including both linear velocity and angular velocity, for example 5 centimetre per second. If said real-time signal input represents said non-respiratory bodily action is moving with a realtime velocity below said predetermined real-time velocity threshold, said person is considered as voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment. If said real-time signal input represents said non-respiratory bodily action is moving with a real-time velocity equal or above said predetermined real-time velocity threshold, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment. If said real-time signal input represents said non-respiratory bodily action is not moving, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment. In this way, the system measures whether said non-respiratory bodily action is moving slowly and continuously or not.

Another predetermined threshold may be time duration used for said non-respiratory bodily action to complete, or travel a certain distance or angle, for example 4 seconds. If said real-time signal input of said non-respiratory bodily action represents a time duration to complete said non-respiratory bodily action, or travel said distance or angle, which is above said predetermined time duration threshold to complete said non-respiratory bodily action, or travel said distance or angle, said person is considered as voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment. If said real-time signal input of said non-respiratory bodily action represents a time duration to complete said non-respiratory bodily action, or travel said distance or angle, which is equal or below said predetermined time duration threshold to complete said non-respiratory bodily action, or travel said distance or angle, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment. In this way, the system measures whether said non-respiratory bodily action is moving slowly or not. This measure meant may be coupled with detecting the continuity of said non-respiratory bodily action. If said real-time signal input represents said non-respiratory bodily action is moving, said person is considered as voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment. If said real-time signal input represents said non-respiratory bodily action is not moving, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment. In this way, the system make sure that the longer time duration achieved by the slow movement of said non-respiratory bodily action is not because of said non-respiratory bodily action has stopped moving.

If said non-respiratory bodily action is caressing, another predetermined threshold may be pressure applied on the caressed surface, for example 50 Pa. If said real-time signal input of said caressing action represents a pressure below said predetermined pressure threshold, said person is considered as voluntarily attending on said caressing action at this moment. If said real-time signal input of said caressing action represents a pressure equal or above said predetermined pressure threshold, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said caressing action at this moment. If said real-time signal input represents said caressing action does not apply any pressure on said caressed surface, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending to said caressing action at this moment. In this way, the system measures whether said caressing action is performed gently or not.

If said non-respiratory bodily action is repetitive, another predetermined threshold may be time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition of said non-respiratory bodily action, for example 3 seconds. If said real-time signal input of said non-respiratory bodily action represents a time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition, which is below said predetermined threshold of time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition, said person is considered as voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment. If said real-time signal input of said non-respiratory bodily action represents a time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition, which is equal or above said predetermined threshold of time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment. This is useful to measure repetitive non-respiratory bodily actions such as caressing gestures, walking or neck rotating.., etc, to detect whether the person has been distracted and forgot to start a new repetition, or perhaps the person has on purposely choose to stop voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action.

Yet another predetermined threshold may be minimum time duration said person has been voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action, where said feedback is only generated if said person has been voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action longer than said predetermined minimum time duration threshold. This will help to avoid mis-triggerlng of said generated feedback. For example, the system will only generate feedback after the system has determined the person has been voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action for more than 5 seconds.

The method further comprising: generating feedback through at least one response system, if plurality of persons voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action together at this moment, thus said generated feedback motivates said plurality of persons to keep voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action as a social activity, wherein said generated feedback may be compound feedback, it may be a dynamic visual composition where each person of said plurality of persons represents a specific colour, visual patterns, or a dynamic sound composition where each person of said plurality of persons represents a specific sound or music instrument, or other dynamic response compositions, wherein said plurality of persons consciously attending to said non-respiratory bodily action together may either be located physically together, or distributed elsewhere with everyone may immediately perceive said generated feedback. In this way, voluntarily attending to non-respiratory bodily action may become synchronous physical behaviours bring meaningful social values. This is rooted in social psychology that synchronous physical behaviour increase empathy and relatedness, motivate and facilitate learning via imitation, and build connectedness. [20]

Summary of the figures

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a method of motivating a person to keep voluntarily attending to a non-respiratory bodily action.

Figure 2 is a further schematic of Figure 1, with addition of reminding a person is not voiuntarily attending to non-respiratory bodily action at this moment.

Figure 3 is a further schematic of Figure 2, with addition of the element of monitoring said person performing non-respiratory bodily action. Figure 4 is a schematic indication of using real-time velocity of said non-respiratory bodily action as measuring parameter to determine whether said person is voluntarily attending to non-respiratory bodily action at this moment or not.

Figure 5 is a schematic indication of using time duration used for said non-respiratory bodily action to complete, or travel a certain distance or angle as measuring parameter to determine whether said person is voluntarily attending to non-respiratory bodily action at this moment or not.

Figure 6 is a schematic indication of using pressure applied of said non-respiratory bodily action as measuring parameter to determine whether said person is voluntarily attending to non-respiratory bodily action at this moment or not.

Figure 7 is a schematic indication of using time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition of said non-respiratory bodily action as measuring parameter to determine whether said person is voluntarily attending to non-respiratory bodily action at this moment or not.

Figure 8 is a schematic indication of using minimum time duration said person has been voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action as measuring parameter to determine whether said person is voluntarily attending to non-respiratory bodily action at this moment or not.

Figure 9 is an embodiment of a person voluntariiy attending to caressing a touch sensitive screen of a hand held, tablet, wearable or other computational devices.

Figure 10 is an extended embodiment of Figure 9.

Figure 11 shows several embodiments of everyday objects capable of sensing whether a person is voluntarily attending to a caressing gesture or not.

Figure 12 shows an embodiment of the steering wheel become capable of sensing slow, continuous and repetitive caressing.

Figure 13 shows an embodiment of product logos become capable of sensing slow, continuous caressing gesture.

Figure 14 shows an embodiment of digital products using built-in motion sensors to sense a slow, continuous arm movement.

Figure 15 shows two other embodiments of using motion sensors to sense slow, continuous non-respiratory bodily actions.

Figure 16 shows an embodiment of using visual sensors to sense slow, continuous non-respiratory bodily actions.

Figure 17 is a further schematic of figure 3, with addition of generated feedback as triggering a product function.

Figure 18 shows two embodiments of generated feedback as triggering a product function.

Detailed descriptions of the embodiments FIG.1 shows a schematic diagram of a method of motivating a person to keep voluntarily attending to a non-respiratory bodily action, comprising processing by signal processing mean B a real-time signal input of a non-respiratory bodily action S1, determining C whether said person is voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment or not, by constantly comparing said real-time signal input of said non-respiratory bodily action S1 with at least one predetermined threshold, if said person is voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action S2, generating feedback D to reflect that said person is voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment, or to motivate said person to keep voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action S3.

FIG.2 shows a further schematic of Figure 1, with addition of if said person is not voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action S4, adjusting said feedback or stop generating feedback E to remind said person is not voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment, or to reflect said person has on purposely stopped voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action S5.

FIG.3 shows a further schematic of Figure 2, with addition of the element of monitoring A said person performing non-respiratory bodily action SO, by sensors such as motion sensors, touch sensors, pressure sensors, audio sensors or visual sensors, which is dedicated to detect and measure said person’s said non-respiratory bodily action.

FIG.4 shows a schematic indication 10 of using real-time velocity of said non-respiratory bodily action as measuring parameter to determine whether said person is voluntarily attending to non-respiratory bodily action at this moment or not. If real-time signal input of said non-respiratory bodily action represents a real-time velocity 18 equal or above predefined threshold 12, said person is determined as not voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment. If real-time signal input represents said non-respiratory bodily action is moving with a real-time velocity 18 below predefined threshold 12, said person Is determined as voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment. If real-time signal input represents said non-respiratory bodily action is not moving 13, said person is determined as not voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment.

FIG.5 shows a schematic indication 20 of using time duration used for said non-respiratory bodily action to complete, or travel a certain distance or angle as measuring parameter to determine whether said person is voluntarily attending to non-respiratory bodily action at this moment or not. If said real-time signal input of said non-respiratory bodily action represents a time duration to complete said non-respiratory bodily action, or travel said distance or angle 28, which is above said predetermined time duration threshold to complete said non-respiratory bodily action, or travel said distance or angle 22, said person is considered as voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment. If said real-time signal input of said non-respiratory bodily action represents a time duration to complete said non-respiratory bodily action, or travel said distance or angle 28, which is equal or below said predetermined time duration threshold to complete said non-respiratory bodily action, or travel said distance or angle 22, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment.

FIG.6 shows a schematic indication 30 of using pressure applied of said non-respiratory bodily action as measuring parameter to determine whether said person is voluntarily attending to non-respiratory bodily action at this moment or not, If said real-time signal input of said caressing action represents a pressure 38 below said predetermined pressure threshold 32, said person is considered as voluntarily attending on said caressing action at this moment. If said real-time signal input of said caressing action represents a pressure 38 equal or above said predetermined pressure threshold 32, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said caressing action at this moment. If said real-time signal input represents said caressing action does not apply any pressure 33 on said caressed surface, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending to said caressing action at this moment.

FIG.7 shows a schematic indication 40 of using time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition of said non-respiratory bodily action as measuring parameter to determine whether said person is voluntarily attending to non-respiratory bodily action at this moment or not. If said real-time signal input of said non-respiratory bodily action represents a time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition 48, which is below said predetermined threshold of time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition 42, said person is considered as voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment. If said real-time signal input of said non-respiratory bodily action represents a time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition 48, which is equal or above said predetermined threshold of time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition 42, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment.

FIG.8 shows a schematic indication 50 of using minimum time duration said person has been voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action as measuring parameter to determine whether said person is voluntarily attending to non-respiratory bodily action at this moment or not. If said real-time signal input of said non-respiratory bodily action represents a time duration of said person has been voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action 58, which is above predefined minimum time duration of said person has been voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action 52, said person is considered as voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment. Otherwise, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment.

FIG.9 shows an embodiment of a person voluntarily attending to caressing a touch sensitive screen of a hand held, tablet, wearable or other computational devices. The device then process the real-time signal of the caressing gesture and compare with the predefined thresholds such as real-time velocity of the gesture, or time duration for completing one continuous caress repetition, to determine whether the person is voluntarily attending to the caressing gesture or not. If determined the person is voluntarily attending to the caressing gesture at this moment, the device generates feedback, for example sounds or visuals, to motivate the person to keep voluntarily attending to the slow, continuous and repetitive caressing gesture. This embodiment enables mobile devices to help people elicit the relaxation response and cultivate voluntary attention at anytime, anywhere.

FIG.10 shows an extended embodiment of FIG.9. When device with touch display senses and process the real-time signal input of a slow, continuous and repetitive caressing gesture. If determined the person is voluntarily attending on the caressing gesture at this moment, electronic systems in the surrounding environment may generates feedback, to motivate the person to keep voluntarily attending to the slow, continuous and repetitive caressing gesture. For example, in a living room context, electronic systems that generate feedback may includes TV, stereo system, and lighting system. In an in-vehicle context, electronic systems that generate feedback may include infotainment system, dashboard, projected images, lighting, sound system or tactile feedback such as massage.

The advance of technology such as touch sensitive fabric will soon be integrated into everyday products, one example is that BMW already has plans to install touch-sensitive fabric in future models. [21] Another example is BeoSound Moment from Bang & Olufsen, which brings a touch sensitive wood interface to control music. [22] These technologies enables many everyday objects can be enhanced with touch sensitive capabilities.

FIG.11 shows several embodiments of everyday objects become capable of sensing slow, continuous and repetitive hand caressing gestures, enabled by technology such as touch sensitive fabric, wood, paper, leather, plastic... etc. These objects then senses and process the real-time signal input of a slow, continuous and repetitive caressing gesture. If determined the person is voluntarily attending on the caressing gesture at this moment, feedback are generated to motivate the person to keep voluntarily attending to the slow, continuous and repetitive caressing gesture. Objects such as a cushion, pillow or a sofa are ideal for eliciting the relaxation response by performing a caressing gesture, because their main function is already providing a sense of comfort, privacy and safety. Objects such as clothes enables people to elicit the relaxation response at anywhere, anytime.

FIG.12 shows an embodiment of the steering wheel become capable of sensing slow, continuous and repetitive caressing by the thumb, or other fingers, enabled by technology such as such as touch sensitive fabric, wood, paper, leather, plastic... etc. If determined the person is voluntarily attending to the caressing gesture at this moment, feedback are generated to motivate the person keep voluntarily attending to keep the slow, continuous and repetitive caressing gesture. This can be used in the situation such as traffic lights or traffic jams, the driver can choose to effectively elicit the relaxation response, instead of become frustrated. Same embodiment can be applied to handlebars of bicycle or motorcycle.

FIG.13 shows an embodiment of product logos become capable of sensing slow, continuous caressing gesture. When detected the person is caressing the logo slowly and continuously, the logo lights up to recognise that the person is treating the product with care. This is a way to enhance brand awareness and create a new relationship between the customer and the product, as if the product becomes alive when the person treating it with care.

FIG.14 shows an embodiment of digital products including phones, remotes, smart watches, and smart armbands, using their built-in motion sensors to sense a slow, continuous hand or arm movement. If determined the person is voluntarily attending to the hand or arm movement at this moment, feedback are generated to motivate the person keep voluntarily attending to the slow, continuous and if necessary, repetitive hand or arm movement.

FIG.15 shows an embodiment of shoes built in with motion sensors to sense a slow, continuous and repetitive walking movements. If determined the person is voluntarily attending to the walking movement at this moment, feedback are generated to motivate the person keep voluntarily attending to keep the slow, continuous and repetitive walking movement. This is useful for people who practise mindful walking exercise. Also shows another embodiment of a headphone built in with motion sensors to sense a slow, continuous neck rotation movement. If determined the person is voluntarily attending to the neck rotating movement at this moment, feedback are generated to motivate the person keep voluntarily attending to keep the slow, continuous neck rotating movement.

FIG.16 shows an embodiment of using visual sensors to sense slow, continuous non-respiratory bodily actions. This includes products with a camera built in, such as smart phones, smart glasses, game console... etc. If determined the person is voluntarily attending to the non-respiratory bodily actions at this moment, feedback are generated to motivate the person keep voluntarily attending to the non-respiratory bodily actions.

FIG.17 shows a further schematic of Figure 3, with addition of one more kind of feedback, which is to trigger a product function S6. This is because voluntarily attending to a non-respiratory bodily action of using a product, may imply that it becomes much easier for technology to understand the person’s intention with said non-respiratory bodily action. This may be used to simplify the interaction with said product.

FIG.18 shows two embodiments of generated feedback as triggering a product function. One embodiment is by determining a person is voluntarily attending to the non-respiratory bodily action of lifting up a TV remote control, system generates a feedback as automatically turning on the TV, without requiring said person to press a physical button. Another embodiment is by determining a person is voluntarily attending to the non-respiratory bodily action of putting down an electronic water kettle to it’s base, system generates a feedback as automatically start boiling the water, without requiring said person to press a physical button.

Another embodiment of this method may be to engage the person to maintain an already calm and peaceful environment by voluntarily attending to a non-respiratory bodily action. One example may be a person is walking by a garden and seeing a butterfly stopping at a beautiful flower. If said person is determined as voluntarily attending to the walking movement, system maintains the current scene. If said person is determined as not voluntarily attending to the walking movement, system may generate a feedback, for instance the butterfly flies away, as if said person’s behaviour has disturbed the peaceful scene.

Claims (16)

1. A method for eliciting relaxation response and cultivating attention, comprising: processing by signal processing mean, at least one real-time non-respiratory bodily action signal input of a person performing; determining, in response to constantly comparing said real-time non-respiratory bodily action signal input with at least one predetermined threshold, whether said person is voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment or not; generating feedback that can be immediately perceived by said person through at least one response system, if said person is voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: reducing, adjusting said generated feedback, or stop generating feedback through said response system, as soon as said person is not voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: monitoring the moment to moment said non-respiratory bodily action of said person, generating said real-time signal of said non-respiratory bodily action, and sending said real-time signal to said signal processing mean.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein monitoring the moment to moment said non-respiratory bodily action is provided by sensors such as motion sensors, touch sensors, pressure sensors, audio sensors or visual sensors, which is dedicated to detect and measure said person’s said non-respiratory bodily action.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one response system includes for example audio, visual, tactile systems or other response systems.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said generated feedback is configured to reflect said person is voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment, or motivate said person to keep voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action, wherein said generated feedback includes for example ambient visuals, lights, nature sounds, calm music, tactile feedbacks, game incentives, and social connections.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said generated feedback is to trigger a product function.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one predetermined threshold is real-time velocity, including both linear velocity and angular velocity, of said non-respiratory bodily action: a. if said real-time signal input represents said non-respiratory bodily action is moving with a real-time velocity below said predetermined real-time velocity threshold, said person is considered as voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment; or b. if said real-time signal input represents said non-respiratory bodily action is moving with a real-time velocity equal or above said predetermined real-time velocity threshold, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment; or c. if said real-time signal input represents said non-respiratory bodily action is not moving, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment;

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one predetermined threshold is time duration used for said non-respiratory bodily action to complete, or travel a certain distance or angle: a. if said real-time signal input of said non-respiratory bodily action represents a time duration to complete said non-respiratory bodily action, or travel said distance or angle, which is above said predetermined time duration threshold to complete said non-respiratory bodily action, or travel said distance or angle, said person is considered as voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment; or b. if said real-time signal input of said non-respiratory bodily action represents a time duration to complete said non-respiratory bodily action, or travel said distance or angle, which is equal or below said predetermined time duration threshold to complete said non-respiratory bodily action, or travel said distance or angle, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: detecting the continuity of said non-respiratory bodily action: a. if said real-time signal input represents said non-respiratory bodily action is moving, said person is considered as voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment; or b. if said real-time signal input represents said non-respiratory bodily action is not moving, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment.

11. The method of claim 8, 9, further comprising: if said non-respiratory bodily action is caressing, another predetermined threshold is pressure applied on the caressed surface: a. if said real-time signal input of said caressing action represents a pressure below said predetermined pressure threshold, said person is considered as voluntarily attending on said caressing action at this moment; or b. if said real-time signal input of said caressing action represents a pressure equal or above said predetermined pressure threshold, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said caressing action at this moment; or c. if said real-time signal input represents said caressing action does not apply any pressure on said caressed surface, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending to said caressing action at this moment.

12. The method of claim 8, 9, further comprising: if said non-respiratory bodily action is repetitive, another predetermined threshold is time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition of said non-respiratory bodily action: a. if said real-time signal input of said non-respiratory bodily action represents a time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition, which is below said predetermined threshold of time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition, said person is considered as voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment; or b. if said real-time signal input of said non-respiratory bodily action represents a time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition, which is equal or above said predetermined threshold of time duration between previous repetition ended and starting a new repetition, said person is considered as not voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action at this moment.

13. The method of claim 8, 9, further comprising: another predetermined threshold is minimum time duration said person has been voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action, where said feedback is only generated if said person has been voluntarily attending on said non-respiratory bodily action longer than said predetermined minimum time duration threshold.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising: generating feedback through at least one response system, if plurality of persons voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action together at this moment, thus said generated feedback motivates said plurality of persons to keep voluntarily attending to said non-respiratory bodily action as a social activity.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said generated feedback is compound feedback, it can be a dynamic visual composition where each person of said plurality of persons represents a specific colour, visual patterns, or a dynamic sound composition where each person of said plurality of persons represents a specific sound or music instrument, or other dynamic response compositions.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said plurality of persons consciously attending to said non-respiratory bodily action together can either be located physically together, or distributed elsewhere with everyone can immediately perceive said generated feedback.