Measurement of facial muscle EMG potentials for predictive analysis using a smart wearable system and method

A method for using facial muscle electromyogram (EMG) potential as input for a set of earpieces comprising a first earpiece and a second earpiece, the first earpiece comprising:

• a) an earpiece housing,
• b) a processor disposed within the earpiece housing,
• c) a gesture control interface operatively connected to the processor,
• d) at least one EMG sensor, placed on an external surface of the earpiece housing, configured to detect electrical activity from a user's facial muscles, the at least one EMG sensor operatively connected to the processor, and
• e) at least one inertial sensor configured to detect a user's head movement, the at least one inertial sensor operatively connected to the processor,
• f) at least one microphone operatively connected to the processor and at least one speaker operatively connected to the processor,
• generating voice feedback at the at least one speaker;
• receiving the facial muscle EMG potentials at the at least one EMG sensor in response to the voice feedback;
• receiving audio input from the at least one microphone at the processor in response to the voice feedback;
• receiving inertial data indicative of the user's head movement from the at least one inertial sensor at the processor in response to the voice feedback;
• interpreting at the processor the facial muscle EMG potentials, the audio input, and the inertial data to determine occurrence of a command to perform an action according to a pre-determined user setting;
• wherein the processor is configured not to interpret the electrical activity from the user's facial muscles as the command if the user is talking as determined using the audio input from the at least one microphone.

An earpiece comprises

• (a) a processor disposed within an earpiece housing,
• (b) a gesture control interface operatively connected to the processor,
• (c) at least one sensor configured to detect electrical activity from a user's facial muscles, the at least one sensor operatively connected to the processor,
• (d) an inertial sensor operatively connected to the processor, and
• (e) at least one microphone operatively connected to the processor;
• wherein the processor associates the electrical activity from the user's facial muscles with speech if the electrical activity from the user's facial muscles is detected along with an input from the at least one microphone;
• (f) wherein the processor is configured to interpret the electrical activity from the user's facial muscles in combination with no input from the at least one microphone and input from the inertial sensor as a command to perform action according to a pre-determined user setting;
• (g) wherein the earpieces is configured to provide voice feedback to the user using at least one speaker, monitor a response to the voice feedback using the electrical activity from the user's facial muscles, and interpret the electrical activity from the user's facial muscles in response to the voice feedback.