NL1044117B1 - A sensor carrier device for personalized emotion detection - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor carrier device for capturing emotion content signals from a human or animal subject for emotion feedback interaction, said sensor carrier device 5 comprising electrode pads to measure the physiological signals, separate current-carrying and voltage-sensing electrodes to connect the electrode pads to an electronic sensor device, interconnects to connect an electronic sensor device to the electrodes, means to insulate the electrodes and a medium with electrode pads, electrodes, and interconnects. The invention also relates to a sensor system for capturing and converting emotion content 10 signals from a human or anima! subject for emotion-controlled interaction, said sensor system comprising a sensor carrier device and an electronic sensor device to collect, process and transmit the emotion content signals. The invention also relates to a sensor system, further comprising embedded means for processing emotion content signals into emotion content control signals using neural networks or artificial intelligence algorithms 15 based on parametric representations of said emotion content signals. 1044117

Description

TITLE

A sensor carrier device for personalized emotion detection

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[001] The invention relates to a sensor carrier device for capturing emotion content signals from a human or animal subject for emption feedback interaction, said sensor carrier device comprising: ~ Electrode pads to measure the physiological signals, - Separate current-carrying and vollage-sensing electrodes to connect the electrode pads to an electronic sensor device, - interconnects to connect an electronic sensor device to the electrodes. - Means to insulate the electrodes. «A medium with electrode pads, electrodes, and interconnects,

[002] The invention also relates fo a sensor carrier device, in which the electrode pads make physical contact to the skin of a human or animal subject,

[003] The invention also relates to a sensor carrier device, in which the electrode pads consist of multiple interdigitated grid lines.

[004] The invention also relates to a sensor carrier device, in which the interdigitated grid fines are 1 to 5 mm apart from each other. [G05] The invention also relates to a sensor carrier device, in which the electrode pads consist of multiple electrode pads.

[006] The invention also relates to a sensor carrier device, in which the slactrodes make no physical contact to the skin of a human or animal subject.

[907] The invention also relates to a sensor carrier device, with at least two separate pairs of current-carrying and voltage-sensing electrodes.

[008] The invention also relates to a sensor carrier device, in which the slectrodes are electronically insulated from the medium via an insulation layer.

[008] The invention also relates to a sensor carrier device, in which the medium is of the following type: = Texdile substrate, - Leather substrate. - Plastic substrate, 3&8 - Metal substrate.

- Paper. - Bin-material. - Organic material. - Skin.

[010] The invention also relates tc a sensor carrier device, in which the electrodes are of the following type: - Printed paste, filled with metal flakes. - Printed paste, filled with metal micro- and/or nanoparticles. ~- Printed paste, filled with carbon particles or fibres. - Deposited metal wires. - Deposited carbon fibres. - Knitted metal wires. ~ Woven metal wires. - Metal structures, deposited via electroplating and patterned via lithography.

[011] The invention also relates to a sensor system for capturing and converting emotion content signals from a human or anima! subject for emotion-cantrofled interaction, said sensor system comprising: - A sensor carrier device according to claim 1 or claim 2. «An electronic sensor device ta collect, process and transmit the emotion content signals.

[012] The invention also relates to a sensor system, characterized in that the sensor device further comprises means for transmitting the processed emotion content signals to an external device or system, the transmilling means of the type: - 4G/5G - Bluetooth 258 - WIFI - JOTJLoRa - Satellite (Starlink for example)

[013] The invention also relates to a sensor system, further comprising embedded means for processing emotion content signals into emotion content control signals using neural networks or artificial intelligence algorithms based on parametric representations of said emotion content signals.

[914] The invention also relales to a sensor system, further comprising storage means for storing said emotion content signals and said emotion content control signal.

[015] The invention also relates to a sensor system with a second sensor arranged to registrate the physical position of the human or animal subject.

[018] The invention also relates fo a wearable, in which the sensors and electrodes are integrated in clothing, such as a smart sock, gloves or a smart shirt.

[017] The invention also relates to a sensor system, with an additional sensor lo measure ove of the following types of emotion content signals: - Heart rate, - ECG - Blood pressure. ~ Facial expression. - Respiration rate. - Body surface temperature, - Body surface conductivity {electrodermal activity} - Body internal conductivity (Bioimpedance) - Neurotransmitter or hormone profile information. 18 Vocal speech characteristics. - Body gestures or posture. - Body positions - EEG - EMG ~ Environmental temperature - Global position (GPS). - Pressure sensor

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[918] 2.8% of the world population has an intellectual impairment (IQ below 75), this is around 200 million people, Worldwide nearly 50 million people suffer from dementia /

Alzheimer (source: bright focus foundation), with nearly 10 million new cases every year.

Between 5-8% of the general population aged 60 and over has dementia. It is estimated {nat 1 out of 160 children have Autism Spectrum Disorder (1% of the world population).

[019] Cognitively impaired clisnts ars vulnerable to stress. Their caregivers face the daily challenge to identify and regulate their client's stress and emotional state, based on nor verbal cues. A delay in recognition of stress can result in challenging behaviour, such as aggression or agitation. {see Janssen, C. G. C., Schuengel, U. & Stolk, J. (2002).

Understanding challenging behaviour in people with severe and profound intellectual disability: a stress-attachment model. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 46(8), 445- 453). Challenging behaviour has negative consequences for quality of life, makes client care and support difficult, and the burden on caregivers results in higher-than-average work-place absenteeism and staff turnover.

[020] Challenging behaviour occurs frequently in people with dementia {(£75% In primary care and over 80% in nursing homes} and in people with intellectual disability {70% in residential settings and 4% oulside residential settings), Challenging behaviour in people 19 with dementia or intellectual disability is widespread, persistent and increases in severity aver time. Challenging behaviour has negative consequences on quality of life. it can harm clients and other residents, it makes client care and management difficult for healthcare professionals, and it increases sick leave and drop-out of staff. Challenging behaviour is ang of the most important reasons for transitioning from community care lo expensive intramural care. Timely and effective prevention and management of challenging behaviour may lower the burden on relatives and professionals, and early admission to long-term care.

Prevention or early monitoring and management of challenging behaviour may result in huge cost savings.

[021] In recent years, increased attention for emotion detection is noticed. Emotion states includes states of pleasure {for instance happiness), displeasure (for instance sadness}, low arousal (for instance quietness), high arousal {for instance surprised). Social media make use of icons {0 express emotions. Emotion is expressed by facial, vocal, and postural expressions. Emotion can be determined from physiological reaction (activation or arousal, for instance increases in heart rate), the change In activity in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), blood pressure responses, skin responses, pupillary responses, brain waves, and heart responses. Examples include the IBM's emotion mouse (Ark, Dryer, & Lu 1999) and a variety of wearable sensors designed by the Affective Computing Group at MIT (e.g.

Pigard 2000).

[022] in recent years, the availability of measurement devices to measure physiological parameters of users is growing, Examples include heartbeat sensors, respiratory sensors, skin conductance sensors, blood pressure sensors, temperature sensors, Oxygen sensors, accelerometer sensors, motion sensors and GPS sensors, These sensors are more and more integrated in the human vicinity (for instance integrated in smart walches, clothing, shoes) or are embedded in the body (for instance underneath the human skin, or inside the body). The guality of the content of the signals is also increased, A good review paper on emotion recognition based on physiological signals is given by Shu et al, (Shu, Li Xie, Jy;

Yang, M; Li, 2; Li, Z Liao, D; Xu, KX; Yang, X. A Review of Emotion Recognition Using

Physiological Signals. Sensors 2018, 18, 2074. hitpsdel.omi10. 333018072074). They present a comprehensive review on physiological signal-based emotion recognition, 8 including emotion models, emotion elicitation methods, the published emotional physiclogical datasets, features, classifiers, and the whole framework for emotion recognition based on the physiological signals.

[023] An excellent review of wearable sensors for physiological parameters is described in

Subhas Chandra Mukhopadhyay and Tarikul Islam, Wearable sensors for physiological parameters measurement: physics, characteristics, design and applications, Published

December 2017 * Copyright © op Publishing Lid 2017, hitpsufiopscience pp. erafbooki8T 8-0-7 505-1508 Olchantor/k 87 8-0-F 0 3-1 5605:.0ch 1.

[024] Further information on content analysis is generally available to the person skilled in the art, see for example the articles: 18 «‘Activily-aware Mental Stress Detection Using Physiological Sensors’ by Sun FT, Kuo C.,

Cheng HT. Buthpitiya B. Collins P., Griss M. from Carnegie Mellon University and Nokia

Research Center, published in: Gris M., Yang G. (eds) Mobile Computing, Applications, and

Services. MobiCASE 2010. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol 78. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. ~ Towards mental stress detection using wearable physiological sensors by Wijsman J1,

Grundlehner B, Liu H, Hermens H, Penders Jl, in Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Bae. 2011;2011:1798-801. doi 10,1108/1EMBS.2011.8090512. ~ ‘Stress Detection Using Wearable Physiological Sensors’ by Sandulescu V. Andrews S.,

Ellis D., Bellotto N., Mozos O.M. (2015). In: Ferrdndez Vicente J., Alvarez-Sanchez J., de la Paz López F., Toledo-Moreo F. Adell H, (eds) Adtificial Computation in Biology and

Medicine. IWINAC 20115. Lecture Notes in Computer Sclence, val 9107. Springer, Cham - ‘Stress Recognition Using Wearable Sensors and Mobile Phones’ by Akane Sano,

Rosalind W. Picard, in: Proceeding ACH "13 Proceedings of the 2013 Humaine Association

Conference on Affective Computing and intelligent Interaction, pages 671-676.

[025] International patent application No. WO2008020371A2 and US patent application No.

US2014234815A1 both disclose an emotion content control system for combining emotion content signals for feedback interaction.

[026] In addition to the increased quantity of emotion content and the increased distribution flexibility of these signals, vocal/sound, facial images, and postural expressions are sources that provide information about the emotion level of a user. Pattern recognition can be applied ic derive emotion levels from these parameters.

[027] in addition to these sources of emotion content, increased attention is given to derive emotion content from newrstransmiiters or hormones. information about the presence and the ternporal concentration of these hormones in a human or animal body provides insight in the emotional status. Pattern recognition of the concentration profiles van be applied to derive emotion levels from these parameters. The hormone Dopamine is a feelgood hormone and is created inthe brains. The hormone Oxylocin strengthens the bond between persons. Mother's milk contains rnuch of this hormone. Endorphin is used to face stress and pain. it is a sort of relieve Tor pain, Serotonin fs the happiness hormone, generated in the gui and brains.

[028] More information about the working principles of neurotransmitters and hormones is given in! - www. medicalnewstoday. corvke/serotonin-facts-232248 - en.wikipedia. orgfwikitSerotonin - wwwsclencadirect.comiscignce/article/pli/SG166432814004768 - www.newhealthadvisor.com/Serotonin-and-Dopamine. html ~ ween life-anhancement.com/magazine/articie/178-5-hip-enhance-your-mood-your- slegp-and-a-ipt-more - eocinstitute org/meditation/dhea_gaba_cortisol_hgh _melatonin_serofonin_endorphing

[029] Many means nowadays exist to augment the perception of senses. 3D imaging via virtual reality glasses is for instance used fo augment the experience of watching movies.

Surround sound is used to augment the sensation of audio, 4D cinema use all kind of tricks to augment the sensation of performance, via movement, water droplets, ete. 1030] The care industry anticipates to these developments by introducing care games 10 augment the sensing performance of vulnerable peoples, like mentally disabled persons, retarded elderly ec. Care games for instance can augment the sensation of fesling, or interaction between an image and movement of the body, For example, a care game used to stimulate the activity of retarded people or dement elderly can be equipped with-emotion detection io increase the participation in the game. Exgifement can be stimulaled by increased complexity of the offered game features: boredom can be avoided by offering different features or levels,

[031] It has also been suggested that improved user experience may be achieved by providing emotion content signals. Queasy live performances of great singers are common praciice, by augmenting the experience by showing live recordings, including live voicelsing, live dance/performance and other visual five elements. Augmentation of the performance by live emotion of the remote or passed-away performer will augment the experience of the public. How great will it be to listen to a recorded live performance of

Elvig’s ‘How great thou art’, with the sensation of feeling his emotions as well via recorded emotion dala from past live performances? Or experience the sensation of making a goal during a world champion soccer game.

[032] it has also been suggested that improved gaming experience may be achieved by providing emotion content signals. If the emotion of a game player is determined and simultaneously provided as input signal to control the course of a game, the gaming experience will be influenced. For example, if a gamer wants to relax it can program the game in such a way that excitement, captured by the emotion content signal, is mitigated by changing the degree of difficulty, the pace of the game, the appearance of the game, the environmental setting, the appearance of the characters and personalities, ete. it may also be programmed to enhance the emotional status via the emotional control signal,

[033] It has also been suggested that improved training performance may be achieved by providing ematlior: content signals. If he emotion of a person, or a horse or a dog during training is determined and simultaneously provided as input signal fo steer the training program, the results of the program may be enhanced. For instance, the emotional status of a dressage horse may be used to influence the training program. If the trainer noticed stress. build-up, he can decide to practice a for the horse known exercise to reduce stress and to give the horse confidence, In case the trainer detects happiness or positive emotions, he can decide to increase the degree of difficulty, or practice a difficult slement of dressage programs. The same apples for dogs and other animals. Also, for sportsmen, the emotional status may be used to steer the training program, based on positive and negative attributes.

Also for soldiers and other professional aid workers, the emotional status may be used to steer the training program.

[034] It has also been suggested that improved education and learning experience may be achieved by providing emotion content signals. if the emotion of a student during education or learning experience is determined and simultaneously provided as input signal to steer the educational program (E-learning or school class}, the efficiency of the educational effort is increased. if the student experiences stress, the teacher may decide to introduce stress- relaxation exercises, if the student experiences happiness and positive vibe or flow, the teacher may decide to increase the degree of difficully, The emotion content signal may also be used to change the subject of the learning program, the degree of difficulty of the exercises.

[035] It has also been suggested that improved mission experience may be achieved by providing emotion content signals. If the emotion of a soldier or peace worker during operations and missions is determined and simultaneously provided as input signal to determing the deployment of a soldier or peace worker, the efficiency of the operation is increased. If the soldier experiences stress, the officer in charge may decide to redefine the soldier's deployment in the mission or operation.

[036] it has also been suggested that improved sports sxperience may be achieved by providing emotion content signals, If the emotion of a sportsmen during exercise, training or real game is determined and simultaneously provided as input signal to steer the sports achievement, the efficiency of the sports achievement is increased, if the sportsman experiences stress, the coach may decide to introduce stress-relaxation exercises, if the sportsman experiences happiness and positive vibe or flow, the coach may decide to increase the degree of difficulty. The emotion content signal may also be used to change the subject of the sports program, the degree of difficulty of the exercises. [9371 it has also been suggested that artificial intelligence of a robotic apparatus may be 18 achieved by providing emotion content signals fo {£ The robot or autonomous robotic apparatus can be provided with emotion control signals to make the robotic apparatus for instance autonomous, interactive with the environment, responsive to emotional situations, sensitive to environmental influences, etc.

[038] United States patent US 9113795 B2 discloses a wearable for measuring heart rate signals. However, the wearable of US 9113785 B2 tends to have several associated disadvantages including the following. The wearable does not measure the skin conductances, Also, the system is a wristband which is in many applications not accepted by the user.

[038] United States patent US10136857 B2 discloses a wearable for measuring physiological signals, including the galvanic skin response. United States patent application

US 2017/0000415 A1 also discloses a wearable for measuring physiological signals, including the galvanic skin response. However, the systems of US US10136857B2 and US 2017/0000415 Al tend to have several associated disadvantages including the following.

The systems are worn on the wrist, a place with poor galvanic skin response. Also, the systems make use of point measuraments to determine the galvanic skin response making the sensing of high-frequency content in the skin conductance signal fess accurate.

[040] United States patent application WO 2018/017619 A1 discloses a device for measuring sweat signals, including the peripdic measurement of sweat conductivity and galvanic skin response, The disclosure further includes methods for using a device configured to perform periodic sweat conductivity measurements, galvanic skin response measurements, and volumetric sweat rate measurements so that each sensor modality informs composite estimates of sweat onset, sweat cessation, sweat ion concentration, and sweat rate. The method uses those measurements fo inform other sweat sensing device functions, such as determining the existence of a physiological condition, or performing measurements of concentrations, ratios, and trends of sweat analytes.

[041] United States patent US 3,140,143 B2 discloses a washable wearable biosensor for measuring physiological signals, including the galvanic skin response. The wearable biosensor is intended for gathering and communicating sensor data and can be wom in multiple positions without the application of gels or skin adhesives. In one embodiment the washable biosensor can be wom on the feet of new-born infants for electoral derma activity measurements. However, the system of patent US 8,140,143 B2 tends to have several associated disadvantages including the following. The system is based on sewn wires, connected to magnetic clothing snaps. Also, the system does not compensate for mechanical deformation induced by the user and leading to deterioration of the quality of the sensed signals.

[042] Hence, a sensor carrier device for capturing emotion content signals from a human or animal subject for emotion feedback interaction, said sensor carrier device comprising a carrier, electrode pads to measure physiological signals such as the electrodermal activity, separate pairs of current-carrying and voltage-sensing electrodes to connect the electrode pads to an electronic sensor device, interconnects to connect the electronic sensor device to the electrodes, means to insulate the electrodes, and a medium with slectrode pads, electrodes, and interconnects, is advantageous.

[043] Accordingly, the invention preferably seeks to mitigate, alleviate, or eliminate one or more of the abovementionad disadvantages singly or ìn any combination.

[044] According to a first aspect of the invention, the electrode pads consist of multiple interdigitated grid lines

[045] According to a second aspect of the invention, the electrode pads consist of multiple electrode pads.

[048] A third aspect of the invention is that the sensor carrier device consists of at least two separate pairs of current-carrying and voltage-sensing electrodes,

[047] Another aspect of the Invention is that the sensor carrier device comprises a textile substrate, leather substrate, plastic substrate, metal substrate, paper substrate, bio- material substrate, organic material substrate or skin subsirate.

[048] Another aspect of the invention is that the sensor carrier device has electrodes of the type printed paste, filled with metal flakes, printed paste, filled with metal micro- and/or nanoparticles, printed paste, filled with carbon particles or fibres, deposited metal wires, deposited carbon fibres, knitted metal wires, woven metal wires, metal structures, deposited via electroplating and patterned via lithography.

[48] Another aspect of the invention is a sensor system for capturing and converting emotion content signals from a human or animal subject for emotion-controlled interaction, said sensor system comprising a sensor carrier device and an electronic sensor device to collect, process and transmit the emotion content signals.

[050] Another aspect of the invention is a sensor system comprising embedded means for processing emotion content signals into amotion content contral signals using neural networks or artificial intelligence algorithms based on parametric representations of said emotion content signals.

[051] According to a differant feature of the invention, the sensor carrier device may be used to visualize the stress level of a human or animal subject. A care giver can use the 18 personalized emotion control signals to notify stress development in people with dementia, an intellectual disability or physical challenge. A care giver can also use these signals for behavioural analysis.

[052] According to a different feature of the invention, the sensor carrier device may be used to control an interactive game, The emotion control signal is for instance used to pre- set or change the level of the game, the speed, the intensity, the difficulty degree, or level, etc. It may be a gradual or a sudden change. In case of a sad person, the game may be programmed by the emotion control signal to Ist the person experience a winning feeling, by easier assignments or by faster character building. In case of a happy person, the game may be programmed by the emotion control signal to give the person more challenges, via difficulty levels, less bonus points, less fast character building.

[053] According to a different feature of the invention, the personalized emotion control signal might be used to control a learning or training device. The emotions prompted by the learning device (E-learning, training, ofc.) are detected, processed, and used via an emotion control signal to adapt the learning or training device accordingly. The device can be programmed fo flatten emotion levels, strengthen emotion levels, etc.

[054] According to a different feature of the invention, the personalized emotion control signal may be used to control an actuator fo enhance body or physiological parameters,

Also, the personalized emotion control signal may be used to expose a human subject to heat or vibration.

[085] According to a different feature of the invention, the personalized emotion control signal may be used for diagnosis and treatment of physiological conditions, stress-related disorders, somatic symptom disorders, dissociative disorders, substance abuse disorders, developmental disorders, bipolar and related disorders, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, dementia, eating disorders and related problems.

[056] These and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference fo the embadiment{s) described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0571 An embodiment of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 represents a schematic representation of the sensor carrier device.

FIG. 2 represents a detailed overview of the electrode structure on the sensor carrier device.

FIG. 3 represents an embodiment of a pad structure with interdigitated glectrodes.

FIG. 4 represents an illustration of the sensor carrier device attached to the foot of a human subject.

FIG. 5 represents a sensor carrier device with 4 electrodes, 2 pads and interconnects, attached to a sock.

FIG. 8 gives an overview of the stack of different layers of a sensor carrier device.

FIG. 7 gives an embodiment of the stack of different layers of a sensor carrier device,

FIG. 8 illustrates the schematics of a coupled sensor carrier device and a sensor receiving device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[058] The following description focuses on an embodiment of the invention applicable to a sensor carrier device particularly suited for a professional care environment, but it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this application.

[059] FIG. 1 ilustrates the sensor carrier device. The sensor carrier device can be attached to a part of ihe body, the sensing area {1}, to collect emotion content signals (101) like the stecirodermal activity. The sensor camer device comprises the following elements. The sensor caviar 119) contains the slectrode pads {11}, the slechrodes {12} and the interconnects (13). The electrode pads (11) are in contact with the human or animal skin & and guide the physiobgical response io the electrodes (12). The interconnects (13) transfer the emation content signals to a sensor receiver, The transferred emotion content signal is indicated with 1707),

The sensor carrier can be made of any supporting material, like textile, plastic, leather, paper, biomaterial, etc, The sensor carrier can for instance be a falwic, such as a sock or glove, or a sticky patch, for direct contact with the body {1).

The electrodes (12) arg used to transfer the emotion content signals (101) to the interconnects (13). The electrodes can be deposited on the sensor carrier via printing of conductive inks {like silver inks of Nanocarbon inks}, can be made with slectroplating of metal, can consists of conductive wires, etc. The interconnects connect the slectrodes with 18 an external signal receiving device.

[080] FIG, Z Hustrales the working principle of the four-electrode structure, The sensor carrier is attached to the skin to capture the emotion content signal (101). The electrodes can be operated in an slactrical impedance measuring method that uses separate pairs of current-carrying and voltage-sensing electrodes, Four-point probes are particulary suited to measurs shest resistance of thin films. Separation of current and voltage electrodes eliminates the lead and contact resistance from the measurement. This is advantageous for precise measurement of low resistance values, such as the electrodermal activity of the skin, A fourelectrode structure also slininates Measurements artifacts introduced by deformation of the lead electrodes (12), for instance caused by thermal or mechanical deformation, {061} The slecirodes {12} may be deposited ín a meandering fashion. A meandering electrode shape is advantageous in case the electrode structure is deformed due to the mechanical deformation of the sensor carrier device, In case of deformation, the meandering shape enables the out-of-plane deformation of the electrodes thereby limiting the mechanical deformation of the slectrodes. The mechanical deformation of the sensor carrier device may occur in case the carrier (10) is a stretchable fabric, such as a sock ora patch, {062} FIG. 3 shows an embodinsent of the elecirode pads for improved sensing. The electrode pad has an interdigitated structure and consists of a working electrode pad {1 13) and a sensing electrode pad (11h). The electrodes pads {11a and 115} consist of several electrode pad fingers (11-1). The fingers are interdigitated fo allow for depth-controlled profifing of the resistance. The overlap between the working and sensing electrode pad fingers is indicated with the working length (11-2). The gap between the individual fingers, the wavelength, is indicated with (11-3). The final gap between the electrode pad fingers is indicated with (11-4). The width of the electrode pad fingers is indicated with (11-5). The wavelength and gap determine the sensing depth of the device. The interdigitated electrode pads can have a fixed wavelength and gap, optimized for the emotion content signal {101}.

The interdigitated electrode pads can also have one or more wavelengths and gaps © allow for optimized readout of the emotion content signal (101). in [063] FIG. 4 shows the implementation of the sensor carrier to measure the emotion content signals (101) at the foot of a human. The sensor pads contact the foot skin to capture emotion content signals (101). The electrodes carry the emotion content signals to the upper part of the ankle to allow for attaching a sensor receiving device (100).

[084] FIG. 5 shows the implementation of the sensor carrier in a sock. The sensor carrier is gtiached to the inside of the sock. The two electrode pads contact the skin, A conductive gel may be applied between the pads and skin to reduce the contact resistance and improve the signal quality. The electrodes (11) are covered with a layer of insulation to prevent undesired electrical contact between the skin and the electrodes of the sensor carrier, In this embodiment, the current-carrying and voltage-carrying electrodes are deposited in plane. In another embodiment, the electrodes may also be stacked provided a proper insulation layer between the electrodes. The interconnects are integrated in the sock to allow for a proper contact with a sensor device,

[065] FIG. 6 gives an overview of the stack of different layers of a sensor carrier device attached io a sock (10). The device breaks up in an insulation layer (20-1) on which the conductive structure (20:2) for the interconnects, conductive electrodes and electrode pads is deposited. The electrodes are covered with a dielectric insulation layer (20-3). The electrode pads and the interconnecting areas may be strengthened by an extra conductive layer, such as carbon) (20-4). The complete stack is covered with a second partly perforated insulation layer (20-5) to allow the interconnects to make electrical contact to interconnecting pins, and the electrode pads to make electrical contact with the skin, An extra layer of TPU is beneficial to provide structural integrity. [OGS] The electrodes may also be applied in a stacked manner. In this embodiment, the two pairs of electrodes are separated by an extra insulation layer in between the two pairs of slectrodes.

[067] FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of the sensor carrier device in which the insulation layer (20-1) between the two slecirode pads (11) has properties to avoid the uptake of water of humidity. A hydrophobic area is particularly preferred in case a conductive gel or paste is used to increase the adherence between the electrode pads (11) and skin (1). The hydrophobic area prevents a shortcut between the two electrode pads.

[068] FIG. 8 illustrates the working principle of the sensor carrier coupled {0 a sensor system. A sensor system (100) collects the emotion content signals (101) via the sensor carrier (10). The sensor system {100} consists of a receiver (102), a processor {103) coupled to the receiver (102), a storage device (104) coupled to the processor (103), and a transmitter (105) coupled fo the processor (103). The processor {103} is operable to process mullipls emotion content signals and to generate the enhanced emotion content signal (108), In the preferred embodiment, the receiver (102), the processor (103), the storage device (104) and transmitter (105) are embedded In garment-integrated wearables {such as a smart sock, glove, or shirt), conventional smart watches or other wearable devices.

[069] The sensor system (100) comprises a receiver (102) which receives the emotion content signal (101) from an external source (the human or animal subject). The receiver (102) comprises all necessary functionality required for receiving the emotion content signal and to extract or convert this into a suitable format. For example, for a heartbeat sensor signal the receiver {102} comprises all required functionality for amplifying, filtering demodulating and decoding the received signal to generate a base band emotion content signal. Signal processing parameters might be stored in the storage device (104).

[070] The emotion content signal (101) consists of more than one emotion content signals (101-1), (101-2) … (101m), being body signals, physiological signals, or pre-processed emotion content signals. The emotion content signals (101-1), (101-2) ... (101-0) come typically from the human or animal subject. The enhanced emotion content signal is transmitted to the cloud via a transmitter (105). For this, several implementations and protocols can be used, such as 4G / 5G, Bluetooth, WiFi, and IOT / LoRa or satellite.

[071] The invention can be implemented in any suitable form including hardware, software, firmware, or any combination of these. The elements and components of an embodiment of the invention may be physically, functionally, and logically implemented in any suitable way. The functionality may be implemented in a single unit, in a plurality of unis or as part of other functional units. As such, the invention may be implemented in a single unit or may be physically and functionally distributed between different units and processors,

[072] Although the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodimant, itis not intended to be Imied to the specific form set forth herein. Rather, the scope of the present hwention is limited only by the accompanying claims. in the claims, the term comprising does not exclude the presence of other slemenis or slaps.

Farthermors, although individually listed, a plurality of means, slements or method steps & mey be implemented by 2.9. a single unit or processor. Additionally, although individual features may be included in different claims, these may possibly be advantagsously combined, and the inclusion in different claims does not imply thats combination of features is not feasible and/or advantageous. In addition, singular references do not exclude a plurality, Thus, references to "a", “an”, "irat”, “second” etc. do not preclude a plurality.

FIGURES

NUMBER LISTING

(106) = sensing area {101 = emotion content signals (101) = transferred emotion content signals {10} = sensor carrier {10-1} = insulation layer sensor carrier {10-2) = insulation layer sensor carrier (11) = electrode pads {11a} = working electrode pad {110} = sensing electrode pad (11-1) = electrode pad finger {11-2} = working length of the overlapping fingers 18 (11-3) = wavelength {11-4} = gap between ihe fingers {11-8) = electrode pad finger width {12} = electrodes (13) = interconnects (20-1) = insulation layer of sensor carrier device (20-2) = conductive structure of sensor carrier device for the interconnects, conductive slactrodes and slectrode pads (20-3) = insulation layer (20-4) = extra conductive layer (20-5) = {perforated} insulation layer (102) = emotion content signal receiver {103} = processor (104) = storage device (108) = transmitter {108) = enhanced emotion content signal

Claims (1)

CONCLUSIONS A sensor carrier for capturing emotion signals from a human or animal subject for emotion interaction, the sensor carrier comprising: - Electrode pads to measure the physiological signals, - Separate string and voltage sense electrodes. - interconnects to connect an electronic sensor device to the electrodes. - Means to insulate the electrodes. - A media containing electrode pads, electrodes and interconnects. The sensor carrier of claim 1, wherein the electrode pads make physical contact with the skin of a mare or animal, A sensor carrier according to claim 1, wherein the electrode pads consist of a plurality of interlocking grid lines. A sensor carrier according to claim 3, wherein the interlocking grid lines are spaced 1 to 5 mm apart. The sensor carrier of claim 1, wherein the electrode pads consist of a plurality of electrode pads. The sensor carrier of claim 1, wherein the electrodes do not make physical contact with the skin of the human or animal, The sensor carrier of claim 1, having at least two separate pairs of current-carrying and voltage-sensitive electrodes. 8. Sensor carrier according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes are electronically isolated from the medium via an insulation layer. Sensor carrier according to claim 1, wherein the medium is of the following type: - Textisl substrate - Leather substrate. = Artificial solid surface. - Metal surface. ~ Paper, - Bio-material. - Organic material. - Hud 10. Sensor carrier according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes are of the following type: - Paste filled with metal flakes. - Paste filled with metal micro- and/or nanoparticles. ~ Paste, filled with carbon particles or fibers. - Metal wires. - Carbon fibers. -Knitted metal threads. - Woven metal wires. 16 - Metal structures deposited by galvanization and structured by lithography. A sensor system for capturing and encapsulating emotion signals from a human or animal subject for emotion-driven interaction, which sensor system is unwat - A sensor carrier according to claim 1 or claim 3. - An electronic sensor for collecting, processing and transmitting the emotion content signals . 12. A server system according to claim 11, characterized in that the sensor further comprises means for transmitting the processed emotion signals to an external device or system, the transmission means of the type: - 4G 1 BG - Bluetooth - Wii -IOT/LoRa - Satellite (Starlink for example) The sensor system of claim 11, further comprising embedded means for processing emotion signals into emotion control signals using neural networks or artificial intelligence algorithms based on parametric representations of said emotion signals. The sensor system of claim 11, further comprising storage means for storing the smotis signals and the emotion control signal. 15. Sensor system as claimed in claim 11, with a second sensor adapted to register the physical position of the human or animal. 16. Wearable according to claim 11, claim 15 or 18, wherein the sensors and electrodes are integrated in clothing, such as a smart sock, gloves or a smart shirt. A sensor system according to claim 11 or claim 15, including an additional sensor for measuring one of the following types of emotional signals; - Heartbeat. -ECS - Blood pressure, - Facial expression. - Breathing cream. -Body surface temperature, -Body surface conductivity {electrodermal activity) -Body internal conductivity (Bioimpedance) -Neurotransmitter or hormone profile information. - Speech features. - Body gestures or posture, - Body positions EEG - EMG - Ambient temperature - Global position (GPS). - Pressure sensor