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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is devices which simultaneously provide visual
and audio stimulus to a person wearing a set of earphones and goggles with
light stimulus in the front of the goggles.
2. Description of Related Art
Researchers have discovered that through the use of visual and audio
stimulus, certain reactions may be induced into a person such as
relaxation, altered states of consciousness, and increase of the brain's
functional intelligence. Such an application of stimuli to a subject
person and the reaction obtained is termed "multiple afferent sensory
stimulation" or MASS.
These effects are produced through different combinations of visual and
audio stimulus at different frequencies and in different rhythms. A total
of four separate stimuli are available for energizing, one for each eye
and for each ear, and such energizing may take many varied forms. The
visual stimulus, if considering only one single color entity, such as an
incandescent lamp, may have its brightness continually increased or
decreased, may take the form of pulsed brief flashes of light which in
turn can vary in brightness, or may be patterns over time or brillance
formed with the pulses of light. For example, the pulses could be evenly
spaced and of the same time width for one lamp brightness, or the lamp
brightness could be increasing or decreasing by changing the pulse duty
cycle. Further, the visual stimulus for each eye need not be the same.
The mode of operation of the audio stimulus can have many of the
characteristics of the visual stimulus, such as pulsed tone, although, and
perhaps preferably, music or pink noise may be substituted for a tone or
combination of tones. The volume of the audio sounds can be increasing or
decreasing, can consist of chopped sounds which again may be increasing or
decreasing in intensity, and the duty cycle may be changed, i.e., the
portion of the time that a sound is present compared to one complete cycle
of sound present and not present.
Again, each sound stimulus for each ear need not be the same either.
Machines varying the visual and audio stimulus discussed above have been
developed in the prior art.
It is reported that the human brain has basic frequencies at which it
operates and which have been observed by recording equipment such as an
electroencephalograph (EEG). These so called "brain waves" generally fall
into four classifications in accordance with their frequency rate, namely
Beta, Alpha, Theta, and Delta. Beta waves occur during a person's awake
time and occupies a frequency spectrum of between approximately 12 and 30
Hz. (cycles per second). Generally, the higher the frequency, the more
intense the mental activity. Alpha waves occur during relaxation and
during that twilight state just before sleep. Alpha waves occupy the
frequency spectrum of approximately 8 to 12 Hz. Theta waves represents the
frequency spectrum between 4 and 8 Hz and generally reflect brain activity
during sleep or deep meditation. Lastly, Delta waves occur during times of
deepest sleep and are generally in the range of 1 to 4 Hz.
It has been determined by researchers, such as Dr. George Corges, that a
person's brain can be persuaded to operate in any of these four frequency
spectrums by the application of visual and audio stimuli supplied in a
desired frequency spectrum. The person's brain activity tends to
"synchronize" with the frequency rate of the applied stimulus for certain
defined stimulus.
By slaving the visual stimulus, such as repetitive blinking lights, with
the audio stimulus, such as repetitive tones, a person will soon find
their brain wave frequency, and thus mental activity, synchronizing to the
applied visual or audio stimulus.
Obviously, various alternating modes of applied stimulus are possible by
alternating between the left and right side eyes and ears in one or more
of the sixteen possible combinations from no stimulus present on all four
receptors (left and right eyes, left and right ears) to stimulus for all
four receptors. In addition, the pattern of the stimulus can be varied as
eluded to above.
Of course, some combinations of stimulus will result in less reaction of
the person while other combinations of stimulus will result in a profound
reaction.
Further, while it would be apparent that a scheme of application of
structured visual and audio stimulus to a person would produce the best or
desired reaction, yet it is possible to achieve desirable reactions by
utilizing as the audio stimulus what is commonly termed "pink noise",
which is a variation of "white noise". White noise is random electrical
noise that exists in electronic circuits due to electron shot and thermal
noise defined as having constant energy per unit band waves and
independent of any central frequency of a band. The name is taken from the
analogous definition of white light, which is the combination of light of
all colors in the light spectrum. Pink noise is white noise having the
special characteristics that its intensity is inversely proportional to
its frequency over a specified range. In pink noise, equal power is
dissipated into a constant resistance in any octave band width in that
range. Pink noise when heard, can have a very soothing effect, much like
the sounds of ocean surf.
All of the stimulus, both visual and audio, with its variations, can be
pre-programmed upon magnetic tape and then, through properly designed
equipment, be presented to a person to achieve the desired mental and
physical effects.
Accordingly, it would be useful to have a device adapted to take
information pre-recorded on such a medium as magnetic tape, to decipher it
through electronic circuits, and deliver the resultant electronic signals
to generators of visual and audio stimulation surrounding a subject
person.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an improved multiple afferent sensory stimulation
device receiving on prerecorded tape, a series of electronic signals
which, after processing, control the placement of visual or sound stimulus
before a subjeCt person's eyes and ears.
In the preferred embodiment, one tape recorder with four playback heads is
utilized with a prerecorded four channel tape. Upon two of the channels of
the tape are recorded the audio signals such as pink noise or music which
are to be heard by the subject, one channel for the left ear and a second
channel for the right ear. One audio channel does not necessarily have the
same recorded program as the other, although it may. The other two
channels of the prerecorded tape contain the electrical control signals
which regulate the visual stimulus presented to each of the subject's
eyes, one channel for the left eye and one channel for the right eye.
In an alternate embodiment, two tape recorders with two separate
prerecorded tapes are utilized, one tape recorder presenting the two audio
channel outputs and the other tape recorder presenting the two electrical
control signal outputs. If desired, the two tape recorders may be slaved
to each other so that the audio portion is in synchronization with the
visual stimulation control signals or, if pink noise is recorded on the
two audio channels of the prerecorded tape, it may not be necessary or
desirable to synchronize the prerecorded tapes. This would most likely be
the situation for a relaxation mode where the sound of surf is to be
played in the earphones while a relaxing pattern of visual stimulus is
presented in accordance with control signals on the prerecorded tape.
The electronic circuitry which receives the electrical output of each
channel of visual stimulation control signals from the tape recorder is
identical to the other channel and, the electronic circuitry receiving the
electrical output from the tape recorder for each audio channel connected
to the left and right headsets is also identical.
The visual stimulation electrical control signals eminating from the first
and second output channels on the tape recorder or playback device are
first directed to a visual processing circuit means having firstly a
buffer amplifier receiving the AC component of the signal after it has
been DC isolated from the tape recorder and a fixed DC bias added at its
entrance to the buffer operational amplifier input. The buffer amplifier
is in a feedback mode to regulate gain in order that a sufficiently large
signal is available for processing. The electrical control signals, as
received from the tape recorder channels, nominally comprises 2 kHz sine
wave bursts of signal upon each line.
The output of the buffer amplifier, normally 6 volts peak to peak, is
directed to a second DC isolation capacitor and then the negative going
portion of the signal below approximately zero volts DC is shunted to
ground through a negative clamping diode. The positive going portions of
the 2 kHz signal burst passes a forward biased rectifying diode which acts
much like a half-wave rectifier to charge a capacitor in a pulse
stretching circuit to form a positive pulse having a width equal to the
total number of positive going sine wave portions in the 2 kHz burst of
control signal. Amplitude of the resultant signal is approximately 5 volts
relative to ground.
The control signal, now looking somewhat like the positive portion of a
square wave or elongated pulse, is directed to the gate of a turn on-turn
off field effect transistor which turns on hard upon receipt of the signal
and stays on throughout the duration of the signal. The drain of the field
effect transistor is then directed to the visual display circuit. In the
event an incandescent light bulb is utilized, the 9 volt power source is
directed through the light bulb and through the FET drain to its source
and onto ground. If an electrofluorescent light is utilized, the 9 volt
source is fed to one side of a DC/AC power inverter with the output of the
power inverter directed to the field effect transistor drain with the
FET's source grounded.
The visual stimulation means is placed in front of the subject person's
eye, usually taking the form of being encapsulated in the eye lenses of a
pair of goggles. When utilizing an incandescent bulb, the lenses of the
goggles are opaque and may be termed blinders. The bulb is placed
immediately inside each blinder in order that the subject person see
nothing except light emitted from the bulb. In the case utilizing the
electrofluorescent lights, the electrofluorescent lights are the blinders,
and the output of the previously described DC/AC power inverter is
directed to these blinders and application of voltage turns the
electrofluorescent lights on. During the absence of the control signal,
the electrofluorescent lights darken and the subject person sees the dark
blinder, i.e., no light at all.
An audio circuit means consisting of an earphone receives the audio
stimulation signals from the playback device's third and fourth outputs to
supply the audio stimulation to the subject person.
It is an object of the subject invention to provide a device for processing
signals from prerecorded tapes to provide multiple afferent sensory
stimulation of the auditory and visual senses.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a multiple
afferent sensory device which processes auditory and visual stimuli for
separate audio and visual stimulus.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a multiple
afferent device which receives encoded signals from prerecorded tapes so
that the auditory and visual stimulation devices may be separately
controlled.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part
appear hereinafter. The invention accordingly comprises the apparatus
comprising the construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of
parts which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure and the
scope of the invention which will be indicated in the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For further understanding of the nature and objects of the subject
invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description
taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the subject invention;
FIG. 2 is a partial schematic diagram of an alternate embodiment of the
subject invention; and
FIG. 3 is a front view of a subject person wearing the earphones and
goggles receiving the audio and the visual stimuli.
In various views, like index numbers refer to like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring firstly to FIG. 1, a complete schematic diagram is shown of the
invention which permits sensory stimulation of the visual and audio senses
of a subject person, the stimulus in each of the subject person's ears or
eyes capable of being provided separately or together in all conceivable
combinations. For example, one ear could be stimulated with sound without
stimulating the other ear or visually stimulating either of the left or
right eyes. The possible combination from no stimulus to any stimulus
receptor (eyes or ears) to all four receptors receiving stimulus is 16.
Further, the combinations of stimulation is further increased because the
light stimulation can be in combination of different brightnesses, or its
brightness may be varied, either becoming more bright, or going less
bright. Similarly, the audio stimulation can be at any volume, from very
soft to very loud, or like the visual stimuli, may be increasing in volume
or may be decreasing in volume. Further, both the audio and the visual
stimulus can be pulsed in innumerable combinations. It is apparent that
there is practically an unlimited number of combinations in which the four
sensory organs may be stimulated.
Such sensory stimulation is accomplished by the circuit shown in FIG. 1.
Proceeding from the top left to right, at the far upper left is the
playback device 12 such as a magnetic tape playback recorder or other
machine which utilizes a prerecorded four channel tape with encoded data
on two channels and audio on two channels, the visual stimulation control
electrical signals emitted on the first two channel outputs, a left or
first channel output 1 and a right or second channel output 2 and the
audio stimulation signals emitted on the second two channel outputs,
namely left or third channel output 3 and right or fourth channel output
4. The tape has been pre-programmed with the desired visual control
signals, comprising a 2 kHz sine wave which may consist of bursts of
signal which in itself may be repeating, such as at a 10 cycle rate, or
the 2 kHz sine wave may be continuous for relatively long periods of time.
Any DC component on the output electrical control signal of channel 1 of
playback recorder 12 is directed to the visual processing circuit means
and firstly isolates the inventive circuit by first DC isolation capacitor
C2 and thus only the AC component of the signal is passed. Thereafter, the
output signal of channel 1 is dc biased by means of connection to the
common point of a voltage divider network made up of resistors R2 and R13,
the other end of resistor R2 attached to the source of DC power with the
other end of resistor R13 grounded. The AC signal received from channel 1,
now raised above zero volts by its fixed DC bias, an amount of
approximately a positive 4.5 volts, is fed into the positive input of
buffer operational amplifier A1. Buffer amplifier A1 is connected in a
feedback mode with its gain set by the ratio of resistor R8 over R7. A
gain of about 10 is desired. Further, the negative input to buffer
amplifier A1 is also grounded through resistor R7 and capacitor C5 which
provides a DC reference voltage of about 4.5 volts.
The output of buffer amplifier A1 consists of a 2 kHz sine wave having an
amplitude of about 6 volts peak-to-peak. The output signal is then DC
isolated from the remainder of the circuitry by in-line second DC
isolation capacitor C9. Resistor R5 connected to capacitor C9 is grounded
and provides an essentially constant load to the output of buffer
amplifier A1 in order that the voltage at the junction of capacitor C9 and
resistor R5 will approach ground when no input signal is present at the
input to buffer amplifier A1. The signal is negatively clipped by reverse
biased negative grounding diode CR6 which grounds all negative portions of
the signal greater than the drop across the diode, nominally 0.6 volts or
so.
Continuing, the output signal from channel 1, which is now substantially
all positive going and consisting of the positive wave forms of the sine
wave, now passes through forward biased rectifying diode CR7 (acting like
a half-wave rectifier) to the pulse stretching circuit to charge capacitor
C10, one lead of capacitor C10 being grounded. At this point, the gap or
space between the positive going portions of the sine wave are filled in
by the charge stored previously on capacitor C10, which charge is also
slowly being continuously drained by bleed resistor R9 to ground. The net
effect is that the signal at this point has been changed from a sine wave
to a positive going elongated pulse having a width as wide as the number
of sine wave cycles contained in the burst of the two kHz electrical
control signal. When the control signal amplitude goes to zero, capacitor
C10 will then start to drain through resistor R9 to form the falling or
trailing edge of the positive going pulse.
The signal at this point is fed to the gate of Q1, a turn off-turn on field
effect transistor (FET), to control the current through the transistor.
The FET is a very high input impedance device and accordingly draws
extremely little gate current from the signal. Upon Q1 being triggered, it
closes the circuit between its drain and its source, the source being
grounded. The drain of the FET is operably connected to the positive DC
voltage which is the power supply voltage for the invention, nominally 9
volts DC.
In the visual display circuit means, when the visual stimulus control
signals are to operate electrofluorescent lights placed immediately in
front the subject person's eyes working as blinders in a pair of goggles,
power inverter T1 is utilized with the electrofluorescent lights. In the
embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the input voltage to power inverter T1 is
connected between the drain of the transistor Q1 and the DC power supply,
nominally 9 volts.
The electrofluorescent light is shown by the circle and nomenclature LEC1
in FIG. 1 and is caused to fluoresce by an AC current of nominally 110
volts. Accordingly then, power inverter T1, which is a commercially
packaged unit, is a DC to AC power convertor stepping up 9 volt DC to 110
volt AC at a frequency of 400 hKz. For a continuously operating
electrofluorescent light, an alternating current, preferably at 400 hz, is
supplied by power inverter T1. To provide such a source of continuous
alternating current from T1, the burst of 2 kHz cycle programmed on the
prerecorded tape and appearing on channel 1 would need be continuous.
Then, when it is desired in the operation of the device that the
electrofluorescent light LEC1 should not fluoresce, the control signal is
absent from channel 1. Obviously, pulsing of electrofluorescent light LEC1
is accomplished by pulsing bursts of electrical control signals.
The components and connecting of circuitry shown in FIG. 1 which receive
the electrical control signal from channel 2 of playback device 12 is
identical to channel 1 and the circuitry similarly operates. Accordingly,
discussion of this circuit would be the same as the above discussion of
the circuit receiving the signal from channel 1 and for that reason is
omitted.
An alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 2 where the power
inverters T1 and T2 and the electrofluorescent lights LEC1 and LEC2 of the
visual display circuit means have been removed and incandescent bulbs or
lights 23 and 25 respectively substituted. So long as current is flowing
through the field effect transistors Q1 and Q2, incandescent bulbs 23 and
25 will light. Alternately, pulsed signals may power bulbs 23 and 25 if
desired. Further, brightness or dimness of the bulb may be controlled by
pulsed electrical control signals having a repitition rate above the eye's
discerning level but having a duty cycle such that the amount of time that
current is flowing through the filament of the bulb is varied to achieve
the desired resultant effect.
The balance of the schematic in FIG. 1 not previously discussed concerns
the audio stimulation signals outputted from playback device 12, namely
through output channels 3 and 4. These channels output audio sounds
pre-programmed upon the third and fourth channels of the prerecorded tape
to the audio circuit means consisting of a left and right headset earphone
worn by the subject person. In FIG. 1, the output from channel 3 is
directed to the left earphone 26, and the output of channel 4 from
playback device 12 is directed to the right earphone 28.
Referring now to FIG. 3, a front view of a subject person utilizing the
apparatus of the invention is detailed. Firstly, left and right earphones
26 and 28 respectively of headset 30 are shown mounted upon the head of
the subject person 32. The headset is preferably spring loaded in the band
connected to the two earphones so as to hold each earphone to the ear,
each earphone utilizing elastic cushions 13 and 15 situated between the
earphone and the ear so as to provide comfort to the subject person and to
keep out extraneous sounds from interfering with the programmed audio
sounds heard by the subject person 32. Situated proximate each of the
subject person's eyes are a pair of goggles 34 which contain individual
opaque blinders, left opaque blinder 36 and right opaque blinder 38, each
separated from the other and light protected in order that no outside
light enter the subject person's eyes.
In the preferred embodiment, left opaque blinder 36 and right opaque
blinder 38 comprise the electrofluorescent lights LEC1 and LEC2
respectively. These lights, which are shaped as lenses for placement in a
pair of goggles, are dark when not being excited by an AC electrical
signal. In the alternative, opaque blinders 36 and 38 may have attached to
them bulbs 23 and 25 respecitvely wherein the portion of the bulb
containing the filament protrudes through the opaque blinders so that the
light emitted from the bulb may be seen by the subject person. The bulbs
are light sealed around the blinders.
Thus, the subject person 32 shown in the diagram of FIG. 3 has two inputs
of audio stimulation and two inputs of visual stimulation, each separated
from the other and each capable of being separately energized with an
appropriate sound or control signal.
Since, as mentioned above, the visual stimuli presented can be either a
very soft, dim light, or a very bright light, or a light increasing in
brightness or a light decreasing in brightness, together with the light on
or off with respect to real time, i.e., a series of light pulses over time
in a coded group of light pulses, or as a continuous light, the visual
stimulation obtained is an average of the actual number of pulses present
to energize the light. A series of closely spaced pulses having a
repetition greater than 60 Hz powering a lamp, for example, would appear
to the subject person as a light constantly on. Similarly, if the on
pulses are initially widely separated and then become closer spaced and
are at a repetition rate greater than 60 Hz, the light will appear to a
subject person as increasing in brightness. Certainly the inverse is true,
from pulses which are closely spaced to pulses which are spaced further
apart with respect to time will cause the light to appear to have reduced
its intensity over a period of time. If the light utilized is an
incandescent bulb, it will take some period of time before the blub emits
light from the time that the electrical pulse is received as the filament
must heat up to the point of becoming incandescent. Plus, in the case of
incandescent lights, the filament tends to stay hot and emit light for a
period after the pulse has passed. Thus, the incandescent bulbs may be
made to have its light energy waning, or increasing, or pulsing, when all
that is happening is the spacing of strings of electrical pulses.
Further, it is obvious that light emitting diodes (LED's) may be used in
place of incandescent bulbs or electrofluorescent lights with
modifications of the electronic circuitry all within the current state of
the art.
Obviously then, a pulse width modulation can be used as the procedure for
producing the visual stimuli control pulses.
In the preferred embodiment, the elements described in FIG. 1 comprise the
following commercially available electronic circuits: amplifiers A1 and A2
are National Semiconductor LM741; transistors Q1 and Q2 are field effect
transistors VN0610L manufactured by Siliconix, all diodes are 1N3600, and
left and right electrofluorescent lights LEC1 and LEC2 are
electroluminescent lights 0434 manufactured by Loctite Luminescent
Systems, Inc. Lastly, power inverters T1 and T2 are Model No. BKL09-3-1
manufactured by ERG Inc.
TABLE I.
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Resistors Capacitors
Ohms uf
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R2 100k C2 10
R4 100k C3 10
R5 3k C5 10
R7 10k C6 10
R8 100k C9 1
R9 5k C10 10
R10 10k C11 1
R11 100k C12 10
R12 5k
R13 100k
R16 3k
R18 100k
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While a preferred embodiment and three alternate embodiments have been
shown and described, it will be understood that there is no intent to
limit the invention by such disclosure, but rather it is intended to cover
all modifications and alternate constructions falling within the spirit
and the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
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