Diet scale with weight progress indicator

• US 4,318,447 A
• Filed: 12/18/1979
• Issued: 03/09/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michael E. Northcutt
• Original Assignee: Michael E. Northcutt
• Inventors: Northcutt, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartary, Joseph W.
• Application Number:
  US06/104,764
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 177/25, 177/DIG. 3, 364/567, 364/415, 364/413, 364/568
• US Class Current: 177/25.19
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4146 for controlling caloric intake, e.g. diet control
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/44 for weighing persons
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 177/03 Digitizers electrical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 177/06 Photoelectric

Abstract

An electronic digital readout diet scale for measuring and displaying weight information. A microcomputer is used to enable a dieter to enter a diet program having an objective weight and a given time interval. The scale will indicate the amount of weight to be lost or gained in order to achieve the objective weight as well as the deviation between the current weight and the projected weight according to the diet program.

Claims

1. A diet scale having a weight progress indicator for indicating progress in a diet program comprising:

weight measuring means for measuring the current weight of the dieter;

memory means for storing an objective weight for the dieter and the time interval of the diet program;

objective weight entry means coupled to said memory means for entering the objective weight in said memory means;

objective time entry means coupled to said memory means for entering the time interval of the diet program in said memory means;

processing means coupled to said memory means and responsive to the current weight for determining the projected weight of the diet program and the difference between the projected weight and the current weight, the projected weight being the calculated weight of the dieter as a function of the elapsed time and objective weight of the diet program; and

display means connected to said processing means for displaying the difference between the projected weight and the current weight.

2. A diet scale according to claim 1 wherein said display means displays the projected weight.

3. A diet scale according to claim 1 wherein said memory means further stores a previous measurement of the weight of the dieter, said processing means further determines the difference between the previous measurement and the current weight and said display means further displays the difference between the previous measurement and the current weight.

4. A diet scale according to claim 3 wherein said display means further displays an indication of the direction of weight change.

5. A diet scale according to claim 1 wherein said memory means is responsive to said weight means to store the current weight.

6. A diet scale according to claim 5 wherein said processing means and said memory means are monolithic.

7. A diet scale according to claim 1 further comprising selector switch means connected to said processing means for identifying one of a plurality of dieters, said memory means storing an objective weight for each dieter.

8. A diet scale according to claim 7 wherein said processing means, said memory means and part of said weight measuring means is a microcomputer.

9. A diet scale according to claim 1 wherein said processing means is program responsive and said memory means stores the program.

10. A diet scale according to claim 1 wherein said objective weight entry means comprises a keyboard.

11. A diet scale according to claim 1 wherein said objective weight entry means comprises an automatic advance button.

12. A diet scale according to claim 1 wherein said objective weight entry means comprises switch means for conditioning said memory means to receive the objective weight from said weight measuring means in response to the dieter depressing said diet scale until the objective weight is reached and holding said diet scale at the objective weight for a fixed period of time.

13. A diet scale according to claim 1 wherein said weight measuring means measures weight in one pound increments.

14. A diet scale according to claim 1 wherein said weight measuring means measures fractional increments smaller than a pound.

15. A diet scale according to claim 1 wherein said weight measuring means comprises an optical weight sensor for reading the weight of a dieter.

16. A diet scale having a weight progress indicator for indicating progress in a diet program comprising:

weight measuring means for measuring the current weight of the dieter;

memory means for storing an objective weight for the dieter;

objective weight entry means coupled to said memory means for entering the objective weight and time interval of the diet program in said memory means;

processing means coupled to said memory means and responsive to said weight measuring means for determining the current weight measured by said measuring means, the projected weight of the diet program and the deviation between the projected weight and the current weight, the projected weight being the calculated weight of the dieter as a function of the elapsed time and objective weight of the diet program;

display means connected to said weight measuring means and said processing means for displaying the current weight of the dieter and the deviation between the projected weight of the diet program and the current weight.

17. A diet scale according to claim 16 further comprising selector switch means connected to said processing means for identifying one of a plurality of dieters, said memory means storing an objective weight for each dieter.

18. A diet scale according to claim 16 wherein said display means further displays the projected weight.

19. A diet scale according to claim 16 wherein said processing means is program responsive and said memory means stores the program.

20. A diet scale according to claim 19 wherein said processing means, said memory means and part of said weight measuring means is a microcomputer.

21. A diet scale according to claim 16 wherein said weight measuring means comprises an optical weight sensor for reading the weight of a dieter.

22. A diet scale having a weight progress indicator for indicating progress in a diet program comprising:

weight measuring means for measuring the current weight of the dieter;

memory means for storing an objective weight and the time interval of the diet program;

entry means for entering the objective weight of the dieter in said memory means;

processing means coupled to said memory means and responsive to said weight measuring means for determining the current weight, the projected weight of the diet program and the difference between the current weight and the projected weight of the diet program as a function of time, the projected weight being the calculated weight of the dieter as a function of the elapsed time and objective weight of the diet program; and

display means connected to said processing means for displaying the current weight of the dieter and the difference between the current weight and the projected weight.

23. A diet scale according to claim 22 wherein said entry means further enters the time interval of the diet program.

24. A diet scale having a weight progress indicator for indicating progress in a diet program comprising:

weight measuring means for measuring the current weight of the dieter;

memory means for storing the objective weight and the time interval of the diet program;

processing means coupled to said memory means and said weight measuring means for determining weight change information, the weight change information being a function of the objective weight and the elapsed time of the time interval of the diet program;

display means connected to said processing means for displaying the weight change information.

25. A diet scale according to claim 24 wherein said processing means processes the objective weight and the time interval of the diet program stored in said memory means to determine weight change information which includes the deviation between the projected weight according to the diet program and the current weight, said display means further displaying the deviation between the projected weight and the current weight.

26. A diet scale according to claim 25 wherein the weight change information includes the projected weight and said display means displays the projected weight.

27. A diet scale according to claim 24 wherein said weight measuring means generates weight signals indicative of the current weight and said processing means determines the current weight from the weight signals, said display means further displaying the current weight.

28. A diet scale according to claim 24 further comprising objective weight entry means coupled to said memory means for entering the objective weight and the time interval of the diet program in said memory means.

29. A diet scale according to claim 24 wherein said memory means and said processing means are parts of a microcomputer.