Memory aid for persons having memory loss

• US 8,107,605 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Jaffres, Remy, de Raulin, Gonzague
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US12/235,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20090102913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.01, 379/100.02, 379/100.05, 709/217, 709/204, 348 1401- 1408, 348/61, 348/207.99, 348/E7.077, 348/E5.024, 235/91.E
• US Class Current: 379/100.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A simplified computer device is provided and may be used by persons having memory loss to connect via a network, such as the Internet, to one or more other computer devices. The simplified computer device is operable to obtain image, text and/or audio files from the other computer device for displaying on a display screen or for playing on an audio player, as the case may be, of the simplified computer devices to assist the persons with memory loss in recalling the identity and/or other information about their family members, friends, caregivers, and other acquaintances. Using a limited set of buttons on the simplified computer devices, the persons having memory loss can automatically link to one or more predetermined other computer devices and retrieve the image files and associated text and audio files. A local input module is coupleable to the simplified computer device and is usable for entry of images, text, and/or audio directly into the memory of the associated simplified computer devices for storage therein and/or for transmission to other devices of the network.

Claims

1. An apparatus to aid the memory of persons experiencing memory loss, the apparatus comprising

a simplified computer device having a first housing, a display screen carried by the first housing, an audio player carried by the first housing, and control circuitry carried by the first housing, the control circuitry being operable to control images displayed on the display screen and to control audio messages played by the audio player, the control circuitry being configured to establish a communication link with at least one other predetermined communication site on a network during operation of the apparatus, the control circuitry being operable to initiate retrieval of remote image files, remote text files, and remote audio files from the predetermined communication site, the simplified computer device further having a telephone handset coupled to the control circuitry, the telephone handset being movable relative to the first housing and operable to place and receive telephone calls, and

a local input module coupleable to the control circuitry of the simplified computer device, the local input module having a second housing, a scanner carried by the second housing and operable to scan images of photos fed through the scanner to create local image files, a microphone carried by the second housing and operable to receive verbal statements to create local audio files to be associated with the local image files, and a keyboard carried by the second housing and usable to type text messages to be associated with the local image files.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the simplified computer device is configured so that, during display of one of the local image files on the display screen, the audio player automatically plays one of the local audio files that is associated with the local image file being displayed.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the audio player is configured to send a signal to the handset resulting in the local audio file being output as an audible audio message by a speaker of the telephone handset.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the simplified computer device is configured so that, during display of the one local image file on the display screen, one of the local text files that is associated with the local image being displayed is also displayed on the display screen.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the local text file being displayed is displayed on a first portion of the display screen and the local image file being displayed is displayed on a second portion of the display screen.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the local text file being displayed is superimposed on a portion of the local image file being displayed.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the simplified computer device is configured so that, during display of one of the remote image files on the display screen, the audio player automatically plays one of the remote audio files that is associated with the remote image file being displayed.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the simplified computer device is configured so that the audio player sends a signal to the handset resulting in the remote audio file being output as an audible audio message by a speaker of the telephone handset.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the simplified computer device is configured so that, during display of the one remote image file on the display screen, one of the remote text files that is associated with the remote image file being displayed is also displayed on the display screen.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the remote text file being displayed is displayed on a first portion of the display screen and the remote image file being displayed is displayed on a second portion of the display screen.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the remote text file being displayed is superimposed on a portion of the remote image file being displayed.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the local image files, the local audio files and the local text files created by the local input module are stored in memory of the control circuitry of the simplified computer device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the simplified computer device is configured so that, during communication of the simplified computer device via the communication link with the communication site, the local image files, the local audio files, and the local text files stored in memory of the control circuitry of the simplified computer device are transmitted to the communication site for storage at communication site.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication site comprises a website that facilitates transmission of the remote image files, the remote audio files, and the remote text files between a user of the simplified computer device and a computer device operated by one of a family member, a friend, a caregiver, and an acquaintance of the user.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication site comprises a computer device operated by one of a family member, a friend, a caregiver, and an acquaintance of the user.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication link comprises the Internet, an Ethernet, an intranet, a local area network, or a wide area network.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a camera coupled to the control circuitry of the simplified computer device and operable to capture images in substantially real time for transmission to a remote computer device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the operation of the camera coupled to the simplified computer device is controlled by signals sent from a remote computer device.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the operation of the camera coupled to the simplified computer device is controlled by signals sent from the communication site.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the local input module couples to the simplified computer device in side-by-side relation such an upper surface of the first housing cooperates with an upper surface of the second housing to form a substantially contiguous upper surface, a front surface of the first housing cooperates with a front surface of the second housing to form a substantially contiguous front surface, and a rear surface of the first housing cooperates with a rear surface of the second housing to form a substantially contiguous rear surface.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the upper surface of the first housing has an opening in which the display screen is located or through which the display screen is viewable and wherein the upper surface of the second housing has one or more openings in which keys of the keyboard are located or through which keys of the keyboard are accessible.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein keys of the keyboard comprise push button keys or comprise membrane switch keys.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the telephone handset is coupled to the control circuitry of the simplified computer device via a wireless communication link.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the telephone handset is coupled to the control circuitry of the simplified computer device via a telephone cord that extends between the telephone handset and the first housing.

25. An apparatus to aid the memory of persons experiencing memory loss, the apparatus comprising

a simplified computer device having a first housing, a display screen carried by the first housing, an audio player carried by the first housing, and control circuitry carried by the first housing, the control circuitry being operable to control images displayed on the display screen and to control audio messages played by the audio player, the control circuitry being configured to establish a communication link with at least one other predetermined communication site on a network during operation of the apparatus, the control circuitry being operable to initiate retrieval of remote image files, remote text files, and remote audio files from the predetermined communication site, and

a local input module coupleable to the control circuitry of the simplified computer device, the local input module having a second housing, a scanner carried by the second housing and operable to scan images of photos fed through the scanner to create local image files, a microphone carried by the second housing and operable to receive verbal statements to create local audio files to be associated with the local image files, and a keyboard carried by the second housing and usable to type text messages to be associated with the local image files.