Determination of parameter values for sensory substitution devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10441500-B2
Application number	US-201515329908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2015
Priority date	Jul 28, 2014
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a computer-implemented method for representing intensity levels indicative of a first type of sense of a subject (150) by parameter values for a different second type of sense of the subject (150). The method comprises determining (210) a first parameter value for the second type of sense representing a first intensity level indicative of the first type of sense; and determining (220) a second parameter value for the second type of sense representing a second intensity level indicative of the first type of sense with reference to the first parameter value, wherein the first parameter value differs from the second parameter value by at least one Just-Noticeable-Difference (JND) of the second type of sense of the subject (150).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method performed by a sensory substitution system for representing intensity levels indicative of a first type of sense of a subject by parameter values for a different second type of sense of the subject, the sensory substitution system comprising a processor and a sensory output device, the processor performing the method of:
determining a first parameter value for the second type of sense representing a first intensity level indicative of the first type of sense; and
determining a second parameter value for the second type of sense representing a second intensity level indicative of the first type of sense with reference to the first parameter value;
wherein the first parameter value differs from the second parameter value by at least one Just-Noticeable-Difference (JND) of the second type of sense of the subject; and
wherein the second parameter value is provided as input to a sensory output device.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the first parameter value for the second type of sense further comprises:
determining a plurality of parameter values for the second type of sense of the subject that are distinguishable to the subject based on JNDs of the second type of sense; and
selecting one of the plurality of parameter values for the second type of sense being the first parameter value.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein selecting the one of the plurality of parameter values comprises:
determining a value range of the intensity levels indicative of the first type of sense;
dividing the value range into a plurality of intervals based on JNDs of the first type of sense of the subject, wherein the number of the plurality of intervals is equal to the number of the plurality of parameter values for the second type of sense; and
selecting, based on the plurality of intervals, the one of the plurality of parameter values for the second type of sense being the first parameter value.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of parameter values for the second type of sense comprises all parameter values for the second type of sense that are distinguishable to the subject.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein determining the second parameter value for the second type of sense further comprises:
selecting another one of the plurality of parameter values for the second type of sense being the second parameter value.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first type of sense comprises visual perception, auditory perception, ranging perception, gustatory perception, olfactory perception, vestibular perception.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second type of sense comprises tactility and the parameter values for the second type of sense comprises electric voltage and electric current.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first intensity level indicative of the first type of sense comprises a first visual intensity level indicative of a first portion of an image, and the second intensity level indicative of the first type of sense comprises a second visual intensity level indicative of a second portion of the same image.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the second portion of the image comprises at least part of a Region of Interest (ROI) of the image.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the ROI comprises a region in which the intensity levels change over time.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the ROI comprises a moving object in the image.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the ROI comprises an edge in the image.

13. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the ROI comprises a scene object in the image.

14. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the parameter values for the second type of sense over time to counter adaptation to the second type of sense.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first intensity level differs from the second intensity level by less than one JND of the first type of sense of the subject.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, including computer-executable instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the method of claim 1 .

17. A sensory substitution system for representing intensity levels indicative of a first type of sense of a subject by parameter values for a different second type of sense of the subject, the sensory substitution system comprising:
a sensory output device; and
a processor to perform the instructions from the memory communicated via the bus:
to determine a first parameter value for the second type of sense representing a first intensity level indicative of the first type of sense; and
to determine a second parameter value for the second type of sense representing a second intensity level indicative of the first type of sense with reference to the first parameter value;
to provide the second parameter value as input to the sensory output device;
wherein the first parameter value differs from the second parameter value by at least one Just-Noticeable-Difference (JND) of the second type of sense of the subject.

18. A sensory substitution system for translating intensity levels indicative of visual information to intensity levels indicative of tactile perception of a subject, comprising:
a sensory information capture device to capture the intensity levels indicative of visual information of the subject;
an array of stimulation generation members; and
a processor
to determine a first parameter value for tactile perception representing a first intensity level indicative of visual information; and
to determine a second parameter value for tactile perception representing a second intensity level indicative of visual information with reference to the first parameter value;
to provide the second parameter value as input to an array of stimulation generation members;
wherein the first parameter value differs from the second parameter value by at least one Just-Noticeable-Difference (JND) of tactile perception of the subject.

19. The sensory substitution system according to claim 18 , wherein the information capture device comprises a camera.

20. The sensory substitution system according to claim 18 , wherein the sensory stimulation generation device comprises a coin motor or an electrode.

Assignees

• Nat Ict Australia Ltd

Inventors

• Stronks Hendrik Christiaan
• Barnes Nick
• Parker Daniel John

Classifications

• A61F9/08

  Devices or methods enabling eye-patients to replace direct visual perception by another kind of perception · CPC title

• A61H23/02 Primary

  with electric or magnetic drive · CPC title

• G08B6/00 Primary

  Tactile signalling systems, e.g. tactile personal calling systems · CPC title