Prayer Counter

Abstract

A mechanical or computer-assisted electronics device, typically worn on one, two or three fingers of either hand to aid the user in saying and keeping track of the prayers of the Rosary. The device may be useful to a person saying the Rosary prayers while involved in other activities during a busy day, such as driving a vehicle, in public transportation, walking, etc. The system may be especially desirable when full use of both hands are needed at times, as well as when others in the area need not know that the user is deep in prayer. The user may wish to keep the hand with the device in a pants pocket, hidden in scarf or other clothing, covered by the other hand, or merely partly covering the device by the adjacent thumb. Growth to other prayer groups or sets of meditations and to prayers of other religions is disclosed.

1 . An electronic prayer bead counter comprising:
 a. a housing defining a cavity fitting on one or more fingers on either hand;   b. a plurality of prayer bead switches comprising at least a first prayer bead switch and a last prayer bead switch, wherein the plurality of prayer bead switches are mounted on the housing;   c. a computer mounted within the housing, receiving a prayer bead advance input when at least two switches are sequentially depressed and switch movement is in the forward direction from the lower numbered switch to the higher numbered switch; wherein the computer has at least two states, namely a first state, and a second state, wherein the prayer bead advance input advances the computer from the first state to the second state;   d. an output signal confirming prayer bead advance input and confirming the computer advancing from the first state to the second state.   
   
   
       2 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 1 , wherein the output signal is a liquid crystal display or other like display type. 
   
   
       3 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 1 , wherein the output signal is a speaker. 
   
   
       4 . The electronic prayer head counter of  claim 3 , wherein the speaker provides a voice output identifying one of the at least two states. 
   
   
       5 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 1 , wherein the output signal is a speaker and a liquid crystal display or other like display type. 
   
   
       6 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 1 , wherein the output signal further comprises a vibrator. 
   
   
       7 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 6 , wherein vibration activates after a prayer bead advance input. 
   
   
       8 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 1 , wherein the at-least-two-states correspond to a prayer status in a Catholic Rosary or to a prayer status in another religion's set of prayer beads. 
   
   
       9 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic prayer bead counter housing has a snug fit. 
   
   
       10 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 1 , wherein the display has a prayer count and a prayer status shown on one to approximately four characters, wherein a prayer name is displayed, followed promptly after completion of that named prayer by a next prayer name in the predetermined prayer sequence; and wherein the display shows the next prayer name after the display of the prayer name. 
   
   
       11 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 1 , wherein the display has a prayer count and a prayer status shown on about four to seven characters, with a growth feature displaying content-aid, for meditations comprising the Mysteries of the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, other religious mysteries, or for appropriate text for other religions. 
   
   
       12 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 1 , further including a reset-forward button to forward to a next sequence of prayers, further including a reset-back button or other mechanism to restart that prayer sequence. 
   
   
       13 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 1 , further including a double action input of the reset-forward button to skip forward to the next group of prayer or meditation sequences, and also including a double action input of the reset-back button to skip back to a start of a prior group of prayer or meditation sequences. 
   
   
       14 . An electronic prayer bead counter comprising:
 a. a housing defining a tube having a cavity fitting on one or more fingers;   b. a plurality of prayer bead switches comprising at least a first prayer bead switch and a last prayer bead switch, wherein the plurality of prayer bead switches are mounted on the housing; wherein the at least two switches register a prayer bead advance input when sequentially depressed and when switch movement is in a forward direction from a lower numbered switch to a higher numbered switch;   c. a computer mounted on the housing, receiving the prayer advance input; wherein the computer has at least two states, namely a first state, and a second state, wherein the prayer advance input advances the computer from the first state to the second state;   d. an output signal confirming prayer bead advance input and confirming the computer advancing from the first state to the second state; wherein the output signal is a liquid crystal display or other display type; wherein the at-least-two-states correspond to a prayer status in a Catholic Rosary or to a prayer status in another religion's set of prayer beads; wherein the display has a prayer count and a prayer status shown on one to about four characters, wherein a prayer name is displayed, followed promptly after completion of that named prayer by a next prayer name in the predetermined prayer sequence; and wherein the display shows the next prayer name after the display of the prayer name.   
   
   
       15 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 14 , further comprising a second prayer bead switch and a third prayer bead switch. 
   
   
       16 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 14 , wherein the display has a prayer count and a prayer status shown on about four to seven characters, with a growth feature displaying content-aid, for meditations comprising the Mysteries of the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, other religious mysteries or for appropriate text for other religions. 
   
   
       17 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 14 , further comprising a reset-back button or other mechanism to restart that prayer sequence, further comprising a reset-forward button to forward to a next sequence of prayers. 
   
   
       18 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 14 , further comprising a double action input of the reset-forward button and that skips to a start of the next series of prayer or meditation sequences and also a double action input of the reset-back button that skips to a start of a prior group of prayers or meditation sequences. 
   
   
       19 . An electronic prayer bead counter comprising:
 a. a housing defining a cavity fitting on one or more fingers on either hand;   b. a plurality of prayer bead switches comprising at least a first prayer bead switch, a middle prayer bead switch, and a last prayer bead switch, wherein the plurality of prayer bead switches are mounted on the housing;   c. a computer mounted on the housing, receiving a prayer bead advance input when at least two switches are sequentially depressed and switch movement is in the forward direction from the lower numbered switch to the higher numbered switch; wherein the computer has at least two states, namely a first state, and a second state, wherein the prayer bead advance input advances the computer from the first state to the second state;   d. an output signal confirming prayer bead advance input and confirming the computer advancing from the first state to the second state.   
   
   
       20 . The electronic prayer bead counter of  claim 19 , wherein the output signal is a liquid crystal display.