Patent ID: 6236953
Filing Date: 2001-05-22
Classification: G07C,G08B

Abstract:
A system for monitoring usage of a plurality of apparatuses by users, the system comprising:a plurality of monitoring units, each monitoring unit comprising:a display;an activation device for acknowledging a user of the apparatuses;a timing device for generating time of use data;at least one ancillary input device for generating at least one ancillary signal upon user actuation of an ancillary device;a completion input device coupled to said activation, timing, and at least one ancillary input devices, the completion input device generating a completion signal in response to a signal produced by the user, wherein user acknowledgment data, the time of use data, the at least one ancillary signal, and the completion signal comprise a user compliance data set; anda controller coupled to said completion input device and said display, said controller being configured to couple to the apparatus for controlling at least part of the operation of the apparatus;one of said monitoring units further comprising:a memory for storing said user compliance data set generated by said activation, timing, at least one ancillary input, and completion input devices of said one monitoring unit and the user compliance data sets generated by said activation, timing, at least one ancillary input, and completion input devices of at least one other monitoring unit;a central processing unit programmed to compare each of said user compliance data sets with predetermined operating parameters assigned to each user and stored in said memory and to generate compliance/non-compliance data based on each comparison result for storage in said memory and for presentation to the users by said displays of said monitoring units, the predetermined operating parameters including at least frequency of use parameters; anda central unit connected over a communications link to receive down loadings of said user compliance data sets and said compliance/non-compliance data from said memory of said one monitoring unit.