Electronic motivational apparatus and related methods

• US 20060057547A1
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Timothy Patrick Donley
• Original Assignee: Timothy Patrick Donley
• Inventors: Donley, Timothy Patrick
• Application Number:
  US10/941,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20060057547A1
• 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

Abstract

An electronic motivational apparatus includes a clock module that provides a signal representing time of day. The apparatus also includes a plurality of message modules, each associated with a plurality of messages. A selector module, based on the clock module signal, selects a message module and one of the messages associated with the selected message module. A sound module delivers the selected message.

Claims

1. An electronic motivational apparatus comprising:

a clock module that provides a signal representing a time of day;

a plurality of message modules, each message module associated with a plurality of messages;

a selector module that, based on the signal of the clock module, selects a message module and one of the messages associated with the selected message module; and

a sound module that delivers the selected message.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more timing modules, each configurable to activate the selector module based on the signal of the clock module.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a date-keeping module that provides a signal representing a calendar date, and wherein the selector module is configured to select a message based on the signal of the date-keeping module as well as on the signal of the clock module.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selector module is further configured to select, based on user input, at least one of a message module and a message associated with the selected message module.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the selector module selects a message associated with a calendar date or message number selected by the user.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the selector module repeatedly selects a message based on user input.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein all of the messages associated with at least one of the message modules are thematically related.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the theme relating the messages comprises at least one of a religion, a religious outlook, a motivational method, a philosophy, humor, a recovery program, a horoscope program, a child-appropriate theme and a snooze alarm function.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selector module is further configured to select, according to a predetermined rotation order as well as based on the signal of the clock module, at least one of a message module and a message associated with the selected message module.

10. An electronic motivational apparatus comprising:

a date-keeping module that that provides a signal representing a calendar date;

a plurality of message modules, each message module associated with a plurality of messages;

a selector module that, based on the signal of the date-keeping module, selects a message module and one of the messages associated with the selected message module; and

a sound module that delivers the selected message.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a clock module that provides a signal representing a time of day, the selector module further configured to select a message module based also on the signal of the clock module.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising one or more timing modules, each configurable to activate the selector module based on the signal of the clock module.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, the selector module further configured to select at least one of a message module and a message associated with a selected message module based on user input.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the selector module selects a message associated with a calendar date selected by the user.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the selector module selects a message previously selected by the selector module.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the messages associated with one of the message modules are thematically related.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein thematically related comprises relating to at least one of a religion, a religious outlook, a motivational method, a philosophy, humor, a recovery program, a horoscope program, and a child-appropriate theme.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the selector module is further configured to select, according to a predetermined rotation order, at least one of a message module and a message associated with a selected message module.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the selector module further selects a snooze-alarm-related message in response to activation of a snooze alarm function of the apparatus.

20. A method for motivating a user, the method performed by an electronic motivational apparatus and comprising:

receiving inputs representing a chosen time and a chosen one of a plurality of message modules of the apparatus;

activating a selector module of the apparatus at the chosen time;

selecting the chosen message module and one of a plurality of messages associated with the chosen message module, the selecting performed using the activated selector module; and

delivering the selected message, the delivering performed using a sound module of the apparatus.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein activating the selector module at the chosen time comprises comparing the chosen time with a signal representing a time of day, said comparing performed using a timing module of the apparatus.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein selecting one of a plurality of messages comprises selecting one of a plurality of messages based on a signal representing a calendar date provided by a date-keeping module of the apparatus.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the messages associated with the chosen message module are thematically related.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein delivering the selected message comprises delivering a message relating to at least one of a religion, a religious outlook, a motivational method, a philosophy, humor, a recovery program, a horoscope program, and a child-appropriate theme.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising selecting and delivering a message associated with a snooze alarm function of the apparatus.

26. A method of regularly providing motivational messages to a user, the method comprising:

receiving a play time chosen by the user;

depending upon a chronological setting, selecting at least one motivational verbal message from a plurality of thematically related motivational verbal messages; and

playing the selected message at the play time.

27. An electronic motivational apparatus for delivering a date-dependent inspirational message, the apparatus comprising:

a display that displays a date;

a plurality of compact disks, each compact disk including a plurality of motivational verbal messages; and

a selector device that, based on the date, selects one of the compact disks and one of the messages included on the selected disk for play.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising an alarm that can be set to a play time;

wherein the selector device selects the one of the compact disks and the one of the messages for play at the play time.

29. A method of obtaining regular delivery of motivational messages, the method comprising:

setting a timer of an electronic motivational apparatus to activate a selector module of the apparatus at a predetermined time of day;

choosing one of a plurality of message modules of the apparatus for activation by the selector module at the predetermined time of day, the chosen message module including a plurality of messages; and

at the predetermined time of day, listening to one of the messages selected by the selector module based on a calendar date.