Portable computer apparatus for assisting persons with cognitive disabilities

Abstract

A portable computer apparatus for assisting a cognitively impaired person to perform tasks in the person's particular living environment is disclosed. The portable computer apparatus presents a plurality of first level virtual buttons on a display for selection by the person. Each first level virtual button corresponds to a different selectable domain or selection type. The first level virtual buttons are configured to correspond to the abilities and life needs of a particular person. When selected, a first level virtual button causes a category, sub-category, task, task element or content element to be presented. A hierarchical content structure, custom-tailored to the life needs and abilities of the particular cognitively impaired individual is provided. A means is provided, by an authoring facility hosted on a separate PC, to develop the user's content and download it to the portable computer apparatus.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of operating a portable computing apparatus for enabling a cognitively impaired person to function in a living environment, the apparatus including a display which displays output and accepts input, the method comprising the steps of: 
 displaying a plurality of first level virtual buttons on the display, each first level virtual button corresponding to different selectable content domain, the first level virtual buttons being configured to correspond to the abilities and life needs of a particular cognitively impaired person;    detecting selection of one of the first level virtual buttons by the cognitively impaired person; and    modifying the display, in response to detecting selection of one of the first level virtual buttons, to display a second level of virtual buttons or information content to the person.    
     
     
         2 . The method of    claim 1    wherein a second level virtual button corresponds to selectable content category.  
     
     
         3 . The method of    claim 1    wherein a second level virtual button corresponds to selectable content subcategory.  
     
     
         4 . The method of    claim 1    wherein a second level virtual button corresponds to a task.  
     
     
         5 . The method of    claim 4    wherein audio information is associated with the second level virtual button.  
     
     
         6 . The method of    claim 1    wherein a second level virtual button corresponds to a task element.  
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 6    wherein audio information is associated with the second level virtual button.  
     
     
         8 . The method of    claim 1    wherein selection of a second level or lower level virtual button causes information content to be presented to the person.  
     
     
         9 . The method of    claim 8    wherein audio information is associated with the second or lower level virtual button.  
     
     
         10 . The method of    claim 1    wherein selection of a second level or lower level virtual button causes subsequent virtual buttons to be displayed to the person.  
     
     
         11 . The method of    claim 1    wherein the size and number of virtual buttons displayed at each level are dependent on the abilities of the person.  
     
     
         12 . The method of    claim 1    wherein the virtual buttons include respective text labels identifying the functions thereof, the text labels being dependent on the abilities of the person.  
     
     
         13 . The method of    claim 1    wherein the virtual buttons include respective graphics labels identifying the functions thereof, the graphics labels being dependent on the abilities of the person.  
     
     
         14 . The method of    claim 1    further comprising the step of displaying task element virtual buttons on the display including a graphic image representing how a task object should visually appear when the cognitively impaired person has correctly performed a previous task element.  
     
     
         15 . The method of    claim 1    further comprising the step of displaying a plurality of virtual buttons on the display, each virtual button representing the state of a task at a point when the cognitively impaired person has correctly performed a previous task element, such that the person can indicate to the apparatus the accomplishment of each task element by activating a respective virtual button when the corresponding task step is achieved.  
     
     
         16 . The method of    claim 1    wherein prompts are presented by means of displayed text and/or graphics and/or video, audio output, and/or other media based upon conditions such as elapsed time since an input or event or the order of the inputs.  
     
     
         17 . A portable computing apparatus for enabling a cognitively impaired person to function in a living environment comprising: 
 a display for conveying output information to the person and for receiving input information from the person;    a processor, coupled to the display, for providing output, information to the display and receiving input information from the display; and    a non-volatile memory, coupled to the processor, for storing program code which, when executed by the processor, presents a plurality of first level virtual buttons on the display for selection by the person, each first level virtual button corresponding to different selectable category, the first level virtual buttons being configured to correspond to the abilities and life needs of a particular person.    
     
     
         18 . The portable computing apparatus of    claim 17    wherein the program code when executed by the processor detects selection of one of the first level virtual buttons by the person and in response causes a second level virtual button or information content to be displayed on the display, or otherwise delivered to the person, a hierarchy of selections thus being formed.  
     
     
         19 . The portable computing apparatus of    claim 18    wherein the second level virtual button is a second level task button which represents a task to be accomplished by the person with subsequent instruction from the apparatus via the display.  
     
     
         20 . The portable computing apparatus of    claim 19    wherein the program code associates audio information with the second level virtual button.