Systems and methods for computer implemented treatment of behavorial disorders

• US 8,201,223 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joanne Walker
• Original Assignee: Joanne Walker
• Inventors: Walker, Joanne, Rosenthal, Saul
• Primary Examiner(s): REVAK, CHRISTOPHER A
• Application Number:
  US11/934,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• 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: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A system and method are provided for treating excessive or problematic computer use. In at least one embodiment, a method is employed to treat excessive or problematic computer use by acquiring information about the unwanted user activity, monitoring user activity for the unwanted behavior, controlling the behavior when it occurs, enabling the user to record self-observations and evaluating the results. This method may employ a computer based system to treat excessive or problematic computer use which includes configuring a user activity monitor with constraints, programmatically enforcing those constraints, reporting the activities monitored and restricted, and enabling a user to input self-observations. Potential constraints include a complete bar on the user activity, as well as, progressively decreasing the amount of time the user may engage in the activity, i.e. titrating the user activity.

Claims

1. A system for constraining computer use by a user, the system comprising:

a computer system including a memory and a controller coupled to the memory, the memory storing at least one constraint specifying a computer user activity to be controlled, the computer system being configured to;

read the at least one constraint from the memory;

receive an indication that the user is attempting to perform the computer user activity using the computer system; and

control the computer user activity on the computer system according to the at least one constraint, wherein control according to the at least one constraint either restricts each instance of the computer user activity to an automatically titrated duration with a progressively decreasing duration or automatically causes the user to engage in a cognitive restructuring exercise.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one constraint comprises an identifier of the user.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one constraint comprises at least one constraint received from an external database.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one constraint comprises an identifier of a website to which access is to be constrained.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one constraint comprises an identifier of a software application to which access is to be constrained.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the titrated duration comprises a progressively decreasing duration that decreases by a constant amount of time for each instance of the computer user activity.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the titrated duration comprises a progressively decreasing duration that decreases by a variable amount of time for each instance of the computer user activity.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the titrated duration comprises a progressively decreasing duration that decreases by a random amount of time for each instance of the computer user activity.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer system further comprises:

an input coupled to the controller and configured to receive at least one motivator to dissuade the user from engaging in the computer user activity, the at least one motivator associated with the at least one computer user activity;

wherein the controller is further configured to store the at least one motivator in the memory; and

wherein the cognitive restructuring exercise includes providing the user with the at least one motivator when the user attempts to perform the computer user activity.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one motivator includes at least one motivator individually tailored to the user.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to store a record of the computer user activity in the memory.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the computer system further comprises an output coupled to the controller and configured to provide the record of the computer user activity to an external entity.

13. The system according claim 11, wherein the input is further configured to receive information regarding past user activity,

wherein the controller is further configured to store the information regarding past user activity in the memory;

and

wherein the output is further configured to provide the past user activity compared to the record of the computer user activity to an external entity.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the input is further configured to receive self-observations from the user,

wherein the controller is further configured to store the information regarding past user activity in the memory;

and

wherein the output is further configured to provide the self-observations to an external entity.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer system includes a mobile computing device.

16. A computer-implemented method for constraining use of a computer including memory and a controller coupled to the memory, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computer, at least one constraint identifying a computer user activity to be constrained and a type of constraint to be imposed on the computer user activity, the type of constraint including either restricting the computer user activity to an automatically titrated duration with a progressively decreasing duration or automatically causing a user to engage in a cognitive restructuring exercise;

receiving, by the computer, an indication that the user is attempting to perform the computer user activity using the computer; and

controlling, by the computer, the computer user activity according to the at least one constraint.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein controlling, by the computer, the computer user activity comprises storing a record of user activity.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein receiving the at least one constraint comprises receiving at least one motivator to dissuade the user from engaging in the computer user activity.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising identifying the user.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising receiving self-observations from the user.

21. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

receiving past user activity; and

reporting subsequent user activity compared to the past user activity.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by a controller, cause the controller to perform a method including:

receiving at least one constraint identifying a computer user activity to be constrained and a type of constraint to be imposed on the computer user activity, the type of constraint including either restricting the computer user activity to an automatically titrated duration with a progressively decreasing duration or automatically causing a user to engage in a cognitive restructuring exercise;

receiving, by the computer, an indication that the user is attempting to perform the computer user activity using the computer; and

controlling, by the computer, the computer user activity according to the at least one constraint.