JP2003195879A - Apparatus and method for brain wave intensification - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a brain wave intesifying apparatus which can intensify brain waves such as an α wave by inputting a voice to the right and left ears alternately. <P>SOLUTION: A brain-wave intensifying apparatus has a sound source part 3 such as a low-frequency oscillation circuit and an external CD player, a radio set, and a tape recorder which generates and outputs an audio signal of optional frequency, a signal switching part 4 which branches the audio signal from the sound source part into two and outputs them alternately, a speaker part 7 such as an ear and headphones which outputs the audio signal outputted from the signal switching part 4 as a sound, and a control part 1 having a generation time setting means 11 of setting cycles of the generation and generation stop of the audio signal of optional frequency at the sound source part 3 and a switching cycle setting means 14 of setting alternate output of the signal switching part 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electroencephalogram enhancing apparatus and an electroencephalogram enhancing method for enhancing electroencephalogram such as α wave.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Enhancement of brain waves such as α waves is an effective method for promoting health, and in recent years, development of brain wave enhancing devices for enhancing brain waves has been activated.

As a conventional method for enhancing the electroencephalogram, for example, there is one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-89580. This method divides the output of the pure sound oscillator into two, one of which drives the earphone as it is to give an acoustic output to one ear, and the other delays with a delay circuit to drive the other earphone and the other ear. It is described that the sound output is given, and thereby the position of the sound source is moved to enhance the specific brain wave.

As a conventional α-wave induction device for enhancing the electroencephalogram, for example, there is one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-201417. This device mixes and outputs the high frequency sound from the high frequency generation circuit to the audible range sound, and while listening to the audible range sound such as music,
It is described that the brain is activated by high frequency sound.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional electroencephalogram enhancement method, voices are simultaneously input to both ears and the right and left brains can be linked (catchball between the right and left brains). It had the problem of being impossible or insufficient.

In this electroencephalogram enhancing apparatus and electroencephalogram enhancing method, it is required that voices be alternately input to the left and right ears.

In order to meet this demand, the present invention provides an electroencephalogram enhancing device capable of alternately inputting voice to the left and right ears and an electroencephalogram enhancing method for alternately inputting voice to the left and right ears. To aim.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, an electroencephalogram enhancing apparatus of the present invention is a low frequency oscillator circuit for generating and outputting an audio signal of an arbitrary frequency, an external CD / radio tape recorder, etc. Sound source section, and a signal switching section that outputs the audio signal from the sound source section by bifurcating and alternately switching between the two.
And a speaker unit such as an earphone / headphone that outputs the voice signal output from the signal switching unit as voice.

As a result, it is possible to obtain an electroencephalogram enhancer capable of alternately inputting sounds into the left and right ears.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the brain wave enhancing method of the present invention has a configuration in which a generated voice signal of an arbitrary frequency is branched into two and alternately switched, and the alternately switched voice signal is output as a voice. .

As a result, a brain wave enhancing method for alternately inputting sounds into the left and right ears can be obtained.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A brain wave enhancing device according to claim 1 of the present invention is a sound source unit such as a low-frequency oscillator circuit for generating and outputting an audio signal of an arbitrary frequency and an external CD / radio / tape recorder. And a signal switching unit that outputs the audio signal from the sound source unit by bifurcating and alternately switching it, and a speaker unit such as an earphone / headphone that outputs the audio signal output from the signal switching unit as audio. It was done.

With this configuration, since the voice can be alternately input to the left and right ears in the speaker unit, a catch ball can be played between the right and left brains via the corpus callosum, and α waves It has the effect of enhancing brain waves.

The signal switching units may have the same switching time or different switching times, but the same switching time is preferable. This is because the same stimulus is given to the left and right ears.

The electroencephalogram enhancement apparatus according to claim 2 is the electroencephalogram enhancement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit for controlling the whole, and the control unit is configured to generate an audio signal of an arbitrary frequency in the sound source unit. A generation time setting means for setting a generation stop cycle and a switching cycle setting means for setting an alternating output switching cycle in the signal switching section are provided.

With this configuration, a voice signal can be generated or stopped, and the listening time of the voice can be the same or different between the left and right ears, so that brain waves such as α-waves. It has the effect that it can be further enhanced.

The electroencephalogram enhancement apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention comprises a low frequency transmission circuit for generating and outputting an audio signal of an arbitrary frequency, a sound source section such as an external CD / radio / tape recorder, and the sound source section. A switch for switching the audio signal into two branches and alternately switching it, a timer for periodically switching the switch for each set time, and a speaker unit such as an earphone / headphone that outputs the audio signal output from the switch as voice. And ,.

With this configuration, the timer that periodically switches at every set time allows the changeover switch to be alternately switched to allow the audio signal to flow to the left and right ears.
It has the effect of enhancing brain waves such as waves.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the electroencephalogram enhancement method is such that a generated audio signal of an arbitrary frequency is branched into two and alternately switched, and the alternately switched audio signal is output as a voice.

With this configuration, the voice can be alternately input to the left and right ears, so that a catch ball can be performed between the right and left brains via the corpus callosum, etc., and the enhancement of the brain waves such as α waves. Has the effect of being able to

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electroencephalogram enhancement method, wherein a generation time setting step for setting a cycle of generation and stop of generation of an audio signal of an arbitrary frequency from a sound source section, and a switching cycle for alternately switching the generated audio signal. And a switching cycle setting step for setting.

With this configuration, it is possible to generate and stop the generation of a voice signal, and since the time for listening to the voice can be different between the left and right ears, it is possible to further improve the brain waves such as α waves. It has the effect of being able to enhance.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention.
~ It demonstrates using FIG. (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electroencephalogram enhancing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a control section for controlling the entire apparatus, 2 is a storage section for storing programs and data, and 3 is a low-frequency oscillation for generating and outputting an audio signal (for example, a music signal) having an arbitrary frequency. A sound source unit such as a circuit or an external sound source such as a CD / radio / tape recorder, 4 is a signal switching unit for branching the audio signal from the sound source unit 3 into two and alternately outputting them.
Is an output terminal for outputting one audio signal branched into two, 6 is an output terminal for outputting the other audio signal branched into two, and 7 is a headphone as a speaker section for outputting the audio signal output from the signal switching section as audio. , 8 is one earphone of the headphones 7 (first earphone), and 9 is the other earphone of the headphones 7 (second earphone). Also, 11
Reference numeral 12 is a generation time setting means for setting a cycle of generation and stop of generation of a voice signal of an arbitrary frequency in the sound source section 12, reference numeral 12 is a generation on-timer for setting a generation time of the voice signal,
Is a generation off timer for setting the generation stop time of the audio signal, 14 is a switching cycle setting means for setting the switching cycle of the alternating output in the signal switching unit 4, and 15 is the time for outputting the audio signal from the output terminal 5. The first switching timer 16 for setting the time, and the second switching timer 16 for setting the time when the audio signal is output from the output terminal 6. Although headphones are shown as the speaker unit 7 here, they may be two earphones. Further, as will be described later, the generation on timer 12 and the generation off timer 13 are alternately set.

The operation of the electroencephalogram enhancing apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the electroencephalogram enhancement apparatus of FIG.

In FIG. 1, the on-time (generation on-time or generation time) and off-time (generation off-time or generation stop time) of the generation of the audio signal from the sound source section 3 are set by the generation time setting means 11, for example, as shown in FIG. Is set as follows. In FIG. 2, the generation on-time is set to T1 and the generation off-time is set to T2. The audio signal from the sound source unit 3 is input to the signal switching unit 4, and is branched into two in the signal switching unit 4, and the respective audio signals branched into two are output terminals 5 and 6.
Is output from. The switching cycle in the signal switching unit 4 is set to T3, T4, for example, as shown in FIG. That is, the time T3 audio signal is output from the output terminal 5, and the time T4 audio signal is output from the output terminal 6. Time T
3 is set by the first switching timer 15 and time T4 is set by the second switching timer 16. Signal switching unit 4
The audio signal output from the output terminal 5 of the headphone 7 is input to one earphone 8 of the headphone 7, and the audio signal output from the output terminal 6 is input to the other earphone 9 of the headphone 7.

By such operation, one earphone 8
A sound is input to the ear in which the earphone is inserted, for example, the right ear for a time T3, and a sound is input to the ear in which the other earphone 9 is inserted, for example, the left ear for a time T4, and sound is input to both ears. It will be input alternately. Time T1
The setting of T4 is arbitrary, and the time T2 may be set to zero, for example.

The operation of the electroencephalogram enhancing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. 3 is a flow chart showing the operation of the generation time setting means 11 (generation time setting step), and FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the switching cycle setting means 14 (switching cycle setting step).

In FIG. 3, first, the generation on-timer 12
Is set to the time T1 (S1), and the time elapsed after the generation ON timer 12 is set is set to the generation ON timer 12
It is determined whether or not the time T1 set in step S1 has been exceeded (S
2) If it is determined that the time T1 has not been exceeded, the sound source unit 3 generates an audio signal (S3). In this way, the sound signal generation in the sound source section 3 is continued for the time T1.

If it is determined in step S2 that the time T1 has been exceeded, the off timer 13 is set to the time T2 (S
4) Next, it is determined whether or not the time elapsed after the generation off timer 13 is set has exceeded the time T2 set by the generation off timer 13 (S5). If it is determined that the time T2 has not been exceeded, the sound source is determined. The audio signal generation in the section 3 is stopped (S6). In this way, the audio signal generation stop in the sound source section 3 is continued for the time T2.

If it is determined in step S5 that the time T2 has been exceeded, the process returns to step S1. Next, the operation of the switching cycle setting means 14 will be described. In FIG. 4, first, the first switching timer 15 is set to the time T3 (S11),
Next, it is determined whether the time elapsed since the first switching timer 15 was set exceeded the time T3 set by the first switching timer 15 (S12), and it was determined that the time T3 was not exceeded. In this case, the signal switching unit 4 outputs the audio signal from the output terminal 5 (first terminal) and does not output the audio signal from the output terminal 6 (second terminal) (S13). In this way, the output of the audio signal from the output terminal 5 is maintained for the time T3.

If it is determined in step S12 that the time T3 has been exceeded, the second switching timer 16 is set to time T4 (S14), and then the time elapsed since the second switching timer 16 was set It is determined whether or not the time T4 set by the switching timer 16 of No. 2 has been exceeded (S15), and when it is determined that the time T4 has not been exceeded, the signal switching unit 4 outputs the audio signal from the output terminal 6 (second terminal). Is output, and no audio signal is output from the output terminal 5 (first terminal) (S1
6). In this way, the output of the audio signal from the output terminal 6 is maintained for the time T4. When it is determined in step S15 that the time T4 has been exceeded, the process returns to step S11.

In the present embodiment, the case where the sound source section 3 and the signal switching section 4 are controlled by the control section 1 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and hardware equivalent to the generation time setting means 11 ( For example, a flip-flop circuit) may be built in the sound source section 3 to turn on / off the sound signal generation, and hardware corresponding to the switching cycle setting means 14 (for example, a clock frequency divider circuit) may be provided in the signal switching section 4. It may be built in the device and the output audio signal may be switched.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the sound source unit 3 such as a low-frequency oscillator circuit for generating and outputting an audio signal of an arbitrary frequency and an external CD / radio / tape recorder or the like.
A signal switching unit 4 that outputs the audio signal from the sound source unit 3 by bifurcating and alternately switching it, and a speaker unit 7 such as an earphone / headphone that outputs the audio signal output from the signal switching unit 4 as audio. Since the speaker unit 7 can alternately input sound to the left and right ears, a catch ball can be performed between the right and left brains via the corpus callosum, and brain waves such as α waves can be obtained. Can be enhanced. Further, the control section 1 for controlling the whole is provided, and the control section 1 sets the generation time setting means 11 for setting a cycle of generation and stop of generation of an audio signal of an arbitrary frequency in the sound source section 3.
And the switching cycle setting means 14 for setting the switching cycle of the alternate output in the signal switching unit 4, it is possible to generate or stop the generation of the audio signal, and the time for listening to the audio can be changed to the left or right. Since the ears can be the same or different, the brain waves such as α waves can be further enhanced.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of an electroencephalogram enhancing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 5, the sound source unit 3, the signal switching unit 4, the output terminals 5 and 6, the speaker unit 7, and the earphones 8 and 9 are the same as those in FIG. Reference numeral 21 is a timer for periodically switching the energizing direction for each set time, and 22 is a changeover switch for alternately outputting the audible range sound from the sound source section 3 to the output terminals 5 and 6 by the timer 21.

In FIG. 5, the changeover switch 22 is switched to the output terminal 5 side or the output terminal 6 side by the timer 21. As a result, the sound from the sound source unit 3 is alternately input to the left and right ears periodically at set time intervals, and brain waves such as α waves are enhanced.

[0037]

As described above, according to the electroencephalogram enhancing apparatus of claim 1 of the present invention, a low frequency oscillation circuit for generating and outputting an audio signal of an arbitrary frequency and an external CD / radio tape. A sound source unit such as a recorder, a signal switching unit that outputs the audio signal from the sound source unit by bifurcating and alternately switching, and a speaker unit such as an earphone / headphone that outputs the audio signal output from the signal switching unit as sound. By having and, it is possible to alternately input sound to the left and right ears in the speaker unit, so that a catch ball can be performed between the right and left brains via the corpus callosum, and brain waves such as α waves It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect that it is possible to enhance

According to the electroencephalogram enhancement apparatus of the second aspect,
The electroencephalogram enhancement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls the whole, wherein the control unit sets a generation time setting unit that sets a cycle of generation and stop of generation of an audio signal of an arbitrary frequency in the sound source unit, and a signal. By including the switching cycle setting means for setting the switching cycle of the alternate output in the switching unit, it is possible to generate or stop the generation of the audio signal, and the time for listening to the audio is the same for the left and right ears. Since they can be different, the advantageous effect that the brain waves such as α waves can be further enhanced can be obtained.

According to the electroencephalogram enhancing apparatus of claim 3,
A sound source unit such as a low-frequency transmission circuit for generating and outputting a sound signal of an arbitrary frequency or an external CD / radio / tape recorder; and a changeover switch for alternately dividing the sound signal from the sound source unit into two. A timer that periodically switches the changeover switch every set time, and an earphone that outputs the audio signal output from the changeover switch as voice.
With a speaker unit such as headphones, it is a timer that periodically switches every set time, the changeover switch alternates and audio signals can be sent to the left and right ears, and with a simple configuration brain waves such as α waves It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect that it is possible to enhance

According to the electroencephalogram enhancement method of claim 4,
Since the generated audio signal of an arbitrary frequency is branched into two and alternately switched, and the alternately switched audio signal is output as the audio, the audio can be alternately input to the left and right ears, so that the right brain and the left brain A catch ball can be played between the corpus callosum and the like, and an advantageous effect that brain waves such as α waves can be enhanced can be obtained.

According to the electroencephalogram enhancement method of claim 5,
By having a generation time setting step for setting the cycle of generation and stop of generation of a voice signal of an arbitrary frequency from the sound source section, and a switching cycle setting step for setting a switching cycle for alternately switching the generated audio signals, Signals can be generated or stopped, and the time for listening to the sound can be different between the left and right ears, so that brain waves such as α waves can be further enhanced. An advantageous effect is acquired.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electroencephalogram enhancement apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a timing diagram for explaining the operation of the electroencephalogram enhancing device in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the generation time setting means (generation time setting step).

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the switching cycle setting means (switching cycle setting step).

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of an electroencephalogram enhancement apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 control unit 2 memory 3 sound source section 4 signal switching section 5 output terminals (first terminal) 6 output terminals (second terminal) 7 speaker 8 earphones (first earphone) 9 Earphone (second earphone) 11 Occurrence time setting means 12 on timer 13 Off timer 14 Switching cycle setting means 15 First switching timer 16 Second switching timer 21 timer 22 Changeover switch

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H04S 5/02 A61M 21/00 320

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A sound source unit such as a low-frequency oscillator circuit for generating and outputting a sound signal of an arbitrary frequency or an external CD / radio / tape recorder, and a sound signal from the sound source unit are branched into two and alternately. An electroencephalogram enhancement device comprising: a signal switching unit that switches and outputs the signal; and a speaker unit such as an earphone / headphone that outputs the audio signal output from the signal switching unit as a voice. 2. A control unit for controlling the whole, wherein the control unit includes generation time setting means for setting a cycle of generation and stop of generation of an audio signal of an arbitrary frequency in the sound source unit, and the signal switching unit. The electroencephalogram enhancement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a switching cycle setting unit that sets a switching cycle of alternate output. 3. A sound source section such as a low-frequency transmission circuit or an external CD / radio / tape recorder for generating and outputting a sound signal of an arbitrary frequency and a sound signal from the sound source section are branched into two and alternately. It has a changeover switch for changing over, a timer for periodically changing over the changeover switch every set time, and a speaker unit such as an earphone / headphone for outputting an audio signal outputted from the changeover switch as voice. EEG enhancer. 4. An electroencephalogram enhancement method, characterized in that a generated audio signal of an arbitrary frequency is branched into two and alternately switched, and the alternately switched audio signal is output as a voice. 5. A generation time setting step for setting a cycle of generation and stop of generation of an audio signal of an arbitrary frequency from a sound source section, and a switching cycle setting step for setting a switching cycle for alternately switching the generated audio signals. An electroencephalogram enhancement method comprising: