Behavioral modification system and method

• US 8,137,108 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dozoretz, Jeffrey Victor, Hamway, Rose Marie
• Original Assignee: Dozoretz, Jeffrey Victor, Hamway, Rose Marie
• Inventors: Hamway, Rose Marie, Dozoretz, Jeffrey Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Utama, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US11/969,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20080227065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 434236-238
• US Class Current: 434/236
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided, for enabling communication between an administrator and a student regarding behavior activities of the student. The apparatus comprises (a) a transmitter configured to be carried by an administrator, and (b) a receiver configured to be carried by a student. The transmitter and receiver are configured to (i) be selectively placed in circuit communication with each other by an initiation signal originating from the transmitter or receiver, (ii) enable communication from the administrator to the student via the receiver regarding behavioral activities of the student or communication from the student to the administrator if the student feels a need to communicate with the administrator regarding behavioral activities of the student, and (iii) enable the receiver to communicate with the student in a predetermined fashion regarding behavior activities of the student in the absence of communications from the administrator.

Claims

1. Apparatus for facilitating behavior feedback between an administrator and a student, comprising

a. a transmitter configured to be associated with an administrator, and a receiver configured to be associated with a student,

b. the transmitter and receiver configured to

i. be placed in circuit communication with each other,

ii. enable communication from the administrator to the student regarding behavioral activities of the student, and

iii. enable the receiver to communicate with the student in a predetermined fashion regarding behavior activities of the student;

and

c. wherein the transmitter and receiver are further configured such that

iv. circuit communication can be initially established between the transmitter and receiver to cause reward credits to be accumulated for behavioral activities of the student in the absence of a subsequent cue from the administrator,

v. the administrator can selectively, at the administrator'"'"'s option, and via the subsequent cue, cause communication between the transmitter and the receiver that suspends accumulation of reward credits for a predetermined time period, and unless the administrator communicates a further cue to the student via the transmitter and receiver during that predetermined period of time, the accumulation of reward credits will automatically resume.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the transmitter and receiver are further configured such that when an administrator communicates the further cue with the student during the predetermined time period reward credits are deducted from the accumulation.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the transmitter and receiver are further configured such that once reward points are deducted from the student, the accumulation of reward points will resume after a subsequent predetermined time period unless during that subsequent predetermined time period the administrator communicates still another cue to the student, via the transmitter and receiver, to cause additional reward points to be deducted from the accumulation.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the circuit communication that is initially established between the transmitter and receiver to cause reward points to be accumulated is established automatically when circuit communication is initially established between the transmitter and receiver.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the transmitter and receiver are each configured to accumulate and store data regarding communications between the administrator and student so that such data can be uploaded into a computer and analyzed, the data that can be accumulated and stored including any or all of the following:

(i) the time of each communication between the transmitter and receiver, (ii) the number of communications in either the one or the other fashion from the transmitter to the receiver, (iii) reward credits accumulated, (iv) suspension of reward credits, (v) deduction of reward credits, (vi) addition of reward credits, (vii) resumption of accumulation of reward credits.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the receiver can be selectively configured to communicate with the student via any or all of the following ways:

(i) visual, (ii) auditory, (iii) kinesthetic.

7. A method for producing behavior feedback between an administrator and a student, comprising

a. providing a transmitter configured to be associated with an administrator, and a receiver configured to be associated with a student, where the transmitter and receiver

b. provide communication from the administrator to the student via the transmitter and receiver regarding behavioral activities of the student, by establishing a circuit communication between the transmitter and receiver that causes reward credits to be accumulated for behavioral activities of the student in the absence of subsequent communications from the administrator, and

c. suspending the accumulation of reward credits for a predetermined time period if the administrator communicates to the student, via the transmitter and receiver, a cue that initiates the suspension, and

d. automatically resuming the accumulation of reward credits at the receiver unless the administrator communicates during the predetermined time period a subsequent cue related to the suspension;

whereby the administrator can selectively, at the administrator'"'"'s option, communicate with the student via the one cue that the accumulation of reward credits is suspended for the predetermined time period, and

whereby the accumulation of reward points will automatically resume after the predetermined time period unless the administrator communicates the subsequent cue to the student via the transmitter and receiver during that predetermined period of time.

8. The method of claim 7, further including deducting reward credits from the accumulation when the administrator sends the subsequent cue to the student via the transmitter and receiver during that predetermined subsequent time period.

9. The method of claim 8, further including deducting additional reward points from the accumulation when the administrator communicates the subsequent cue to the student, via the transmitter and receiver, during that subsequent time period.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the circuit communication that is initially established between the transmitter and receiver to cause reward points to be accumulated is established automatically when circuit communication is initially established between the transmitter and receiver.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, further including accumulating and storing data by either or both of the transmitter and receiver regarding communications between the administrator and student so that such data can be uploaded into a computer and analyzed, the data that accumulated and stored including any or all of the following:

(i) the time of each communication between the transmitter and receiver, (ii) the number of communications in either the one or the other fashion from the transmitter to the receiver, (iii) reward credits accumulated, (iv) suspension of reward credits, (v) deduction of reward credits, (vi) resumption of accumulation of reward credits.

12. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein communication between the transmitter and the receiver is established in any or all of the following ways:

(i) visual, (ii) auditory, (iii) kinesthetic.