# US 10,482,784 B2 · Natural orientation induction tool apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,482,784 B2 - Document ID: US10482784B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/718,409 - Filed: 2017-09-28 - Published: 2018-05-24 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2013-09-30 - Applicants: Ronald Dell Davis - Inventors: Ronald Dell Davis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10482784B2 ## CPC - G09B 19/00: Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass (teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26) - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - H04R 1/10: Earpieces; Attachments therefor {; Earphones; Monophonic headphones (H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033)} - H04R 3/00: Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) - H04R 5/04: Circuit arrangements, {e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments (combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S)} - H03G 3/02: Manually-operated control {(H03G3/001 and H03G3/002 take precedence)} - H03G 3/3026: {the gain being discontinuously variable, e.g. controlled by switching} - H04R 2460/13: Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) - H03G: CONTROL OF AMPLIFICATION ## Abstract An apparatus for training learning disabled subjects, such as autistic children, induces sound waves into a body of a user through two paths, one heard by the ears through air and the other through a liquid or solid in contact with tissues, such as skin and skeleton on the back of a user, below the collar and centered across the vertical axis of the spine. Two transducers produce waves in the audible sound spectrum, repeat persistently, and provide a tone about a location on which the subject may focus attention. A controller and actuator adhered to the skin by an adhesive gel pad against the back of a wearer. The sound, repeating (after a selected delay), decaying, and seeming to originate above and behind the head of a wearer is a waveform becomes a focus; effective to orient a subject, who lacks natural, self-orientation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus to relieve symptoms of disorientation of a subject, the apparatus comprising: transducers positioned symmetrically and remotely with respect to the head of a subject; a controller operably connected to cause the transducers to oscillate at a frequency corresponding to an audible tone occurring with a uniform periodicity, together selected to orient the subject; a securement providing intimate mechanical contact of the transducers with the skin to move the skin with the transducers; and the controller, programmed to remedy consequences of disorientation by maintaining the frequency and periodicity for a duration selected to abate the consequences. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducers are configured together in an actuator comprising the transducers in a housing shaped to fit in direct contact with skin of a subject, remote from the ears, operating such that the frequency is audible to a human. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducers are spaced apart and positioned to produce sound waves simultaneously into the body through the skin and to the ears through air, stereophonically coordinated to be perceived to originate away from the transducers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to oscillate the transducers simultaneously and periodically with a periodicity selected to remove symptoms of disorientation by focusing attention of the subject away from the transducers and the subject. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frequency is from about 3000 Hertz to about 6000 Hertz. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the frequency is from about 4.2 KiloHertz to about 4.5 KiloHertz. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein positions of the transducers are selected to originate the sound waves so as to be perceived by the subject to originate at a single perceived location remote from the transducers and the subject. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the perceived location and sound volume are selected to be effective to remove the consequences by orienting the subject for a time effective to remediate the consequences. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducers are operably connected to initiate first and second tones at respective first and second times, with a delay therebetween adjustable in response to the remediation of the consequences, wherein the first and second tones share at least one characteristic selected from a duration, volume, decay, and frequency. ### Claim 10 A system for remediating consequences of disorientation of a subject, the system comprising: a securement mechanism acoustically coupling transducers to skin of a subject; the transducers, sized and positioned to produce sound waves, transmitting a first portion of the sound waves directly through the skin and a second portion of the sound waves through air to ears of the subject; and a controller, programmed to control the transducers to provide to the sound waves physical characteristics causing the subject to perceive the sound waves as originating from a perceived location remote from the transducers and the subject. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the perceived location is above and behind the head of the subject. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the securement mechanism fixes to the back of the subject. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the physical characteristics are selected to include at least one of frequency, duration, periodicity, volume, delay in the periodicity, and decay. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the securement mechanism comprises an adhesive adhering to the subject to move the skin with the transducers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, comprising a housing holding the transducers, a circuit board operably connecting the controller to the transducers, and buttons to communicate inputs from an operator to the controller. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein at least one of a duration, volume, decay, frequency, delay, and repetition of the sound waves is selected to remediate consequences of disorientation of the subject by orienting the subject in response to focusing the attention of the subject persistently. ### Claim 17 A method of remediating effects of disorientation of a subject, the method comprising: providing a securement effective to secure to and transmit acoustically to skin of a subject in a location inaccessible by the subject; providing transducers sized, positioned, and secured by the securement to transmit sound waves simultaneously directly into the body of a subject and through air to ears of the subject; producing, by the transducers, the sound waves having physical characteristics and source locations causing them to be perceived by the subject as originating at a perceived location remote from the subject and the transducers; and remediating the effects of disorientation by focusing attention of the subject on the perceived location. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the effects of disorientation include disability to function normally. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the physical characteristics include at least one of frequency, duration, periodicity, volume, delay in the periodicity, and decay.