AU2007294480A1

AU2007294480A1 - Behaviour influencing apparatus and method

Info

Publication number: AU2007294480A1
Application number: AU2007294480A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Leon Massage
Original assignee: MEDICAL MARKETING GROUP Pty Ltd
Current assignee: MEDICAL MARKETING GROUP Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2006-09-08
Filing date: 2007-09-06
Publication date: 2008-03-13
Also published as: AU2007101242A4; WO2008028243A1; AU2007294480A2; US20080060116A1

Description

WO 2008/028243 PCT/AU2007/001319 BEHAVIOUR INFLUENCING APPARATUS AND METHOD Field of the invention 5 The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for influencing personal behaviour. Background of the invention 10 Personal behavioural traits manifest in a variety of ways. For example, laziness in terms of exercise and loss of libido are strongly influenced by the lifestyle of a person. 15 Similarly, undesirable behaviour, such as bad eating habits and smoking cigarettes, may stem from lifestyle pressures and other factors. This undesirable behaviour can have serious consequences on personal health. 20 For example, over-eating in response to an appetite typically leads to obesity and other problems associated with obesity, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. Similarly, smoking 25 typically leads to respiratory problems and often leads to a form of cancer. One form of controlling appetite involves an invasive operation to place a gastric band about the 30 stomach. This form of appetite suppression is an extreme resort, although being reversible. Other forms of appetite suppression rely on the will power of a user to refrain from eating. Unless a 35 person has particularly strong will power, the person usually succumbs to the appetite or to a particularly desirable, and unhealthy, food item. At such times, the WO2008/028243 PCT/AU2007/001319 -2 person is not thinking about the need to control their food intake in terms of volume and nutrition. Smokers trying to quit smoking usually succumb to 5 cravings for a cigarette. Nicotine patches are used to control the physical effects of quitting smoking. However, the patches do not assist with improving will power on the occasions that the effect of a patch is diminishing and the person becomes susceptible to the cravings. 10 Counselling assists smokers to improve their will power to resist smoking. However, a patch does not assist to remind a person of the techniques learnt through counselling for controlling cravings. 15 Summary of the invention The present invention is concerned with influencing personal behaviour to improve personal habits. 20 The present invention provides an apparatus for influencing behaviour of a wearer, the apparatus comprising means for wearing on a wrist of a wearer, and a substance incorporated with the means for producing an aroma that influences personal behaviour, thereby 25 assisting a wearer of the apparatus to improve a personal habit. The apparatus assists with improving the personal habit of a wearer by way of three effects. First, the 30 physical feeling of the apparatus on the wrist serves as a reminder to the wearer to control the habit. Second, the apparatus can be seen by a wearer when performing natural arm movements. Accordingly, the apparatus provides a visual reminder to the user to control the habit. Third, 35 the aroma produced by the apparatus has a physical effect on the wearer of influencing the wearer to behave in a particular way concerning a personal habit. The WO2008/028243 PCT/AU2007/001319 - 3 combination of these effects assists a user to control the personal habit. Preferably, the substance is incorporated with 5 the means by impregnating the means with the substance during manufacture. However, the substance may be applied to the surface of the means. This incorporation method enables re-application of the substance in the event the aroma-producing effect of the substance diminishes. 10 The means preferably comprises a wrist band. However, the means may comprise a bangle, amulet, bracelet or strap. 15 Preferably the wrist band includes indicia for reminding the wearer to control the personal habit. The indicia, preferably is a motivational reminder. 20 The indicia provides a fourth effect for improving the personal habits. Specifically, the indicia triggers in the mind of a wearer certain thoughts, i.e. cognitive operations, to recall counselling teachings or, 25 for example, to reinforce will power, thereby actively controlling a personal habit. The aroma may be selected to suppress the desire to satisfy an undesirable personal habit, thereby 30 assisting a wearer of the apparatus to control the personal habit. The personal habit may be over-eating in response to an appetite and the substance may be selected for 35 producing an aroma that is an appetite suppressant.

WO2008/028243 PCT/AU2007/001319 4 The substance preferably is selected for producing an aroma of peppermint, banana or green apple. The substance may be selected for producing an 5 aroma of buttered corn or strawberries for influencing the wearer to exercise or may be selected for producing an aroma of lavender or pumpkin pie for influencing the sexual arousal and, hence the sexual behaviour, of a wearer. 10 The wrist band preferably is coloured for attracting the attention of the wearer. The wrist band preferably is formed of silicone 15 impregnated with the aroma producing substance. The present invention also provides a method for influencing person behaviour, the method comprising the steps of: 20 providing a means for wearing on a wrist of a wearer, selecting a substance for producing an aroma that 25 influences personal behaviour; and incorporating the substance with the means such that, when worn on a wrist, the means produces an aroma that influences personal behaviour, thereby 30 assisting a wearer of the means to improve a personal habit. The step of incorporating the substance with the means may occur during the step of providing the means, 35 for example when the substance is impregnated with the means, or may occur after the means is formed, for example, when the substance is applied to the surface of WO 2008/028243 PCT/AU2007/001319 -5 the means. The method may comprise a further step of placing the means on a wrist of a wearer for wearing on the wrist. 5 The step of providing the means may involve forming the means with indicia. The step of providing the means by forming the 10 means with indicia, preferably, involves selecting indicia that triggers a thought in the mind of the wearer for influencing personal behaviour. The present invention also provides a method of 15 treating a personal habit of a person, the method involving: selecting an aroma that influences person behaviour associated with the personal habit; and 20 providing the person with a means for wearing on a wrist of the patient, the means incorporating an aroma-producing substance for producing the selected aroma, 25 whereby the personal behaviour of the person is influenced by the means and the aroma from the means such that the personal habit is improved. 30 In respect of both above methods, the personal habit may be over-eating in response to an appetite and the substance may be selected for producing an aroma that is an appetite suppressant. 35 The substance preferably is selected for producing an aroma of peppermint, banana or green apple.

WO2008/028243 PCT/AU2007/001319 -6 The substance may be selected for producing an aroma of buttered corn or strawberries for influencing the wearer to exercise or may be selected for producing an aroma of lavender or pumpkin pie for influencing the 5 sexual arousal and, hence the sexual behaviour, of a wearer. Brief description of the drawings 10 An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing of an isometric view of a wrist band in accordance with the present invention. 15 Detailed description of a preferred embodiment An embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention is shown in the drawing in the form of a wrist band 10. 20 The wrist band 10 comprises an annulus formed of silicone and defining a vacant internal region of sufficient size to enable the hand of a wearer to pass through the vacant internal region so that the wrist band 25 10 can be worn on the arm of a wearer at or adjacent the wrist. Naturally, the wrist band 10 may be formed in a range of sizes that define different vacant internal regions for fitting larger or smaller hands and wrists of respective wearers. 30 The wrist band 10 is preferably formed of silicone, but may otherwise be formed of any other suitable plastics material, including rubberised plastics material for a comfortable feel when worn. 35 The wrist band 10 may be formed in any colour, but preferably is formed in a bright colour to readily WO 2008/028243 PCT/AU2007/001319 - 7 catch the eye of the wearer. Importantly, the wrist band 10 includes indicia in the form of a word 20. However, the indicia may take 5 the form of a statement or drawing. The word 20 is printed on or embossed into an outwardly facing surface 22 of the wrist band. The word 20, or, in other embodiments, the 10 indicia is selected to cause a wearer to recall, through cognitive operations, a teaching from counselling for controlling a habit or simply to instil resolve and to reinforce will power. In the present embodiment, the word 20 is designed to motivate the wearer of the wrist band 10 15 to control a person habit by reminding the wearer of a thought. An example of motivational indicia is: "Will Power". Importantly, an aroma-producing substance is 20 incorporated with the silicone from which the wrist band 10 is formed by impregnation with the aroma producing substance during manufacture of the wrist band 10. The aroma producing substance is selected to produce an aroma that has a physiological effect on the wearer of 25 influencing the behaviour of the wearer and thereby assisting a wearer to control a personal habit. For example, the aroma diminishes or suppresses the desire to fulfil an undesirable personal habit, such as smoking a cigarette or eating in response to an appetite. 30 Alternatively, the substance is selected to produce an aroma of buttered corn or strawberries that makes the wearer feel energised and willing to exercise or to produce an aroma of lavender or pumpkin pie that makes the wearer feel sexually aroused, thereby improving libido. 35 With regard to a personal habit of over-eating, the wrist band 10 is impregnated with a substance for WO2008/028243 PCT/AU2007/001319 -8 producing an aroma for suppressing appetite. For example, the substance may produce the aroma of green apple or peppermint. 5 The aroma produced by the wrist band 10 has the effect of influencing the behaviour of the wearer by making the wearer feel a particular way. When this effect is coupled to the effect produced by a user being alerted to the wrist band 10 by feeling the wrist band 10 on the 10 wrist or by seeing the wrist band 10 and motivational word 20 on the wrist, the combined effect is a boost in the will power of a wearer to the extent that the personal habit may be controlled. 15 The visual and physical reminders provided by the wrist band 10 alone or the aroma alone does not have the same effect in influencing the behaviour of the wearer as the effect produced by the combination of the visual and physical effect the aroma of allowing a wearer to control 20 the personal habit. It will be appreciated that the aroma-producing substance may be incorporated with the silicone by application to the surface of the wrist band 10. For 25 example, the substance may be in the form of a paint, varnish or solution. In this manner, the aroma can be "topped up" by applying more substance in the event that the aroma-producing effect of the initially incorporated substance has diminished. 30 It will also be appreciated that counsellors and medical providers will be able to diagnose a personal habit through discussions with a person. The counsellor or medical provider would then select an aroma from a range 35 of aromas suitable for positively influencing the personal behaviour of the person to improve the personal habit. The person would then be provided with or would obtain an WO2008/028243 PCT/AU2007/001319 -9 apparatus, as described above, incorporating a substance that produces the selected aroma and would wear the apparatus on their wrist for treating the personal habit. 5 Many modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment of the present invention as described above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 10 It will be understood that the term "comprises" or its grammatical variants as used in this specification and claims is equivalent to the term "includes" and is not to be taken as excluding the presence of other features or elements.

Claims

1. An apparatus for influencing behaviour of a wearer, the apparatus comprising means for wearing on a 5 wrist of a wearer, and a substance incorporated with the means for producing an aroma that influences personal behaviour, thereby assisting a wearer of the apparatus to improve a personal habit. 10

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the substance is incorporated with the means by impregnating the means with the substance during manufacture. 15

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the substance is applied to the surface of the means.

4. An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the means comprises a wrist band, bangle, 20 amulet, bracelet or strap.

5. An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the means includes indicia for reminding the wearer to control the personal habit. 25

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the indicia is a motivational reminder.

7. An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 1 to 6, 30 wherein the substance is selected for producing an aroma of peppermint, banana, strawberry, green apple, buttered corn, lavender or pumpkin pie.

8. An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 1 to 7, 35 wherein the means is coloured for attracting the attention of the wearer. WO2008/028243 PCT/AU2007/001319 - 11

9. An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the wrist band is formed of silicone impregnated with the aroma-producing substance. 5

10. A method for influencing person behaviour, the method comprising the steps of: providing a means for wearing on a wrist of a wearer, 10 selecting a substance for producing an aroma that influences personal behaviour; and incorporating the substance with the means such 15 that, when worn on a wrist, the means produces an aroma that influences personal behaviour, thereby assisting a wearer of the means to improve a personal habit. 20

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the step of incorporating the substance with the means involves impregnating the substance with the means during manufacture of the means 25

12. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the step of incorporating the substance with the means involves applying the substance to the surface of the means after manufacture of the means. 30

13. A method as defined in any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the method comprises a further step of placing the means on a wrist of a wearer for wearing on the wrist. 35

14. A method as defined in any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the step of providing the means involves forming the means with indicia. WO2008/028243 PCT/AU2007/001319 - 12

15. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the step of providing the means by forming the means with indicia involves selecting indicia that triggers a 5 thought in the mind of the wearer for influencing personal behaviour.

16. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the indicia is a motivational reminder. 10

17. A method as defined in any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the means comprises a wrist band, bangle, amulet, bracelet or strap. 15

18. A method as defined in any one of claims 10 to 17, wherein the substance is selected for producing an aroma of peppermint, banana, strawberry, green apple, buttered corn, lavender or pumpkin pie. 20

19. A method of treating a personal habit of a person, the method involving: selecting an aroma that influences personal behaviour associated with the personal habit; and 25 providing the person with a means for wearing on a wrist of a wearer, the means incorporating an aroma-producing substance for producing the selected aroma, 30 whereby the personal behaviour of the person is influenced by the means and by the aroma from the means such that the personal habit is improved. 35

20. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the aroma is peppermint, banana, strawberry, green apple, lavender or pumpkin pie.