초록 ▼

The invention is a method to reduce the number of cigarettes consumed by a smoker, preferably towards the goal of eventual cessation. The method comprises collecting data that describes a smoker's cigarette consumption, using said data to generate a reduced smoking regimen, and implementing said red

The invention is a method to reduce the number of cigarettes consumed by a smoker, preferably towards the goal of eventual cessation. The method comprises collecting data that describes a smoker's cigarette consumption, using said data to generate a reduced smoking regimen, and implementing said reduced smoking regimen. By reducing the number of cigarettes consumed and equally distributing their consumption over the smoker's smoking hours, the method helps the smoker to reduce tobacco consumption and break psychological smoking associations. The method implemented for tobacco reduction is flexible enough to accomodate smokers who are not compliant as it continues to reduce scheduled consumption. Likewise, the method may accomodate smokers capable of accelerating their reduction.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. A method for reducing cigarette consumption comprising: (a) recording data that describe a smoker's cigarette consumption during a data collection period comprising multiple units of smoking minutes and nonsmoking minutes, wherein the data collected for each unit comprise the total numb

I claim: 1. A method for reducing cigarette consumption comprising: (a) recording data that describe a smoker's cigarette consumption during a data collection period comprising multiple units of smoking minutes and nonsmoking minutes, wherein the data collected for each unit comprise the total number of cigarettes smoked, the time of day the first cigarette is smoked, and the time of day the last cigarette is smoked; (b) calculating the number of cigarettes scheduled for consumption during a unit of a subsequent reduced-smoking period by multiplying the goal amount of smoking reduction by said total number of smoked cigarettes recorded during a corresponding unit of said data collection period; (c) calculating the number of possible smoking minutes for said corresponding unit of said data collection period by determining the amount of time between the time of day the first cigarette is smoked and the time of day the last cigarette is smoked; (d) calculating the time interval between scheduled cigarette consumption events by dividing the number of possible smoking minutes determined in step (c) by the number of scheduled cigarettes determined in step (b); (e) generating a schedule for reduced cigarette consumption during one or more units of said reduced-smoking period, said schedule providing that the time of day for the first cigarette consumption of said units of said reduced-smoking period begin at the same time or after the time of day for the first cigarette consumption recorded during said corresponding unit of said data collection period and scheduling each subsequent cigarette consumption event to occur after the previous event by the time interval determined in step (d); (f) implementing the reduced smoking schedule through a device capable of signaling to the smoker when a cigarette is scheduled to be consumed; and (g) repeating steps (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) for subsequent reduced-smoking periods, until the number of scheduled cigarette consumption events reaches a level desired by the smoker or until no cigarettes are scheduled. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the time of day for the first cigarette consumption event for a unit of a reduced-smoking period is scheduled to occur at the same time of day recorded during said corresponding unit of data collection period or a previous reduced-smoking period. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the time of day for the first cigarette consumption event for a unit of a reduced-smoking period is scheduled to occur at a later start time than the time of day recorded during said corresponding unit of said previous reduced-smoking period. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said later start time is increased in each successive unit of said reduced-smoking period. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein said later start time is from about five to about thirty minutes. 6. The method of claim 4, wherein said later start time is from about five to about thirty minutes. 7. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein data describing a smoker's cigarette consumption are passively recorded by a device. 8. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the schedule for reduced cigarette consumption is generated within the device. 9. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, wherein the schedule for reduced cigarette consumption is generated by a remote processing means. 10. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein data describing a smoker'cigarette consumption are actively recorded by a device. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the schedule for reduced cigarette consumption is generated within the device. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the schedule for reduced cigarette consumption is generated by a remote processing means. 13. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, wherein the data collection period is seven units, wherein each unit comprises one smoking minutes subunit in which a smoker may consume cigarettes beginning when a smoker consumes a first cigarette after awaking and ending when a smoker consumes a last cigarette before sleeping and one nonsmoking minutes subunit in which the smoker does not consume cigarettes. 14. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, wherein the reduced-smoking period between two and seven units, wherein each unit comprises one smoking minutes subunit in which a smoker may consume cigarettes beginning when a smoker consumes a first cigarette after awaking and ending when a smoker consumes a last cigarette before sleeping and one nonsmoking minutes subunit in which the smoker does not consume cigarettes. 15. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 wherein the goal amount of cigarette reduction is between 20% and 75%. 16. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 wherein the goal amount of cigarette reduction is between 33% and 60%. 17. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 wherein the goal amount of cigarette reduction is at least 50%. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the goal amount is divided into a first goal segment and a second goal segment, said first goal segment planned to be reached in a first reduced-smoking period and said second goal segment in a second reduced-smoking period. 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the goal amount is divided into a first goal segment and a second goal segment, said first goal segment planned to be reached in a first reduced-smoking period and said second goal segment in a second reduced-smoking period. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the goal amount is divided into a first goal segment and a second goal segment, said first goal segment planned to be reached in a first reduced-smoking period and said second goal segment in a second-reduced smoking period. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein said first goal segment is about 30-40% reduction and said second goal segment is at least 10-20% reduction. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein said first goal segment is 37% reduction. 23. A method for reducing cigarette consumption comprising: (a) providing a programmable device suitable for holding cigarettes having a lid which removably engages with the device, wherein the lid possesses an actuation means that provides a signal to the data collection unit integrated in the device upon change of the position of the lid from a first closed position to a second open position, wherein each change of the position of the lid from a first closed position to a second opened position is recorded as a smoking event and a communication means perceivable to the smoker; (b) recording data that describe a smoker's cigarette consumption during a data collection period, wherein the data collected comprise the total number of cigarettes smoked, the time of day the first cigarette is smoked, and the time of day the last cigarette is smoked; (c) calculating the number of cigarettes scheduled for consumption during a unit of a subsequent reduced-smoking period by multiplying the goal amount of smoking reduction by said total number of smoked cigarettes recorded during a corresponding unit of said data collection period; (d) calculating the number of possible smoking minutes for said corresponding unit of said data collection period by determining the amount of time between the time of day the first cigarette is smoked and the time of day the last cigarette is smoked; (e) calculating the time interval between scheduled cigarette consumption events by dividing the number of possible smoking minutes determined in step (d) by the number of scheduled cigarettes determined in step (c); (f) generating a schedule for reduced cigarette consumption during a unit of said reduced-smoking period by having the time of day for the first cigarette consumption of begin at the same time or after the time of day for the first cigarette consumption recorded during said corresponding unit of said data collection period and scheduling each subsequent cigarette consumption event to occur after the previous event by the time interval determined in step (e); (g) implementing the reduced smoking schedule through said device capable of signaling to the smoker when a cigarette is scheduled to be consumed; and (h) repeating steps (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) for subsequent reduced-smoking periods, wherein said data collection period is the previous reduced-smoking period, until the number of scheduled cigarette consumption events reaches a level desired by the smoker or until no cigarettes are scheduled. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the time of day for the first cigarette consumption event for a unit of a reduced-smoking period is scheduled to occur from about zero to about 15 minutes later than the time of day recorded during said corresponding unit of said data collection unit or a previous reduced-smoking period if said smoker exhibited nicotine addiction or a tendency to smoke the first cigarette of the unit at or before the scheduled time of day for the first cigarette consumption event in the previous reduced-smoking period, or wherein the time of day for the first cigarette consumption event for a unit of a reduced-smoking period is scheduled to occur from about 5 about 30 minutes later than the time of day recorded during said corresponding unit of said previous reduced-smoking period if said smoker exhibited a tendency to smoke the first cigarette of the unit later than the scheduled time of day for the first cigarette of the unit later than the scheduled time of day for the first cigarette consumption event in the previous reduced-smoking period. 25. The method of claim 23 or 24, wherein steps (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) or (h) are performed by a data processing portion of the device. 26. The method of claim 23 or 24, wherein at least one step of steps (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) or (h) is performed by a remote data processing portion accessible through the device. 27. A method for reducing cigarette consumption comprising: (a) providing a programmable device comprising a recording means by which the smoker signals a smoking event and a communication means perceivable to the smoker; (b) recording data that describe a smoker's cigarette consumption during a data collection period, wherein the data collected comprise the total number of cigarettes smoked, the time of day the first cigarette is smoked, and the time of day the last cigarette is smoked; (c) calculating the number of cigarettes scheduled for consumption during a unit of a subsequent reduced-smoking period by multiplying the goal amount of smoking reduction by said total number of smoked cigarettes recorded during a corresponding unit of said data collection period; (d) calculating the number of possible smoking minutes for said corresponding unit of said data collection period by determining the amount of time between the time of day the first cigarette is smoked and the time of day the last cigarette is smoked; (e) calculating the time interval between scheduled cigarette consumption events by dividing the number of possible smoking minutes determined in step (d) by the number of scheduled cigarettes determined in step (c); (f) generating a schedule for reduced cigarette consumption during a unit of said reduced-smoking period by having the time of day for the first cigarette consumption of begin at the same time or after the time of day for the first cigarette consumption recorded during said corresponding unit of said data collection period and scheduling each subsequent cigarette consumption event to occur after the previous event by the time interval determined in step (e); (g) implementing the reduced smoking schedule through said device capable of signaling to the smoker when a cigarette is scheduled to be consumed; and (h) repeating steps (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) for subsequent reduced-smoking periods, wherein said data collection period is the previous reduced-smoking period, until the number of scheduled cigarette consumption events reaches a level desired by the smoker or until no cigarettes are scheduled. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the time of day for the first cigarette consumption event for a unit of a reduced-smoking period is scheduled to occur from about zero to about 15 minutes later than the same time of day recorded during said data collection unit or a previous reduced-smoking period if said smoker exhibited nicotine addiction or a tendency to smoke the first cigarette of the unit at or before the scheduled time of day for the first cigarette consumption event in the previous reduced-smoking period, or wherein the time of day for the first cigarette consumption event for a unit of a reduced-smoking period is scheduled to occur from about 5 to about 30 minutes later than the time of day recorded during said corresponding unit of said previous reduced-smoking period if said smoker exhibited a tendency to smoke the first cigarette of the unit later than the scheduled time of day for the first cigarette consumption event in the previous reduced-smoking period. 29. The method of claim 27 or 28, wherein steps (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) or (h) are performed by a data processing portion of the device. 30. The method of claim 27 or 28, wherein at least one step of steps (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) or (h) is performed by a remote data processing portion accessible through the device.