DIET COMPLIANCE SYSTEM

• US 20070208593A1
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jesse Hercules
• Original Assignee: Jesse Hercules
• Inventors: HERCULES, Jesse
• Granted Patent: US 7,500,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0009 Computerised real time comparison with previous movements or motion sequences of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A computer-based system for monitoring and improving a user'"'"'s dietary compliance by providing the user with multiple forms of feedback designed to encourage adherence to a dietary program. In one embodiment the system comprises a personal computer having a commercially available telephony card and a cellular telephone carried by the user. The system automatically calls the user each evening and prompts the user to input whether the user adhered to the dietary program for each of that day'"'"'s meals. The system accepts and stores the input, calculates whether the user is achieving their dietary goal, and gives the user positive or negative audio feedback based on whether the user is meeting their dietary compliance target.

Claims

1. A computer-based system for monitoring and increasing a user'"'"'s diet program compliance, the system comprising:

a computer having means for receiving and storing personal information about the user, including the user'"'"'s name, telephone number and compliance goal;

means for remotely and automatically contacting the user at least once per day and inquiring of a user'"'"'s compliance for the three meals of that day;

means for receiving and storing a user'"'"'s compliance information in the form of a yes or no response for each meal;

processing means for calculating a user'"'"'s new rate of compliance to the dietary program based on the compliance information received remotely from the user, comparing that new rate of compliance to the user'"'"'s compliance goal and generating a feedback message; and

means for transmitting that feedback message to the user; and

remote means by which the user can receive from the computer a compliance inquiry, input to the computer the user'"'"'s compliance information, and receive from the computer the feedback message.

2. The computer-based system of claim 1 wherein the remote means comprises a land telephone.

3. The computer-based system of claim 1 wherein the remote means comprise a cell phone.

4. The computer-based system of claim 1 wherein the remote means comprises a two-way pager.

5. The computer-based system of claim 1 wherein the remote means comprises a computer equipped with two-way internet text messaging capability.

6. The computer-based compliance system of claim 1 wherein the user'"'"'s compliance goal is less than 100%.

7. The computer-based system of claim 1 wherein the new rate of compliance to the exercise program is calculated as the percentage of times the user has adhered to the diet during the previous predetermined number of meals or days.

8. The computer-based system of claim 1 wherein the new rate of compliance is calculated as the percentage of times the user has adhered to the diet during the lesser of either the previous predetermined number of days or the number of days the user has used the computer-based system.

9. The computer-based system of claim 1 wherein the processing means includes means for calculating a date when the user will be next in compliance if the user adheres to the diet for each future meal through said date and wherein the feedback message includes said date.

10. The computer-based system of claim 1 wherein the means for remotely contacting the user comprises a telephony card or an ethernet card.

11. A method of monitoring and increasing the compliance of a user following a dietary program, the method comprising the steps of:

the user inputting into a computer system a user'"'"'s identification and contact data and a dietary compliance goal;

at a predetermined time each day the computer system automatically requesting the user to input into the computer system whether the user did or did not adhere to the dietary program for each of that day'"'"'s meals;

the user entering a yes or no response into the computer system via a remote device;

the computer system calculating the percentage of times the user has adhered to the dietary program and comparing that percentage compliance to the user'"'"'s dietary compliance goal; and

the computer system providing the user with remote feedback regarding whether the user is currently in compliance with the user'"'"'s dietary compliance goal.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein during the calculating step the computer calculates a percentage of times the user has adhered to the diet during a previous predetermined number of days.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein during the calculating step the computer calculates a percentage of times the user has adhered to the dietary program during the lesser of either a previous predetermined number of days or a number of days the user has followed the dietary program.

14. The method of claims 12 or 13 wherein during the calculating step the computer calculates a date when the user will next be in compliance if the user adheres to the dietary program for each future meal through said date and wherein, during the providing step, the computer provides the user feedback identifying said date.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the dietary compliance goal is less than 100%.