Consumption controller

• US 6,473,368 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2000
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James Stanfield
• Original Assignee: James Stanfield
• Inventors: Stanfield, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roskoski, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US09/523,541
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 368/10, 368/89, 368/107-113
• US Class Current: 368/107
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/30 Dietetic or nutritional methods, e.g. for losing weight A23L33/10 takes precedence

Abstract

A portable device helps a person control food consumption to eat in a more relaxed manner so time is provided for the “appestat” in the human brain to signal the person that he/she is full before overeating, and to provide time for conversation when eating with others. The apparatus includes red and green lights (22, 20), a circuit (46) that controls energization of the lights, and a pushbutton switch (42) that operates a portion of a circuit. When the push button (44) is depressed the circuit energizes the red light (22) for a predetermined period such as 30 seconds (which can be varied), to indicate that the person should not eat while the red light is on. After the predetermined period, the circuit energizes the green light (20), to indicate that the person can take one or two bites of food at his/her convenience. As soon as the person takes the one or two bites, the person depresses the push button to cause the red light to be energized for the predetermined period. This cycle continues until the meal is over. When starting the meal, the person turns on the circuit, causing a timer display (24) to begin counting, in seconds and minutes, the time that the device was on. This encourages the person to delay taking bites of food, so the meal lasts at least 20 minutes, and reminds the user to wait until the 20 minute period is over before leaving the eating area or deciding whether to eat another serving.

Claims

1. Apparatus for behavior controlled consumption comprising:

a frame;

an on-off switch, and a pushbutton switch with a push button, each switch being mounted on said frame;

an OK indicator that displays an OK-to-consume indication that indicates it is permissible to consume, and a STOP indicator that produces a stop indication that indicates that it is not permissible to consume, each indicator mounted on said frame;

an electronic circuit mounted on said frame and coupled to said switches and to said indicators, said circuit being constructed to energize said OK indicator to display an OK-to-consume indication when said on-off switch is turned on and to continue to display said OK-to-consume indication until said push button is depressed;

said circuit is constructed so when said pushbutton is operated said circuit energizes said STOP indicator to display a STOP indicator for a predetermined period of time, and at the end of said predetermined period of time said circuit energizes said OK indicator to display said OK-to-consume indication until said push button is again depressed;

said OK indicator is constructed to display said OK-to-consume indication largely continuously from the end of said predetermined period until said push button is again depressed, and said STOP indicator is constructed to display said STOP indication largely continuously between the time that said pushbutton is operated and the end of said predetermined period.

2. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein:

said OK indicators comprises a green LED that produces a green light forming said OK to-consume indication, while said STOP indicator comprises a red LED that produces a red light forming said stop indication.

3. The apparatus described in claim 2 wherein:

said circuit is constructed to flash said green LED on and off when said circuit energizes said OK indicator.

4. The apparatus described in claim 1 including:

a timer with a timer display mounted on said frame, which displays time in seconds and minutes,

said circuit including a clock portion that is coupled to said on-off switch and that drives said timer display to display a time count in seconds and minutes, that begins when said on-off switch is switched on.

5. Apparatus for behavior controlled consumption comprising:

a frame;

a pushbutton switch mounted on said frame, and having a push button that can be depressed;

a red light indicator that displays a red light when energized and a green light indicator that displays a green light when energized, each indicator being mounted on said frame;

a battery-energized electronic circuit mounted on said frame and switch and coupled to said switch and to said indicators;

said circuit being constructed to energize said green light indicator to display said green light largely continuously until said push button is depressed, and upon depression of said push button to energize said red light indicator to display said red light largely continuously for a predetermined time period on the order of magnitude of 30 seconds and to thereafter automatically energize said green light indicator to display said green light until said push button is depressed.

6. The apparatus described in claim 5, including:

a timer display mounted on said frame and having second and minute displays;

an on-off switch mounted on said frame;

said electronic circuit includes a clock circuit part that is coupled to said on-off switch and that energizes said timer display to show the time elapsed since the on-off switch was turned on.

7. The apparatus described in claim 5 wherein:

said green light indicator includes an LED that produces green light, and said circuit is constructed to repeatedly energize and deenergize said LED between the end of said predetermined time period and depression of said push button to provide a flashing green light.

8. A method for behavior-controlled eating, comprising:

displaying an OK-to-eat indication while a person takes no more than a predetermined number of bites of food;

depressing a push button by said person, and displaying a STOP indication that indicates that the person should not eat, continuing to display said STOP indication for a predetermined period of time that is on the order of magnitude of 30 seconds, and then automatically displaying said OK-to-eat indication until said person depresses said push button, so steps of displaying an OK-to-eat indication and steps of depressing a push button and displaying a STOP indication, alternate;

said steps of displaying said OK-to-eat indication including displaying a light immediately after said predetermined period of time and a plurality of seconds later if the person has not yet depressed said push button.

9. The method described in claim 8 including:

initially turning on a display to perform a first of said steps of displaying an OK-to-eat indication;

energizing a timer to display a time period in seconds and minutes that continually advances, and that begins upon performing said step of initially turning on a display.