Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-21
2004-03-16
Hofsass, Jeffery (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C340S540000, C340S545600, C340S568100, C340S457000, C340S571000, C340S692000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06707383
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system that outputs an audible message at one or more predetermined times and/or in response to a predetermined event.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known that many individuals, either because of their age or condition, require prompting or reminding to perform one or more activities. For example, a person with Alzheimer's disease may need to be reminded to take medication at one or more times during the day. Similarly, teenage children may need to be reminded to telephone a parent or adult guardian upon arriving home from school. Still further, a person suffering from dementia who uses a walker may need to be reminded to use the walker when walking from one location to another location. Currently, absent the presence of a personal caregiver, no means presently exists for reminding individuals to perform one or more activities.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a personal sensory reminder with customizable voice message to enable messages to be delivered to individuals to remind them to perform one or more activities in the absence of a personal caregiver being present. Still other objects of the invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a personal sensory reminder system that includes an audio circuit which stores an audio message and which is responsive to a first signal for outputting the audio message. The system includes means responsive to an event for outputting a second signal and a clock circuit which is responsive to (i) the second signal for outputting the first signal to the audio circuit (ii) the second signal for outputting the first signal to the audio circuit during an activation interval programmed into the clock circuit and for withholding or terminating the output of the first signal to the audio circuit during a deactivation interval programmed into the clock circuit, and (iii) a change from a deactivation interval to an activation interval for outputting the first signal to the audio circuit.
The means for outputting the second signal can include a latch circuit for supplying the second signal to the clock circuit and a means responsive to the event for triggering the latch circuit to output the second signal to the clock circuit. The triggering means can be one of a pressure sensitive mat, an infrared detector, a proximity switch, a break beam sensor, a heat sensor, a vibration sensor, a light level sensor and a fluid level sensor.
The system can further include means for amplifying the audio message and means for resetting the latch circuit. The clock circuit can further include means for programming the clock circuit with a time of day, each activation interval and each deactivation interval.
A display can be operatively connected to the clock circuit for displaying at least one of the time of day programmed into the clock circuit, an activation time programmed into the clock circuit and a deactivation time programmed into the clock circuit.
Means can be provided for inputting the audio message into the audio circuit. This input means can include a microphone connectable to the audio circuit, with the audio circuit storing the audio message received by the microphone when a record input of the audio circuit is connected to a reference voltage. Lastly, the audio circuit can be responsive to the connection of a reference voltage to a playback input of the audio circuit for outputting the audio signal independent of the first signal.
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Hofsass Jeffery
Pham Lam
Webb Ziesenheim & Logsdon Orkin & Hanson, P.C.
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