Display system interface using visually-evoked cortical potentials

A brain-computer interface system, comprising:

• a video processor configured to produce a display control signal;
• a temporal controller configured to producing a plurality of repetitive visual stimulus (RVS) signals each with a different respective temporal aspect that includes frequencies of at least 30 Hz, amplitudes, or phases of the RVS signals, other temporal characteristics of the RVS signals, or a combination thereof;
• a display device having a display module and a backlight, wherein the display module includes a plurality of display regions, each of the plurality of display regions including a plurality of light emitting elements, the display module being configured to display a corresponding image in response to receiving the display control signal and the RVS signals;
• an electroencephalographic (EEG) sensor configured to sense a visually-evoked cortical potential (VECP) signal in a user whose eyes are fixed on a viewed one of the display regions;
• a VECP processor configured to process the VECP signal to identify the viewed one of the display regions;
• an electrooculogram (EOG) sensor configured to sense eye movement, fixation, and/or blinks in the user's eyes and sending a corresponding EOG signal to the VECP processor, the VECP processor being further configured to process the EOG signal to identify one or more likely viewed display regions as possibilities for the viewed one of the display regions, the VECP processor being further configured to reconcile the VECP signal and the EOG signal to determine if the viewed one of the display regions determined based on the VECP signal is consistent with the one or more likely viewed display regions determined based on the EOG signal, the VECP processor being further configured wherein if one of the one or more likely viewed display regions determined based on the EOG signal matches the viewed one of the display regions determined based on the VECP signal then the accuracy of the viewed one of the display regions is confirmed;
• wherein the temporal controller is further configured to send a synchronization signal to the VECP processor, the synchronization signal indicating a pulse onset of the RVS signals with the different respective temporal aspects, and in response the VECP processor determines the onset of the RVS for each of the display regions of the display device;
• and
• wherein the VECP processor being further configured to process the EOG signal includes the VECP processor being configured to analyze the EOG signal to determine time periods of eye fixation when the eyes are stationary and thus not blinked or moving between fixations, and
• the VECP processor being further configured to reconcile the VECP signal and the EOG signal includes the VECP processor being configured to disregard time periods when the eyes are blinked or moving between fixations as determined by the EOG signal analysis and only analyze the VECP signal during time periods of eye fixation.

A computer-interfacing method of using a display system that includes a display device, a video processor, and a temporal controller in a brain-computer interface system that also includes a VECP controller, an EEG sensor, and an EOG sensor, the method comprising:

• sending, via the temporal controller, a plurality of repetitive visual stimulus (RVS) signals, to the display, each RVS signal having a different respective temporal aspect;
• receiving at the display device, both a control signal from the video processor and the RVS signals from the temporal controller and in response displaying corresponding RVS in corresponding display regions of the display device with the RVS displayed by each one of the display regions having a different respective one of the temporal aspects from the RVS displayed by each other of the display regions;
• displaying a corresponding image in response to receiving both the display control signal and the RVS signals on the display regions of the display device;
• producing a respective visually-evoked cortical potential (VECP) in a user viewing the display device, the VECP are detectable by the EEG sensor;
• producing a respective electrooculogram (EOG) signal in the user viewing the display device, the EOG signal being detected by the EOG sensor, based on eye movement, fixation, and/or blinks in the user;
• and
• processing by the VECP controller, the VECP and EOG signals to identify a viewed one of the display regions where the user's eyes are fixed, wherein the processing includes:
• processing the VECP signal to identify the viewed one of the display regions,
• processing the EOG signal to identify one or more likely viewed display regions as possibilities for the viewed one of the display regions, and to determine time periods of eye fixation when the eyes are stationary and thus not blinked or moving between fixations;
• and
• reconciling the VECP signal and the EOG signal to determine if the viewed one of the display regions determined based on the VECP signal is consistent with the one or more likely viewed display regions determined based on the EOG signal to confirm the accuracy of the viewed one of the display regions, wherein reconciling the VECP signal and the EOG signal includes disregarding time periods when the eyes are blinked or moving between fixations as determined by the EOG signal analysis and only analyzing the VECP signal during time periods of eye fixation.