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US5460184A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Mental-concentration measuring method and apparatus

Assignee: DFC Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1993-08-13
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Granted: 1995-10-24
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Expires: 2013-08-13
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Abstract

Abstract A mental-concentration measuring method for measuring the degree of mental concentration of a subject by extracting a power spectrum with respect to a brain wave from detected brain-wave biological signals, obtaining an integrated value of the power spectrum and an integrated value of a rhythm spectrum representing mental concentration power, and measuring the mental concentration of the subject based on the ratio of these integrated values, and mental-concentration measuring apparatus as apparatus for realizing the above method comprising a brain-wave extracting device for extracting a power spectrum of a brain wave, a brain-wave spectrum integrating device for integrating the brain-wave power spectrum extracted by the brain-wave extracting device, an α-rhythm spectrum integrating device for integrating an α-rhythm spectrum representing mental concentration power, and a mental-concentration calculating device for calculating the ratio of the integrated value obtained with the α-rhythm spectrum integrating device and the integrated value obtained with the brain-wave spectrum integrating device.

Inventors

  • 👤 Toshiyuki Sato
  • 👤 George Sakamoto
  • 👤 Hirotoki Kawasaki
  • 👤 Morikuni Takigawa

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 07:54
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/24; A61B5/316; A61B5/369; A61B5/372; A61B5/374; A61B5/72; A61B5/7235; A61B5/7242

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 72 words
A method for measuring mental concentration of the brain, the method comprising the steps of: detecting a brain wave signal from the brain; forming a power spectrum from said brain wave signal; integrating said power spectrum to determine total brain-wave power; integrating an α-rhythm portion of said power spectrum to determine an α-rhythm power; representing and indicating mental concentration by a ratio of said α-rhythm power to said total brain wave power.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 72 words
A method for measuring mental concentration of the brain, the method comprising the steps of: detecting a brain wave signal from the brain; forming a power spectrum from said brain wave signal; integrating said power spectrum to determine total brain-wave power; integrating an α-rhythm portion of said power spectrum to determine an α-rhythm power; representing and indicating mental concentration by a ratio of said α-rhythm power to said total brain wave power.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 41 words
A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said total brain-wave power is determined by integrating said power spectrum from 0.5 Hertz to 30.5 Hertz; said α-rhythm power is determined by integrating said power spectrum from 7.5 Hertz to 13.5 Hertz.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 29 words
A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said forming of said power spectrum is by extracting signal components from a plurality of frequency segments of said brain wave.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 24 words
A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein: said frequency segments are substantially 1 Hertz wide and extend from 0.5 Hertz to 30.5 Hertz.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 100 words
An apparatus for measuring mental concentration of the brain, the apparatus comprising: brain wave extracting means for extracting a brain wave signal from the brain and for forming a power spectrum from said brain wave signal; integrating means for integrating said power spectrum to determine total brain-wave power and for integrating an α-rhythm portion of said power spectrum to determine an α-rhythm power; calculation means for calculating a ratio of said α-rhythm power to said total brain wave power; display means for representing and indicating mental concentration by said ratio of said α-rhythm power to said total brain wave power.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 100 words
An apparatus for measuring mental concentration of the brain, the apparatus comprising: brain wave extracting means for extracting a brain wave signal from the brain and for forming a power spectrum from said brain wave signal; integrating means for integrating said power spectrum to determine total brain-wave power and for integrating an α-rhythm portion of said power spectrum to determine an α-rhythm power; calculation means for calculating a ratio of said α-rhythm power to said total brain wave power; display means for representing and indicating mental concentration by said ratio of said α-rhythm power to said total brain wave power.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 34 words
A device in accordance with claim 7, wherein: said brain wave extracting means also separates said brain wave signal into a plurality of segments and determines a power spectrum for each of said segments.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4228807A Cited
US4955388A Cited
US4800895A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1998-10-23 1999-04-24 1999-10-24 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2002-10-23 2003-04-24 2003-10-24 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2006-10-23 2007-04-24 2007-10-24 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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