U.S. patents available from 1976 to present.
U.S. patent applications available from 2005 to present.

Time control device for appliances

Patent 5046157 Issued on September 3, 1991. Estimated Expiration Date: Icon_subject September 3, 2008. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Patent References

Television viewing control device
Patent #: 4348696
Issued on: 09/07/1982
Inventor: Beier

Unlocking system for use with cards
Patent #: 4385231
Issued on: 05/24/1983
Inventor: Mizutani ,   et al.

Rental contract timer system Patent #: 4624578
Issued on: 11/25/1986
Inventor: Green

Inventors

Application

No. 152032 filed on 02/03/1988

US Classes:

340/309.8, Separate diverse device activated by timer235/382.5, Changeable authorization340/5.28, Timed access blocking340/5.42Debiting (e.g., rental)

Examiners

Primary: Orsino, Joseph A.
Assistant: Scutch, III, Frank M.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

International Class

G08B 001/00

Abstract

A controlled device is disclosed for allowing a parent to control the use of an appliance by a child. The system includes a plurality of user cards, one of which is assigned to each child. A control device is interconnected with the circuitry of the appliance for actuating and deactuating the controlled appliance. The amount of time allotted to each child can be stored in the memory of the control device. The control device is responsive to input from the children's user cards and actuates the controlled appliance when the time allotted to such user is greater than zero. Once the controlled appliance is actuated, the time allotted to the then current user is decremented until the appliance is deactuated. When the time alloted to the then current user reaches zero, the control device will automatically deactuate the controlled appliance and that child cannot use the appliance until more time is allotted to him or her. The parent is given a master card which allows him to manually increment or decrement the time allotted to each child user. Thus, the device may be used to positively reinforce desired behavior and to discourage undesired behavior.

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