Wearable head devices, EEG signal detection methods, devices and storage media

Abstract

This application discloses a wearable headgear, a method, apparatus, and storage medium for detecting electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. The wearable headgear includes a flexible device and a processing device. The flexible device can contact the head of a target user whose EEG signals are to be collected. The flexible device has multiple conductive electrodes, including a ground electrode and multiple sets of sensing electrodes. Each set of sensing electrodes includes at least two adjacent sensing electrodes, one of which serves as a reference electrode, and the others as acquisition electrodes. The processing device is used to apply voltages to the acquisition electrodes and the reference electrodes respectively and obtain the voltage difference. By using an adjacent reference electrode and at least one acquisition electrode to form each set of sensing electrodes, this application can reduce interference from other physiological electrical signals on the detection of EEG signals caused by the large distance between the acquisition electrodes and the reference electrodes, making the acquired EEG signals more effective.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of signal processing, and in particular to a head-worn device, a method, apparatus, and storage medium for detecting electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. Background Technology

[0002] Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals are a fundamental physiological signal in the human body, possessing significant clinical diagnostic and medical value. Furthermore, EEG signals enable information exchange between the brain and devices, thereby enhancing human-computer interaction and enriching daily life.

[0003] Traditional methods involve acquiring EEG signals using an EEG cap, but this requires the use of conductive gel between the electrodes and the skin to ensure contact stability, lacking portability and wearing comfort. Recent studies have demonstrated that effective EEG signals can also be obtained by directly contacting the electrodes with the surface of the head. However, this method still has limitations. For example, it is susceptible to signal interference. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a wearable headgear, a method, apparatus, and storage medium for detecting electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, which can effectively acquire EEG signals. The technical solution is as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, a wearable head-mounted device is provided, comprising a flexible device and a processing device. The flexible device has a plurality of conductive electrodes electrically connected to the processing device, the conductive electrodes being distributed within the flexible device and arranged in a ring. The plurality of conductive electrodes includes a ground electrode and a plurality of sensing electrode groups, each sensing electrode group including at least two adjacent sensing electrodes, one of which serves as a reference electrode, and the others as acquisition electrodes. The processing device is used to apply voltages to the acquisition electrodes and the reference electrode, respectively, and to acquire the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals of a target user based on the acquisition electrodes and the reference electrodes within the same sensing electrode group.

[0006] The surface material of this flexible device can be a relatively soft material such as fabric or leather. The conductive electrodes on the surface of this flexible device are dry electrodes, which are electrodes that can directly contact the skin without the need to apply conductive gel between the electrode and the skin.

[0007] Because the surface material of the flexible device in this wearable headpiece is relatively soft, and the conductive electrodes on the surface of the flexible device can directly contact the skin, it can provide the target user with a comfortable and convenient wearing experience. Furthermore, since each sensing electrode group of this flexible device includes at least two adjacent sensing electrodes, one of which serves as a reference electrode and the others as acquisition electrodes, each sensing electrode group includes one reference electrode and at least one acquisition electrode. Moreover, the distance between the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode within the same sensing electrode group is relatively close. Therefore, when determining the target user's EEG signal through the reference electrode and acquisition electrode in these sensing electrode groups, the acquisition electrode in each sensing electrode group uses its own corresponding reference electrode, rather than all acquisition electrodes in these sensing electrode groups sharing the same acquisition electrode. This reduces interference from physiological electrical signals or motion artifacts from other parts of the head or other body parts caused by the greater distance between the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode, making the acquired EEG signal more effective.

[0008] Optionally, the inductive electrode group used to determine the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal may be a portion of a plurality of inductive electrode groups.

[0009] Since the EEG signals of the target user are collected by a portion of the multiple sensing electrode groups during actual EEG signal detection, the processing device only needs to process a limited number of signals instead of all of them, which reduces the system complexity and makes the processing faster.

[0010] Optionally, the angle information of the flexible device corresponds to the inductive electrode group used to determine the EEG signal, and the inductive electrode group used to determine the EEG signal is different when the angle of the flexible device is different.

[0011] Because only certain locations on a user's head can acquire valid EEG signals, not all locations, only some of the multiple electrode groups in a flexible device may be able to collect valid EEG signals. However, the angle of the flexible device is not fixed in practice; for example, it varies depending on how the device is worn. If some of the electrode groups are fixed for determining EEG signals, valid EEG signals may not be acquired at certain angles. Therefore, by establishing a correspondence between the angle of the flexible device and the electrode groups used to determine EEG signals, different electrode groups can be selected to collect EEG signals at different angles, ensuring that valid EEG signals can be obtained using a limited number of electrode groups at various angles.

[0012] Optionally, the conductive electrode has an elongated strip structure, and the long side of the conductive electrode is distributed circumferentially along the aforementioned ring.

[0013] By using the above distribution method, the radial distribution area of ​​the conductive electrodes along the ring can be reduced, avoiding the conductive electrodes being distributed in areas with large deformation near the center of the flexible device, which would cause their contact resistance with the skin to be affected by the bending or stretching of the flexible device. It also ensures that the conductive electrodes can fully contact the target user's skin under different wearing tightness of the headwear device, minimizing the change in contact resistance between the conductive electrodes and the skin with the wearing tightness.

[0014] Optionally, the conductive electrode includes a site electrode located on the surface of the flexible device and a thin film electrode located inside the flexible device, with the site electrode and the thin film electrode connected by conductive adhesive.

[0015] Since the conductive electrode is composed of a site electrode and a thin film electrode, that is, the conductive electrode is composed of two electrode layers, it can also be called a composite layer conductive electrode.

[0016] Because the site electrodes are located on the surface of a relatively soft and flexible device, they can provide a comfortable wearing experience for the target user when collecting the target user's EEG signals.

[0017] Optionally, the thin-film electrode has a stretchable structure.

[0018] This stretchable structure enables the thin-film electrode to achieve ultra-high electrical performance while also possessing excellent mechanical strength and sufficient flexibility. In other words, it allows the thin-film electrode to have a certain degree of stretchability without significant change in resistance.

[0019] Because the flexible device inevitably experiences bending or stretching when worn by the target user, the site electrodes, when printed onto the surface of the flexible device, are not a continuous conductive material but rather individual conductive particles. When the site electrodes are subjected to contact forces and bent or stretched, these conductive particles separate to some extent. Therefore, by placing a thin-film electrode with a stretchable structure below and connecting it to the site electrode to form a composite conductive electrode, the resistance of the composite conductive electrode can be prevented from constantly changing with the bending or stretching of the flexible device, thus enabling more stable acquisition of EEG signals.

[0020] Optionally, the thin-film electrode includes a flexible thin-film substrate and a metal coating on the surface of the flexible thin-film substrate.

[0021] Optionally, the head-wearing device is a headset, the flexible device is an earpiece, and the head-wearing device also includes a connector having a symmetrical first connecting end and a second connecting end, each of which is connected to a flexible device.

[0022] Secondly, a method for detecting electroencephalogram (EEG) signals based on the aforementioned head-worn device is provided, applied to the aforementioned processing apparatus. The method includes: applying voltages to a acquisition electrode and a reference electrode respectively, and acquiring the voltage difference between the contact voltages of the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode in the same sensing electrode group and the target user's head. The target user's EEG signal is then determined based on this voltage difference.

[0023] Optionally, applying voltage to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode respectively includes: selecting a portion of the multiple induction electrode groups as the target induction electrode group, and applying voltage to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode in the target induction electrode group.

[0024] Since not all areas of the human head can effectively acquire EEG signals, it is only necessary to apply voltage to the induction electrode group located in the head area where effective EEG signals can be acquired to collect EEG signals. In this way, only a limited number of signals can be processed each time EEG signal is detected, instead of processing all signals, which reduces the complexity of the system and makes the signal processing process faster.

[0025] Optionally, selecting a portion of the aforementioned multiple sensing electrode groups as target sensing electrode groups includes: determining the angle of the flexible device, and based on the angle of the flexible device, determining the target sensing electrode group from a target correspondence relationship. This target correspondence relationship is used to record the correspondence between the angle information of the flexible device and the sensing electrode group used to determine the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal, and the sensing electrode group used to determine the EEG signal differs depending on the angle of the flexible device.

[0026] In practical applications, the angle of the flexible device may shift, and only certain areas of the head can effectively acquire EEG signals. If a fixed set of inductive electrodes is used as the target set for determining EEG signals, the target set will shift from the effective area of ​​the head where EEG signals can be acquired. Therefore, by determining the correspondence between different angles and inductive electrode sets located in the effective area of ​​the head, different sets of inductive electrodes can be selected at different angles to collect EEG signals. In this way, effective EEG signals can be acquired with a limited number of inductive electrode sets at different angles.

[0027] Optionally, before applying voltage to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode, the method further includes performing the step of applying voltage to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode while the target user is wearing the flexible device.

[0028] The step of applying voltage to the acquisition and reference electrodes is only performed when the target user wears the flexible device, thus avoiding the waste of electricity and the ineffective consumption of system resources.

[0029] Thirdly, an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal detection device is provided, which has the function of implementing the EEG signal detection method described in the second aspect above. The EEG signal detection device includes at least one module for implementing the EEG signal detection method provided in the second aspect above.

[0030] Fourthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal detection method described in the second aspect above.

[0031] Fifthly, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal detection method of the second aspect described above. Alternatively, a computer program is provided that, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of the EEG signal detection method of the second aspect described above.

[0032] The technical effects achieved by the third, fourth, and fifth aspects mentioned above are similar to those achieved by the corresponding technical means in the second aspect, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a head-wearing device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a headset provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the location of the head region corresponding to a sensing electrode assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a smart eye mask provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the location of the head region corresponding to another sensing electrode group provided in this application embodiment;

[0038] Figure 6 These are schematic diagrams illustrating three different positions of conductive electrodes provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0039] Figure 7 This is under the same wearing tightness provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the contact resistance between the conductive electrodes and the skin in three different distribution configurations.

[0040] Figure 8 These are the three different wearing tightness levels provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the contact resistance between the conductive electrodes and the skin in three different distribution configurations.

[0041] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a conductive electrode provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a stretchable structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 11 This is a line graph showing the resistance changes of two different conductive electrodes under different bending and stretching cycles provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0044] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wearable medical monitor provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 13 This is a flowchart of an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal detection method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram showing the positional distribution of conductive electrodes in a headset according to an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 15 These are schematic diagrams showing the positions of the target sensing electrode group under three different conditions provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0048] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electroencephalogram (EEG) detection device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0049] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the implementation methods of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] Before providing a detailed explanation of the head-wearable device and EEG signal detection method provided in the embodiments of this application, the application scenarios involved in the embodiments of this application will be introduced first.

[0051] Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals are a fundamental physiological signal in the human body, possessing significant clinical diagnostic and medical value. Furthermore, EEG signals enable information exchange between the brain and devices; by detecting changes in EEG signals, the body can reflect external stimuli received by its senses, thereby enhancing human-computer interaction and enriching daily life. Using the wearable head device and corresponding EEG signal detection method provided in this application, effective EEG signals can be acquired for future applications while ensuring comfort and convenience. Several application scenarios for this wearable head device and EEG signal detection method will be introduced below.

[0052] Scenario 1: For patients with intact brain function but neuromuscular damage, the head-worn device provided in this application can acquire their electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, thereby enabling communication and control between the brain and the external environment. For example, patients can use their thoughts to control the switching on and off of lights, answer telephone calls, and control electric wheelchairs. This technology expands the patient's range of activities and has a positive effect on their rehabilitation training.

[0053] Scene 2: EEG Figure 1 It has been widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases, such as epilepsy and disorders of consciousness. Using the head-worn device provided in this application embodiment, EEG signals can be conveniently acquired, providing patients with a comfortable diagnostic and treatment experience. Furthermore, the EEG signal detection method provided in this application embodiment can acquire EEG signals more effectively, helping doctors arrive at more accurate diagnoses.

[0054] Scenario 3: For some games, the brainwave signals of gamers can be acquired through the head-worn device provided in this application embodiment. These brainwave signals can then be used to control virtual items or objects in the game, meaning the virtual items or objects can be controlled directly through the player's thoughts. Such games can provide players with more novel experiences, allowing them to enjoy a rich and varied gaming experience while also exercising their brains and reaction abilities.

[0055] It should be noted that the application scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, as the application scenarios evolve, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0056] The head-wearing device provided in the embodiments of this application will now be explained in detail.

[0057] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of a wearable head device according to an embodiment of this application. The wearable head device includes a flexible device 1 and a processing device 2. The flexible device 1 has multiple conductive electrodes 11 electrically connected to the processing device 2. The multiple conductive electrodes 11 are distributed in the flexible device and arranged in a ring. The multiple conductive electrodes 11 include a ground electrode and multiple sensing electrode groups. Each sensing electrode group includes at least two sensing electrodes that are adjacent to each other. One of the at least two sensing electrodes serves as a reference electrode, and the others serve as acquisition electrodes. The processing device 2 is used to apply voltages to the acquisition electrodes and the reference electrodes, respectively, and to acquire the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals of the target user based on the acquisition electrodes and the reference electrodes in the same sensing electrode group.

[0058] Because this wearable headgear comes into direct contact with the target user's skin through a flexible device, and the surface material of this flexible device is relatively soft, it provides the target user with a comfortable and convenient wearing experience. Furthermore, each sensing electrode group of this flexible device includes at least two adjacent sensing electrodes, one of which serves as a reference electrode, and the others as acquisition electrodes. That is, each sensing electrode group includes one reference electrode and at least one acquisition electrode, and the distance between the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode within the same sensing electrode group is relatively close. Therefore, when determining the target user's EEG signal through the reference electrode and acquisition electrode in these sensing electrode groups, the acquisition electrode in each sensing electrode group uses its own corresponding reference electrode, rather than all acquisition electrodes in these sensing electrode groups sharing the same acquisition electrode. This reduces interference from physiological electrical signals or motion artifacts from other parts of the head or other body parts caused by a greater distance between the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode, making the acquired EEG signal more effective.

[0059] The number and shape of the flexible devices 1 included in the wearable head device can be adjusted according to the shape and application scenario of the wearable head device, and this application embodiment does not limit this. The surface material of the flexible device 1 can be a relatively soft material such as fabric or leather. The conductive electrodes 11 on the surface of the flexible device 1 are dry electrodes, which are electrodes that can directly contact the skin without the need to apply conductive gel between the electrode and the skin. Among them, the conductive electrodes 11 on the surface of the flexible device 1 can have different names according to their functions, that is, conductive electrodes with grounding function are called grounding electrodes, and conductive electrodes with sensing signal function are called sensing electrodes.

[0060] The processing device 2 can be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a microprocessor, or one or more integrated circuits for implementing the scheme of this application, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a combination thereof. The aforementioned PLD can be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof.

[0061] Based on the above description, each sensing electrode group includes at least two adjacent sensing electrodes; that is, each sensing electrode group includes two or more sensing electrodes. When each sensing electrode group includes two adjacent sensing electrodes, one of these two sensing electrodes serves as a reference electrode, and the other serves as a sampling electrode. Thus, each pair of adjacent sensing electrodes forms a sensing electrode group, and one reference electrode corresponds to one sampling electrode. For example, the distribution of sampling electrodes and reference electrodes in these multiple sensing electrode groups could be: sampling electrode, reference electrode, sampling electrode, reference electrode, etc. When each sensing electrode group includes two or more adjacent sensing electrodes, one of these two or more sensing electrodes serves as a reference electrode, and the remaining sensing electrodes all serve as sampling electrodes. Thus, each pair of two or more adjacent sensing electrodes forms a sensing electrode group, and one reference electrode corresponds to at least one sampling electrode. For example, each sensing electrode group includes two sampling electrodes, and the distribution of sampling electrodes and reference electrodes in these multiple sensing electrode groups could be: sampling electrode, sampling electrode, reference electrode, sampling electrode, sampling electrode, reference electrode, etc.

[0062] It should be noted that the number of acquisition electrodes included in different sensing electrode groups can be the same or different. In other words, the number of sensing electrodes included in different sensing electrode groups can be the same or different. Furthermore, the roles of the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode in these multiple sensing electrode groups are not fixed; that is, for a single sensing electrode, it can serve as both an acquisition electrode and a reference electrode. This application does not limit this aspect in its embodiments.

[0063] Because a contact impedance is generated when the sensing electrode comes into contact with the skin, when a voltage is applied to the surface of the sensing electrode to form a circuit, the contact voltage between the acquisition electrode and the skin, as well as the contact voltage between the reference electrode and the skin, can be obtained. Therefore, when acquiring the EEG signal of a target user based on the acquisition electrode and reference electrode in the same sensing electrode group, the EEG signal can be determined by the voltage difference between these two contact voltages. Traditional EEG signal detection devices use only one conductive electrode as the reference electrode, which is shared by all acquisition electrodes; this method is called the monopolar lead method. Although the distribution of conductive electrodes in the monopolar lead method is simple, the distance between some acquisition electrodes and the reference electrode is relatively large, making it susceptible to interference from physiological electrical signals or motion artifacts generated by other parts of the head or other body parts when acquiring EEG signals. This is reflected in the fact that the voltage amplitude of the acquired EEG signal is basically outside the voltage range of the EEG signal. In the embodiments of this application, each sensing electrode group includes a reference electrode. The distance between the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode in the same sensing electrode group is relatively close. When acquiring EEG signals, the acquisition electrode in each sensing electrode group uses its corresponding reference electrode, which makes the voltage difference acquired by each sensing electrode group more stable, thereby reducing such interference and acquiring EEG signals more effectively.

[0064] In some embodiments, the sensing electrode group used to determine the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal is a portion of the aforementioned plurality of sensing electrode groups. That is, when detecting the EEG signal, the target user's EEG signal is acquired through a portion of the plurality of sensing electrode groups of the flexible device 1. In this case, the processing device 2 only needs to process a limited number of signals, rather than all signals, resulting in lower system complexity and faster processing. Of course, in practical applications, the target user's EEG signal can also be acquired through all sensing electrode groups; this embodiment does not limit this approach.

[0065] In some embodiments, the angle information of the flexible device 1 corresponds to the sensing electrode group used to determine the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal, and the sensing electrode group used to determine the EEG signal is different when the angle of the flexible device 1 is different.

[0066] Because only certain locations on a user's head can acquire valid EEG signals, not all locations, only some of the multiple electrode groups in the flexible device 1 may be able to collect valid EEG signals. However, in practical applications, the angle of the flexible device 1 is not necessarily fixed; for example, the angle of the flexible device 1 varies depending on how it is worn. If some of the aforementioned electrode groups are fixed as those used to determine EEG signals, valid EEG signals may not be acquired at certain angles. Therefore, this embodiment establishes a correspondence between the angle information of the flexible device 1 and the electrode groups used to determine EEG signals, thereby selecting different electrode groups to collect EEG signals at different angles of the flexible device 1, ensuring that valid EEG signals can be acquired using a limited number of electrode groups at different angles.

[0067] As an example, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the wearable headgear is a headset, and the flexible device is an earpiece. Taking the left earpiece as an example, the left earpiece has one ground electrode and six sets of sensing electrodes. The ground electrode is denoted as GND, and the six sets of sensing electrodes are denoted as C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, and C6, respectively. With the headset perpendicular to the user's head, experiments show that... Figure 2 The three electrode groups C2, C3, and C5 in the design can more effectively acquire EEG signals. In other words, the area around the target user's left ear corresponding to these three electrode groups can more effectively acquire EEG signals. However, when the angle of the flexible device changes, the electrode groups in contact with these three areas around the target user's left ear may shift, and experimental results show that this shift reduces the effectiveness of EEG signal acquisition. Therefore, by establishing a correspondence between the angle information of the flexible device and the electrode groups used to determine EEG signals, different electrode groups can be used to acquire EEG signals at different angles of the flexible device. This can, to some extent, compensate for the reduced effectiveness of EEG signal acquisition caused by angle shift.

[0068] As another example, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the wearable headgear is a smart goggles, and the flexible device is the goggles panel inside the main body of the goggles. Taking the right goggles panel as an example, the right goggles panel has one ground electrode and four sets of sensing electrodes. The ground electrode is denoted as GND, and the four sets of sensing electrodes are denoted as F1, F2, F3, and F4, respectively. Experiments show that when the smart goggles are worn in the center of the user's head, Figure 4The F2 and F3 electrode sets in the device can more effectively acquire EEG signals. Specifically, the area around the target user's right eye corresponding to these electrode sets can more effectively acquire EEG signals. However, when the angle of the flexible device changes, the electrode sets in contact with these two areas around the target user's right eye may shift, and experimental results show that this shift reduces the effectiveness of EEG signal acquisition. Therefore, by establishing a correspondence between the angle information of the flexible device and the electrode sets used to determine EEG signals, different electrode sets can be used to acquire EEG signals at different angles of the flexible device. This can, to some extent, compensate for the reduced effectiveness of EEG signal acquisition caused by angle shift.

[0069] In some embodiments, the wearable head device further includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following sensors: an accelerometer, a gravity sensor, an orientation sensor, and a rotation vector sensor. These sensors are used to sense the angle at which the target user wears the flexible device 1, so that the processing device 2 can select the corresponding set of sensing electrodes to collect EEG signals, thereby achieving automatic switching of the sensing electrode sets used for collecting EEG signals at different angles.

[0070] Based on the above description, conductive electrode 11 is a dry electrode. The conductive electrodes involved in the embodiments of this application will be introduced next.

[0071] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the conductive electrode 11 has an elongated strip structure, and its long side is distributed circumferentially along a ring. This distribution reduces the radial distribution area of ​​the conductive electrode along the ring, avoiding the influence of bending or stretching of the flexible device on the contact resistance between the conductive electrode and the skin due to the larger deformation area near the center of the flexible device. Furthermore, it ensures that the conductive electrode can maintain full contact with the target user's skin under different wearing tightness levels of the headwear device, minimizing the change in contact resistance between the conductive electrode and the skin with varying wearing tightness.

[0072] For example, Figure 6 Three different arrangements of conductive electrodes are shown. Figure 6 The left figure is a schematic diagram of the long side of the elongated conductive electrode structure distributed along the circumferential ring, denoted as distribution mode 1; Figure 6 The middle image is a schematic diagram of the distribution of the circular conductive electrodes on the surface of the flexible device, denoted as distribution mode 2; Figure 6 The right figure is a schematic diagram of the short side of the elongated conductive electrode distributed in a ring-shaped circumferential direction. This distribution method is also called the radial distribution method, denoted as distribution method 3.

[0073] Figure 7 This demonstrates that under a certain degree of tightness, Figure 6 The diagram shows the contact impedance between the conductive electrodes and the skin under three different electrode distribution configurations. (The text is incomplete and requires further context.) Figure 7 It can be seen that, under the same tightness, Figure 6 The conductive electrode exhibits the lowest contact resistance with the skin under distribution mode 1, while the contact resistance is relatively high under distribution modes 2 and 3. This is because, compared to distribution modes 2 and 3, distribution mode 1 reduces the radial distribution area of ​​the conductive electrode along the annular shape of the flexible device, and also reduces the distribution area of ​​the conductive electrode in the area of ​​greater deformation near the center of the flexible device, thus avoiding the influence of bending or stretching of the flexible device on the contact resistance between the conductive electrode and the skin.

[0074] Figure 8 The demonstration showed three different levels of tightness when worn. Figure 6 The diagram shows the contact impedance between the conductive electrodes and the skin under three different electrode distribution configurations. (The text is incomplete and requires further context.) Figure 8 It can be seen that under different wearing tightness, the contact resistance between the conductive electrode and the skin is the smallest under distribution mode 1. This is because, compared with distribution mode 2 and distribution mode 3, distribution mode 1 allows the conductive electrode to make full contact with the user's skin under different wearing tightness, thereby maintaining the stability of the contact resistance.

[0075] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 9 The conductive electrode 11 includes a site electrode 111 located on the surface of the flexible device 1 and a thin film electrode 112 located inside the flexible device 1. The site electrode 111 and the thin film electrode 112 are connected by a conductive adhesive 113.

[0076] Since the conductive electrode 11 is composed of a site electrode 111 and a thin film electrode 112, that is, the conductive electrode 11 is composed of two electrode layers, the conductive electrode 11 can also be called a composite layer conductive electrode.

[0077] The site electrode 111 on the surface of the flexible device 1 is for direct contact with the skin of the target user. This site electrode 111 can be a printed electrode on the surface of the flexible device 1. By printing the site electrode 111 on the relatively soft surface of the flexible device 1, it is possible to collect the target user's electroencephalogram (EEG) signals while providing a comfortable wearing experience. Of course, in practical applications, under the condition of meeting certain wearing comfort requirements, the site electrode can also be disposed on the surface of the flexible device 1 in other ways; this embodiment does not limit this.

[0078] The thin-film electrode 112 inside the flexible device 1 serves as a conductive circuit, enabling signal transmission between the site electrode 111 and the processing device 2. The conductive adhesive 113 between the site electrode 111 and the thin-film electrode 112 is made of a special conductive polymer or antimony tin oxide, has low resistance, and serves as a conductive path between the site electrode 111 and the thin-film electrode 112.

[0079] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 10 The thin-film electrode 112 has a stretchable structure. In this way, while achieving ultra-high electrical performance, it also has excellent mechanical strength and sufficient flexibility, so that the thin-film electrode 112 has a certain degree of stretchability and the resistance does not change significantly.

[0080] The stretchable structure can be a wave-shaped structure, a serpentine structure, or other structures with high ductility; the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0081] When users wear head-worn devices, the flexible device inevitably experiences bending or stretching. When the site electrodes are printed onto the surface of the flexible device, the electrodes themselves are not a continuous conductive material but rather individual conductive particles. When the site electrodes are subjected to contact forces and bent or stretched, these internal conductive particles may separate to some extent. Therefore, by placing a thin-film electrode below and connecting it to the site electrode to form a composite conductive electrode, the resistance of the composite conductive electrode can be prevented from constantly changing with the bending or stretching of the flexible device, thus enabling more stable acquisition of EEG signals.

[0082] For example, Figure 11 The left and right figures show the resistance changes of two different conductive electrodes under different bending and stretching cycles. These electrodes are a conductive electrode formed by printing silver paste onto the surface of a flexible device made of leather (also known as a leather-printed silver paste conductive electrode), and a composite layer conductive electrode with a stretchable structure. Figure 11 As can be seen, the resistance of the conductive electrode formed by printing silver paste on the surface of the flexible device made of leather increases rapidly after more than 100 bending or stretching cycles. In contrast, the resistance of the composite layer conductive electrode with a stretchable structure remains relatively low even after 10,000 bending or stretching cycles, almost unchanged compared to the initial state before bending or stretching. Therefore, it can be concluded that using a composite layer conductive electrode with a stretchable structure, compared to electrodes simply printed on the surface of materials such as fabric or leather, can maintain the stability of the conductive electrode resistance under bending or stretching conditions, thus preserving good conductivity.

[0083] In some embodiments, the thin-film electrode 112 includes a flexible thin-film substrate and a metal coating on the surface of the flexible thin-film substrate.

[0084] The flexible thin film substrate can be made of thermoplastic polyester, polyimide, or other materials, and the metal coating on the surface can be made of gold, silver, copper, or other materials. In this application, the materials of the flexible thin film substrate and the metal coating on the substrate surface are not limited.

[0085] In some embodiments, the head-wearing device further includes a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor is used to sense whether the target user is wearing the flexible device, and the processing unit 2 in the head-wearing device uses this to determine whether to apply voltage to the acquisition electrodes and reference electrodes and detect electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. The proximity sensor includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: a magnetic proximity sensor, a capacitive sensor, or a photoelectric sensor. Of course, in practical applications, the proximity sensor can be of other types, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0086] In this application embodiment, the head-wearing device can be a headset, or it can be a smart eye mask, smart glasses, wearable medical monitor, AR device, VR device, head-wearing hat, etc. This application embodiment does not limit the form of the head-wearing device.

[0087] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 The wearable headgear is a headset, and the flexible device 1 is an earpiece. The wearable headgear also includes a connector 3, which has a symmetrical first connecting end and a second connecting end. Each of the first connecting end and the second connecting end is connected to a flexible device 1. That is to say, the headset includes two flexible devices 1, namely the left and right earpieces.

[0088] The left and right earcups of this headset share a single grounding electrode, meaning that the flexible device 1 of the headset has only one grounding electrode, which can be located in either the left or right earcup. In addition to the grounding electrode, the two earcups also contain the aforementioned sensing electrode groups. The number of sensing electrode groups in the two earcups can be the same or different, and the number of collecting electrodes in each sensing electrode group can also be the same or different. In other words, the number of conductive electrodes in the two earcups can be the same or different; this embodiment does not limit this. Of course, in practical applications, the left and right earcups can also have their own independent grounding electrodes; this embodiment does not limit this either.

[0089] In other embodiments, please refer to Figure 4The wearable headgear is a smart goggles. The flexible device 1 is the goggles panel inside the main body of the smart goggles. The wearable headgear also includes a connector 3, which has a symmetrical first connecting end and a second connecting end. The first connecting end and the second connecting end are respectively connected to the left and right sides of the flexible device 1. In other words, the smart goggles include two flexible devices 1, which are the left and right goggles.

[0090] The left and right eye mask panels of this smart eye mask share a single grounding electrode. This means that the flexible device 1 of the smart eye mask has only one grounding electrode, which can be located in either the left or right eye mask panel. In addition to the grounding electrode, the two eye mask panels also have the aforementioned sensing electrode groups. The number of sensing electrode groups in the two eye mask panels can be the same or different, and the number of collecting electrodes in each sensing electrode group can also be the same or different. In other words, the number of conductive electrodes in the two eye mask panels can be the same or different; this embodiment does not limit this. Of course, in practical applications, the left and right earpieces can also have their own independent grounding electrodes; this embodiment does not limit this either.

[0091] In other embodiments, please refer to Figure 12 The head-mounted device is a wearable medical monitor, and the flexible device 1 is a headband (shown by dashed lines) inside the main body of the wearable medical monitor. Optionally, the head-mounted device also includes a connector 3, which has a symmetrical first connecting end and a second connecting end, and the first connecting end and the second connecting end are respectively connected to the left and right sides of the flexible device 1.

[0092] In this embodiment, since the conductive electrodes in the flexible device are dry electrodes that can directly contact the target user's skin, it is not necessary to apply conductive gel between the target user's skin and the conductive electrodes when detecting EEG signals. This reduces the cumbersome step of applying conductive gel, making the EEG signal detection process more convenient and improving the user's comfort during EEG signal detection. Furthermore, the distribution of the conductive electrodes in the flexible device is not the unipolar lead distribution found in traditional EEG signal detection devices. Instead, each sensing electrode group consists of an adjacent reference electrode and at least one acquisition electrode. This distribution avoids the interference caused by physiological electrical signals or motion artifacts from other parts of the head or body, which can occur in unipolar lead distributions where the distance between some acquisition electrodes and the reference electrode is too large. This results in a more stable voltage difference for each sensing electrode group, leading to more effective acquisition of EEG signals.

[0093] Furthermore, only a portion of the sensing electrode array is used to determine the EEG signals. Through the coordinated processing of appropriate sensors and processing devices, sufficient and effective EEG signals can be acquired from a limited number of sensing electrode arrays at different angles of the flexible device. This allows the processing device to process only a limited number of signals, rather than all of them, resulting in lower system complexity and faster processing. Simultaneously, the conductive electrodes of the flexible device have an elongated structure, with their long sides distributed circumferentially along a ring. This distribution reduces the radial distribution area of ​​the conductive electrodes along the ring, avoiding the impact of bending or stretching on the skin caused by the larger deformation area near the center of the flexible device. It also ensures that all conductive electrodes make full contact with the target user's skin, minimizing changes in contact impedance with varying wearing tightness.

[0094] Furthermore, the flexible device features a composite conductive electrode composed of site electrodes and thin-film electrodes. The site electrodes are printed on the relatively soft surface of the flexible device, providing a comfortable wearing experience when acquiring the target user's EEG signals. The thin-film electrodes are located inside the flexible device; these stretchable electrodes possess a certain degree of flexibility without significant changes in resistance. When the site electrodes are printed onto the surface of the flexible device, they are essentially individual conductive particles. When the site electrodes are bent or stretched, these internal conductive particles separate to some extent. Therefore, by placing the thin-film electrodes below and connecting them to the site electrodes to form a composite conductive electrode, the resistance of the composite conductive electrode remains stable even when the flexible device is bent or stretched while the target user is wearing the head-worn device, thus enabling more stable acquisition of EEG signals.

[0095] The electroencephalogram (EEG) detection method provided in the embodiments of this application will now be explained in detail.

[0096] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for detecting electroencephalogram (EEG) signals based on the aforementioned head-worn device, as provided in an embodiment of this application. This method is applied to the aforementioned processing apparatus. Please refer to... Figure 13 The method includes the following steps.

[0097] Step 1301: Apply voltage to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode respectively.

[0098] Based on the above description, if the sensing electrode group used to determine the EEG signal is a partial sensing electrode group among multiple sensing electrode groups, then step 1301 may include the following steps (1)-(2).

[0099] (1) Select a portion of the multiple sensing electrode groups as the target sensing electrode group.

[0100] In some embodiments, the angle of the flexible device is determined; based on the angle of the flexible device, a target sensing electrode group is determined from a target correspondence relationship. The target correspondence relationship records the correspondence between the angle information of the flexible device and the sensing electrode group used to determine the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal. The sensing electrode group used to determine the EEG signal differs depending on the angle of the flexible device. That is, the angle of the flexible device at the current moment is determined, and based on the angle of the flexible device at the current moment, the corresponding sensing electrode group is determined from the target correspondence relationship. The determined sensing electrode group is then used as the target sensing electrode group, i.e., the sensing electrode group used to determine the EEG signal at the current moment.

[0101] The angle of the aforementioned flexible device can be determined using at least one of the following sensors: an acceleration sensor, a gravity sensor, an orientation sensor, or a rotation vector sensor. These sensors can convert physical characteristics such as acceleration during the movement of the flexible device into signals, thereby detecting changes in the angle of the flexible device. Of course, in practical applications, other types of sensors can also be used to determine the angle of the flexible device, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0102] The aforementioned target correspondence can be obtained as follows: For the target angle among multiple angles of the flexible device, when multiple test users wear the head-worn device according to the target angle, the brain evoked signals of each of the multiple test users are obtained through the first sensing electrode group among multiple sensing electrode groups, resulting in multiple brain evoked signals; based on these multiple brain evoked signals, the EEG acquisition probability, evoked success probability, mean correlation coefficient, and standard deviation of the correlation coefficient corresponding to the first sensing electrode group are determined; the first sensing electrode group is any one of the multiple sensing electrode groups. After determining the EEG acquisition probability, evoked success probability, mean correlation coefficient, and standard deviation of the correlation coefficient corresponding to the other sensing electrode groups in the multiple sensing electrode groups in the same way as above, the sensing electrode groups with the corresponding EEG acquisition probability greater than the first probability threshold, evoked success probability greater than the second probability threshold, mean correlation coefficient greater than the first coefficient threshold, and standard deviation of the correlation coefficient less than the second threshold are selected from the multiple sensing electrode groups, and the selected sensing electrode groups are determined as the sensing electrode groups used to acquire EEG signals at the target angle. The target angle is any one of the multiple angles. After determining the induction electrode groups used to acquire EEG signals at other angles in the same way as above, the induction electrode groups used to acquire EEG signals at each of the multiple angles can be obtained, i.e., the target correspondence.

[0103] In some embodiments, the number of brain evoked signals whose voltage amplitude is within the voltage amplitude range of the EEG signal among the plurality of brain evoked signals is determined to obtain a first number; the ratio between the first number and the total number of the plurality of brain evoked signals is determined as the EEG acquisition probability corresponding to the first sensing electrode group; the number of brain evoked signals whose voltage amplitude is within the voltage amplitude range of the EEG signal and has a p300 wave among the plurality of brain evoked signals is determined to obtain a second number; the ratio between the second number and the total number of the plurality of brain evoked signals is determined as the evoked success probability corresponding to the first sensing electrode group; based on the brain evoked signals whose voltage amplitude is within the voltage amplitude range of the EEG signal and has a p300 wave among the plurality of brain evoked signals, the mean and standard deviation of the correlation coefficient corresponding to the first sensing electrode group are determined by the Pearson correlation algorithm.

[0104] The multiple test users are randomly selected, and the number of multiple test users can be sufficient. This application embodiment does not limit the number of multiple test users.

[0105] The aforementioned brain-evoked signals were detected and recorded during EEG signal induction in these subjects. Since the voltage amplitude of EEG signals is very small and has a certain range, it is necessary to determine whether the voltage amplitude of the acquired brain-evoked signals falls within this range. If the voltage amplitude of a brain-evoked signal falls within this range, it indicates that the brain-evoked signal is likely an EEG signal. If the voltage amplitude of the brain-evoked signal does not fall within this range, it indicates that the brain-evoked signal is not an EEG signal but may be interference from other physiological signals.

[0106] Furthermore, when EEG signals are evoked in test subjects, the subject's brain generates an evoked signal called an event-related potential (ERP) in response to external stimuli. This EEP has a specific waveform and potential distribution, one of which is a positive wave, called the p300 wave, that appears 300 ms after the stimulus. Here, "P" stands for "Positive," representing the waveform direction. Therefore, it is necessary to detect the p300 wave in the acquired brain evoked signals. If the voltage amplitude of a brain evoked signal is within the voltage amplitude range of the EEG signal and possesses a p300 wave, it indicates that the brain evoked signal has been successfully evoked and is indeed an EEG signal. In other words, simply checking whether the voltage amplitude of a brain evoked signal is within the voltage amplitude range of the EEG signal is not sufficient to definitively determine if it is an EEG signal; the presence of a p300 wave is also required to confirm its identity.

[0107] When determining the mean and standard deviation of the correlation coefficients corresponding to the first sensing electrode group using the Pearson correlation algorithm, brain-evoked signals with voltage amplitudes within the voltage amplitude range of EEG signals and exhibiting p300 waves can be referred to as multiple EEG signals. The waveforms of these multiple EEG signals are then subjected to Pearson correlation calculations with a calibration waveform to obtain the correlation coefficient for each EEG signal. This calibration waveform is the waveform obtained by a standard EEG signal detection medical device detecting EEG signals in the head region where the first sensing electrode group is located. The mean of the correlation coefficients corresponding to the multiple EEG signals is then averaged to obtain the mean of the correlation coefficients corresponding to the first sensing electrode group, and this mean is used to determine the standard deviation of the correlation coefficients corresponding to the first sensing electrode group.

[0108] The first probability threshold, second probability threshold, first coefficient threshold, and second coefficient threshold are preset. These thresholds can be adjusted as needed under different circumstances, and this application does not limit this adjustment. The above method selects the sensing electrode group using these thresholds. In other embodiments, for a given sensing electrode group, a higher probability of EEG acquisition, a higher probability of successful induction, a higher mean correlation coefficient, and a smaller standard deviation of the correlation coefficient indicate that the head region where the sensing electrode group is located can more effectively acquire EEG signals. In this case, the sensing electrode group can be determined as the sensing electrode group used to acquire EEG signals at the target angle. In this case, the sensing electrode group can be selected based on the EEG acquisition probability, successful induction probability, mean correlation coefficient, and standard deviation of the correlation coefficient corresponding to each sensing electrode group.

[0109] The following two examples illustrate how to select the inductive electrode group used to determine EEG signals at a certain angle in a flexible device.

[0110] Example 1: Please refer to Figure 2 Assuming the wearable device is a headset and the flexible device is an earpiece, the left earpiece of the headset has one ground electrode and six sets of sensing electrodes. The ground electrode is denoted as GND, and the six sets of sensing electrodes are denoted as C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, and C6. The locations of these six sets of sensing electrodes in the head area can be referenced. Figure 3The right earpiece has six electrode groups symmetrically positioned to the left earpiece, designated C7, C8, C9, C10, C11, and C12. Fifty randomly selected participants, with the headphones positioned perpendicular to their heads, determined the EEG acquisition probability, successful induction probability, mean correlation coefficient, and standard deviation of the correlation coefficient for each electrode group using the method described above. Table 1 below shows the EEG acquisition probability, successful induction probability, mean correlation coefficient, and standard deviation of the correlation coefficient for each electrode group on the left earpiece. * in Table 1 indicates no brain-evoked signal was detected.

[0111] Table 1

[0112] Induction electrode group EEG acquisition probability Success rate of induction Mean correlation coefficient Correlation coefficient standard deviation C1 * * * * C2 28 / 50 13 / 50 0.8421 0.0473 C3 34 / 50 17 / 50 0.8597 0.0509 C4 26 / 50 11 / 50 0.7678 0.1262 C5 30 / 50 15 / 50 0.8585 0.0539 C6 20 / 50 1 / 50 0.9750 0

[0113] For each electrode group, a higher probability of EEG acquisition, a higher probability of successful induction, a higher mean correlation coefficient, and a smaller standard deviation of the correlation coefficient indicate that the head region where the electrode group is located can more effectively acquire EEG signals. Based on this theory, by comparing the data in Table 1, it can be concluded that, at the vertical angle, the head region where the three electrode groups C2, C3, and C5 in the left ear canal can more effectively acquire EEG signals. Similarly, the head region where the three electrode groups C8, C9, and C11 in the right ear canal can also more effectively acquire EEG signals. Therefore, the three electrode groups C2, C3, and C5 in the left ear canal and the three electrode groups C8, C9, and C11 in the right ear canal are identified as the electrode groups used for acquiring EEG signals at the vertical angle.

[0114] The head region where each set of sensing electrodes is located changes at different angles, but the effective head region for acquiring EEG signals remains constant. Therefore, at different angles of the flexible device, the sensing electrode sets located in the effective head region are used as the sensing electrode sets for acquiring EEG signals. The different angles of the flexible device and the sensing electrode sets used for acquiring EEG signals at each angle are then stored. In this way, effective EEG signals can be acquired using a limited number of sensing electrode sets at different angles of the flexible device, improving the effectiveness of EEG signal acquisition.

[0115] Assuming each sensing electrode group includes a reference electrode and a data acquisition electrode, please refer to... Figure 14Assume the left ear has ten conductive electrodes, with electrode 6 being the ground electrode, and the remaining electrodes 1-5 and 7-10 being inductive electrodes. The right ear shares a ground electrode with the left ear, therefore having only nine conductive electrodes, all of which are inductive electrodes. Electrodes 11-15 are symmetrically positioned with electrodes 1-5 on the left ear, and electrodes 16-19 are symmetrically positioned with electrodes 7-10 on the left ear. The correspondence between different angles of the flexible device and the inductive electrode groups used to determine EEG signals, determined using the above method, is shown in Table 2 below.

[0116] Table 2

[0117]

[0118] Example 2: Please refer to Figure 4 Assuming the wearable head device is a smart goggle, and the flexible device is the goggle panel inside the main body of the smart goggle, the right goggle panel has one ground electrode and four sets of sensing electrodes. The ground electrode is denoted as GND, and the four sets of sensing electrodes are denoted as F1, F2, F3, and F4. The positions of these four sets of sensing electrodes corresponding to the head area can be referenced. Figure 5 The left eye patch has four electrode groups symmetrically positioned to the right eye patch, designated F5, F6, F7, and F8. Fifty randomly selected subjects were tested. With the eye patch perpendicular to their heads, the probability of EEG acquisition, the probability of successful induction, the mean correlation coefficient, and the standard deviation of the correlation coefficient for each electrode group were determined using the method described above. The data determined that, at a vertical angle, electrode groups F2 and F3 in the right eye patch and electrode groups F6 and F7 in the left eye patch are the electrode groups used for acquiring EEG signals. The target correspondence can be determined in the same manner.

[0119] After determining the target electrode set for detecting EEG signals using the above method, if the target electrode set is not switched when the angle changes, some electrode sets will not be located in the area of ​​the head where EEG signals can be effectively acquired. Since only some electrode sets acquire signals when detecting the target user's EEG signals, while others remain inactive, some electrode sets in the target electrode set will not effectively acquire EEG signals, thus reducing the effectiveness of EEG signal acquisition. However, after obtaining the target correspondence as described above, switching the target electrode set at different angles of the flexible device and selecting different electrode sets to detect EEG signals can, to some extent, compensate for the reduced effectiveness of EEG signal acquisition caused by angle shifts, compared to using a fixed electrode set.

[0120] The following is further verification of the above conclusion:

[0121] Continuing with Example 1, please refer to... Figure 15 , Figure 15 The diagram shows the positions of the target sensing electrode assembly under three different conditions. Figure 15 The left figure is a schematic diagram of the position of the target sensing electrode group when the left ear is perpendicular to the head. At this time, the target sensing electrode group is located in the area of ​​the head where the electroencephalogram signal can be effectively acquired. This situation is referred to as situation 1. Figure 15 The middle diagram is a schematic diagram of the left ear auricle changing from being perpendicular to the head to being tilted forward, with the target sensing electrode group remaining unchanged. At this time, the position of the target sensing electrode group and the area of ​​the head where the EEG signal can be effectively acquired are shifted. This situation is referred to as situation 2. Figure 15 The right image shows a schematic diagram of the left ear auricle changing from being perpendicular to the head to tilting forward, but with a switch to the target sensing electrode group. At this point, the target sensing electrode group is repositioned in an area of ​​the head where EEG signals can be effectively acquired; this situation is denoted as situation 3. Figure 15 In the diagram, 1 represents the acquisition electrode, 2 represents the reference electrode, and 3 represents the grounding electrode.

[0122] Three subjects were randomly selected, and EEG was induced in each of the three conditions described above. The correlation coefficients of the EEG signals collected by each sensing electrode group were determined as shown in Table 3 below. C2, C3, and C5 represent the effective head regions around the left ear, and C8, C9, and C11 represent the effective head regions around the right ear. * indicates that the p300 wave was not detected, i.e., no EEG signal was obtained.

[0123] Table 3

[0124]

[0125]

[0126] Analysis of the data in Table 3 shows that, compared to not switching the target sensing electrode group, switching the target sensing electrode group according to the target correspondence can, to some extent, compensate for the reduced effectiveness of EEG signal acquisition caused by the angle shift. This also further verifies that only certain areas of the head can effectively acquire EEG signals, and explains the rationality of selecting only a subset of sensing electrodes for EEG signal detection.

[0127] (2) Apply voltage to the acquisition electrode and reference electrode in the target sensing electrode group.

[0128] Except for the target sensing electrode group, the other sensing electrode groups are in an inactive state. No voltage can be applied. Of course, voltage can be applied but no data can be collected. Alternatively, voltage can be applied and data can be collected, but no subsequent data processing can be performed.

[0129] In some embodiments, before applying voltage to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode, it may be determined whether the target user is wearing a flexible device. If the target user is wearing a flexible device, the step of applying voltage to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode is performed; if the target user is not wearing a flexible device, the step of applying voltage to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode is not performed.

[0130] In some embodiments, if the target user does not wear the flexible device within a first specified time period after the head-wearing device is powered on, the head-wearing device will automatically power off to avoid wasting power. The first specified time period is preset, for example, the first specified time period is 30 seconds, and it can be adjusted to a suitable time period according to different application scenarios. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0131] Since not all areas of the human head can effectively acquire EEG signals, only the electrode array located in the head regions capable of acquiring effective EEG signals needs to be used for signal collection. This allows for processing only a limited number of signals per EEG detection, reducing system complexity and accelerating signal processing. Furthermore, because the angle of the flexible device inevitably changes in practical applications, fixing only a portion of the electrode array for EEG signal determination may result in the inability to acquire effective EEG signals at certain angles. Therefore, by establishing a correspondence between the flexible device's angle information and the electrode array used for EEG signal determination, appropriate electrode arrays can be selected for each detection, ensuring the acquisition of effective EEG signals from a limited number of electrode arrays at different angles.

[0132] Step 1302: Obtain the voltage difference between the contact voltage of the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode in the same sensing electrode group and the target user's head.

[0133] Since the sensing electrode generates contact resistance when it comes into contact with the skin, when a voltage is applied to the surface of the sensing electrode to form a circuit, the contact voltage between the acquisition electrode and the skin and the contact voltage between the reference electrode and the skin can be obtained, and thus the voltage difference between the two contact voltages can be obtained.

[0134] Step 1303: Determine the target user's EEG signal based on the voltage difference.

[0135] Since EEG signals are quite weak, with voltage amplitudes typically ranging from 2μV to 200μV, the voltage difference can be amplified after it is obtained. This amplification facilitates further observation and other analysis of the EEG signals.

[0136] In this embodiment, by applying voltage to the acquisition electrodes and reference electrodes in a portion of the sensing electrode group to acquire the target user's EEG signals, the processing device only needs to process a limited number of signal data, making the processing faster and reducing system complexity. Simultaneously, since the angle of the flexible device may shift in practical applications, using a fixed sensing electrode group as the target sensing electrode group for determining EEG signals would cause a misalignment between the target sensing electrode group and the effective head region capable of acquiring EEG signals. Therefore, by determining the correspondence between the angle information of the flexible device and the sensing electrode group located in the effective head region, different sensing electrode groups are selected to acquire EEG signals at different angles of the flexible device. This ensures that effective EEG signals can be acquired using a limited number of sensing electrode groups at different angles of the flexible device. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the step of applying voltage to the acquisition electrodes and reference electrodes is only performed when the target user is wearing the flexible device, avoiding wasted power and thus preventing ineffective consumption of system resources.

[0137] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electroencephalogram (EEG) detection device provided in an embodiment of this application. The EEG detection device can be implemented as part or all of a wearable head-mounted device using software, hardware, or a combination of both. This wearable head-mounted device can be... Figure 2 The headphones shown Figure 4 The smart eye mask shown Figure 12 The wearable medical monitor shown. See also Figure 16 The device includes: an application module 1601, an acquisition module 1602, and a determination module 1603.

[0138] The application module 1601 is used to apply voltage to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode respectively;

[0139] The acquisition module 1602 is used to acquire the voltage difference between the contact voltage of the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode in the same sensing electrode group and the head of the target user.

[0140] The determination module 1603 is used to determine the EEG signal of the target user based on the voltage difference.

[0141] Optionally, the application module 1601 includes:

[0142] The selection submodule is used to select a portion of the sensing electrode groups from multiple sensing electrode groups as the target sensing electrode group.

[0143] The first application submodule is used to apply voltage to the acquisition electrode and reference electrode in the target sensing electrode group.

[0144] Optionally, the selection submodules include:

[0145] The first determining unit is used to determine the angle of the flexible device;

[0146] The second determining unit is used to determine the target sensing electrode group from the target correspondence based on the angle of the flexible device. The target correspondence is used to record the correspondence between the angle information of the flexible device and the sensing electrode group used to determine the EEG signal. The sensing electrode group used to determine the EEG signal is different when the angle of the flexible device is different.

[0147] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0148] The trigger module is used to trigger the application module 1601 to apply voltage to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode when the target user wears the flexible device.

[0149] In this embodiment, by applying voltage to the acquisition electrodes and reference electrodes in a portion of the sensing electrode group to acquire the EEG signal of the target user, the processing device only needs to process a limited number of signal data, making the processing faster and reducing the complexity of the system. At the same time, since the angle of the flexible device may shift in practical applications, if a fixed sensing electrode group is used as the target sensing electrode group for determining the EEG signal, the target sensing electrode group will be offset from the effective head area where the EEG signal can be acquired. Therefore, by determining the correspondence between the angle information of the flexible device and the sensing electrode group located in the effective head area, different sensing electrode groups are selected to acquire the EEG signal at different angles of the flexible device. In this way, effective EEG signals can be acquired through a limited number of sensing electrode groups at different angles of the flexible device.

[0150] It should be noted that the EEG detection device provided in the above embodiments is only illustrated by the division of the functional modules described above when detecting EEG signals. In practical applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. In addition, the EEG detection device and the EEG detection method embodiments provided in the above embodiments belong to the same concept, and the specific implementation process can be found in the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0151] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer, or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., digital versatile disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid state disk (SSD)). It is worth noting that the computer-readable storage medium mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a non-volatile storage medium; in other words, it can be a non-transient storage medium.

[0152] It should be understood that "multiple" as mentioned herein refers to two or more. In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B; "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. In addition, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish identical or similar items with substantially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first," "second," etc., do not limit the quantity or execution order, and the terms "first," "second," etc., do not necessarily imply that they are different.

[0153] It should be noted that the information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.), data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, data stored, data displayed, etc.) and signals involved in the embodiments of this application are all authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties, and the collection, use and processing of related data must comply with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of the relevant countries and regions.

Claims

1. A head-worn device, characterized in that, The wearable headgear includes a flexible device and a processing device; The flexible device has a plurality of conductive electrodes electrically connected to the processing device, and the plurality of conductive electrodes are distributed in the flexible device and arranged in a ring. The plurality of conductive electrodes include a ground electrode and a plurality of sensing electrode groups. Each sensing electrode group includes at least two sensing electrodes that are adjacent to each other. One of the at least two sensing electrodes serves as a reference electrode, and the others serve as acquisition electrodes. The processing device is used to apply voltages to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode respectively, and acquire the brainwave signal of the target user based on the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode in the same sensing electrode group; the sensing electrode group used to determine the brainwave signal is a part of the plurality of sensing electrode groups, the angle information of the flexible device has a corresponding relationship with the sensing electrode group used to determine the brainwave signal, and the sensing electrode group used to determine the brainwave signal is different when the angle of the flexible device is different.

2. The head-worn device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive electrode has an elongated strip structure, and the long side of the conductive electrode is distributed along the circumference of the ring.

3. The head-wearing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive electrode includes a site electrode located on the surface of the flexible device and a thin film electrode located inside the flexible device, and the site electrode and the thin film electrode are connected by conductive adhesive.

4. The head-wearing device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The thin-film electrode has a stretchable structure.

5. The head-wearing device as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The thin-film electrode includes a flexible thin-film substrate and a metal coating on the surface of the flexible thin-film substrate.

6. The head-wearing device according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The head-wearing device is a headset, the flexible device is an earpiece, and the head-wearing device also includes a connector. The connector has a symmetrical first connecting end and a second connecting end, and each of the first connecting end and the second connecting end is connected to one of the flexible devices.

7. A method for detecting electroencephalogram (EEG) signals based on a head-worn device according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Applied to the processing apparatus, the method includes: Voltages are applied to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode, respectively; The voltage difference between the contact voltage of the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode in the same sensing electrode group and the contact voltage of the target user's head is obtained; The target user's electroencephalogram (EEG) signal is determined based on the voltage difference.

8. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, Applying voltages to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode respectively includes: Select a portion of the multiple sensing electrode groups as the target sensing electrode group; A voltage is applied to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode in the target sensing electrode group.

9. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, Selecting a portion of the sensing electrode groups from the plurality of sensing electrode groups as the target sensing electrode group includes: Determine the angle of the flexible device; Based on the angle of the flexible device, the target sensing electrode group is determined from the target correspondence relationship. The target correspondence relationship is used to record the correspondence between the angle information of the flexible device and the sensing electrode group used to determine the EEG signal. When the angle of the flexible device is different, the sensing electrode group used to determine the EEG signal is different.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that, Before applying voltage to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode, the method further includes: When the target user wears the flexible device, the step of applying voltage to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode is performed.

11. A brainwave signal detection device, characterized in that, The head-wearing device according to any one of claims 1-6, the device comprising: An application module is used to apply voltages to the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode, respectively; The acquisition module is used to acquire the voltage difference between the contact voltage of the acquisition electrode and the reference electrode in the same sensing electrode group and the target user's head. A determination module is used to determine the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal of the target user based on the voltage difference.

12. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on the computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method described in any one of claims 7-10.

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