Lighter and method for monitoring smoking behavior

Abstract

A lighter and a method for monitoring smoking behavior include a lighter having a housing and a lockable lighting element secured to the housing. A smoking reduction plan includes smoking reduction goals specific to the user of the lighter, such as a maximum number of daily cigarettes, and a time interval between cigarette smoking events. The user operates a trigger to activate the lighting element to light a cigarette. When the lighting element is activated for a sufficient duration of time, the lighter records a smoking event. A microprocessor is configured for controlling the operation of the lighting element. When the elapsed time since the most recent smoking event is less than the target smoking interval, or when a user has reached the maximum daily cigarette limit, the microprocessor may optionally render the lighting element inoperable.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lighter for lighting a user's smokable product, monitoring smoking behavior and promoting smoking cessation and reduction, the lighter comprising:
 a housing;   a lighting element secured to the housing, the lighting element being selectively activated for lighting a user's smokable product;   a microprocessor in electrical communication with the lighting element; and   the microprocessor being operable to control the lighting element;   wherein the microprocessor is further configured to be capable of preventing a user from activating the lighting element to, in turn, light a smokable product therewith.   
     
     
         2 . The lighter of  claim 1 , wherein the smokable product is selected from the group consisting of cigarettes and cigars. 
     
     
         3 . The lighter of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a trigger electrically connected to the microprocessor, the trigger selectively activating the lighting element.   
     
     
         4 . The lighter of  claim 1 , wherein the lighting element is selected from the group consisting of an electrical heating coil and a butane fired flame. 
     
     
         5 . The lighter of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
 a wired computer communication port secured to the housing and in electrical communication with the microprocessor, a power port in electrical communication with the microprocessor, and a wireless computer communications port in electrical communication with the microprocessor.   
     
     
         6 . The lighter of  claim 6 , wherein the wired computer communications port is a USB port and the wireless computer communications port is a Bluetooth interface. 
     
     
         7 . The lighter of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sensor in electrical communication with the microprocessor, the sensor being operable to identify a smoking event when the lighting element is activated for a duration longer in time than a lighting event threshold, the microprocessor being operable to monitor an elapsed time since the smoking event, and the microprocessor being operable to prevent the lighting element from being activated if certain pre-selected programmable conditions are not met.   
     
     
         8 . The lighter of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a display secured to the housing and in electrical communication with said microprocessor; and   wherein the microprocessor is operable to calculate a remaining time, the remaining time being the difference between the elapsed time and the target interval; the display being operable to show at least one of the remaining time and the elapsed time.   
     
     
         9 . The lighter of  claim 1 , wherein the display is operable to display a set of data relating to a trend of a user's smoking habits over a plurality of consecutive calendar periods, the consecutive calendar periods being selected from at least one of days, weeks, and months. 
     
     
         10 . The lighter of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an alarm indicator in electrical communication with the microprocessor, the alarm indicator being selected from the group consisting of a speaker, a motor, and a visual display.   
     
     
         11 . The lighter of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a memory component in electrical communication with the processor, the memory component being configured for storing data selected from at least one of: a time corresponding to a smoking event, a date corresponding to a smoking event, a target limit of smokable products to be smoked in a day, a number of smokable products smoked in a day, a time since a most recent smoking event, a time until a next smoking event.   
     
     
         12 . A method for monitoring smoking behavior and promoting cessation and reduction of smoking of a smokable product, comprising the steps of:
 providing a lighter having a housing and a lighting element secured to said housing;   providing a computer memory storage component;   providing a smoking reduction plan;   recording a smoking event;   recording smoking event data corresponding to a smoking event, wherein the smoking event data comprises a time stamp that is associated with the smoking event; and   storing the smoking event data.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a communication device, which is configured for sending and receiving signals;   providing a personal electronic device or web platform;   transmitting and receiving data between the communication device and the personal electronic device;   providing a software application running on the personal electronic device, or web platform for processing data received from the communication device thereby allowing a user to monitor progress of the user relative to the smoking reduction plan.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the smokable product is selected from the group consisting of cigarettes and cigars. 
     
     
         15 . A method for monitoring smoking behavior and promoting smoking cessation and reduction, comprising the steps of:
 providing a lighter having a housing and a lighting element secured to said housing;   providing a computer memory storage component;   providing a smoking reduction plan;   recording a smoking event;   recording smoking event data, wherein the smoking event data comprises a date and a time that are each associated with the smoking event;   storing the smoking event data in the computer memory storage component; and   preventing activation of the lighting element when the user deviates from the smoking reduction plan.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of providing a smoking reduction plan further comprises providing a target smoking interval, the target smoking interval being a time between a pair of sequential smoking events and wherein the step of preventing activation of the lighting element further comprises:
 sensing a smoking event;   monitoring an elapsed time since the smoking event;   preventing activation of the lighting element when the elapsed time is less than the target smoking interval.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of providing a smoking reduction plan further comprises identifying a maximum daily intake of smoking products and wherein the step of preventing activation of the lighting element further comprises:
 incrementing a smokable product counter after the step of recording a smoking event; and   using the smokable product counter to calculate a number of smokable products smoked in a day; and   preventing activation of the lighting element when the number of smokable products smoked in a day is equal to the maximum daily smokable products.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of providing a smoking reduction plan further comprises providing a plurality of smoking reduction plan templates to a user and allowing the user to select a desired smoking reduction plan template from the plurality of smoking reduction plan templates, and allowing the user to optionally modify the desired smoking reduction plan template. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a display secured to said housing;   showing a message on the display when the user complies or deviates with the smoking reduction plan.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a communication device, which is configured for sending and receiving signals;   providing a personal electronic device or web platform;   transmitting and receiving data between the communication device and the personal electronic device;   providing a software application running on the personal electronic device, or web platform for processing data received from the communication device thereby allowing a user to monitor progress of the user relative to the smoking reduction plan.