WO2001008125A1 - Brain development apparatus and method using brain wave biofeedback - Google Patents

Brain development apparatus and method using brain wave biofeedback Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001008125A1
WO2001008125A1 PCT/KR2000/000071 KR0000071W WO0108125A1 WO 2001008125 A1 WO2001008125 A1 WO 2001008125A1 KR 0000071 W KR0000071 W KR 0000071W WO 0108125 A1 WO0108125 A1 WO 0108125A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
brain wave
brain
wave
feedback signal
user
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/KR2000/000071
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Pyong Woon Park
Hyeong Seok Kim
Original Assignee
Korea Research Institute Of Jungshin Science
Changse Co., Ltd.
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Publication date
Application filed by Korea Research Institute Of Jungshin Science, Changse Co., Ltd. filed Critical Korea Research Institute Of Jungshin Science
Priority to AU24632/00A priority Critical patent/AU2463200A/en
Publication of WO2001008125A1 publication Critical patent/WO2001008125A1/en

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/48—Other medical applications
    • A61B5/486—Bio-feedback
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09B—EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS
    • G09B5/00—Electrically-operated educational appliances
    • G09B5/06—Electrically-operated educational appliances with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/24—Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
    • A61B5/316—Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
    • A61B5/369—Electroencephalography [EEG]
    • A61B5/372—Analysis of electroencephalograms
    • A61B5/374—Detecting the frequency distribution of signals, e.g. detecting delta, theta, alpha, beta or gamma waves
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M21/00—Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09B—EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS
    • G09B19/00—Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus for stabilizing a brain wave and developing a brain using brain wave biofeedback, and more particularly, to a brain development apparatus and method for achieving self- control to achieve a brain wave state suitable for learning, a sustained concentrated mental state, a positive way of thinking and activation of physical functions by using measurements of a brain wave and a multimedia function of a computer
  • a brain wave which is measured at the scalp, is a wave having a potential difference of tens of micro volts and a frequency of 30 Hz or less
  • the brain wave is a bio signal reflecting the state of human consciousness
  • the brain wave is divided into an alpha wave, a beta wave, a theta wave and a delta wave according to frequency
  • the beta wave has a frequency of at least 13 Hz and appears in a mentally activated state or in a state of tension
  • the alpha wave has a frequency of 8-13 Hz and is related to a relaxed creative state
  • the theta wave has a frequency of 4-8 Hz and is often detected in adolescents having a learning disorder
  • the delta wave has a frequency of 0 5-4 Hz and typically appears in a normal sleep state Since the brain wave in the region of the alpha wave is known to make a mentally balanced state and enhance concentration, studies have been performed to increase the rate of appearances of the alpha wave by adjusting the brain wave
  • Electroencephalography stimulation is a method for adjusting the brain wave of a user by inducing alpha waves using light and sound
  • the method is based on the principle that the brain wave has a frequency corresponding to the bit frequency of sound heard by the ears or to the flash frequency of the light seen by the eyes
  • Electroencephalography biofeedback allows a user to learn how to control oneself to reach a target brain wave state by informing the user of the current brain wave state of the user
  • the user receives feedback by looking at a screen which displays the user's brain wave state (mainly, the proportion of alpha wave or beta waves) or by listening to music indicating that the user has reached a target state An operator needs to properly control the feedback provided to the user while observing the subject's brain wave state
  • a brain development apparatus using brain wave biofeedback includes a brain wave signal receiver for receiving a brain wave signal which has been measured by an external brain wave measuring device, a feedback signal generator for extracting a brain wave parameter from the brain wave signal which is received by the brain wave signal receiver, comparing the brain wave parameter with a reference brain wave parameter, and generating a feedback signal corresponding to the difference between the two parameters, and a feedback signal output unit for outputting the feedback signal which is generated by the feedback signal generator
  • a brain development apparatus using brain wave biofeedback includes a brain wave signal receiver for receiving a brain wave signal which has been measured by an external brain wave measuring device, a brain wave pattern database for storing brain wave patterns which are measured in a plurality of subjects, a feedback signal generator for comparing the brain wave signal, which is received by the brain wave signal receiver, with the brain wave patterns stored in the brain wave pattern database to determine the state of the brain wave and generating a feedback signal corresponding to the determined brain wave state, and a feedback signal output unit for outputting the feedback signal which is generated by the feedback signal generator
  • a brain development method using brain wave biofeedback includes the steps of (a) measuring a user's inherent brain wave, (b) obtaining a reference parameter based on the user's inherent brain wave, (c) measuring a user's current brain wave and obtaining a current brain wave parameter, (d) generating a negative feedback signal when the current brain wave parameter is smaller than the reference brain wave parameter and generating a positive feedback signal when the current brain wave parameter is equal to or larger than the reference brain wave parameter, and (e) repeating the steps (c) and (d) until a condition for ending a brain development program is satisfied
  • a computer readable recording medium for recording a brain development program for performing the steps of (a) measuring a user's inherent brain wave, (b) obtaining a reference parameter based on the user's inherent brain wave, (c) measuring a user's current brain wave and obtaining a current brain wave parameter, (d) generating a negative feedback signal when the current
  • FIG 1 is a conceptional diagram showing the environment under which a brain development apparatus using brain wave biofeedback according to an embodiment of the present invention is used,
  • FIG 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of a brain wave measuring device
  • FIG 3 is a diagram showing the structure of a headband which is an embodiment of a brain wave sensor which is an element of the brain wave measuring device of FIG 2,
  • FIG 4 is a diagram for explaining a coding procedure by a coder which is an element of the brain wave measuring device of FIG 2,
  • FIG 5 is a block diagram for showing the functional structure of a brain development apparatus using brain wave biofeedback according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG 6 is a flow chart of a brain development method using brain wave biofeedback according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG 7 is a block diagram for showing the functional structure of a brain development apparatus using brain wave biofeedback according to another embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG 8 shows the relation between the amplitude of a brain wave and a ratio of an alpha wave to a beta wave
  • FIG 9 shows an example of a method for obtaining deviation of a brain wave
  • FIG 10 shows an example of a method for sectioning an area representing a brain wave on a two-dimensional plane of alpha wave and beta wave
  • FIG 11 is a flow chart for explaining the procedure of preparing a brain wave pattern database depicted in FIG 7,
  • FIG 12 is a flow chart of a brain development method using brain wave biofeedback according to another embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG 13 is a feedback picture showing the scene of a sunrise
  • FIG 14 is a feedback picture for making a user imagine that the bright sun comes to the head and the entire head is brightened so that the function of the brain is activated, and
  • FIG 15 is a feedback picture for making a user to imagine that the sun comes to the abdomen and becomes larger and smaller according to breathing
  • an interface 3 which is connected to the electrodes via a cable, amplifies a voltage of tens of micro volts on the scalp up to a voltage of several volts, converts the voltage into digital values, and encodes the digital values to allow a computer 3 to read them through a serial port
  • the computer 3 performs fast Fourier transform on brain wave signals and obtains the amplitudes of the brain wave by frequency band
  • a brain wave measuring device includes a brain wave sensor 20, an interface 30 and a serial port connector 40
  • the brain wave sensor 20 senses brain wave signals of two channels at predetermined portions on a user's scalp using a plurality of electrodes
  • the brain wave sensor 20 is a headband of two channels for conveniently measuring the brain wave at the frontal lobe
  • the interface 30 is connected to the brain wave sensor 20 via a cable Preferably, a shielding wire is used to prevent noise
  • the interface 30 includes an amplifier 31 , an analog-to-digital converter 32, a coder 33 and a computer interface 34
  • the amplifier 31 amplifies the amplitude of weak brain wave signals, which are sensed by the brain wave sensor 20, by about 50,000 times
  • the amplification includes filtering of signals for removing noise
  • the analog-to-digital converter 32 samples the amplified brain wave signals of multiple channels 120 times per second and converts the brain wave signals into digital values
  • the coder 33 sequentially codes an identifier of each channel and a one-byte digital value of each channel in real time
  • the computer interface 34 transmits the digital signals which have been coded by the coder 33 to a serial port of the computer 3 of FIG 1
  • the serial port connector 40 is connected to the interface 30 via a cable
  • a 9-p ⁇ n connector or a 25-p ⁇ n connector employing a RS232-C mode may be used for connection to the serial port of the computer 3
  • FIG 3 shows the structure of the headband 1 of FIG 1
  • a center electrode is a ground electrode
  • two left electrodes are used for measuring the brain wave of the left frontal lobe
  • two right electrodes are used for measuring the brain wave of the right frontal lobe
  • Five wires which are connected to the electrodes are connected to the amplifier 31
  • shielding wires are used for preventing noise
  • the amplifier 31 amplifies the potential difference between the two left electrodes to calculate a brain wave signal of one channel and amplifies the potential difference between the two right electrodes to calculate a brain wave signal of the other channel
  • FIG 4 is a diagram for explaining a coding procedure according to the present invention After a character "A”, one byte data of channel 1 is located After a character "B", one byte data of channel 2 is located
  • the characters are identifiers of the two channels, respectively The identifier of each channel is used for minimizing transmission error
  • a receiving terminal regards the data, with respect to which the identifier of each channel is not identified, as having a transmission error, and thus discards the data
  • the brain wave signal which is coded in such a format is transmitted 120 times per second so that a plurality of brain wave channels can be transmitted to the one serial port of the computer in real time
  • a brain development apparatus includes a brain wave signal receiver 51 , a feedback signal generator 54 and a feedback signal output unit 56
  • the brain wave signal receiver 51 receives a brain wave signal which is measured by an external brain wave measuring device via a serial port and stores the brain wave signal in a buffer to perform real-time signal processing In other word, the brain wave signal receiver 51 fast Fourier transforms brain wave data stored in the buffer for frequency analysis Then, the brain wave signal receiver 51 removes noise components according to the result of the transformation and obtains mean values based on time or frequency
  • the brain wave can be divided into a delta wave, a theta wave, an alpha wave and a beta wave according to frequency bands Each user has his/her own pattern in average amplitude of each wave region and the amplitude greatly varies according to the activity of the brain during measurement of a brain wave
  • the feedback signal generator 54 extracts some parameters from the received brain wave signal and uses the parameters to determine a user's state
  • the brain wave parameters may be statistical values, such as a current value, a mean value, a median and a standard deviation based on the value of a brain wave within a predetermined frequency range in a predetermined portion of the scalp, or ratios of those values
  • the brain wave can be divided by arithmetical comparison, a filter or a neural network
  • the amplitude and standard deviation of alpha and beta waves, which are measured at the frontal lobe, and a ratio of the alpha wave to the beta wave are used as the brain wave parameters
  • the brain development of the present invention means that a user can have the ability of self-control so that the user can attain a desired brain wave at the user requires such that the user attains a brain wave suitable for arousing mental activity when the user needs to concentration, such as when studying, a brain wave suitable for relaxation when a rest is necessary due to stress, or a brain wave suitable for desirable meditation when the user intends to meditate To arouse mental activity, besides theta or alpha waves, a beta wave needs to be activated When relaxation is needed, alpha or theta waves need to be increased according to the extent of relaxation
  • an ideal brain wave state for example, a state in which the amplitude of an alpha wave in a particular frequency range and the amplitude of a beta wave in a particular frequency range are simultaneously increased
  • the brain development aims to properly adjust the proportion of frequency, when the proportion of low frequency to a brain wave is abnormally large or, on the contrary, the proportion of high frequency to
  • the amplitude of a beta wave or the proportion of the beta wave against an entire waveform is used as a parameter when inducing a state suitable for arousing mental activity
  • a program for inducing a relaxed state the amplitude of an alpha wave or the proportion of the alpha wave against an entire waveform is used
  • a program for inducing a concentrated state the deviation of an alpha wave or a beta wave is used
  • a mean value of the brain wave parameters, such as the proportion of an alpha wave and the proportion of a beta wave, which are measured for two minutes is obtained and established as a user reference value
  • it is determined whether a user is in a relaxed state or in an aroused state as compared with an initial state If it is determined that the user moves to a desired state (e g , a desired state (e g , a desired state (
  • F is a value for determining the type of feedback (e g , positive music (feedback) if F>0 and negative music (feedback) if F ⁇ 0)
  • X is a brain wave parameter and X 0 is a reference value
  • the feedback signal generator 54 analyzes the brain wave signal received by the brain wave signal receiver 51 to extract a parameter, compares the parameter with the reference value to determine the degree of achievement by the user and generates a feedback signal corresponding to the degree of user's achievement
  • the feedback signal generator 54 is implemented in the form of software which is a brain development program
  • an embodiment of a brain development program aims at leading a normal brain wave state to a desired brain wave state
  • a user inputs his/her purpose of brain development in the brain development program in step 600
  • a user inputs a purpose such as relaxation, awakening or concentration, afterwards, a brain wave parameter which suits the selected purpose is used for biofeedback
  • a pre-brain wave measurement is performed to measure the user's inherent brain wave in step 610
  • the user is preparing to enter into a more stable mental state than a normal mental state
  • beautiful scenes of a sunrise as shown in FIG 13, are being presented to the user along with comments for inducing imagination related to the scenes, the user's brain wave is measured
  • the user's brain wave which has been obtained in such a manner is analyzed to calculate a reference value of brain wave parameters in step 620
  • a main brain development program progresses In the brain development program, pictures and sounds for activating a brain are provided while the result of
  • the degree of achievement of the user is represented by numerals or a bar graph through another window on the display.
  • the brightness of the sun on the screen is adjusted according to the degree of achievement, thereby allowing the user to improve the ability of self-control while self-checking
  • the feedback signal includes music and comments which change depending on the degree of achievement
  • a predetermined brain development program ending condition e g , a predetermined period of time has passed since the program started or the degree of achievement of the user reaches a predetermined criteria
  • the brain development program leads the user to return to a normal mental state
  • the brain development program leads the user to imagine that the sun comes to the abdomen and becomes larger and smaller according to breathing, thereby bringing down the energy, which activates the brain, to the abdomen
  • scores are awarded to the degree of achievement of the user and the user is informed of the scores in step 690
  • a user can select various feedback signals according to his/her preference
  • stereo sounds with a beat frequency or still pictures exchanged at regular frequency may be given to induce modulation of a brain wave
  • the feedback signal output unit 56 outputs the feedback signal which is generated by the feedback signal generator 54 to give feedback to the user
  • a feedback signal in accordance with the variation of a brain wave is fed back to the user through a display unit 57 and a speaker 58
  • a brain development apparatus includes a brain wave signal receiver, a brain wave pattern database 72, a feedback signal generator 74 and a feedback signal output unit 76
  • the brain wave signal receiver 71 receives a brain wave signal which is measured by an external brain wave measuring device via a serial port and stores the brain wave signal in a buffer to perform real-time signal processing In other word, the brain wave signal receiver 71 fast Fourier transforms brain wave data stored in the buffer for frequency analysis Then, the brain wave signal receiver 71 removes noise components according to the result of the transformation and obtains a mean value based on time or frequency
  • the brain wave pattern database 72 stores parameters which are obtained from brain waves of different persons and each of the parameters is necessary for each purpose (e g , concentration, relaxation or meditation) of brain development
  • each purpose e g , concentration, relaxation or meditation
  • a brain wave value in the normal state is used to sort a reference brain wave of a user and an aimed brain wave is used to determine the content of feedback by comparing the aimed brain wave with a user's current brain wave
  • a meditation brain wave database To induce a meditation state, stabilizing a brain state is pursued and the amplitude of an alpha wave and a beta wave, the ratio of the alpha wave to the beta wave and the deviation of a brain wave can be appropriate parameters
  • the amplitude of an alpha wave and a beta wave which are measured at the frontal lobe, the ratio of the alpha wave to the beta wave and the deviation of brain wave are used parameters
  • An alpha wave component is obtained by integrating an 8-13 Hz brain wave signal
  • a beta wave component is obtained by integrating a 13-30 Hz brain wave signal
  • integral values are represented by ⁇ and ⁇ , respectively
  • ⁇ and ⁇ respectively
  • a deviation ⁇ is a value which is defined to express the variation of a brain wave
  • six mean values ⁇ 0 , ⁇ ..,, ⁇ .
  • the brain wave is represented by a single point (r, ⁇ , ⁇ ) in three dimensions
  • a meditation brain wave database relates to a state in which various idle thoughts are invoked, a slightly more stable state in which idle thoughts are decreased and a very stable state in which a user can concentrate on one thought
  • the three types of states are referred to as a normal state, a semi-stable state and a stable state
  • punctual coordinates (r, ⁇ , ⁇ ) of the three states are defined as an individual brain wave pattern
  • a predetermined reference for the three states can be determined as follows by carrying out a meditation program under the direction of a meditation guide for about 20 minutes
  • a brain wave which is measured at this time may be assumed to be a normal brain wave because it takes time to stabilize a brain wave Accordingly, the brain wave which is measured for the initial 2 minutes is recorded as a normal brain wave
  • a brain wave is recorded from the third minute to the fifth minute
  • the recorded brain wave during that time is referred to as a semi- stable brain wave
  • the brain wave in a semi-stable state calms down compared to the normal brain wave, but is not sufficiently stabilized ⁇
  • the brain wave is recorded from the
  • a space for representing a brain wave is divided into several areas
  • a brain wave is represented in two dimensions of an alpha wave component and a beta wave component
  • the two-dimensional space may be divided into several areas
  • Each area can be designated by boundary values, such as R., ⁇ r ⁇ R 2 and ⁇ 1 ⁇ r ⁇ 2
  • FIG 11 shows a method of preparing a brain wave pattern database
  • an area in which coordinate axes r, ⁇ and ⁇ can be located is divided into several sections
  • the entire range of the brain wave amplitude r is from 0 to a mechanical limit of a brain wave measuring device, the entire range of ⁇ is from 0 to ⁇ /2,
  • the weighted value W r has a larger value than the other weighted values.
  • Table 1 shows an example of the structure of a brain wave pattern database 72 according to the embodiment of the present invention
  • Table 1 An example of the structure of a meditation brain wave database
  • the feedback signal generator 74 compares the brain wave signal, which is received by the brain wave signal receiver 71 , with a target brain wave, which is stored in the brain wave pattern database 72 to determine the degree of achievement, and then generates a feedback signal corresponding to the degree of achievement
  • the feedback signal generator 74 is implemented in the form of software referred to as a brain development program
  • a brain development program aims at leading a normal brain wave to a target brain wave
  • a pre-brain wave measurement is performed to classify a user's brain wave type in step 1200 While measuring the user's inherent brain wave, the user is preparing to enter into a more stable mental state than a normal mental state
  • a feedback signal is provided to make the user imagine beautiful scenes of a sunrise, as shown in FIG 13, so as to stabilize the brain wave while the user's brain wave is measured
  • a target brain wave corresponding to the measured brain wave is retrieved from the brain wave pattern database72 and the retrieved target brain wave is assumed to be suitable for the user in step 1210
  • a main brain development program progresses
  • pictures and sounds for activating a brain are provided while the degree of achievement of the user, that is, closeness to the target brain wave, is being fed back through pictures and sounds
  • a function for comparing the target brain wave with the current brain wave may be used The function is referred to as a control score
  • a control score Sj of a user whose inherent brain wave belongs to a j-th brain wave section is obtained as follows (steps 1220 and 1230)
  • the control score is provided to have a plus sign as it comes closer to a target brain wave If S,>0, a positive feedback signal is generated If S ⁇ O, a negative feedback signal is generated (steps 1240 through 1260)
  • the degree of achievement of the user is represented by numerals or a bar graph through another window on a display
  • the brightness of the sun on the screen is adjusted according to the degree of achievement, thereby allowing the user to improve the ability of self-control while self-checking
  • the feedback signal includes music and comments which change depending on the degree of achievement
  • the steps 1220 through 1260 are repeated until a predetermined brain development program ending condition is satisfied (e g , a predetermined period of time has passed since the program started or the degree of achievement of the user reaches a predetermined criteria) in step 1270
  • the brain development program leads the user to return to a normal mental state For example, as shown in FIG 15, the brain development program leads the user to imagine that the sun comes to the abdomen and becomes larger and smaller according to breathing,
  • Each of the feedback signal generators 54 and 74 in a brain development apparatus using brain wave biofeedback according to the present invention may be made into a program which can be executed in a computer
  • the programs can be read from a computer-readable medium and executed by a common digital computer system
  • the computer-readable medium covers a storage medium such as a magnetic storage medium (e g , ROM, a floppy disk or a hard disk), an optical readable medium (e g , CD- ROM or DVD) or carrier waves (e g , transmission through internet)
  • a storage medium such as a magnetic storage medium (e g , ROM, a floppy disk or a hard disk), an optical readable medium (e g , CD- ROM or DVD) or carrier waves (e g , transmission through internet)
  • Functional programs, code and code segments for the implementation of the present invention can be easily inferred by the programmers in the art of the present invention
  • a reference value obtained from a user's inherent brain wave is compared with a user's current brain wave and the result of the comparison is informed to the user to allow the user to understand his/her level, thereby increasing the effect of brain development
  • meditation music, comments and pictures which are suitable for the user are fed back to the user, thereby allowing the user to continuously concentrate without being bored
  • the present invention determines a user's brain wave state through real-time brain wave analysis and provides feedback suitable for the user, thereby achieving the effect as if a therapist operates a brain development program

Abstract

A brain development apparatus and method is provided for achieving self-control to achieve a brain wave state suitable for learning, a sustained concentrated mental state, a positive way of thinking and activation of physical functions by using measurements of a brain wave and a multimedia function of a computer. The brain development apparatus using brain wave biofeedback, includes a brain wave signal receiver, a feedback signal generator and a feedback signal output unit. The brain wave signal receiver receives a brain wave signal which has been measured by an external brain wave measuring device. The feedback signal generator extracts a brain wave parameter from the brain wave signal which is received by the brain wave signal receiver, compares the brain wave parameter with a reference brain wave parameter, and generates a feedback signal corresponding to the difference between the two parameters. The feedback signal output unit outputs the feedback signal which is generated by the feedback signal generator. Different feedback is provided to a user according to the user's inherent brain wave and the state of a current brain vave, thereby inducing a desirable state in brain development and allowing the user to understand his/her state.

Description

BRAIN DEVELOPMENT APPARATUS AND METHOD USING BRAIN
WAVE BIOFEEDBACK
Technical Field The present invention relates to an apparatus for stabilizing a brain wave and developing a brain using brain wave biofeedback, and more particularly, to a brain development apparatus and method for achieving self- control to achieve a brain wave state suitable for learning, a sustained concentrated mental state, a positive way of thinking and activation of physical functions by using measurements of a brain wave and a multimedia function of a computer
Background Art
A brain wave, which is measured at the scalp, is a wave having a potential difference of tens of micro volts and a frequency of 30 Hz or less The brain wave is a bio signal reflecting the state of human consciousness The brain wave is divided into an alpha wave, a beta wave, a theta wave and a delta wave according to frequency The beta wave has a frequency of at least 13 Hz and appears in a mentally activated state or in a state of tension The alpha wave has a frequency of 8-13 Hz and is related to a relaxed creative state The theta wave has a frequency of 4-8 Hz and is often detected in adolescents having a learning disorder The delta wave has a frequency of 0 5-4 Hz and typically appears in a normal sleep state Since the brain wave in the region of the alpha wave is known to make a mentally balanced state and enhance concentration, studies have been performed to increase the rate of appearances of the alpha wave by adjusting the brain wave
Electroencephalography stimulation is a method for adjusting the brain wave of a user by inducing alpha waves using light and sound The method is based on the principle that the brain wave has a frequency corresponding to the bit frequency of sound heard by the ears or to the flash frequency of the light seen by the eyes Electroencephalography biofeedback allows a user to learn how to control oneself to reach a target brain wave state by informing the user of the current brain wave state of the user In other words, in this method, the user receives feedback by looking at a screen which displays the user's brain wave state (mainly, the proportion of alpha wave or beta waves) or by listening to music indicating that the user has reached a target state An operator needs to properly control the feedback provided to the user while observing the subject's brain wave state
Further, there is a method of changing light and sound stimulation according to the user's brain wave ' by synthesizing the electroencephalography stimulation and the electroencephalography biofeedback
However, conventional technologies are effective on only a few subjects since indiscriminate stimulus or feedback is given to users whose individual brain wave patterns are greatly different
Disclosure of the Invention
To solve the above problems, it is a first objective of the present invention to provide a brain development apparatus for inducing a desirable brain wave by providing different feedback according to the user's inherent brain wave and the state of a current brain wave without a professional's assistance
It is a second objective of the present invention to provide a brain development method for inducing a desirable brain wave by providing different feedback according to the user's inherent brain wave and the state of the brain wave without a professional's assistance
It is a third objective of the present invention to provide a brain development program stored in a computer-readable recording medium, for inducing a desirable brain wave by providing different feedback according to the user's inherent brain wave and the state of the brain wave without a professional's assistance
To achieve the first objective, in one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a brain development apparatus using brain wave biofeedback The apparatus includes a brain wave signal receiver for receiving a brain wave signal which has been measured by an external brain wave measuring device, a feedback signal generator for extracting a brain wave parameter from the brain wave signal which is received by the brain wave signal receiver, comparing the brain wave parameter with a reference brain wave parameter, and generating a feedback signal corresponding to the difference between the two parameters, and a feedback signal output unit for outputting the feedback signal which is generated by the feedback signal generator
To achieve the first objective, in another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a brain development apparatus using brain wave biofeedback The apparatus includes a brain wave signal receiver for receiving a brain wave signal which has been measured by an external brain wave measuring device, a brain wave pattern database for storing brain wave patterns which are measured in a plurality of subjects, a feedback signal generator for comparing the brain wave signal, which is received by the brain wave signal receiver, with the brain wave patterns stored in the brain wave pattern database to determine the state of the brain wave and generating a feedback signal corresponding to the determined brain wave state, and a feedback signal output unit for outputting the feedback signal which is generated by the feedback signal generator
To achieve the second objective, there is provided a brain development method using brain wave biofeedback The method includes the steps of (a) measuring a user's inherent brain wave, (b) obtaining a reference parameter based on the user's inherent brain wave, (c) measuring a user's current brain wave and obtaining a current brain wave parameter, (d) generating a negative feedback signal when the current brain wave parameter is smaller than the reference brain wave parameter and generating a positive feedback signal when the current brain wave parameter is equal to or larger than the reference brain wave parameter, and (e) repeating the steps (c) and (d) until a condition for ending a brain development program is satisfied To achieve the second objective, there is provided a computer readable recording medium for recording a brain development program for performing the steps of (a) measuring a user's inherent brain wave, (b) obtaining a reference parameter based on the user's inherent brain wave, (c) measuring a user's current brain wave and obtaining a current brain wave parameter, (d) generating a negative feedback signal when the current brain wave parameter is smaller than the reference brain wave parameter and generating a positive feedback signal when the current brain wave parameter is equal to or larger than the reference brain wave parameter, and (e) repeating the steps (c) and (d) until a condition for ending the brain development program is satisfied
Brief Description of the Drawings
The above objectives and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which
FIG 1 is a conceptional diagram showing the environment under which a brain development apparatus using brain wave biofeedback according to an embodiment of the present invention is used,
FIG 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of a brain wave measuring device,
FIG 3 is a diagram showing the structure of a headband which is an embodiment of a brain wave sensor which is an element of the brain wave measuring device of FIG 2,
FIG 4 is a diagram for explaining a coding procedure by a coder which is an element of the brain wave measuring device of FIG 2,
FIG 5 is a block diagram for showing the functional structure of a brain development apparatus using brain wave biofeedback according to an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG 6 is a flow chart of a brain development method using brain wave biofeedback according to an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG 7 is a block diagram for showing the functional structure of a brain development apparatus using brain wave biofeedback according to another embodiment of the present invention,
FIG 8 shows the relation between the amplitude of a brain wave and a ratio of an alpha wave to a beta wave,
FIG 9 shows an example of a method for obtaining deviation of a brain wave,
FIG 10 shows an example of a method for sectioning an area representing a brain wave on a two-dimensional plane of alpha wave and beta wave,
FIG 11 is a flow chart for explaining the procedure of preparing a brain wave pattern database depicted in FIG 7,
FIG 12 is a flow chart of a brain development method using brain wave biofeedback according to another embodiment of the present invention,
FIG 13 is a feedback picture showing the scene of a sunrise,
FIG 14 is a feedback picture for making a user imagine that the bright sun comes to the head and the entire head is brightened so that the function of the brain is activated, and
FIG 15 is a feedback picture for making a user to imagine that the sun comes to the abdomen and becomes larger and smaller according to breathing
Best mode for carrying out the Invention
Referring to FIG 1 , once a user wears a headband 1 to which electrodes are attached, an interface 3, which is connected to the electrodes via a cable, amplifies a voltage of tens of micro volts on the scalp up to a voltage of several volts, converts the voltage into digital values, and encodes the digital values to allow a computer 3 to read them through a serial port The computer 3 performs fast Fourier transform on brain wave signals and obtains the amplitudes of the brain wave by frequency band
Referring to FIG 2, a brain wave measuring device includes a brain wave sensor 20, an interface 30 and a serial port connector 40
The brain wave sensor 20 senses brain wave signals of two channels at predetermined portions on a user's scalp using a plurality of electrodes In an embodiment of the present invention, the brain wave sensor 20 is a headband of two channels for conveniently measuring the brain wave at the frontal lobe
The interface 30 is connected to the brain wave sensor 20 via a cable Preferably, a shielding wire is used to prevent noise The interface 30 includes an amplifier 31 , an analog-to-digital converter 32, a coder 33 and a computer interface 34 The amplifier 31 amplifies the amplitude of weak brain wave signals, which are sensed by the brain wave sensor 20, by about 50,000 times The amplification includes filtering of signals for removing noise The analog-to-digital converter 32 samples the amplified brain wave signals of multiple channels 120 times per second and converts the brain wave signals into digital values The coder 33 sequentially codes an identifier of each channel and a one-byte digital value of each channel in real time The computer interface 34 transmits the digital signals which have been coded by the coder 33 to a serial port of the computer 3 of FIG 1
The serial port connector 40 is connected to the interface 30 via a cable For the serial port connector 40, a 9-pιn connector or a 25-pιn connector employing a RS232-C mode may be used for connection to the serial port of the computer 3 FIG 3 shows the structure of the headband 1 of FIG 1 When a user wears the headband, five gold-plated electrodes which are attached to the band are attached to the forehead (corresponding to the frontal lobe) Among the five electrodes, a center electrode is a ground electrode, two left electrodes are used for measuring the brain wave of the left frontal lobe, and two right electrodes are used for measuring the brain wave of the right frontal lobe Five wires which are connected to the electrodes are connected to the amplifier 31 For the five wires, shielding wires are used for preventing noise The amplifier 31 amplifies the potential difference between the two left electrodes to calculate a brain wave signal of one channel and amplifies the potential difference between the two right electrodes to calculate a brain wave signal of the other channel
FIG 4 is a diagram for explaining a coding procedure according to the present invention After a character "A", one byte data of channel 1 is located After a character "B", one byte data of channel 2 is located The characters are identifiers of the two channels, respectively The identifier of each channel is used for minimizing transmission error A receiving terminal regards the data, with respect to which the identifier of each channel is not identified, as having a transmission error, and thus discards the data The brain wave signal which is coded in such a format is transmitted 120 times per second so that a plurality of brain wave channels can be transmitted to the one serial port of the computer in real time Referring to FIG 5, a brain development apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a brain wave signal receiver 51 , a feedback signal generator 54 and a feedback signal output unit 56
The brain wave signal receiver 51 receives a brain wave signal which is measured by an external brain wave measuring device via a serial port and stores the brain wave signal in a buffer to perform real-time signal processing In other word, the brain wave signal receiver 51 fast Fourier transforms brain wave data stored in the buffer for frequency analysis Then, the brain wave signal receiver 51 removes noise components according to the result of the transformation and obtains mean values based on time or frequency The brain wave can be divided into a delta wave, a theta wave, an alpha wave and a beta wave according to frequency bands Each user has his/her own pattern in average amplitude of each wave region and the amplitude greatly varies according to the activity of the brain during measurement of a brain wave
The feedback signal generator 54 extracts some parameters from the received brain wave signal and uses the parameters to determine a user's state The brain wave parameters may be statistical values, such as a current value, a mean value, a median and a standard deviation based on the value of a brain wave within a predetermined frequency range in a predetermined portion of the scalp, or ratios of those values The brain wave can be divided by arithmetical comparison, a filter or a neural network In the embodiment of the present invention, the amplitude and standard deviation of alpha and beta waves, which are measured at the frontal lobe, and a ratio of the alpha wave to the beta wave, are used as the brain wave parameters
The brain development of the present invention means that a user can have the ability of self-control so that the user can attain a desired brain wave at the user requires such that the user attains a brain wave suitable for arousing mental activity when the user needs to concentration, such as when studying, a brain wave suitable for relaxation when a rest is necessary due to stress, or a brain wave suitable for desirable meditation when the user intends to meditate To arouse mental activity, besides theta or alpha waves, a beta wave needs to be activated When relaxation is needed, alpha or theta waves need to be increased according to the extent of relaxation In the meditation for brain development, an ideal brain wave state (for example, a state in which the amplitude of an alpha wave in a particular frequency range and the amplitude of a beta wave in a particular frequency range are simultaneously increased) may be different depending on each meditation method In addition, the brain development aims to properly adjust the proportion of frequency, when the proportion of low frequency to a brain wave is abnormally large or, on the contrary, the proportion of high frequency to a brain wave is excessively large during daily living
In a brain development program of the present invention, the amplitude of a beta wave or the proportion of the beta wave against an entire waveform is used as a parameter when inducing a state suitable for arousing mental activity In a program for inducing a relaxed state, the amplitude of an alpha wave or the proportion of the alpha wave against an entire waveform is used In a program for inducing a concentrated state, the deviation of an alpha wave or a beta wave is used A user measures the reference value of brain wave parameters by pre-brain wave measurement For example, the user measures the brain wave for two minutes while resting or doing a predetermined work A mean value of the brain wave parameters, such as the proportion of an alpha wave and the proportion of a beta wave, which are measured for two minutes is obtained and established as a user reference value On the basis of the reference value, it is determined whether a user is in a relaxed state or in an aroused state as compared with an initial state If it is determined that the user moves to a desired state (e g , a relaxed state), the user is informed of the fact that the user is in the desired state through sound or through a display, that is, the user receives feedback, so that the user can accustom himself/herself to the feeling at that moment, thereby developing the ability of self control The type and degree of feedback is determined based on the reference value and thus is expressed as follows
F = X - X0 (1 )
wherein F is a value for determining the type of feedback (e g , positive music (feedback) if F>0 and negative music (feedback) if F<0), X is a brain wave parameter and X0 is a reference value
The feedback signal generator 54 analyzes the brain wave signal received by the brain wave signal receiver 51 to extract a parameter, compares the parameter with the reference value to determine the degree of achievement by the user and generates a feedback signal corresponding to the degree of user's achievement The feedback signal generator 54 is implemented in the form of software which is a brain development program
Referring to FIG 6, an embodiment of a brain development program according to the present invention aims at leading a normal brain wave state to a desired brain wave state A user inputs his/her purpose of brain development in the brain development program in step 600 For example, if a user inputs a purpose such as relaxation, awakening or concentration, afterwards, a brain wave parameter which suits the selected purpose is used for biofeedback A pre-brain wave measurement is performed to measure the user's inherent brain wave in step 610 While measuring the user's inherent brain wave, the user is preparing to enter into a more stable mental state than a normal mental state For example, while beautiful scenes of a sunrise, as shown in FIG 13, are being presented to the user along with comments for inducing imagination related to the scenes, the user's brain wave is measured The user's brain wave which has been obtained in such a manner is analyzed to calculate a reference value of brain wave parameters in step 620 Afterwards, a main brain development program progresses In the brain development program, pictures and sounds for activating a brain are provided while the result of comparing a user's current brain wave parameter with a reference brain wave parameter is being fed back through pictures and sounds For example, as a result of comparing a user's current brain wave parameter with a user's reference brain wave parameter, if it is determined that the user's brain wave closes in on an intended brain wave state, positive picture, as shown in FIG 14, for leading the user to imagine that the bright sun comes to the head and lightens the entire head and the function of the brain is activated, are provided together with music and comments as a feedback signal in steps 630 through 650
If the current brain wave parameter is equal to or larger than the reference brain wave parameter (F>0), a positive feedback signal is generated in step 670 If the current brain wave parameter is smaller than the reference brain wave parameter (F<0), a negative feedback signal is generated in step 660 To feed back the degree of achievement of the user, the degree of achievement of the user is represented by numerals or a bar graph through another window on the display In addition, the brightness of the sun on the screen is adjusted according to the degree of achievement, thereby allowing the user to improve the ability of self-control while self-checking The feedback signal includes music and comments which change depending on the degree of achievement
The steps 630 through 670 are repeated until a predetermined brain development program ending condition is satisfied (e g , a predetermined period of time has passed since the program started or the degree of achievement of the user reaches a predetermined criteria) in step 680
Finally, the brain development program leads the user to return to a normal mental state For example, as shown in FIG 15, the brain development program leads the user to imagine that the sun comes to the abdomen and becomes larger and smaller according to breathing, thereby bringing down the energy, which activates the brain, to the abdomen In addition, scores are awarded to the degree of achievement of the user and the user is informed of the scores in step 690
In a brain development program of the present invention, a user can select various feedback signals according to his/her preference Instead of using moving pictures, stereo sounds with a beat frequency or still pictures exchanged at regular frequency may be given to induce modulation of a brain wave
Returning to FIG 5, the feedback signal output unit 56 outputs the feedback signal which is generated by the feedback signal generator 54 to give feedback to the user In other words, a feedback signal in accordance with the variation of a brain wave is fed back to the user through a display unit 57 and a speaker 58
Referring to FIG 7, a brain development apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a brain wave signal receiver, a brain wave pattern database 72, a feedback signal generator 74 and a feedback signal output unit 76
The brain wave signal receiver 71 receives a brain wave signal which is measured by an external brain wave measuring device via a serial port and stores the brain wave signal in a buffer to perform real-time signal processing In other word, the brain wave signal receiver 71 fast Fourier transforms brain wave data stored in the buffer for frequency analysis Then, the brain wave signal receiver 71 removes noise components according to the result of the transformation and obtains a mean value based on time or frequency
The brain wave pattern database 72 stores parameters which are obtained from brain waves of different persons and each of the parameters is necessary for each purpose (e g , concentration, relaxation or meditation) of brain development For example, in biofeedback aiming at relaxation, assuming that a user having a ratio of an alpha wave to a beta wave, α/β, of 1 0 is preferably provided with feedback aiming a brain wave state in which α/β = 1 5, values of α/β in a normal state and an aimed state, i e , 1 0 and 1 5, are stored in the brain wave database 72 A brain wave value in the normal state is used to sort a reference brain wave of a user and an aimed brain wave is used to determine the content of feedback by comparing the aimed brain wave with a user's current brain wave
The content of the database changes depending on the purpose of brain development As an embodiment of a brain wave database, a meditation brain wave database will be described To induce a meditation state, stabilizing a brain state is pursued and the amplitude of an alpha wave and a beta wave, the ratio of the alpha wave to the beta wave and the deviation of a brain wave can be appropriate parameters In another embodiment of a brain development apparatus of the present invention, the amplitude of an alpha wave and a beta wave which are measured at the frontal lobe, the ratio of the alpha wave to the beta wave and the deviation of brain wave are used parameters
An alpha wave component is obtained by integrating an 8-13 Hz brain wave signal A beta wave component is obtained by integrating a 13-30 Hz brain wave signal For convenience sake, integral values are represented by α and β, respectively As shown in FIG 8, when a position is expressed as polar coordinates (r, θ) in a plane of α and β, r = ja 2 + β2 indicates the amplitude of a brain wave and θ=tan"1(α/β) is a parameter indicating the ratio of an alpha wave to a beta wave A deviation σ is a value which is defined to express the variation of a brain wave For example, as shown in FIG 9, six mean values (α0, α..,, α.2, α_3, α_4, α_5) of the amplitude of an alpha wave are obtained at intervals of 5 seconds backward from a present time (tιme=0 second) and a standard deviation of the six mean values may be determined as the deviation σ As the value of σ becomes smaller, the concentration is deemed to increase When the above three parameters are used in representing a brain wave, the brain wave is represented by a single point (r, θ, σ) in three dimensions
Because a brain wave may be greatly different according to the user's state, the user's inherent brain wave must be divided according to the user's mental state The embodiment of a meditation brain wave database relates to a state in which various idle thoughts are invoked, a slightly more stable state in which idle thoughts are decreased and a very stable state in which a user can concentrate on one thought The three types of states are referred to as a normal state, a semi-stable state and a stable state In other words, punctual coordinates (r, θ, σ) of the three states are defined as an individual brain wave pattern A predetermined reference for the three states can be determined as follows by carrying out a meditation program under the direction of a meditation guide for about 20 minutes
♦ For the first 2 minutes, calm down a normal mental state A brain wave which is measured at this time may be assumed to be a normal brain wave because it takes time to stabilize a brain wave Accordingly, the brain wave which is measured for the initial 2 minutes is recorded as a normal brain wave
♦ Thereafter, a brain wave is recorded from the third minute to the fifth minute The recorded brain wave during that time is referred to as a semi- stable brain wave The brain wave in a semi-stable state calms down compared to the normal brain wave, but is not sufficiently stabilized ♦ After progressing with meditation, the brain wave is recorded from the
18th minute to the 20th minute
♦ After completion of the meditation, questions on the mental state and the degree of absorption are given to a subject to check the effect of the meditation ♦ If the subject approves of the effect of meditation (the subject feels clear in the head and mentally stabilized), the brain wave recorded from the 18th minute to the 20th minute is taken as a stable brain wave
♦ With respect to the measured data for respective two-minute intervals in the above meditation, mean values are calculated in the time domain to obtain a value of the point (r, θ, σ)
Because human brain waves show unique characteristics, a unique inherent brain wave needs to be divided for control in accordance with the individual characteristic In other words, a space for representing a brain wave is divided into several areas For illustrative purposes, a brain wave is represented in two dimensions of an alpha wave component and a beta wave component For example, as shown in FIG 10, the two-dimensional space may be divided into several areas Each area can be designated by boundary values, such as R., <r<R2 and θ1 ≤r<θ2 When dividing a brain wave in such a manner, three brain wave areas, respectively, corresponding to a normal state, a semi-stable state and a stable state, are assigned to an individual FIG 11 shows a method of preparing a brain wave pattern database Primarily, an area in which coordinate axes r, θ and σ can be located is divided into several sections The entire range of the brain wave amplitude r is from 0 to a mechanical limit of a brain wave measuring device, the entire range of θ is from 0 to π/2, and the entire range of σ is from 0 to the mechanical limit of the brain wave measuring device With respect to each of a plurality of subjects mean values of respective brain waves in the normal state for two minutes, the semi-stable state for two minutes and the stable state for two minutes are obtained Thereafter, the brain waves in the normal state and the brain waves in the semi-stable state are classified into the sections which have been defined in step 1100 (steps 1110 through 1140) If brain wave patterns corresponding to each section defined in the step 1100 cluster on a few sections, the range of each section must be readjusted for uniform distribution as a whole in step 1150 An index is assigned to each readjusted section and boundary values of each section are stored in an auxiliary storage unit in the form of a database in step 1160 Next, in each section, a mean value of stable brain waves of the subjects is calculated and defined as a target brain wave in step 1170 Finally, in each section, a mean value of normal brain waves of the subjects is calculated and weighted values Wr, Wθ and Wσ of brain wave parameters are calculated from the mean value of the normal brain waves and the target brain wave, in each section in steps 1180 and 1190 The weighted value of brain wave amplitude r in a j-th section is expressed as Wrj, the weighted value of the ratio θ of an alpha wave to a beta wave in the j-th section is expressed as Wθj and the weighted value of the deviation σ of a brain wave in the j-th section is expressed as Wσj
For each person, there is a frequency band or a parameter which acts like an identifier used for discriminating the stable state from the unstable state For example, for some persons, the amplitude of beta waves is low in the stable state For other persons, the amplitude of alpha and beta waves is low For other persons, relative values are reversed although the variation of the amplitude of alpha waves and beta waves is not large When the brain wave amplitude is determined as a principal parameter, the weighted value Wr has a larger value than the other weighted values In other words, after comparing a stable brain wave with a normal brain wave, a brain wave parameter, which is highly correlated with the stable state, is largely weighted To obtain the magnitude of correlation between each brain wave parameter and a stable state, training through a neural network or regression analysis can be used
Table 1 shows an example of the structure of a brain wave pattern database 72 according to the embodiment of the present invention
Table 1 An example of the structure of a meditation brain wave database
Figure imgf000016_0001
The feedback signal generator 74 compares the brain wave signal, which is received by the brain wave signal receiver 71 , with a target brain wave, which is stored in the brain wave pattern database 72 to determine the degree of achievement, and then generates a feedback signal corresponding to the degree of achievement The feedback signal generator 74 is implemented in the form of software referred to as a brain development program
According to FIG 12, a brain development program according to an embodiment of the present invention aims at leading a normal brain wave to a target brain wave A pre-brain wave measurement is performed to classify a user's brain wave type in step 1200 While measuring the user's inherent brain wave, the user is preparing to enter into a more stable mental state than a normal mental state For example, a feedback signal is provided to make the user imagine beautiful scenes of a sunrise, as shown in FIG 13, so as to stabilize the brain wave while the user's brain wave is measured A target brain wave corresponding to the measured brain wave is retrieved from the brain wave pattern database72 and the retrieved target brain wave is assumed to be suitable for the user in step 1210
Afterwards, a main brain development program progresses In the brain development program, pictures and sounds for activating a brain are provided while the degree of achievement of the user, that is, closeness to the target brain wave, is being fed back through pictures and sounds For example, as a user's current brain wave comes closer to the target brain wave, positive pictures, music and comments, for leading the user to imagine that the bright sun comes to the head and lightens the entire head and the function of brain is activated, are provided as a feedback signal At this time, a function for comparing the target brain wave with the current brain wave may be used The function is referred to as a control score In the above embodiment of a meditation brain wave database, a control score Sj of a user whose inherent brain wave belongs to a j-th brain wave section is obtained as follows (steps 1220 and 1230)
S, = Wη (rdj - rp ) + WΘ] (θp - θdj ) + Wσι (σdι - σp ) (2) wherein (rdJ, θdJ, σdJ) is the coordinates of a target brain wave corresponding to a user's inherent brain wave, (rp, θp, σp) is a user's current brain wave, and Wrj, Wθj and W0J are weighted values to respective components A character j is an index of the brain wave section to which a user's inherent brain wave belongs
The control score is provided to have a plus sign as it comes closer to a target brain wave If S,>0, a positive feedback signal is generated If S^O, a negative feedback signal is generated (steps 1240 through 1260) To feed back the degree of achievement of the user, the degree of achievement of the user is represented by numerals or a bar graph through another window on a display In addition, the brightness of the sun on the screen is adjusted according to the degree of achievement, thereby allowing the user to improve the ability of self-control while self-checking The feedback signal includes music and comments which change depending on the degree of achievement The steps 1220 through 1260 are repeated until a predetermined brain development program ending condition is satisfied (e g , a predetermined period of time has passed since the program started or the degree of achievement of the user reaches a predetermined criteria) in step 1270 Finally, the brain development program leads the user to return to a normal mental state For example, as shown in FIG 15, the brain development program leads the user to imagine that the sun comes to the abdomen and becomes larger and smaller according to breathing, thereby bringing down the energy, which activates the brain, to the abdomen In a brain development program of the present invention, a user can select various feedback signals according to his/her preference Instead of using moving pictures, stereo sounds with a beat frequency or still pictures exchanged at regular frequency may be given to induce modulation of a brain wave Returning to FIG 7, the feedback signal output unit 76 outputs the feedback signal which is generated by the feedback signal generator 74 to give feedback to the user In other words, a feedback signal in accordance with the closeness to a target brain wave is fed back to the user through a display unit 77 and a speaker 78
Each of the feedback signal generators 54 and 74 in a brain development apparatus using brain wave biofeedback according to the present invention may be made into a program which can be executed in a computer The programs can be read from a computer-readable medium and executed by a common digital computer system The computer-readable medium covers a storage medium such as a magnetic storage medium (e g , ROM, a floppy disk or a hard disk), an optical readable medium (e g , CD- ROM or DVD) or carrier waves (e g , transmission through internet) Functional programs, code and code segments for the implementation of the present invention can be easily inferred by the programmers in the art of the present invention
Industrial Applicability
According to the present invention, a reference value obtained from a user's inherent brain wave is compared with a user's current brain wave and the result of the comparison is informed to the user to allow the user to understand his/her level, thereby increasing the effect of brain development In addition, meditation music, comments and pictures which are suitable for the user are fed back to the user, thereby allowing the user to continuously concentrate without being bored
As if a therapist appropriately adjusts comments according to the state of a subject in a conventional electroencephalography biofeedback therapy, the present invention determines a user's brain wave state through real-time brain wave analysis and provides feedback suitable for the user, thereby achieving the effect as if a therapist operates a brain development program

Claims

What is claimed is
1 A brain development apparatus using brain wave biofeedback, the apparatus comprising a brain wave signal receiverfor receiving a brain wave signal which has been measured by an external brain wave measuring device, a feedback signal generator for extracting a brain wave parameter from the brain wave signal which is received by the brain wave signal receiver, comparing the brain wave parameter with a reference brain wave parameter, and generating a feedback signal corresponding to the difference between the two parameters, and a feedback signal output unit for outputting the feedback signal which is generated by the feedback signal generator
2 The brain development apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the brain wave parameter comprises the amplitude of an alpha wave and a beta wave, a ratio of the alpha wave to the beta wave and the standard deviation of distributions of the alpha wave
3 The brain development apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the feedback signal comprises a video signal and an audio signal, and the feedback signal output unit comprises a display unit and a speaker
4 A brain development apparatus using brain wave biofeedback, the apparatus comprising a brain wave signal receiverfor receiving a brain wave signal which has been measured by an external brain wave measuring device, a brain wave pattern database for storing brain wave patterns which are measured in a plurality of subjects, a feedback signal generator for comparing the brain wave signal, which is received by the brain wave signal receiver, with the brain wave patterns stored in the brain wave pattern database to determine the state of the brain wave and generating a feedback signal corresponding to the determined brain wave state, and a feedback signal output unit for outputting the feedback signal which is generated by the feedback signal generator
5 A brain development method using brain wave biofeedback, the method comprising the steps of
(a) measuring a user's inherent brain wave,
(b) obtaining a reference parameter based on the user's inherent brain wave, (c) measuring a user's current brain wave and obtaining a current brain wave parameter,
(d) generating a negative feedback signal when the current brain wave parameter is smaller than the reference brain wave parameter and generating a positive feedback signal when the current brain wave parameter is equal to or larger than the reference brain wave parameter, and
(e) repeating the steps (c) and (d) until a condition for ending a brain development program is satisfied
6 The brain development method of claim 5, wherein the reference brain wave parameter based on the user's inherent brain wave is a mean value of a brain wave parameter of a user's brain wave in a normal state
7 A computer readable recording medium for recording a brain development program for performing the steps of
(a) measuring a user's inherent brain wave,
(b) obtaining a reference parameter based on the user's inherent brain wave,
(c) measuring a user's current brain wave and obtaining a current brain wave parameter,
(d) generating a negative feedback signal when the current brain wave parameter is smaller than the reference brain wave parameter and generating a positive feedback signal when the current brain wave parameter is equal to or larger than the reference brain wave parameter, and
(e) repeating the steps (c) and (d) until a condition for ending the brain development program is satisfied
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DE10149049A1 (en) * 2001-10-05 2003-04-17 Neuroxx Gmbh Method for creating and modifying virtual biological representation of computer application user, requires forming virtual biological representation of user in computer application
CN103680066A (en) * 2013-11-15 2014-03-26 东莞龙昌数码科技有限公司 Eye-frame type fatigue detection feedback device
CN106560158A (en) * 2016-11-23 2017-04-12 深圳创达云睿智能科技有限公司 Zen meditation feedback training method and device based on electroencephalogram
US11051748B2 (en) 2018-07-24 2021-07-06 40 Years, Inc. Multiple frequency neurofeedback brain wave training techniques, systems, and methods
DE102018118277A1 (en) * 2018-07-27 2020-01-30 Neurosphere UG (haftungsbeschränkt) Procedure for neurofeedback training
CN112773376A (en) * 2019-11-07 2021-05-11 简世纬 Brain intelligent development detection system
CN113238655A (en) * 2021-05-19 2021-08-10 河北酷点科技有限公司 Method for investigation and data authenticity check based on electric wave neural drive
CN114288520A (en) * 2021-12-31 2022-04-08 广州酷狗计算机科技有限公司 Sleep assisting method, device, equipment and storage medium based on brain waves

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