WO1994017501A1

WO1994017501A1 - System for providing reminders

Info

Publication number: WO1994017501A1
Application number: PCT/US1994/000530
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lawrence G. Treadgold; Neil A. Hersh
Original assignee: Hersh & Treadgold
Priority date: 1993-01-29
Filing date: 1994-01-20
Publication date: 1994-08-04
Also published as: AU5994894A

Abstract

A sequence of reminders is stored in a system controller (12) which generates reminder messages at predetermined times specified in the sequence. At each such predetermined time, the system controller (12) generates a reminder message and sends it to a paging terminal (14) which in turn causes a transmitter (20) to transmit the reminder message to a personal receiver (22) carried by a user to remind the user. If a response is specified in the reminder sequence, the system controller (12) checks to see whether a response to the reminder message has been received from the user.

Description

SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING REMINDERS

Background of the Invention

This invention relates in general to a system for providing reminders. This system has many applications, including being an assistant to busy people and in medical-related applications such as in assisting certain disabled persons.

Many disabled persons, particularly those with brain dysfunctions, have poor memory and/or attentional function which prevents them from achieving levels of independence they would hope for. This is frequently exacerbated by organically-based motivational disturbance.

Thus, patients with poor memory and/or attentional deficiencies may forget to take medication. Having a human operator monitor medication schedules and call a patient to remind the patient is costly and inefficient. Notebooks and calendars are bulky and require constant editing; they are also demeaning for persons who never needed such devices prior to disability. Electronic substitutes of notebooks and calendars are also not particularly useful in this context. Thus, hand-held electronic schedulers are simply too difficult for many of the disabled, brain injured in particular, to learn to use. "Portable" computers with specialized scheduling programs are too expensive and may be too difficult to master for many of the disabled persons. Alarm watches may provide frequent and accurate alarm cues but with little or no explanation to persons who may frequently forget what the alarm signifies. As for notebooks and calendars and their electronic equivalents, the person to be reminded must, of course, remember to use such devices. All of the above devices require motivation and cooperation by the person to be reminded if they are indeed to serve as a memory aid.

In view of the above, it is desirable to provide a system for providing reminders in which the above-described difficulties are avoided or alleviated.

Summary of the Invention The system of this invention enables a reminder sequence to be loaded beforehand, specifying one or more reminder messages that are to be sent at one or more predetermined times. At any such time, the message is sent to a transmitter, causing the transmitter to transmit to a personal receiver. The personal receiver then sends the reminder message from the transmitter to the user to refresh the user's memory. In this manner, the user need not remember to check any notebook or time scheduler or their electronic equivalents, or how to use these devices. As long as the user carries the personal receiver, the preloaded reminder sequence will automatically cause the preset messages to be sent to the user at predetermined times.

The method of this invention is for providing reminders to at least one user employing a system controller. First, a reminder sequence is loaded into the system controller where the sequence specifies at least one reminder message that is to be sent to said at least one user at at least one predetermined time, and causing the system controller to generate and send to a transmitter a signal containing information on said reminder message at said at least one predetermined time. The method further comprises the steps of causing the transmitter to transmit to a personal receiver a signal containing information on said reminder message in response to a signal from the system controller containing information on the reminder message, and causing the personal receiver to send said reminder message to the at least one user in response to the signal from the transmitter containing information on said reminder message.

Another aspect of the invention is directed towards a system for providing reminders according to a predetermined sequence to at least one user through a transmitter that transmits at least one message to at least one user who responds to an information signal received, where the message contains information in the information signal. The system comprises a system controller that stores said sequence, generates reminder information according to said store sequence, and sends the signal containing reminder information generated to said transmitter. The transmitter transmits a message containing said reminder information in response to said signal from the system controller. The system further comprises a personal receiver for the at least one user that generates a user-recognizable signal in response to said message from the transmitter.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a system for providing reminders to illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the system of Fig. 1.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment The preferred embodiment will now be illustrated in reference to a sequence for reminding a patient to take medication such as Tegretol, although the system may be used for many other applications as well, including non-medical applications. In reference to Fig. 1, system 10 for providing reminders includes a system controller 12 (such as a computer) which stores a predetermined sequence of reminders in a memory (not shown separately) and sends a signal containing information concerning one or more reminder messages to a paging terminal 14 through a modem 16. The paging terminal also employs a modem 18 used to receive signals from modem 16. Information from the paging terminal 14 is transmitted in a signal by a transmitter 20 to a pager or personal receiver 22. Personal receiver 22 then sends the message to the user carrying the personal receiver. If a response is called for by the message in the predetermined sequence stored in system controller 12, the user may then use a telephone 24 to transmit a response to system controller 12 through modem 16 through a phone line 26. The reminder sequence may be entered in system controller 12 through a keyboard 32, or remotely through a telephone 34 and line 36 and modem 16. Personal receiver 22 is of the type which displays written messages and alarms or sends audio messages and alarms. One type of personal receiver or pager that may be used for displaying written messages and alarms is Model Advisor by Motorola. In the above- referenced alpha-numeric personal receiver from Motorola, the screen is large and allows four lines of print. Longer messages involve one button press for one new screen of information. In this particular brand personal receiver, an optional voice personal receiver is available for patients with reading difficulties or visual deficits. Obviously other features may be included depending on the type of personal receiver that is used. The paging terminal is typically located at the headquarters of a paging company such as Pagemart or Mobilnet or the user's own transmitter.

The operation of the system 10 in Fig. 1 will now be described by reference to the flow chart in Fig. 2. The system 10 of Fig. 1 works in two modes. The open loop operation involves transmission of reminders where the person being reminded is not required to respond. The closed loop system, on the other hand, requires the person being reminded to send to system controller 12 a response to the reminder.

In reference to Figs. 1 and 2, a reminder sequence is first stored in system controller 12 by means of a keyboard 32, or remotely through telephone 34, phone line 36, and modem 16. The reminder sequence specifies at least one message to be sent at at least one predetermined time, or two or more messages at two or more predetermined times. At each such predetermined time, system controller 12 generates a signal indicating the reminder message or information that is to be sent, and sends such signal through modem 16 to the paging terminal 14 through modem 18. The paging terminal 14 in turn sends a signal containing the information to a personal receiver or personal receiver 22 through a transmitter 20 (block 58) . Personal receiver 22 then displays or sounds the information that is transmitted by transmitter 20. The person carrying personal receiver 22 is thereby reminded. In an open loop operation, the reminder sequence stored in system controller 12 does not call for a response by the person carrying the personal receiver 22. In such event, system controller 12 will not check for responses and simply stores a history of the operation just described.

Thus, in reference to Fig. 2, by means of keyboard 32 or phone 34 and phone line 36, parameters of future activities are entered, such as the type of reminder messages to be sent, the times at which the message is to be sent, and whether a response is called for (block 50) . System controller 12 then creates scheduling databases from the sequence entered and stores the databases in a memory (block 52) . System controller 12 monitors the time (diamond 54) and continues in the loop 56 until it is time to send the message specified in the reminder sequence. At such time, a message is sent containing the information of the reminder (block 58) . System controller 12 then checks to see whether a response is specified in the reminder sequence entered in block 50. See diamond 60. In the open loop operation, no response is specified and system controller 12 simply creates a log of what has transpired and stores such history in the memory (block 62) .

In the closed loop operation, a response is called for in the reminder sequence specified in block 50. If such is the case, system controller 12 then checks to see whether a response has been received by modem 16 (diamond 64) . If the response has indeed been received, system controller 12 then returns to create a history of the transmission as before in the open loop system (block 62) . However, if a response has not been received, system controller 12 checks to see whether a time has been specified for the next reminder (diamond 66) . It will return to diamond 64 if it is not yet time to send the next reminder. At the next predetermined time specified in the reminder sequence, system controller 12 checks to see whether the reminder specified in the sequence is the last reminder (diamond 68) . If it is not the last reminder, the controller sends the reminder (block 70) and returns to diamond 64.

If it is the last reminder, it sends the last reminder and checks for a response to the last reminder. If a response to the last reminder has not been received within a specified time (diamond 74) , system controller 12 causes an alert message to be sent to the prescribed individuals entered (block 50) in system controller 12 through the keyboard 32 or phone 34, line 36. See block 76. Again, system controller 12 creates a history of the transmission (block 62) . In other words, if no response is received after a pre-specified time in the sequence after the last reminder checked in diamond 74, the system controller 12 sends an alert message to prescribed individuals.

It is possible for the reminder sequence to specify that one or more messages are to be sent to a group of users, each of the users in the group having a corresponding personal receiver. In such event, the above-described operation will function essentially as described above, except that the transmitter will transmit the signal containing reminder information to the corresponding personal receiver of each of said group of users, causing each personal receiver to send the reminder message contained in the signal received from the transmitter to the corresponding user in the group. The above operation described will now be illustrated by reference to a patient who needs reminders to take Tegretol as medication. Assume, for example, that the reminder sequence entered specifies that at 11:00 a.m., the reminder message is to be sent to the patient carrying the personal receiver that he or she is to take Tegretol. Thus, at 11:00 a.m., system controller 12 causes a signal containing the message "Take Tegretol" to be sent to the paging terminal 14 which in turn causes another signal containing the message "Take Tegretol" to be transmitted by transmitter

20 to the personal receiver 22, which displays the message on its screen or gives a voice message.

In the open loop operation, no response is specified in the reminder sequence entered in system controller 12 so that the system controller simply stores a log that the message "Tegretol" has been transmitted to the personal receiver 22. In the closed loop operation, however, a feedback response is required in the sequence, either in the form of a telephone call or some other form of message, such as E-mail or other electronic message. A real life closed loop operation may, for example, be as follows: Receiver signal [Beep]

Receiver readout: Take your 11am eds. Call 123-4567 to confirm Patient ignores

Receiver signal [2nd Beep]

Receiver readout: Have you taken your 11am eds? Call 123-4567 to confirm Patient contacts computer by phone and "confirms"

"...at the tone press 3 if you have taken your 11am meds... " Patient presses 3, and hangs up. Further reminders to complete this task are negated and the confirmation is stored in history file.

If feedback is not received, the system controller may be programmed to notify a third party with a warning. For example, in the case of a patient who does not confirm after three attempts that he/she has taken his medication, a call to the nursing desk will automatically occur.

The Modified Open Loop System comprises an open loop system utilizing a human interface between the user providing feedback and the system controller.

Receiver signal [Beep]

Receiver readout: Take your 11am meds. Call 123-4567 to confirm

Patient ignores

Receiver signal [2nd Beep] Receiver readout: Have you taken your 11am meds? Call 123-4567 to confirm Patient calls nursing desk or care giver by phone and verbally confirms Nursing desk or caregiver manually negates further reminders since task has been completed. Confirmation is written to history file.

From the above, it will be evident that the objectives of the invention have been achieved. The above-described system is easy to learn, extremely portable, minimally challenging in terms of motor abilities, unlimited in number of cues and extremely precise insofar as it will cue by means of alarm and vocal or written descriptive message. The system does not require a high degree of cooperation or motivation; it is active as opposed to passive. It will not only remind the non-cooperative person, but it can be set to double check or even demand confirmation of cooperation at some preset interval. It can be programmed to cue specific activities ("MD APPOINTMENT AT 1:15 PM") or very general activities ("did you return all of your phone calls today?") . It can even be utilized to encourage the use of other memory aids ("check your calendar for appointments tomorrow") . As indicated above, the population with brain disfunctions forgets appointments, medications, and forgets to carry memory aids, and when aids are available, they forget how to use them or are distracted by other activities during their use. The above- described system can be programmed to be quite

"insistent" and intrusive increasing the likelihood of compliance. A response to the message sent is quite simple and may only involve one or two button presses and the reading of a message. For cases involving life- saving medication, the system in its closed loop operation mode will require the patient to respond to confirm self medication ("call to confirm 8:00 AM medication") . If no confirmation occurs within preset criteria, an alarm automatically goes to the patient, his or her medical doctor, or family or work supervisor. Once the system is programmed with a schedule of one or more patients, no human interface is necessary. The time delay between reminders in the preferred embodiment may vary. While the invention has been described above by reference to specific embodiments, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, while the system described above utilizes a telephone line and modems for system controller 12 to transmit signals to the paging terminal, it will be understood that a cable, an optical fiber or wireless channel may be used instead. Similarly, the user being reminded and the remote programming function may all be communicated to system controller 12 through other means such as cables, optical fibers or wireless communication channels instead of telephone lines. In some cases, it may be desirable for the programming and logging system controller to be located at the site of the paging terminal, in which case the paging terminal may simply be programmed as described above for system controller 12 and the need for a separate system controller 12 is thereby eliminated. All such and other variations are within the scope of the invention. The invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method for providing reminders to at least one user employing a system controller, comprising:

(a) loading a reminder sequence into the system controller, said sequence specifying at least one reminder message that is to be sent to said at least one user at at least one predetermined time;

(b) causing the system controller to generate and send to a transmitter a signal containing information on said reminder message at said at least one predetermined time;

(c) causing the transmitter to transmit to a personal receiver a signal containing information on said reminder message in response to said signal from the system controller containing information on said reminder message; and

(d) causing the personal receiver to send said reminder message to the at least one user in response to the signal from the transmitter containing information on said reminder message.

2. The method of claim 1, said sequence specifying that a first message is to be sent to the at least one user, instructing the user to perform an act, and that a second message is to be sent to the at least one user when no confirmation is received by the system controller a predetermined delay after the sending of the first message, said method further comprising: checking for receipt at the system controller confirmation that the user has performed the act according to the first message; and sending said second message to the at least one user when no confirmation is received by the system controller a first predetermined delay after the sending of the first message.

3. The method of claim 2, said sequence specifying that a third message is to be sent to a destination different from that of the at least one user, said third message being an alert message indicating that the user has failed to perform said act, and that said third message is to be sent to the destination when no confirmation is received by the system controller a second predetermined delay after the sending of the second message, said method further comprising: after sending said second message, checking for receipt at the system controller confirmation that the user has performed the act according to the first or second message; and sending said third message to the destination when no confirmation is received by the system controller a second predetermined delay after the sending of the second message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said sequence specifies that the at least one message is to be sent to a group of users, each of said users in the group having a corresponding personal receiver, wherein the causing step (b) causes the transmitter to transmit said signal to the corresponding personal receiver of each of said group of users, and wherein said causing step (c) causes said personal receiver to send said reminder message to the corresponding user in response to signal from the transmitter containing information on said reminder message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said loading step loading said sequence into the system controller is performed through a communication link.

6. A system for providing reminders according to a predetermined sequence, ro at least one user through a transmitter that transmits a message to said at least one user in response tc an information signal received, said message containing information in the information signal, said system comprising: a system controller that stores said sequence, generates reminders according to said stored sequence, and that sends the signal containing reminder information generated to said transmitter, wherein said transmitter transmits a message containing said reminder information in response to said signal from the system controller; and a personal receiver for the at least one user that generates a user-recognizable signal in response to said message from the transmitter.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said sequence includes timing information, and wherein the system controller generates reminder information and sends out the signals containing reminder information automatically according to the timing information in the stored sequence.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a communication link for carrying said reminder information from said system controller to said transmitter.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said link is a telephone line, or a wireless channel.

10. A system for providing reminders according to a predetermined sequence to at least one user, said system comprising: a transmitter; a system controller that stores said sequence, generates reminder information according to said stored sequence, and that sends a signal containing reminder information generated to said transmitter, wherein said transmitter transmits to said at least one user a message containing said reminder information in response to said signal from the system controller; and a personal receiver for the at least one user that generates a user-recognizable signal in response to said message from the transmitter.