System and method for attention training

• US 20040115603A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert F. Reynolds
• Original Assignee: Robert F. Reynolds
• Inventors: Reynolds, Robert F.
• Application Number:
  US10/322,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20040115603A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/236
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine

Abstract

A system and method for attention training includes a trainer unit used by a trainer and one or more trainee units, each vibrationally linked to a trainee. The trainer unit is used to send alert and reward signals, such as coded radio signals, to the trainee units, which consequently transmits alert and reward vibrations, respectively, to be felt by the trainee. In some implementations, the trainer observes the trainee behaving in an undesired manner, sends an alert signal via the trainer unit to the trainee unit to transmit an alert vibration to the trainee. If the trainee ceases behaving in the undesired manner, a reward signal is sent via the trainer unit to the trainee unit to generate a reward vibration to be felt by the trainee. Reward signals can be counted to track progress by the trainee.

Claims

1. An attention training system comprising:

a trainer unit including;

a switch system including switch portions;

a transmitter configured to transmit, for each switch portion, first and second signals;

a controller so coupled to each of the switch portions of the switch system to identify occurrences of first and second conditions for each of the switch portions, the controller so coupled to the transmitter to initiate transmission by the transmitter of the first signal for each switch portion when the controller identifies an occurrence of the first condition for the switch portion and to initiate transmission by the transmitter of the second signal for each switch portion when the controller identifies an occurrence of the second condition for the switch portion;

a counter so coupled to at least one of the switch system and the controller to generate a count of occurences of at least one of the first and second conditions of the switch portions; and

an output so coupled to the counter to output the count of occurences of at least one of the first and second conditions of the switch portions; and

a plurality of trainee units, each associated with one of the switch portions of the trainer unit, each of the trainee units including;

a receiver configured to receive the first and second signals of the switch portion of the trainer unit with which the trainee unit is associated;

a vibrator configured to vibrate when electrically energized; and

a controller so coupled to the receiver and to the vibrator to direct the vibrator to vibrate with a first vibration in response to the receiver receiving the first signal and to vibrate with a different second vibration in response to the receiver receiving the second signal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter of the trainer unit transmits coded radio signals and the receiver of the trainee unit receive coded radio signals.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the vibrator vibrates for the first vibration with a series of vibration periods, each vibration period less than one second, and vibrates for the second vibration with a vibration period exceeding two seconds.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the output is an LCD display.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the output is a data interface.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the switch portions of the switch system is a switch, and an occurrence of the first condition for the switch portion includes the switch being in a closed position for less than one second, and an occurrence of the second condition for the switch portion includes the switch being in a closed position for more than two seconds.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the switch portions of the switch system includes a first switch and a second switch, and an occurrence of the first condition for the switch portion includes the first switch being closed and the second switch being open, and an occurrence of the second condition for the switch portion includes the first switch being open and the second switch being closed.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the counter and the controller are integrated together into a single processor.

9. An attention training system comprising:

a trainer unit including;

a switch having first and second conditions;

a transmitter configured to transmit first and second signals;

a controller so coupled to the switch to identify occurrences of the first and second switch conditions, the controller so coupled to the transmitter to initiate transmission by the transmitter of the first signal when the controller identifies an occurrence of the first switch condition and to initiate transmission by the transmitter of the second signal when the controller identifies an occurrence of the second switch condition;

a counter coupled to generate a count of occurences of at least one of the first and second switch conditions; and

an output so coupled to the counter to output the count of occurences; and

a trainee unit configured to vibrationally contact a trainee, the trainee unit including;

a receiver configured to receive the first and second signals;

a vibrator configured to vibrate when electrically energized; and

a controller so coupled to the receiver and to the vibrator to direct the vibrator to vibrate with a first vibration in response to the receiver receiving the first signal and to vibrate with a different second vibration in response to the receiver receiving the second signal.

10. An attention training system comprising:

a trainer unit including;

a switch having first and second conditions;

a transmitter configured to transmit first and second signals;

a controller so coupled to the switch to identify occurrences of the first and second switch conditions, the controller so coupled to the transmitter to initiate transmission by the transmitter of the first signal when the controller identifies an occurrence of the first switch condition and to initiate transmission by the transmitter of the second signal when the controller identifies an occurrence of the second switch condition; and

a trainee unit including;

a receiver configured to receive the first and second signals;

a vibrator configured to vibrate when electrically energized; and

a controller so coupled to the receiver and to the vibrator to direct the vibrator to vibrate with a first vibration in response to the receiver receiving the first signal and to vibrate with a different second vibration in response to the receiver receiving the second signal.

11. An attention training system comprising:

a trainer unit including;

a switch having first and second conditions;

a transmitter configured to transmit first and second signals;

a controller so coupled to the switch to identify occurrences of the first and second switch conditions, the controller so coupled to the transmitter to initiate transmission by the transmitter of the first signal when the controller identifies an occurrence of the first switch condition and to initiate transmission by the transmitter of the second signal when the controller identifies an occurrence of the second switch condition;

a counter coupled to generate a count of occurences of at least one of the first and second conditions of the switch; and

an output so coupled to the counter to output the count of occurences; and

a trainee unit including;

a receiver configured to receive the first and second signals;

a vibrator configured to vibrate when electrically energized;

an activation switch so configured and positioned to change from a first state to a second state when the trainee unit moves and to change from the second state to the first state when the trainee unit becomes substantially motionless; and

a controller so coupled to the receiver and to the vibrator to direct the vibrator to vibrate with a first vibration in response to the receiver receiving the first signal and to vibrate with a different second vibration in response to the receiver receiving the second signal, the controller so coupled to the motion sensor to activate the receiver when the motion sensor changes from the first state to the second state and to deactivate the receiver a predetermined amount of time after the motion sensor changes from the second state to the first state.

12. A method for training a trainee comprising:

observing the trainee behaving in an identifiable manner;

upon observing the trainee behaving in the identifiable manner, sending a first signal to a trainee unit vibrationally linked to the trainee to produce a first vibration with the trainee unit to be felt by the trainee;

observing the trainee substantially ceasing from behaving in the identifiable manner; and

upon observing the trainee substantially ceasing from behaving in the identifiable manner, sending a second signal to the trainee unit vibrationally linked to the trainee to produce a different second vibration with the trainee unit to be felt by the trainee.

13. A method for training a trainee comprising:

observing the trainee behaving in an identifiable manner;

upon observing the trainee behaving in the identifiable manner, sending a first signal to a trainee unit vibrationally linked to the trainee to produce a first vibration with the trainee unit to be felt by the trainee;

observing the trainee substantially ceasing from behaving in the identifiable manner; and

upon observing the trainee substantially ceasing from behaving in the identifiable manner, sending a second signal to a trainee unit vibrationally linked to the trainee to produce a second vibration with the trainee unit to be felt by the trainee; and

incrementing a count to determine the number of second signals sent for a given period.

14. A method for training a trainee comprising:

observing the trainee behaving in an identifiable manner;

upon observing the trainee behaving in the identifiable manner, sending a first signal to a trainee unit vibrationally linked to the trainee to produce a first vibration with the trainee unit to be felt by the trainee; and

decrementing a count from an initial number for each first signal sent.

15. A method for training a first trainee and a second trainee comprising:

observing the first trainee behaving in a first identifiable manner;

upon observing the first trainee behaving in the first identifiable manner, sending a first alert signal to a first trainee unit vibrationally linked to the first trainee to produce an alert vibration with the first trainee unit to be felt by the first trainee;

observing the first trainee substantially ceasing from behaving in the first identifiable manner;

upon observing the first trainee substantially ceasing from behaving in the first identifiable manner, sending a first reward signal to the first trainee unit vibrationally linked to the first trainee to produce a reward vibration with the first trainee unit to be felt by the first trainee;

observing the second trainee behaving in at least one of following;

the first identifiable manner and a second identifiable manner;

upon observing the second trainee behaving in at least one of following;

the first identifiable manner and the second identifiable manner, sending a second alert signal to a second trainee unit vibrationally linked to the second trainee to produce an alert vibration with the second trainee unit to be felt by the second trainee;

observing the second trainee substantially ceasing from behaving in at least one of following;

the first identifiable manner and the second identifiable manner; and

upon observing the second trainee substantially ceasing from behaving in at least one of following;

the first identifiable manner and second identifiable manner, sending a second reward signal to the second trainee unit vibrationally linked to the second trainee to produce a reward vibration with the second trainee unit to be felt by the second trainee.