Bookmark with timer and alarm to promote reading

摘要

A bookmark with timer and alarm to promote reading includes an electronic circuit that alerts the reader to continue reading a book, magazine, etc. after a specified elapsed time. A controller, such as a microcontroller unit, is associated with a light sensor, such as a CdS light sensor, a light source and/or a sound source. When the light sensor senses light, an interior timer resets to an initial time, and when the light sensor senses dark, or does not detect a minimum threshold amount of light, the timer starts counting for a user specified waiting time of a first time period. If the user does not begin reading the book in a lit environment for a second time period during the count of the first time period, at least one alarm of the light source and/or sound source is activated to alert the user, according to user specified settings.

主权项

1. A bookmark with timer and alarm, comprising:
a substrate of physical dimension to form a bookmark including a circuit board; a controller disposed on the circuit board; a light sensor disposed on the substrate in communication with the controller, said light sensor adapted to sense light; at least one of a sound source or a light source disposed on the substrate in communication with the controller, said sound source being adapted to emit sound and said light source being adapted to emit light; and one or more timers associated with the controller to set an initial time and a first time period and to count from an initial time the first time period when the light sensor is not exposed to a minimum threshold amount of light and to set and count a second time period, wherein, when the light sensor is not exposed to the minimum threshold amount of light, the controller starts a corresponding timer of the one or more timers to count from the initial time the first time period and, if the minimum threshold amount of light is detected during the count of the first time period, the controller starts a corresponding timer of the one or more timers to count the second time period, and if the light sensor is not exposed to the minimum threshold amount of light during the count of the second time period, the controller activates at least one alarm, the at least one alarm including at least one of activating the light source to emit light or activating the sound source to emit sound.