Portable system for gathering and processing data from eeg, eog, and/or imaging sensors

Abstract

A method for picking up body signals from the head of a user comprises a) placing first and second electrodes on first and second different positions at a first side of the user's head in direct or capacitive contact with the user's head, said first side comprising a first eye of the user, the first and second electrodes being configured to pick up first and second electric potentials, respectively, from the user's body, and b) providing an Electrooculography signal representative of a corneo-retinal potential difference of said first eye of the user in dependence of said at first and second electric potentials. The first and second positions may be (substantially) located in a plane including the first eye of the user. A portable electronic device providing an Electrooculography signal, and a hearing device utilizing an Electrooculography signal is further disclosed.

1 . A method for picking up body signals from the head of a user, the method comprising:
 placing first and second electrodes on first and second different positions at a first side of the user's head in direct or capacitive contact with the user's head, said first side comprising a first eye of the user, the first and second electrodes being configured to pick up first and second electric potentials, respectively, from the user's body; and   providing an Electrooculography signal representative of a corneo-retinal potential difference of said first eye of the user in dependence of said at first and second electric potentials,   wherein the distance between the first and second positions is greater than or equal to a minimum distance of approximately 4 cm.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining the minimum distance, comprising a sequential measurement of Electrooculography potentials at different distances between a reference and a sensing electrode.   
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the several measurements of the sequential measurement are obtained by shifting the position of the sensing electrode closer to the reference electrode within the plane of the desired eye movement to be captured. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the measured potentials are subject to a linear regression to estimate the minimum distance. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second positions are on each side of the ear. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrodes are capacitively coupled electrodes. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrodes are direct contact electrodes. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second electrodes are implanted in the head of the user or between tissue and skull of the user. 
     
     
         9 . A portable electronic device comprising:
 first and second electrodes configured to be located on first and second different positions at a first side of the user's head in direct or capacitive contact with the user's head, said first side comprising a first eye of the user, the first and second electrodes being configured to pick up first and second electric potentials, respectively, from the user's body, and,   a processor electrically connected to said first and second electrodes and configured to provide an Electrooculography signal representative of a corneo-retinal potential difference of said first eye of the user in dependence of said at first and second electric potentials,   wherein the distance between the first and second positions is greater than or equal to a minimum distance of approximately 4 cm.   
     
     
         10 . A portable electronic device according to  claim 9  configured to use said Electrooculography signal to monitor eye movements of the user. 
     
     
         11 . A portable electronic device according to  claim 9  configured to monitor one or more of a user's
 vigilance, 
 balance disorder, and 
 sleep. 
 
     
     
         12 . A portable electronic device according to  claim 9  comprising antenna and transceiver circuitry configured to transmit said Electrooculography signal or a signal derived therefrom to another device or system. 
     
     
         13 . A portable electronic device according to  claim 9 , comprising a head-worn frame and/or one or more sensors. 
     
     
         14 . A hearing device comprising or forming part of a portable electronic device according to  claim 9 , the hearing device being configured to be located in or at an ear of a user or to be partially or fully implanted in the head of the user, the hearing device comprising:
 an input unit comprising an input transducer configured to pick up sound from the environment of the user and to provide an electric input signal representative of said sound;   an output unit configured to present stimuli perceivable to the user as representing said sound or a processed version thereof,   wherein functionality of said hearing device is partially or fully controlled by said Electrooculography signal.   
     
     
         15 . A hearing device according to  claim 14 , wherein
 said input unit comprises at least two input transducers configured to pick up sound from the environment of the user and to provide respective at least two electric input signals;   said hearing device further comprises a processor for processing said at least two electric input signals;   said processor comprises a beamformer for providing a beamformed signal based on said at least two electric input signals; and   said processor is configured to partially or fully control said beamformed signal in dependence of said Electrooculography signal.   
     
     
         16 . A hearing device according to  claim 14  comprising a further electrode located in or on a housing of the hearing device. 
     
     
         17 . A hearing device according to  claim 14  being constituted by or comprising a hearing aid, a headset, an earphone, an ear protection device or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . A hearing device according to  claim 14  being constituted by or comprising an air-conduction type hearing aid, a bone-conduction type hearing aid, a cochlear implant type hearing aid, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . A binaural hearing system comprising first and second hearing devices as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the first and second hearing devices are configured to be able to exchange data between each other.