Virtual Therapy Room Avatars for Remote Child Counseling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for providing children's therapy sessions face challenges such as inconvenience, high costs, and accessibility issues due to the need for physical locations and mixed results with mobile therapy services, which struggle with family distractions and privacy concerns.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method for remote therapy sessions using pre-generated virtual therapy rooms with avatars and interactive elements, allowing for a cost-effective and adaptable approach that does not require physical travel, featuring a sequence of rooms tailored to the therapy session's content, including welcome rooms, emotional education, and sensory stimulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If fixed physical therapy centers are used, then therapy quality and confidentiality are maintained, but accessibility and convenience deteriorate due to travel requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetherapy qualityVSAvoidaccessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates virtual copies of physical therapy environments through immersive VR rooms that replicate the therapeutic setting. These virtual rooms contain copies of therapy equipment, avatars representing therapists and patients, and simulated therapeutic activities, allowing therapy to occur remotely while maintaining the quality and confidentiality of in-person sessions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions therapy from physical three-dimensional space to a virtual dimension accessible through head-mounted displays. By creating immersive virtual reality environments, the system adds a digital dimension that enables remote participation while preserving the therapeutic experience, effectively resolving the contradiction between physical presence and accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of operation

If mobile therapy services are provided at patient homes, then accessibility improves, but therapy quality deteriorates due to distractions and privacy concerns

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveaccessibilityVSAvoidtherapy quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a virtual reality environment as an intermediary between the patient's home environment and the therapist. This virtual medium creates a dedicated therapeutic space that filters out home distractions while maintaining the convenience of in-home accessibility. The VR headset acts as a mediator that separates the patient from environmental disturbances.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a virtual copy of a professional therapy environment that can be accessed from any location. This copied environment includes virtual therapy rooms, equipment, and therapist avatars, providing the quality and privacy of a clinical setting while maintaining the accessibility of home-based therapy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Ease of operation

If virtual reality therapy rooms are implemented, then accessibility and convenience improve, but system complexity increases due to technology requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveconvenienceVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs the virtual therapy platform to be universally accessible across different devices and settings. The system can be accessed through various head-mounted displays and devices, and the virtual rooms are designed to accommodate different therapy types and patient needs, reducing the need for specialized equipment for each scenario.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-generates multiple virtual therapy rooms with pre-configured equipment, avatars, and therapeutic environments. These rooms are prepared in advance with all necessary elements in place, eliminating the need for complex real-time setup and reducing the technical complexity during actual therapy sessions. Therapists can simply select from pre-configured options.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20240203606A1Methods for Providing Virtual Interactive Therapy Sessions
Publication Date: 2024.06.20 CARDENAS OLIVEROS ALEJANDRA

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a computer-implemented process for aiding a child therapy session, where a number of pre-generated virtual therapy rooms with a patient avatar and a therapist avatar inserted are displayed to a patient device and a therapist device simultaneously during a remote therapy session. Each therapy room display comprises multimedia objects and interactive elements for assisting the therapist in bringing a child through a therapy session in an enjoyable manner, and the rooms are linked so as to be displayed in a helpful sequence which can be tailored to the content of the therapy session. The disclosed method thus provides a low cost and completely adaptable support tool for remote therapy.