Biofeedback device for vocal sound resonance vibration

Abstract

This biofeedback device for vocal sound resonance vibration includes: a sensor unit which detects a vocal sound of a user and records the vocal sound as an electrical signal; a signal processing unit which processes the electrical signal recorded by the sensor unit; an amplification unit which amplifies the signal processed by the signal processing unit; a sound wave conversion unit which converts the signal amplified by the amplification unit into sound waves and transmits same to an auditory organ of the user as vibration or sound; and a control unit for controlling at least one of the sensor unit, the signal processing unit, the amplification unit, or the sound wave conversion unit to store a signal and perform a function. The control unit controls to feed the characteristics of the original vocal sound or the signal of the vocal sound back to the user in the form of sound or vibration.

Description

Biofeedback device for vocal resonance vibration

[0001] The present invention relates to a device that detects a user's vocal sound and amplifies the vibration of the sound to allow the user to easily vocalize and vibrate at his or her own resonant frequency.

[0002] The dictionary definition of meditation is private worship or mental training, involving methods such as concentration, reflection, and abstraction. Meditation encompasses a state or practice involving techniques aimed at achieving a state of liberation, free from the limitations of human experience. Through conscious meditation, one can experience joy, compassion, and a peaceful state of mind, achieving mental and physical relaxation.

[0003] Meditation promotes psychological stability, alleviating mental conflict, tension, and anxiety, and fostering positive emotions such as patience, empathy, and generosity. Meditation also strengthens the immune system and alleviates conditions such as high blood pressure, chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety, and depression. Regular meditation has also been shown to increase telomerase activity, an enzyme that inhibits cellular aging. MRI scans of the brain before and after meditation reveal that meditation enhances brain function, including connectivity. Increased connectivity is most pronounced in the posterior lobe, which is associated with turbulent thinking and self-worth. The left hippocampus, associated with learning, cognition, memory, and emotional regulation, exhibits changes, while the parietal-temporal junction, associated with perspective-taking, empathy, and compassion, exhibits increases. Changes are also observed in the pons, which connects the brainstem and produces many regulatory neurotransmitters, and the amygdala, which is crucial for the fight-or-flight response, which is associated with anger, fear, and stress. Recent findings suggest that meditation may have beneficial effects on genetic processes that control reactive oxygen species, inflammatory responses, and cell death.

[0004] When distracting thoughts abound, it's difficult to focus and reach a state of meditation, transcending distractions and reaching a state of transcendence. One traditional Eastern method for eliminating distracting thoughts is the practice of utilizing mantras. The "man" in mantra means mind, and "tra" means protection. Therefore, the dictionary definition of mantra is to protect the mind. In meditation, a mantra is a general term for a sound, either a word or phrase, that helps the mind easily reach a meditative state—a state of calm, tranquility, or happiness. In other words, a mantra is a meaningful sound, and whether or not the practitioner knows its meaning, they can free themselves from distracting thoughts solely by relying on that sound. In other words, reciting a mantra repeatedly helps focus the mind and achieve a meditative state.

[0005] In Buddhist and Hindu cultures in China and India, several classical meditative mantras have been used. Examples include "Om," "Om Ha Hum," "Om Tare Tuttare," "Om Namah Sivaya," and "Om Mani Padme Hum." Mantras can take the form of syllables, words, or sentences. The former primarily function as phonetics, while the latter primarily function as semantics. The effects of mantras can be derived from the physical vibrations of their sounds and the lexical meaning they contain. A simple vocal resonance like "Om" provides a resonant vibrational stimulus to the body with very little energy. Mantras like "Om Mani Padme Hum" convey positive messages to the subconscious, allowing one to transcend the boundaries of consciousness and enter the deepest recesses of the mind.

[0006] A mantra encompasses the sound heard when uttering the mantra, the meaning contained within the mantra, the attitude one utters while reciting it, and the feeling one gets from reciting it. A mantra is divided into the pronounceable part, the uninterrupted part that extends the pronunciation, and the imperceptible "silent sound." For example, the "OM" mantra is not made up of the two syllables "O" and "M," but of the three syllables "A," "U," and "M," which are pronounced and hummed. "A" represents "waking consciousness" (Jagrat), "U" represents "dreaming consciousness" (Svapna), and "M" represents "dreamless sleep consciousness" (Nidra). When reciting the Om mantra, one is expected to maintain a prolonged hum while visualizing the gradual progression of consciousness. Just as the 'OM' mantra contains the sound 'M', all mantras, whether single syllables or long phrases, contain the sound 'M'.

[0007] Mantra meditation is a practice that utilizes the sound vibrations generated by reciting a mantra. It is a form of good existence that restores the overall balance and harmony of body and mind. Close your eyes, raise your pupils, focus between your eyebrows, and continuously recite the Om mantra with each inhalation and exhalation. When reciting the mantra, do not change the rhythm or pitch. Instead, recite it with awareness, conscious of its meaning, without trying to remember it. Recite it so that you feel the sound vibration of the mantra. While reciting the mantra, observe the sensation of the mantra, your breathing, and your mental processes. Awareness must accompany concentration. Even this seemingly simple practice allows you to fully experience the miraculous vibrational changes induced by reciting the Om mantra.

[0008] The nasalized humming sound of 'Om', 'Pranava', begins to be heard from within. The recitation of 'Om', which was heard with the physical ear, enters the process of being heard with the mental ear as the consciousness becomes more refined. The sound, which resonates anytime and anywhere, is heard constantly even in the midst of the hustle and bustle of daily life, forming an inseparable relationship with the mantra. Then, the humming sound is finally transformed into the 'sound of sacred silence'. It is a sound that comes from deep within, a sound that cannot be heard without relying on the spiritual ear. The pure consciousness of no thoughts or images is maintained, leaving only the feeling of the mantra.

[0009] Mantras focus more on the impact of the sound itself and its phonology on the mind than on the meaning itself. Acoustically, simple pitched sounds like "Om" are produced by vocal cord vibrations resonating within the body's internal space, resulting from the resonant vibrations of the body or its vocal organs. When the body vibrates at its resonant frequency, it vibrates most efficiently, generating the greatest vibrations with the least amount of energy. By experiencing the effortless movement of body energy through vocalization, one naturally achieves a state of physical and mental well-being. While the ease and effectiveness of resonant vocalization are expected to vary depending on the level of vocal training, most people are able to produce simple resonant vocalizations like "Om" at their own resonant frequency.

[0010] Resonant vocal vibrations are known to have positive effects on the human body, including during meditation. These effects are expected to be greater as resonant vibrations become stronger. However, because vocal mantras cannot be loud enough in a meditative setting, the need for a separate method to enhance resonant vibration stimulation arises. Furthermore, for those who have difficulty producing appropriate resonant vocalizations due to vocal disorders or other reasons, a technology is needed that can detect one's own mantra vocalizations, amplify them, and apply resonant vibrations to the body.

[0011] The matters described in the technical background of this invention are written to enhance understanding of the background of the invention and may include matters that are not already known prior art in the field to which this technology belongs.

[0012] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method of detecting vocal sounds such as mantras for purposes of meditation, etc. to determine the resonance frequency of the human body, and providing a physical vibration or sound stimulus to amplify the resonance phenomenon of the human body by applying a vibration stimulus of the resonance frequency to the human body.

[0013] A biofeedback device for vocalization sound resonance vibration according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sensor unit that detects a user's vocalization sound and records it as an electrical signal, a signal processing unit that processes the electrical signal recorded by the sensor unit, an amplifier unit that amplifies the signal processed by the signal processing unit, a sound wave conversion unit that converts the signal amplified by the amplifier unit into a sound wave and transmits it to the user's auditory organ as vibration or sound, and a control unit that controls at least one of the sensor unit, the signal processing unit, the amplifier unit, and the sound wave conversion unit to store a signal and perform a function. The control unit controls the characteristics of the original vocalization sound or a signal of the vocalization sound to be provided as feedback to the user in the form of sound or vibration.

[0014] The sensor unit, the signal processing unit, the amplifier unit, the sound wave conversion unit, and the vibration transmission unit may be configured as a left and right pair.

[0015] The above sensor unit, the signal processing unit, the amplifier unit, the sound wave conversion unit, and the vibration transmission unit can be implemented in the form of any one of earphones, headphones, and bone conduction headphones.

[0016] The above sensor unit may be formed of a pair of sound detection sensors located at the entrance of the user's external auditory canal.

[0017] The above sensor unit may be formed as a single sensor located near the front of the exit of the user's vocal organ.

[0018] The signal processing unit can extract a resonant frequency or a characteristic frequency from a signal detected by the sensor unit and provide an input signal to the amplifier unit.

[0019] The above control unit may be configured to adjust the gain of the amplified signal from the amplifying unit to adjust the size of the vibration or sound transmitted to the user's body.

[0020] The above control unit may be configured to have a function of storing a signal output from the signal processing unit and reproducing it under set conditions when necessary.

[0021] The above control unit may be capable of communicating signals by wire or wirelessly, and may be provided with a function of storing a detected signal in a storage medium or converting a signal stored in the storage medium into a sound signal and transmitting it to the user's body.

[0022] The above control unit may be configured to execute functions through a user interface or to control functions through an embedded device.

[0023] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a biofeedback device for vocalization resonance vibration, which is configured to assist a user in vocalization and vibration at the resonance frequency of his / her vocalization sound, is configured to detect the vocalization sound of the user and modulate or amplify the vibration of the vocalization sound to be heard by the user.

[0024] According to the present invention, the sound produced by a user is measured in real time, and the amplified sound vibration of the same resonant frequency is directly transmitted to the human body via bone conduction or audibly transmitted to the auditory organ, thereby amplifying the body vibration caused by resonant vocalization or aiding vocalization. In other words, the effect of efficiently applying physical vibration energy corresponding to the user's own resonant frequency can be expected.

[0025] In addition, various effects that can be obtained or expected due to embodiments of the present invention are disclosed directly or implicitly in the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a vocal resonance biofeedback device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functional components of a vocal resonance biofeedback device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0029] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," as used herein, indicate the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The term "coupled" indicates a physical relationship between two components in which the components are directly connected to one another or are indirectly connected through one or more intervening components.

[0030] When describing components of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only intended to distinguish the components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by the terms. When a component is described as being "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected, coupled, or connected to the other component, but that another component may also be "connected," "coupled," or "connected" between each component.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a voice resonance biofeedback device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functional components of a voice resonance biofeedback device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Although FIG. 1 illustrates a case in which the voice resonance biofeedback device is implemented in the form of a headset that a user can wear on his or her head, the voice resonance biofeedback device according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto and may be implemented in various forms. For example, the voice resonance biofeedback device according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented in the form of earphones, headphones, bone conduction headphones, etc.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 1, a biofeedback device for vocalization sound resonance vibration according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device that detects a user's vocalization sound, amplifies the vibration of the sound, and delivers it in a feedback manner, and the biofeedback device can thereby perform a function of helping the user to easily vocalize and vibrate at his or her own resonance frequency.

[0033] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a biofeedback device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sensor unit (11), a signal processing unit (13), an amplifier unit (15), a sound wave conversion unit (17), a vibration transmission unit (19), and a control unit (20).

[0034] The sensor unit (11) detects the user's vocalization sound. For example, the sensor unit (11) may be a pair of sound signal detection sensors, such as a microphone, located near the entrances of the left and right external auditory canals, that detect sound signals and convert them into electrical signals. As another example, the sensor unit may be formed as a single sensor that may be located at the front of the exit of the vocal organ of the speaker, for example, near the lips. The sensor unit (11) detects the vocalization sound and records the corresponding electrical signal.

[0035] The signal processing unit (13) processes the signal recorded in the sensor unit (11). For example, the signal processing unit (13) may be an electrical circuit that processes conditioning of a signal detected by the sensor unit (11). For example, the signal processing unit (13) may be configured to perform functions such as noise removal and emphasis of resonant frequency components. To this end, the signal processing unit (13) may extract a resonant frequency or a characteristic frequency from the signal detected by the sensor unit (11) and provide an input signal to the amplifier unit (15) based on the extracted resonant frequency or a characteristic frequency signal. The signal processing unit (13) may perform a series of processes for extracting a resonant frequency or a characteristic frequency signal, such as a harmonic, a rhythm, or a modulation frequency, from the signal detected by the sensor unit (11).

[0036] The amplifier (15) amplifies the signal processed in the signal processing unit (13). For example, the amplifier (15) may include an electric circuit capable of amplifying a signal.

[0037] The sound wave conversion unit (17) converts the electric signal amplified by the amplifier unit (15) into sound waves. The sound wave conversion unit (17) may be a device capable of converting the electric signal into sound or vibration, for example, a speaker or a bone conduction speaker. The vibration or sound generated by the sound wave conversion unit (17) is transmitted to the user's body, for example, the body, auditory organ, etc.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 1, the sound wave conversion unit (17) can be configured as a pair on the left and right so as to transmit vibration or sound to both ears of the user.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 1, a biofeedback device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a connecting band (31) extending in a curved shape so as to wrap around the back of a user's head, a pair of ear hooks (33), a pair of contact portions (35) located at the ends of the ear hooks (33), a pair of sensor portions (11) located on the outside of the contact portions (35), and a sound wave transducer (17) that contacts the human body on the inside of the contact portions (35) to transmit sound wave vibrations. The ear hook portions (33) are formed so as to be hung on the user's ears. The contact portions (35) are configured to be in close contact with the user's ears, scalp, etc. to transmit vibrations. The sound wave conversion portion (17) and the vibration transmission portion (19) described above may be arranged within the contact portions (35). Meanwhile, if the sensor portion is formed as a single sensor that can be located at the front of the exit of the vocal organ of a vocalist, for example, near the lips, as described above, the sensor portion may be mounted at the end of a support extending from the contact portions (35).

[0040] The control unit (21) stores signals and controls functions. The control unit (21) may be configured to be electrically and / or signal-connected to the sensor unit (11), signal processing unit (13), amplifier unit (15), and sound wave conversion unit (17) to perform control for signal processing and function implementation.

[0041] The control unit (21) may include a microprocessor, memory, and related hardware and software.

[0042] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the characteristics of the original sound or the sound signal of the speaker's speech can be fed back to the speaker in the form of sound or vibration, thereby helping to obtain psychological and physiological beneficial effects on the speaker.

[0043] The control unit (21) can adjust the gain of the amplification signal of the amplifier unit (15) to control the size of vibration or sound transmitted to the human body. In addition, the control unit (21) can be configured to have a function of storing the signal output from the signal processing unit (13) and reproducing it according to set conditions, such as time, size, and method, when necessary.

[0044] The control unit (21) may be configured to have a function of storing a signal output from the signal processing unit (13) and reproducing it under set conditions when necessary.

[0045] In addition, the control unit (21) may be configured to be able to communicate signals wired or wirelessly so as to store the detected signals in a storage medium or convert the signals stored in the storage medium into sound, i.e., vibration signals and transmit them.

[0046] Additionally, the control unit (21) may be configured to execute its functions through a user interface or to control its functions through an embedded device including a smartphone app.

[0047] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sensor section that detects the user's vocalization and records it as an electrical signal. A signal processing unit that processes the electric signal recorded in the above sensor unit; An amplifier unit that amplifies the signal processed in the signal processing unit, A sound wave conversion unit configured to convert the signal amplified in the above amplifier into sound waves and transmit it to the user's auditory organ as vibration or sound, and A control unit that controls at least one of the sensor unit, the signal processing unit, the amplifier unit, and the sound wave converter unit to store a signal and perform a function, The above control unit is a biofeedback device of vocalization sound resonance vibration that controls the characteristics of the vocalization sound or the signal of the vocalization sound to provide feedback to the user in the form of sound or vibration.

2. In paragraph 1, A biofeedback device for vocalization sound resonance vibration, wherein the sensor unit, the signal processing unit, the amplifier unit, and the sound wave conversion unit are configured as a left and right pair.

3. In paragraph 2, A biofeedback device of vocalization sound resonance vibration, wherein the sensor unit, the signal processing unit, the amplifier unit, and the sound wave conversion unit are implemented in the form of any one of earphones, headphones, and bone conduction headphones.

4. In paragraph 2, The above sensor unit is a biofeedback device of vocalization sound resonance vibration formed by a pair of sound detection sensors located at the entrance of the user's external auditory canal.

5. In paragraph 2, The above sensor unit is a biofeedback device of vocal sound resonance vibration formed by a single sensor located near the front part of the exit of the vocal organ of the user.

6. In paragraph 1, A biofeedback device for vocalization resonance vibration, wherein the signal processing unit extracts a resonance frequency or characteristic frequency from a signal detected by the sensor unit and provides an input signal to the amplifier unit.

7. In paragraph 1, A biofeedback device for vocalization resonance vibration, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the gain of an amplified signal from the amplifier unit to adjust the size of vibration or sound transmitted to the user's body.

8. In paragraph 7, A biofeedback device for vocalization resonance vibration, wherein the control unit is configured to have a function of storing a signal output from the signal processing unit and reproducing it under set conditions when necessary.

9. In paragraph 1, A biofeedback device of vocalization resonance vibration, wherein the control unit is capable of communicating signals wired or wirelessly, and has a function of storing a detected signal in a storage medium or converting a signal stored in the storage medium into a sound signal and transmitting it to the user's body.

10. In paragraph 1, A biofeedback device of vocalization resonance vibration, wherein the control unit is configured to execute a function through a user interface or to control a function through an embedded device.

11. A biofeedback device for vocal sound resonance vibration, which is configured to help a user vocalize and vibrate at the resonance frequency of his / her vocal sound, A biofeedback device for vocal sound resonance vibration, configured to detect the vocal sound of the user and modulate or amplify the vibration of the vocal sound and transmit it to the user.

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