Multi-factor control of ear stimulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10406376-B2
Application number	US-201615340217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2016
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

Systems and related methods for controlling an ear stimulation device with a personal computing device are described. Multiple factors, including a mood of the user, a user control input, and a secondary factor input are used in controlling the ear stimulation device. Secondary factors include, a variety of factors relating to or influencing the state of the user, including but not limited to, environmental conditions, sleep, diet, or various activities of the user. User inputs can be open-ended or selected from a menu, for example. In an aspect, a correlation module correlates mood of the user to other factors, and control of stimulation is based thereon. In various aspects, the system is also responsive to inputs from sensors or computing networks. In an aspect, the earpiece delivers an audio output such as music from an audio player.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory signal-bearing medium bearing:
one or more audio delivery instructions for controlling delivery of an audio signal from an audio signal source to an audio earpiece via an audio output of a personal computing device, the audio earpiece having operably coupled thereto an ear stimulation device configured to stimulate a nerve innervating a pinna of an ear of the user;
one or more mood assessment instructions for
receiving mood-related input from the user via a first input structure operably coupled to the personal computing device; and
assessing a mood of the user based at least in part upon the mood-related input;

one or more secondary factor input instructions for receiving at least one input relating to at least one secondary factor relating to the user via a second input structure operably coupled to the personal computing device;
one or more user control instructions for receiving via a third input structure of the personal computing device, at least one user control input for controlling at least one user-controllable stimulation parameter of the ear stimulation device;
one or more stimulator control instructions for determining at least one stimulus control parameter based on at least one of the mood of the user, the at least one secondary factor, and the at least one user control input; and
one or more controller interface instructions for communicating the at least one stimulus control parameter to a stimulator controller adapted to control the ear stimulation device responsive to the at least one stimulus control parameter.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the one or more stimulator control instructions include one or more instructions for coordinating delivery of the audio signal with delivery of at least one stimulus with the ear stimulation device.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the first input structure of the personal computing device includes a touch screen, a keyboard, or a microphone.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the secondary input structure of the personal computing device includes at least one of a touch screen, a keyboard, a microphone, a device interface, a data input, a USB port, a wireless interface, a serial port, or a parallel port.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , including one or more recommendation delivery instructions for presenting a recommendation to the user.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 , wherein the one or more recommendation delivery instructions include one or more instructions for generating the recommendation.

7. The computer program product of claim 5 , wherein the one or more recommendation delivery instructions include one or more instructions for receiving at least one of a recommendation from a medical care provider, a recommendation from an insurance company, a recommendation from a service provider, a recommendation from an advisor, a recommendation from a computation-based system, a recommendation from a social media source, a recommendation via a computing network, a recommendation based on patients similar to the user, or information regarding whether the user has accepted or rejected the recommendation.

8. The computer program product of claim 5 , wherein the one or more recommendation delivery instructions include one or more instructions for generating the recommendation based on at least one of information regarding a response of the user to a past treatment regimen, information obtained via social media, information regarding at least one preference of at least one social media contact of the user, information regarding at least one preference of at least one peer of the user, information regarding at least one preference of at least one role model of the user, information from an insurance company, information from a service provider, a predicted response of the user to a treatment regimen, or at least one correlation between the mood of the user and at least one of the at least one secondary factor or the at least one stimulus control parameter.

9. The computer program product of claim 5 , wherein the one or more recommendation delivery instructions include one or more instructions for presenting to the user at least one of a recommendation for a configuration of a neural stimulus or a recommendation for a secondary stimulus to be delivered in association with the neural stimulus.

10. The computer program product of claim 1 , including one or more physiological data instructions for receiving at least one physiological data signal including at least one physiological parameter of the user.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the one or more physiological data instructions include one or more instructions for receiving the at least one physiological data signal from at least one of a blood pressure sensor, a heart rate sensor, a chemical sensor, a biosensor, a pH sensor, a blood oxygen sensor, a galvanic skin response sensor, an EEG sensor, an EMG sensor, an ECG sensor, a wearable item, an eye tracking system, an acoustic sensor, a motion sensor, a force transducer, or an activity sensor.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the one or more physiological data instructions include one or more instructions for receiving the at least one physiological data signal from at least one of at least one sensor, at least one computing network, or at least one remote sensing system.

13. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user control instructions include one or more instructions for receiving user input for controlling at least one of stimulus pulse amplitude, stimulus pulse duration, stimulus frequency, stimulus pulse pattern, or stimulus pulse envelope.

14. The computer program product of claim 1 , including one or more external control instructions for receiving an external control input for controlling at least one externally controllable stimulation parameter of the ear stimulation device.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the at least one externally controllable stimulation parameter includes at least one of stimulus pulse amplitude, stimulus pulse duration, stimulus frequency, stimulus pulse pattern, or stimulus pulse envelope.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the one or more external control instructions include one or more instructions for receiving the external control input via a computing network or a communication network, receiving the external control input from an external party or entity, or receiving the external control input from a medical care provider.

17. The computer program product of claim 1 , including at least one of one or more correlation instructions for determining at least one correlation between the mood of the user and at least one of the at least one secondary factor and the at least one stimulus control parameter; or one or morel data transfer instructions for providing data relating to the user to an external party or entity.

18. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the audio signal source includes at least one of an audio player application, a web radio application, a radio receiver, a telephone receiver, or a hearing aid.

19. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the one or more mood assessment instructions includes at least one of one or more ecological momentary assessment instructions, one or more activity assessment instructions, or one or more image pr

Assignees

• Elwha Llc
• Equility Llc

Inventors

• Goodall Eleanor V
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Kitzan Melanie K
• Leuthardt Eric C
• Malamud Mark A
• Malaska Stephen L
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Scheid Brittany
• Sharadin Katherine E
• Sweeney Elizabeth A
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H

Classifications

• A61N1/36036

  of the outer, middle or inner ear · CPC title

• A61N2/02

  using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets (A61N2/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61N1/36031

  using physiological parameters for adjustment · CPC title

• A63F13/424

  involving acoustic input signals, e.g. by using the results of pitch or rhythm extraction or voice recognition · CPC title

• A63F13/212

  using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity · CPC title