Apparatus for promoting good health

• US 4,773,492 A
• Filed: 03/24/1987
• Issued: 09/27/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ruzumna, Edward
• Original Assignee: Ruzumna, Edward
• Inventors: Ruzumna, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER JR, GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US07/029,654
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 177/25.19, 177/5, 177/200, 177/245
• US Class Current: 177/25.19
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/44 for weighing persons

Abstract

An electronic personal weight scale for conveying weight information including health-promoting messages based on departure of measured weight from ideal weight. Information relating to a particular person using the scale is contained in a cartridge in electronic form. The information comprises the person'"'"'s ideal weight and messages related to the amount by which the person'"'"'s measured departs from the ideal. The cartridge also contains provision for storing past weight measurements. When the person steps on the scale and selects his or her cartridge, weight information and messages are presented on a display screen which is a portion of a television receiver. A selector switch enables the apparatus to operate in the "Scale" mode and in the "TV" mode.

Claims

1. Apparatus for promoting good health and addressing both the user'"'"'s weight and a particular medical condition other than departure of the user'"'"'s weight from an ideal weight but which bears a recognized correlation with departure of a user'"'"'s weight from ideal weight comprising a scale having a platform onto which the user steps, a display for displaying information to the user, and control means acting on the measured weight of the user and certain other inputs, including an electronic medium which is manually installable on and removable from the apparatus and containing data relating to the particular medical condition correlated with departure of measured weight from ideal weight to provide motivational messages on the display relating to both departure of the user'"'"'s measured weight from ideal weight and to the particular medical condition with respect to which departure of measured weight from ideal weight has a recognized correlation, the particular message presented on the display relating to the particular medical condition being developed from departure of the user'"'"'s measured weight from ideal weight, wherein said display is the screen of a television receiver, and including a selector switch for selectively connecting the television receiver'"'"'s screen to the scale when weight and messages are to be given upon use of the scale and to the front end of the receiver when the receiver is to present television programs received as television transmission signals.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said electronic medium comprises stores for storing a limited number of past weight measurements, and a battery back-up for maintenance of the stores'"'"' memory during times that the medium is removed from the apparatus.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which said control means comprises means for causing the past weight measurements to be presented at the same time on the display as the current weight information.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which said control means comprises means for causing the motivational message to be given on the display after the past weight measurements and the current weight information.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said apparatus comprises a microprocessor having a bus connecting the microprocessor with the electronic medium, and the connection of the microprocessor bus to the medium is via a further bus on which there are plural ones of said electronic media and said further bus is coupled with the microprocessor bus via a interface such that a particular one of the media is placed on-line with the microprocessor bus at any given time via the further bus and said interface.

6. Apparatus for promoting good health comprising a scale which provides electrical signals representing a person'"'"'s weight, an electronic medium which is individual to a particular person and which is inserted into the apparatus prior to use thereof by the person and is removed from the apparatus after use thereof by the person, said medium comprising a series of message stores that contain stored motivational messages adapted for the person, said medium further comprising a series of weight data stores for storing a limited number of past recorded weights for the person, and said medium still further comprising an ideal weight store for storing an ideal weight for the person, and said apparatus comprising means operable when the scale is used by the person to act upon the person'"'"'s measured weight and the information in said stores of said medium for causing to be displayed on a display the person'"'"'s current measured weight, the departure from ideal weight, the stored past weights, and a motivational message based on departure of current measured weight from ideal weight, and for causing the current measured weight to be stored in the weight data stores, the weight data stores being arranged to supplant the oldest weight with the current weight once all weight data stores have been filled with weight measurements.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 in which the current weight and the past recorded weights are concurrently displayed, and the motivational message based on departure of current measured weight from ideal weight is given after the current and past weight measurements.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 in which said display is part of a television receiver, and including a selector switch for selectively connecting the television receiver'"'"'s screen to the scale during use of the scale for weight measurement and to the front end of the television receiver for use of the receiver to receive television transmissions of television programs and to present the programs.

9. Apparatus for promoting good health by addressing the user'"'"'s weight and departure of the user'"'"'s weight from an ideal weight comprising a scale having a platform onto which the user steps, and control means acting on the measured weight of the user and certain other inputs, including inputs from an electronic medium which is manually insertable into and removable from the apparatus by the user and which contains data that is unique to the user including an ideal weight store for storing ideal weight of the particular user and message stores that contain stored motivational messages adapted for the particular user correlated with departure of the particular user'"'"'s measured weight from ideal weight, and said apparatus further including a television receiver comprising a screen and wherein said control means is contained in a console that is mounted on the exterior of the television receiver and said console contains receptacle means into and from which the electronic medium is insertable and removable by the user, said console containing a TV/scale selector switch that is selectively operable to a TV position and to a scale position, and when in the scale position, allows information relating to use of the scale to be displayed on the screen while preventing any television signals received by the receiver from appearing on the screen, and when operated to the TV position, prevents information developed from use of the scale from being displayed on the screen and instead allows the television receiver to display television programs as selected by the channel selector on the television receiver, said TV/scale selector switch being interposed between the front end of the television receiver'"'"'s own circuitry such that in the TV position, the front end of the television receiver'"'"'s own circuitry remains coupled to the screen, and in the scale position, the front end is disconnected from the screen and replaced instead by said control means, said control means being effective with the selector in the scale position to cause to be displayed on the television receiver screen in response to the user stepping on the platform, the user'"'"'s measured weight, the user'"'"'s ideal weight and a motivational message derived from departure of the measured weight from ideal weight.