GB2364584A - An information device - Google Patents

Abstract

Means for displaying the value of a time-varying resultant of a calculation of which elapsed time from a temporal start point is a component, has means for selecting and storing at least one parameter value on which the calculation is based, for example the daily saving of money by not smoking, means for determining the temporal start point and means for displaying an updated result of the calculation 24.

Description

2364584 AN INFORMATION DEVICE The present invention relates in general to

a portable electronic device and in 5 particular to a device for use in situations where it is useful to have a constant reminder of a continuously changing piece of information.

The invention finds particular utility in situations where as a result of an action or inaction a parameter such as a monetary figure increases at a generally constant 10 rate with a constantly changing parameter, typically time. It is possible, therefore, to input at least an estimation of an increase in the former parameter per unit of time. Thereafter, a calculation can be used to produce a running total of the amount of the former parameter that has built up since the calculation was started. In the example where the monetary figure is the first parameter a running total of 15 the amount of money spent or saved can be continuously monitored as a result of an action or inaction. In this way the device can be used to show how much money has been spent or saved and may serve as an incentive to continue with the action or inaction.

20 A good example of the utility of the present invention is in the case of an individual who has or who wishes to stop smoking. In this case the smoker can input an estimation of the amount of money spent on cigarettes per day. When the individual stops smoking they can initiate the device to start calculating how much money stopping smoking has saved. A financial incentive can be very strong and it can serve to remind the individual of their continued achievement in not smoking. In this way the device will serve as a continuous reminder long after any treatments such as nicotine-supplementing patches or chewing gum have finished. Other examples of the utility of the invention in this respect may include, without 5 limitation, an alcoholic who wishes to give up drinking or any situation where as a result of an individual ceasing an activity they save money.

In addition the present invention may find utility as a time costing apparatus where, for example, a professional's time is charged at an hourly rate and the 10 device is used to show a continuous total of the amount spent by a client.

A simple calculator could be used to calculate how much has been spent or saved as a result of an action or inaction by simply entering an approximation of the amount spent or saved per unit time and the amount of time since the action or 15 inaction commenced. However, to access such information an individual would be required to know and deliberately enter the parameters necessary for the calculation each and every time a total was required. The present invention is of particular use because following setting the initial parameters nothing further needs to be done by the individual in order to access a continuously updated display of 20 the changing information. A similar effect can be seen from a fare calculator such as those seen in a taxi however, such devices are not portable whereby to remain with an individual at all times. There is a need therefore for an inexpensive portable device that serves as a constant reminder of a running total that may be useful as an incentive to continue an action or inaction.

Accordingly there are provided means for displaying the value of a timevarying resultant of a calculation of which elapsed time from a temporal start point is a component, comprising means for selecting and storing at least one parameter value on which the calculation is based, means for determining the temporal start 5 point and means for displaying an updated result of the calculation.

As discussed above, in its simplest form a device formed according to the present invention is capable of accepting two parameters, one of which is constantly changing (time) and one that has been estimated as a constantly increasing figure 10 per unit of the former constantly changing parameter. The present invention may also find utility where an individual wishes to do something a set number of times, and no more. In the cigarette example an individual may wish to cut down the number of cigarettes consumed per day gradually. The total number of cigarettes that can be consumed are inputted into the device which will then display the 15 maximum number of cigarettes that can have been consumed by that stage of the day, so that the person can in a sense pace themselves.

Whilst in its simplest form the device may accept a single calculation, in some embodiments there are provided means for performing a plurality of said 20 calculations simultaneously, and means for selectively introducing the parameters on which the calculations are based.

Whilst not essential, it may be preferable for the device further to comprise display means for displaying at least elapsed time since the temporal start point.

Where more than one piece of information is displayed, for example the result of 5 the calculation and the elapsed time, the display means may comprise discrete display elements. Alternatively the display means may comprise different parts of a single common display element.

In a preferred embodiment the or each display element comprise a liquid crystal 10 display. However, other suitable display elements which will be well- known to those skilled in the art are not beyond the scope of the invention.

The device may further comprise means for selectively discontinuing the said calculation or the display thereof. For example, by discontinuing the display, 15 manually or automatically, this could serve as a power-saving function. Discontinuing the calculation could either be permanent, for example to stop and possibly re-set the calculation, or temporary, for example to pause the calculation.

Whilst in theory such a device could be usable only once and then discarded it is 20 preferable for it further to comprise means for resetting the said calculation so as to be reusable.

The device is preferably easily portable and in a preferred embodiment is of substantially the same dimensions as a credit card.

More complex variations are of course not beyond the scope of the invention. 5 One embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure I is a block schematic diagram showing the main components; 10 Figure 2 is a front view of a device for displaying the savings achieved by avoidance of expenditure, for example expenditure on cigarettes; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of a device according to an alternative embodiment.

15 Referring first to Figure I and Figure 2, a device is illustrated as a unit to facilitate and encourage the user by providing an indication of the financial savings accruing from a particular course of action such as the abstinence from, for example, smoking. Other embodiments may be provided to calculate other forms of benefit, such as the calorie savings from a particular diet.

In order to calculate the savings made it is, of course, necessary to know what the previous regular expenditure had been. For this purpose the unit generally indicated I I comprises a counter circuit 12 supplied by an oscillator 13 the operation of which is controlled by a switch 14 operable to connect or disconnect the oscillator 13 from a power supply 15 which, typically may be a internal battery or a photovoltaic cell (in the case of solar-powered devices).

The output from the counter 12 is supplied directly to a display device 16 which 5 displays the direct output from the counter, typically representing minutes. The counter output is also supplied to a first divider circuit 17 the output from which is fed to a second counter 18 the output from which is applied to a second display 19 which, typically may display the hours since commencement of the oscillator 13.

The output from the counter 18 is, likewise, applied to a second divider 25 and 10 third counter 20 the output from which represents the days and is applied to a third display unit 21. In this embodiment the output from the oscillator, which may be internally divided, appears at a rate of one pulse per minute, and the counter 12 counts to sixty before resetting to zero and starting again. The display 16 thus cycles from 0 to 60. The divider 17 acts to divide the incoming pulses by 60 so 15 that the counter 18 counts one step for each 60 pulses arriving so that its output represents the number of hours elapsed since the commencement of the oscillator 13, and this is displayed as the elapsed hours in the display 19.

The second divider 25 acts to divide the output from the counter 18 by 24 so that 20 the counter 20 contains a count representing the number of days since commencement of operation of the oscillator 13. The three displays 16, 19, 21 thus show the number of complete days, complete hours and minutes elapsed since the unit was put into operation.

The output from the counter 12 is also passed to a programmable multiplier 22 the multiplication factor of which can be determined by operation of a select key 23 in a preliminary setting up operation. The multiplication factor represents, in this embodiment, the daily expenditure, that is the expenditure in each period of 24 5 hours, on cigarettes and this is then set into the circuit 22 as the expenditure per minute. The multiplication circuit 22 then acts when incremented by the signal from the output of the counter 12 to provide a value representative of the total expenditure which would have been incurred by the user during that period of time had he continued smoking. The output from the multiplier 22 is supplied to a 10 screen 24 which thereby represents the total savings since commencement of the unit 14. The display units 16, 19, 21 and 24 are, conveniently, liquid crystal displays utilising limited power and the unit 11 may be incorporated within a casing 28 (see Figure 2) of limited dimensions, for example that of a conventional credit card. In Figure 2 the discrete display screens 16, 19 and 21 are shown to 15 represent the days, hours and minutes elapsed; the discrete screen 24 displaying the financial saving achieved is also present on the face of the card together with the start button 14 and the select button 23. In this example the multiplication factor is E3.00 per day and represents, for example, the amount of money saved through avoidance of expenditure on cigarettes. Over 24 days, 8 hours and 19 minutes the 20 total saving is therefore 03.04.

The switch 14 may be a toggled on/off switch, which when switched off, will clear the displays, or there may be a further clear/set switch 27 in the device as shown in Figure 2. The switch 27 may be multi-functional, being used for example to clear the displays 16, 19, 21, 24, possibly for the purposes of power saving (the results of the calculations being retained or stopped), or to reset the calculation following a lapse back to smoking, or to confirm a multiplication factor that has been selected using the select key 23 in the preliminary set up operation.

The power may be derived from a stored source or there may be a solar panel (photovoltaic cell) 26 as shown in Figure 2.

Referring now to Figure 3 there is shown an alternative embodiment similar to that 10 shown in Figure 2.

In this embodiment the display of days, hours, minutes and the result of the calculation is on display portions 116, 119, 121, 124 of a single screen 135.

15 The unit 111 also includes memory buttons 130, 13 1. The buttons allow switching between two calculations which can run simultaneously for example to represent savings for two different criteria or for two different people. The currently selected calculation is represented by display of M1 or M2 in a display portion 140 of the screen 135.

Of course in other embodiments both calculations could be on the screen 135 at the same time, and more than two calculations could run simultaneously.

In this example the multiplication factor is f6.00 per day and represents, for example, the amount of money being spent through expenditure on cigarettes, and as such serves as an incentive to avoid that expenditure. Over 8 days, 7 hours and 4 minutes the total saving is therefore E49.77.

Particularly in cases where several calculations, being the same or different, can run simultaneously it may be preferable to include some means of indicating what the calculation represents. For simplicity this could be achieved, for example, by a coding system and a display portion to indicate this. For example, code I is saving 10 through cigarette avoidance and code 2 is how many cigarettes are allowed up until that point of a day etc.

Claims (10)

1. Means for displaying the value of a time-varying resultant of a calculation of which elapsed time from a temporal start point is a component, comprising 5 means for selecting and storing at least one parameter value on which the calculation is based, means for detennining the temporal start point and means for displaying an updated result of the calculation.

2. An information device as claimed in Claim 1, including means for 10 performing a plurality of said predetermined calculations simultaneously, and means for selectively introducing the parameters on which the calculations are based.

3. An information device as claimed in Claim I or Claim 2 further comprising 15 display means for displaying at least elapsed time since the temporal start point.

4. An information device as claimed in any of Claims I to 3, in which the display means for displaying the result of the calculation and the means for displaying the elapsed time comprise discrete display elements.

5. An information device as claimed in any of Claims I to 3, in which the display means for displaying the result of the calculation and the display means for displaying the elapsed time comprise different parts of a single common display element.

6. An information device as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, in which the or each display element comprise a liquid crystal display.

5

7. An information device as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising means for selectively discontinuing the said calculation or the display thereof

8. An information device as claimed in any preceding claim, further 10 comprising means for resetting the said calculation.

9. An information device as claimed in any preceding claim, which device is of substantially the same dimensions as a credit card.

15

10. An information device substantially as hereinbefore defined with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.