Therapeutic simulator system for stress disorders

An apparatus for providing stress disorder therapy, the apparatus comprising:

• a control module comprising a computer processor communicatively coupled to a simulation data store, the simulation data store having machine-readable values for computer-generated features in a computer-simulated environment in which a human subject is immersed, the computer-generated features include an audio output;
• a rendering module communicatively coupled to the control module;
• the rendering module generates the audio output in the computer-simulated environment;
• an audio output device communicatively coupled to the rendering module, the audio output device broadcasting the audio output in the computer-simulated environment;
• an array of audio track variables accessible by the rendering module, the audio track variables quantifying an amount of audio information generated by the rendering module and presented in the computer-simulated environment;
• a sensing module communicatively coupled to the control module and at least one or more digital sensors, the sensing module receiving data from the digital sensors indicative of a physiological parameter of the human subject and quantifying a real-time sensory load value of the human subject from the data indicative of the physiological parameter, the real-time sensory load value readable by the control module;
• a sensory load threshold datastore communicatively coupled to the control module, the sensory load threshold datastore storing an upper sensory load state value constant, the sensory load threshold datastore also storing a lower sensory load state value constant;
• a sensory load threshold function operable on the control module, the sensory load threshold function receiving the real-time sensory load value of the human subject, the upper sensory load value constant and the lower sensory load value constant whereby the sensory load threshold function returns a low result responsive to the real-time sensory load value of the human subject being less than the lower sensory load value;
• a high result responsive to the real-time sensory load value of the human subject being greater than the upper sensory load value;
• and an inbounds result responsive to the real-time sensory load value of the human subject being above the lower sensory load value and less than the upper sensory load value;
• whereby responsive to a low result returned from the sensory load threshold function, the control module instructs the rendering module to increase the values of the audio track variables to thereby increase the amount of audible information generated by the rendering module and presented within the computer-simulated environment;
• responsive to a high result returned from the sensory load threshold function, the control module instructs the rendering module to decrease the values of the sensory variables to thereby decrease the amount of audible information generated by the rendering module and presented within the computer-simulated environment;
• and responsive to an inbounds result returned from the sensory load threshold function, the control module instructs the rendering module to maintain substantially the same values of the sensory variables to thereby sustain the same amount of audible information generated by the rendering module and presented within the computer-simulated environment.

An apparatus for providing stress disorder therapy, the apparatus comprising:

• a control module comprising a computer processor communicatively coupled to a simulation data store, the simulation data store having machine-readable values for computer-generated features in a computer-simulated environment in which a human subject is immersed, the computer-generated features include visual objects and an audio output;
• a rendering module communicatively coupled to the control module;
• the rendering module generates the visual objects in the computer-simulated environment;
• a visual display device communicatively coupled to the rendering module, the visual display device displaying the visual objects in the computer-simulated environment;
• an array of sensory variables accessible by the rendering module, the sensory variables quantifying an amount of visual information generated by the rendering module and presented in the computer-simulated environment, the sensory variables selected from the group consisting of polygon count of rendered objects in the environment, lighting complexity of the environment, texture complexity of rendered objects in the environment and rendered frames-per-second;
• a sensing module communicatively coupled to the control module and at least one or more digital sensors, the sensing module receiving data from the digital sensors indicative of the human subject's pulse rate and quantifying a real-time sensory load value of the human subject from the pulse rate, the real-time sensory load value readable by the control module;
• a sensory load threshold datastore communicatively coupled to the control module, the sensory load threshold datastore storing an upper sensory load state value constant, the sensory load threshold datastore also storing a lower sensory load state value constant;
• a sensory load threshold function operable on the control module, the sensory load threshold function receiving the real-time sensory load value of the human subject, the upper sensory load value constant and the lower sensory load value constant whereby the sensory load threshold function returns a low result responsive to the real-time sensory load value of the human subject being less than the lower sensory load value;
• a high result responsive to the real-time sensory load value of the human subject being greater than the upper sensory load value;
• and an inbounds result responsive to the real-time sensory load value of the human subject being above the lower sensory load value and less than the upper sensory load value;
• whereby responsive to a low result returned from the sensory load threshold function, the control module instructs the rendering module to increase the values of the sensory variables to thereby increase the amount of visual information generated by the rendering module and presented within the computer-simulated environment;
• responsive to a high result returned from the sensory load threshold function, the control module instructs the rendering module to decrease the values of the sensory variables to thereby decrease the amount of visual information generated by the rendering module and presented within the computer-simulated environment;
• and responsive to an inbounds result returned from the sensory load threshold function, the control module instructs the rendering module to maintain substantially the same values of the sensory variables to thereby sustain the same amount of visual information generated by the rendering module and presented within the computer-simulated environment.