Inventors:
John N. Marr - Fayetteville AR, US
Kenneth T. Joyce - Ahwahnee CA, US
John B. Peters - Campbell CA, US
Charles F. Weber - Los Gatos CA, US
Daniel A. Attema - Soquel CA, US
Otto L. Dalmady - San Jose CA, US
International Classification:
H04H 9/00
Abstract:
A behavioral attention control apparatus and method for treating the short attention span of a child viewing a television that requires the child to respond to an alert signal within a specific window period to prevent the television from turning off. A specialized remote control component has a switch that must be triggered by the child to initially turn on the television and then retriggered periodically to keep the television turned on. A timer defines a window period during which the child must make a valid retrigger. After an interval with the television on, the window period opens and the child is alerted to the opening of the window period by lights and sound. If a valid retrigger is not made during the window period, the television is turned off. The remote control component is desirably housed in an enclosure that would be appropriately attractive to a child. In one embodiment, the enclosure is shaped like a frog and the sound alert is a frog-like “ribbet” sound. The remote control component communicates via radio frequency (RF) signals with a television control component that receives the RF signals and communicates with the television via IR transmissions to the television's IR remote control receiver in order to turn the television on or off. The interval period during which the television remains on may be progressively lengthened if the child makes a valid retrigger during successive window periods.