Facial movement and expression detection and stimulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9625251-B2
Application number	US-201414760944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2014
Priority date	Jan 14, 2013
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

The disclosure features systems and methods for detecting a user's facial movement and expression, that include a plurality of radiation sources, a plurality of radiation detectors, where each radiation detector is paired with a different one of the radiation sources and configured to detect radiation emitted by its paired radiation source, and a controller connected to the radiation detectors and configured to receive signals corresponding to measurements of emitted radiation from each of the radiation detectors, determine, for each radiation source-detector pair, information about whether a radiation path between the source and detector is blocked by a portion of the user's face, and determine a facial movement or expression of the user based on the information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for detecting a user's facial movement, facial expression, or both, the system comprising:
a plurality of radiation sources;
a plurality of radiation detectors, wherein each radiation detector is paired with a different one of the radiation sources and configured to detect radiation emitted by its paired radiation source; and
a controller connected to the radiation detectors and configured to:
receive signals corresponding to measurements of emitted radiation from each of the radiation detectors;
determine, for each radiation source-detector pair, information about whether a radiation path between the source and detector is blocked by a different portion of the user's face; and
determine a facial movement or facial expression or both of the user based on the information,

wherein a first one of the radiation source-detector pairs comprises a radiation source and a detector adapted to be located on opposite sides of the user's eye to define a first radiation path adjacent to the user's supraorbital fat pad, and the controller is configured to determine information about whether the first radiation path is blocked by the user's supraorbital fat pad; and
wherein a second one of the radiation source-detector pairs comprises a radiation source and a detector adapted to be located on opposite sides of the user's eye to define a second radiation path adjacent to the user's malar fat pad, and the controller is configured to determine information about whether the second radiation path is blocked by the user's malar fat pad.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of radiation sources comprises at least three or four radiation sources.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a support structure, wherein the plurality of radiation sources and the plurality of radiation detectors are integrated into or attached to the support structure.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the support structure comprises eyeglass frames.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of radiation sources and the plurality of radiation detectors are connected to the controller through or by means of the support structure.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the support structure comprises a member to which the plurality of radiation sources and the plurality of detectors are attached, and wherein the support structure is configured to be attached to eyeglass frames.

7. The system of claim 3 , comprising a plurality of electrodes each connected to the controller and configured to transmit an electrical signal to a facial nerve of the user.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of electrodes is attached to the support structure.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of electrodes is connected to the controller through the support structure.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit electrical signals to the plurality of electrodes to apply the electrical signals to one or more facial nerves of the user.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of radiation sources emits radiation having a different central wavelength.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein radiation emitted by each of the radiation sources has a modulation frequency and a modulation phase, and wherein the modulation phase of the emitted radiation is different for each of the radiation sources.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the radiation detectors comprises a photodiode.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the user's facial movement or expression based on a rate of change of detected emitted radiation from one or more of the plurality of radiation sources.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the user's facial movement or expression corresponds to one of at least eight different facial movements or expressions, and wherein the at least eight different facial movements or expressions comprise a forward gaze, a lateral gaze, a downward gaze, an upward gaze, an eye blink, a squeezed eye closure, a smile, and an eyebrow raised movement or expression.

16. A method for detecting a user's facial movement or expression, the method comprising:
positioning a plurality of pairs of radiation sources and radiation detectors adjacent to a user's face, wherein a first one of the source-detector pairs comprises a radiation source and a radiation detector positioned on opposite sides of the user's eve to define a first radiation path adjacent to the user's supraorbital fat pad, wherein a second one of the source-detector pairs comprises a radiation source and a radiation detector positioned on opposite sides of the user's eye to define a second radiation path adjacent to the user's malar fat pad, and wherein each additional source-detector pair forms an additional radiation path;
for the first source-detector pair, directing radiation along the first radiation path, and determining information about whether the first radiation path is blocked by the user's supraorbital fat pad;
for the second source-detector pair, detecting radiation along the second radiation path, and determining information about whether the second radiation path is blocked by the user's malar fat pad;
for each additional source-detector pair, directing radiation from the source toward the detector along the corresponding additional radiation path, and determining information about whether the additional radiation path is blocked by a different portion of the user's face; and
determining a facial movement or expression of the user based on the information.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein each of the radiation sources emits radiation having a different central wavelength.

18. The method of claim 16 , comprising modulating the radiation emitted by each of the radiation sources according to a modulation frequency and a modulation phase, wherein the modulation phases of each of the radiation sources are different.

19. The method of claim 16 , comprising transmitting signals corresponding to measurements of emitted radiation from the radiation detectors to a controller through a support structure, wherein the support structure comprises eyeglass frames.

20. The method of claim 16 , comprising:
determining the user's facial movement or expression based on a rate of change of detected radiation emitted from one or more of the plurality of radiation sources; and
determining whether the user's facial movement or expression corresponds to one of at least eight different facial movements or expressions.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary
• Massachusetts Gen Hospital

Inventors

• Heaton James Tracey
• Hadlock Theresa A

Classifications

• A61B5/0059 Primary

  using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence (photoacoustic A61B5/0093; optical measurement of heart rate A61B5/02416; optical measurement of blood flow A61B5/0261; optical measurement of analytes A61B5/1455) · CPC title

• A61B5/1103

  Detecting muscular movement of the eye, e.g. eyelid movement · CPC title

• A61N1/0476

  Array electrodes (including any electrode arrangement with more than one electrode for at least one of the polarities) · CPC title

• A61N1/0456

  Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS] · CPC title

• A61N1/36031

  using physiological parameters for adjustment · CPC title