# US 12,109,034 B2 · Rehabilitation support apparatus, method therefor, and program

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- Number: US 12,109,034 B2
- Document ID: US12109034B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/611,355
- Filed: 2021-03-25
- Published: 2022-07-14
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2020-04-24
- Assignees: mediVR, Inc.
- Applicants: mediVR, Inc.
- Inventors: Masahiko Hara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109034B2

## CPC

- A61B 5/4064: {Evaluating the brain (for intracranial pressure A61B5/031; for cerebral blood gases A61B5/14553; using EEG A61B5/369)}
- A63F 13/25: Output arrangements for video game devices
- A61B 5/7445: {Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units}
- A63F 13/5375: for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
- A63F 13/5378: for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps
- G02B 27/017: {Head mounted}
- G06T 19/006: {Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00)}
- G16H 20/30: relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
- G16H 40/63: for local operation
- A63B 2022/0092: {for training agility or co-ordination of movements}
- A63B 2022/0094: {for active rehabilitation, e.g. slow motion devices}
- A63B 2024/0096: {using performance related parameters for controlling electronic or video games or avatars}
- A63F 2300/8082: Virtual reality
- G06T 2210/41: Medical
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
- A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H)

## Abstract

To control a cognitive load to be given to the cognitive function of a user in rehabilitation, this invention provides a rehabilitation support apparatus including a detector that detects a three-dimensional rehabilitation action of the user, a display controller that generates, in a three-dimensional virtual space, an avatar object that moves in accordance with the detected rehabilitation action and a target object to be visually recognized by the user and displays these on a display, a notifier that notifies generation of the target object, and a cognitive load controller that gives a cognitive load to the user by generating the target object after an elapse of a predetermined time from the notification of the generation position of the target object.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A rehabilitation support apparatus for recovering one of cognitive impairment and a higher brain dysfunction of a user, comprising:
a detector that detects a three-dimensional rehabilitation action of the user;
a display controller that generates, in a three-dimensional virtual space, an avatar object that moves in accordance with the detected rehabilitation action and a target object to be visually recognized by the user and displays the avatar object and the target object on a display, wherein the rehabilitation action of the user is capable of moving the avatar object relative to the target object so as to enable the user to bring the avatar object and target object into proximity with one another;
a notifier that notifies a generation position, in the three-dimensional virtual space, of the target object;
a cognitive load controller that gives a cognitive load to the user by generating the target object after a lapse of a predetermined time from the notification of the generation position of the target object, and
a task table that sets a task requiring the user to move the avatar object into proximity with the target object, wherein success in performance of the task is facilitated if, after the lapse of time, the user remembers the generation position of the target object notified by the notifier;
wherein to control the cognitive load to be given to the user, said cognitive load controller is configured to change the predetermined time by an operation of an operator such that an increase in the predetermined time increases a complexity of the task.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The rehabilitation support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an evaluator that evaluates a cognitive ability of the user based on whether the avatar object has reached, in a good timing, a three-dimensional target position represented by the target object by the rehabilitation action, and the predetermined time.

### Claim 3

A rehabilitation support apparatus for recovering one of cognitive impairment and a higher brain dysfunction of a user, comprising:
a detector that detects a three-dimensional rehabilitation action of the user;
a display controller that generates, in a three-dimensional virtual space, an avatar object that moves in accordance with the detected rehabilitation action and at least two target objects to be visually recognized by the user and displays the avatar object and the at least two target objects on a display, wherein the rehabilitation action of the user is capable of moving the avatar object relative to the target objects so as to enable the user to bring the avatar object into proximity with the target objects;
a notifier that notifies a generation position, in the three-dimensional virtual space, of the at least two target objects;
a cognitive load controller that gives a cognitive load to the user by generating the at least two target objects after a lapse of a predetermined time from the notification of the generation position of the at least two target objects, and
a task table that sets a task requiring the user to move the avatar object into proximity with a first of the at least two target objects, wherein success in performance of the task is facilitated if, after the lapse of time, the user remembers the generation position of the first target object notified by the notifier;
wherein to control the cognitive load to be given to the user, said cognitive load controller causes the at least two target objects to simultaneously exist in the three-dimensional virtual space at different positions in the display.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The rehabilitation support apparatus according to claim 3, wherein
said display controller moves the at least two target objects in a vertical direction in the three-dimensional virtual space, and
said cognitive load controller generates the at least two target objects at different positions in a left-and-right direction in the three-dimensional virtual space, thereby giving the cognitive load to the user.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The rehabilitation support apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an evaluator that evaluates a cognitive ability of the user based on whether the avatar object has reached, in a good timing, a three-dimensional target position represented by the first target object by the rehabilitation action, and the predetermined time.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The rehabilitation support apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an evaluator that evaluates a cognitive ability of the user based on whether the avatar object has reached, in a good timing, a three-dimensional target position represented by the first target object by the rehabilitation action, and the predetermined time.

### Claim 7

A rehabilitation support apparatus for recovering one of cognitive impairment and a higher brain dysfunction of a user, comprising:
a detector that detects a three-dimensional rehabilitation action of the user;
a display controller that generates, in a three-dimensional virtual space, an avatar object that moves in accordance with the detected rehabilitation action and a target object to be visually recognized by the user and displays the avatar object and the target object on a display, wherein the rehabilitation action of the user is capable of moving the avatar object relative to the target object so as to enable the user to bring the avatar object into proximity with the target object;
a notifier that notifies a generation position, in the three-dimensional virtual space, of the target object;
a cognitive load controller that gives a cognitive load to the user by generating the target object after a lapse of a predetermined time from the notification of the generation position of the target object, and
a task table that sets a task requiring the user to move the avatar object into proximity with the target object, wherein success in performance of the task is facilitated if, after the lapse of time, the user remembers the generation position of the target object notified by the notifier;
wherein to control the cognitive load to be given to the user, said cognitive load controller changes at least a part of a background image other than the target object to be displayed on the display along with time.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The rehabilitation support apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising an evaluator that evaluates a cognitive ability of the user based on whether the avatar object has reached, in a good timing, a three-dimensional target position represented by the target object by the rehabilitation action, and the predetermined time.