METHOD OF LIMITING OR ELIMINATING UNHEALTHY PERSONAL HABITS AND APPARATUS THEREOF

Abstract

Disclosed is a drug free method and apparatus for defeating unhealthy personal habits based on the use of a container with a time driven access control system that allows the user to open the container storing the object of the habit or the means to access it only after a preset time interval expires. Optionally this time interval may be increased by a preset increment after each access to the container causing the time interval between the openings to grow gradually until the need of use of the object of the unhealthy personal habit is eliminated.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

This invention relates to a drug free method of defeating unhealthy personal habits and its implementation.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

None

SEQUENCE LISTING

None

2. Description of the Prior Art

At present there are no methods of conquering unhealthy personal habits other than cold-turkey, pharmacological or psychological.

Some of the leading unhealthy personal habits are: overeating leading to obesity or being overweight; cigarette smoking; excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages; watching too much television; lack of regular physical exercise; spending too much time online; excessive gambling; excessive use of credit cards; failure to save money; and sleep problems relating to one or more of the above.

Pharmacological methods to treat unhealthy personal habits are often not effective and often cause undesired and sometimes harmful side effects. Psychological treatment is expensive and often proves ineffective over the short or long run.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The general idea of the invention is a drug-free method of limiting or eliminating or unhealthy personal habits with the use of the specially designed apparatus. Such a device may be a container storing those objects that allow an individual to practice his unhealthy habit (cigarettes, food, alcohol, televisions, computers, credit cards, cash, checkbook, etc.), and a time controlled system limiting access to this container.

Objectives and Advanatges

The invention creates a drug free system that allows and individual to:

Quit smoking.

Limit drinking of alcoholic beverages or quit for good.

Loose weight and keep it off.

Reduce or quit gambling (by limiting the access to cash, checks and credit cards).

Spend less money (by limiting the access to cash, checks and credit cards).

Save more money.

Reduce the addiction to television or the Internet (by time locking the plug of the power cable in the container).

And much more.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, closely related figures have the same number but different alphabetic suffixes.

FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C shows respectively the perspective top view, front view (with opened lid) and the side view of the apparatus in its preferred embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows the block diagram of the present invention in its prefered embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows the flowchart of a microprocessor program used in the present invention in its preferred embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Herein, there follows a description of the principle method and an apparatus for drug free defeating unhealthy personal habits and its implementation:

Referring to FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C show a container 12 with a time driven access control system 14 equipped with a keyboard 16 which allows to preset a desirable time interval. Optionally the apparatus may be equipped with the display 18 to show the time interval when it is set. In the preferred embodiment the access control system 14 is based on a microprocessor 20 controlling a circuit 22 which drives an electromechanical lock 24 shown with its bolt 26 capable of engaging with the suitable slot in the wall of the container 12. A time driven access control systeml4 allows for an access to said container by turning the dial 28 manually and unlocking the lock only after a preset time interval expires and resets this time interval after each access to the container 12.

Additionally the access control system 14 may increase this time interval by a preset value after each access to the container 12, if such a value was preset. Optionally the apparatus may be equipped with the handle 30 for portability, a drop slot 32 for credit cards or cash and a groove 34 that allows the user to place the plug of an electrical cord of any device inside the container. Some examples are: television set, computer, VCR or DVD player or other.

FIG. 2 shows the block diagram of the apparatus in its preferred embodiment. The access system 14 contains the microprocessor 20 which controls the electronic circuit 22. This circuit 22 is driving the electromechanical lock 24 that is enabling the access to the container 12 (FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C) when the time interval preset with the use of keyboard 16 expires. Optionally the display 18 may be used to see the preset time interval. The apparatus is powered by a battery pack 36, but may also be powered by external power supply 38 or both.

FIG. 3 shows the flowchart of a microprocessor program of the apparatus in its preferred embodiment. After the apparatus is first time energized the user sets the desired time interval 42 and desired interval increment 44 with the keyboard 3 (FIG. 1A). The increment will increase the preset time interval after each opening of the container unless this increment is set to zero. Time interval countdown 46 starts after it is set and the user may close 48 the container 12 (FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C). Now the container 12 can not be opened until the time interval expires 50. In case the time did not expire the user has to wait for it to happen. When it expires 50, the microprocessor driven system 14 (FIG. 1B and FIG. 2) enables 52 the user to activate the lock 24 (FIGS. 1B and 1C and FIG. 2) by depressing 54 the designated key of the keyboard 16 (FIG. 1A and FIG. 2) for suitable time to allow the user to open 56 the container 12 by turning the dial 28 (FIGS. 1A and 1C). When the container 12 is opened 56 the user may take 60 one of the items contained in the container. At the time of opening, the time interval is reset 58 and unless the interval increment is set to zero 62 the time interval is increased by the chosen increment 64. Then the countdown starts again 46. When the user closes the container 12 it may not be opened until the new time interval expires.

CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATION AND SCOPE

The invention relates to a drug free method of defeating unhealthy personal habits and its implementation with use of specially designed apparatus. The particular embodiment has been illustrated and described in example only and is not intended to be limiting. It will be apparent to those skilled in art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is therefore to encompass within the appended claims all such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of limiting and eliminating unhealthy personal habits comprising the steps of:

allowing an access to an object of said unhealthy personal habits only after a preset time interval expires;

increasing said time interval by a preset value after each said access to said object;

repeating above two steps as needed to achieve said limitation and said elimination of said unhealthy personal habit.

2. An apparatus for limiting and eliminating unhealthy personal habits comprising:

a container storing an object of an unhealthy personal habit;

a time driven access control system allowing access to said container only after a preset time interval expires.

3. An apparatus of claim 2 where said time driven access control system is increasing said time interval by a preset value after each said access to said container.

4. An apparatus of claim 2 where said access is limited to only one said object of said unhealthy personal habit at a time.

5. An apparatus of claim 3 where said access is limited to only one said object of said

6. An apparatus of claim 2 where said container is storing means of access to said object of said unhealthy personal habit stored in another container.

7. An apparatus of claim 3 where said container is storing means of access to said object of an unhealthy personal habit stored in another container.