WO2004073429A1

WO2004073429A1 - Medication and smoking cessation watch

Info

Publication number: WO2004073429A1
Application number: PCT/AU2004/000227
Authority: WO
Inventors: Francis Paul Galea; Bradley Martin
Original assignee: Francis Paul Galea; Bradley Martin
Priority date: 2003-02-21
Filing date: 2004-02-20
Publication date: 2004-09-02
Also published as: AU2003900769A0

Abstract

A programmable watch (1) including: a display (2) for displaying messages thereon; a microcontroller (10) interconnected to the display for controlling messages on the display and having a series of external communications ports for detachable interconnection with a host computer (20); wherein the microcontroller is programmed via the host computer device to provide a series of staged alarms having output messages relating to time periods where it is appropriate for a watch wearer to smoke a cigarette.

Description

TITLE: MEDICATION AND SMOKING CESSATION WATCH

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the utilisation of a watch type device to control activities and, in particular, discloses a watch type device suitable for use in smoking cessation or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The utilisation of watch type devices in the controlling of activities is known. For example, US Patent No. 5,157,640 to Backner discloses a watch device which includes programmable medication alert facilities for alerting a user to the need to take medication at predetermined times.

Similarly, US Patent No. 6,075,755 to Zarchan the contents of which are incorporated here by cross reference, also discloses a programmable medication watch which includes a programmable alarm system in addition to dual way communication from the watch to a docking station. Further, US Patent No. 6,448,887 to Martin et al. discloses a watch device having a multistage alarm. US Patent No. 6,305,839 to Krstulovic discloses a watch to aid cigarette smokers to gradually decrease their cigarette consumption. The arrangement of Krstulovic is difficult to utilise in practice. The user must remember to increase or ■ decrease the interval between cigarettes and strictly conform to the interval. Further, the watch provides minimal programmability in alteration of the smoking cessation program. Further, the watch of Krstulovic cannot operate as a medication reminder system. The arrangements of Zarchan and Backner also have a number of disadvantages. For example, these watches are unable to operate as smoking cessation watches. This provides for minimal functionality of these watches.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide for an alternative form of watch reminder system having improved versatility and capabilities.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a programmable watch or portable device including: a display for displaying messages thereon; a microcontroller interconnected to the display for controlling messages on the display and having a series of external communications ports for detachable interconnection with a host computer device; wherein the microcontroller is programmed via the host computer device to provide a series of staged alarms having output messages relating to time periods where it is appropriate for a user to smoke a cigarette. The time periods are preferably adjustable and controlled by the host computer.

The series of the time periods are preferably of an increasing length. In one example, the time periods contain an initial series having substantially constant period and a subsequent series having time periods of an increasing length.

The programming preferably can include preprogrammed blocked time periods within which it is not permissible to smoke and no messages are preferably output during the blocked periods. The messages that would have been output during the blocked period can be output substantially at the end of the block period. The microcontroller can be also programmed via the host computer with a series of medication alarms for outputting messages on the display relating to the taking of medication by the watch wearer.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of implementing a smoking cessation program the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a programmable watch or portable device to a smoker (b) programming the watch or portable device via a host computer communications device to emit a series of messages at predetermined times for display to the wearer, the messages including messages about the allowabihty of smoking cessation activities. The messages are preferably emitted over increasing time periods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred forms of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of a watch device of the preferred embodiment; Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration of the functional components of the watch device;

Fig. 3 illustrates the interconnection of the master control station to a personal computer system; and

Fig. 4 illustrates a graph of a decreasing dosage over time for cigarettes utilised in the smoking cessation program.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED AND OTHER EMBODIMENTS As seen from the above cited patents, those skilled in the art have the tools, and the technology and know-how to make wrist watches or other portable devices having display areas for numbers and text which are not related to normal time keeping operations. The inventor does not suggest that this invention is directed to new advances in display/watch hardware, but in a new way of applying the technology that is already readily available to the artisan. Accordingly, the intricate details of the electrical operation of the wrist watch of the present invention are only briefly discussed. As shown in Fig. 1, the preferred embodiment provides for a digital computer packaged in a wristwatch-style case. The computer is programmed to keep time and manage a complex schedule of alarms and events that can be downloaded from a host computer in a similar manner to that disclosed by the prior art. The primary uses are in reminding users when and how to take medicines or supplements, or to manage habit- control programs.

The wristwatch computer (watch) 1 is programmed to keep track of the time of day, and to constantly compare the current time against one or many preset alarm times. Whenever the watch recognizes that an alarm needs to be issued, it sounds an audible alert. Accompanying the alert, a message is displayed on the face of the watch 2 indicating why an alarm was sounded. Typically, the wearer is prompted to take specified types and amounts of supplements or medicines at each alarm, or to perform another indicated activity.

Two large buttons are provided on the case of the watch 3, 4. One of the buttons 3 is a switch that illuminates the watch, the other button 4 is a mode switch that turns off the alarm tone or allows the user to see the time, owner name, day, date, month, year and seconds information.

Pressing the mode button 4 turns off an alarm that is currently sounding "active". When an alarm is active, alternate display modes are not provided. It takes two purposeful actions to clear an alarm event: one to turn off the alarm and another to clear the event after medication is administered. Timekeeping continues to be disabled for ten seconds after an event is cleared. This allows the user to see information about a medication alarm, even if they have inadvertently "erased" a message from the alarm- sounding event to the user. The utilising of a two alarm system is more fully described in United States Patent No. 6,448,887 Two additional switches 5, 6 can also provided. These switches are located at an inconspicuous location on the outside edge of the watch. The switches are a negative- relief type typical of "watch setting" buttons. These concave buttons are designed to only be activated by a watch control station, referred to as the Master Control Station (MCS). The function of these buttons are described below. A relatively large liquid-crystal display (LCD) 2 is provided on the face of the watch. The display is capable of slowly smooth-scrolling a long text message, if required. Scrolling rate can be preset and not controllable by the user, with automatic looping of text messages.

The case 8 may be made of metal or of plastic resin depending on version, market and application.

Fig. 2 illustrates schematically the electrical structure of the preferred embodiments. Internally, the custom LCD display is sandwiched against a main printed- wiring board (PWB), connected by Zebra-style interconnect. The PWB hosts a single- chip microprocessor 10, mounted using a chip-on-board process, a transistor drive circuit for a piezoelectric noisemaker 11. Nighttime illumination will be provided by an electroluminescent (EL) panel 12.

The microcontroller can comprise a Panasonic MN101C16A type microprocessor 10 available from Matsushita Corporation of Japan. A tuning-fork type crystal can be provided: 32,768 Hz for watch operation. A Microchip 24AA64 serial EEPROM 13 provides 8k bytes of non- volatile data storage. Because of high current consumption, this EEPROM memory 14 is preferably only used occasionally for block transfer of data to and from the microprocessor's on-chip memory.

A 3-V lithium watch battery 15 (CR2032) provides typically two years of operation. A piezoelectric noisemaker 11 (center frequency 2,048 Hz) can be mounted to the back bezel of the watch. Both noisemaker 11 and battery 15 are connected to the PWB using bent spring metal contacts. The watch's case back can be connected to the battery's ground point.

The microprocessor includes two serial interface pins (SDA and SCL) which are connected to the two "watch setting" buttons 5, 6. To protect the watch from static discharge damage, internal spring contacts only make this connection occur when the watch is inserted into the master control station. Series resistors are also used inside the watch to limit the risk of electrostatic discharge damage to the watch through this path. Additionally, a small metal "spark arrestor" can be positioned near the serial communications pins to prevent high voltage from causing arcing onto the circuit board. Finally, numerous of the unused port pins on the microprocessor can also be connected to the internal node for these lines, in order to provide multiple protection diodes in parallel with the primary I/O protection diodes. The serial clock (SCL) pin is also connected to the microprocessor's keyboard interrupt pin KEY2, allowing the master control station to arbitrate with the watch for control of the serial communications port. This interrupt can also cause the watch processor to respond to changes in the onboard ROM that may be caused by an external bus master.

The microprocessor's serial data pin can also be connected to an A/D converter in the Master Control Station (MCS). The MCS, under command from the host computer, compares the output voltage of the watch to its calibrated 3.0V reference voltage to help determine estimated remaining battery life at the end of each data download cycle. Timekeeping

The internal time-of-day timebase is set at the time of watch initialization, in the Master Control Station. It cannot be altered by the user.

The customer is asked to specify watch behaviour from the following options, or to select additional/other options. The data field displayed on the LCD display normally toggles between fields on each push of the front button.

As default, when the watch is not reporting an alarm, pushing the mode button will display the user's name and the current time on the watch face. This allows easy identification of the watch owner.

Medicine Alarm

At any preset time, the watch's software can trigger an alarm indicating that some particular type of medicine needs to be taken. Touching the mode button on the watch will stop the alarm noise. A message will be displayed on the face of the watch indicating what type of medicine to take, in what quantity and (if necessary) how to do so. The form of the message can be controlled by the provider/chemist in a similar manner as that discussed in US Patent 6,075,755 to Zarchan.

The provider creates an alphanumeric message to be displayed during each type of alarm event. The provider's message can be displayed on the dot-matrix display.

Long messages can be scrolled across the face of the display at a preset speed. The "message" can also include instructions for the watch to turn on one or more LCD picture elements (icons) relating to the alarm event. Example icons can include: a cigarette, an alarm bell or a manufacturer's logo.

After the alarm noise is turned off, the medicine alarm event cannot be cleared until the user presses the mode button again. This second activation of the mode button can be performed no sooner than several seconds after the first push, when the alarm sound was turned off. This delay prevents the user from deleting a message at the same time they are turning off the alarm, without two purposeful actions. The software downloaded is able to specify the length of this delay. The provider should instruct the user to turn off the alarm, but not to clear the alarm message (the second button push) until after the medication is taken. This creates a "handshake" protocol designed to reinforce the intended action.

Any time an alarm event has occurred and the alarm noise has been turned off (first push) the associated message is still showing on the display. Until the alarm event is cleared (second push), the watch can sound a very brief, periodic alert tone every 60 seconds, to let the user know that alarm servicing is not complete.

A medication alarm cannot be cleared unless the control buttons on the watch have been pressed and then released before being pressed again. This is required to prevent the wearer from disabling the watch by leaning against the buttons or similar activities

Coincident Alarms & Functions

Like any real-time system, the situation will occur where two or more contentious events could happen at the same time. Examples of this are:

Two or more alarms are scheduled to occur at the same time, An alarm is scheduled to occur while the watch is installed in the MCS.

Software within the microcontroller includes, in the usual manner, an event manager. The watch's event manager queues coincident alarms to ensure that no

medicine alarm is missed and that the user is not upset or confused by the watch's event management operations. When an alarm event is cleared, if another alarm event has been queued waiting to be displayed, the watch gives a short, distinctive beep - but not a full alarm tone - to indicate that another event in the queue has been brought up to the display. The queued event is brought forth, displayed on the watch face for service. When the watch is inserted into the MCS, all normal watch and alarm activities are halted. If the watch database is not altered in any way, normal operation will resume after removal from the MCS as though time had only temporarily ceased.

If the watch database is altered in any way, the alarm operation can be completely reset. The provider and/or host software is responsible for management of alarm events that may be affected by resetting the alarm mechanism, clearing any queued, active or coming alarms, and resetting the timebase.

The Master Control Station (MCS) and "Privileged" Mode of Watch Operation

Initialization of the watch alarm function is performed at a master control station (MCS). The MCS is a small custom-fabricated cradle to hold the watch during communications and to translate information and programs between a larger computer (either a built-in computer or an attached host computer) and the watch microcontroller. The MCS can be of a similar form to that disclosed in US Patents 6,075,755 and 5,157,640.

Typically, the MCS is located at a caregiver's office or nutritionist's shop. The MCS is provided as a peripheral to a host computer. The MCS peripheral is controlled by software on the host computer via an RS-232-compatible serial interface. Alternatively, the MCS can be interconnected by a USB interconnection.

Through the MCS, the watch receives a schedule of alarms, information about each alarm, time-of-day synchronization and control codes to customize some aspects of watch operation for the user. Further, microcontroller program revisions can also be downloaded.

As noted previously, electrical communication between the MCS and the wristwatch is performed through electrically conductive buttons on the side of the watch 6 of Fig. 1. These buttons looks like conventional flush-mounted watch time set buttons. When the watch is inserted in the MCS, these buttons are depressed, closing an internal switch and connecting the conductive button to the serial data transceiver of the microcontroller inside the watch. Activation of the internal switch tells the watch that it is mounted in an MCS. This activation causes the watch microcontroller control system to enter a special "protected" mode of operation. The protected operating mode allows the modification of the internal state of the watch in a manner that is not allowed in any other context. If the watch cannot successfully initiate communication with the master control station, normal watch operation is resumed. If communications are successfully initiated but the watch-MCS protocol is only partially completed, the watch may not resume normal operation. In this situation, the watch will return to "sleep" mode until it can successfully restart and then complete the protocol with a MCS. If the protocol is concluded successfully, a chime is sounded and a unique message is briefly displayed on the watch to signal completed communication.

A host computer program formats and preprocess data to be downloaded to the watch. It can also initiate RS-232 serial communication with the watch and send preprocessed data packets into the watch. Serial communications and control protocols are provided.

The host computer software runs on a personal computer to provide an interface to the wristwatch. Some basic requirements can be as follows: The host computer program can run on a standard Microsoft Windows based personal computer 30. The program can be written to operate under the Microsoft Windows-9X operating system. The computer 20 must have at least one available serial communication port. The host program takes watch control information and process it into data packets including binary images of the downloadable area of the watch's memory.

The program can read the host computer's time of day clock and synchronize the watch with that value to set the time of the watch.

The software embedded on the wristwatch microcontroller can perform several functions:

Epoch timing for single-shot event alarms

Time-of-day timing for periodic alarms Habit-control (stop-smoking) alarms & calculations

Alarm management & control

• LCD control

Communications & protocol with MCS Database management for single-shot alarms

Housekeeping

The wristwatch microcontroller provides basic wristwatch functions. In general, the front button would be used to toggle the display mode.

The watch displays the normal watch mode unless there is a medication alarm is active or the front mode button has been toggled.

The principal function of the wristwatch device is the provision of alarms to remind the users of the need to take medications. There will be two basic modes for the triggering of alarms. The first will be a repetitive alarm such as "Every Four Hours" or everyday at given times (i.e. "7 A.M., Noon, 10 P.M"). The second mode is for single- shot individual event alarms.

The system can provide 16 alarm types to the user. Each alarm type can consist of a text comment field, as defined by the chemist or care provider. An alarm for the watch can consist of a time and a text data field to be displayed on the LCD display when that alarm occurs. An alarm type may be used for either a repetitive or a single-event alarm.

When an alarm occurs the dot matrix area can display the indicated comment. For example, the watch could display "Tetracycline w/food". Alternately, several icons may be provided to relate common instructions (i.e. "w/food"), these can be activated by control codes embedded in the alarm identification field.

When an alarm is triggered, the following sequence of events can occur. The watch displays the indicated alarm display for the type of alarm which occurred. The watch will then begin beeping. To clear the alarm the user must depress the mode button on the face of the watch. The button must be pushed twice: once to quiet the alarm noise and a second time after the medicine is administered. The period between these two actions is called a reminder mode. In reminder mode, the watch will chirp every fifteen second and continue to display the alarm message. The watch must remain in reminder mode for at least ten seconds. After the short delay, the user can activate the mode button a second time to compete the alarm event processing cycle and return the watch to normal timekeeping mode. It is possible for more than one alarm to occur at one time. If this happens, the watch can perform the following actions. The watch performs an alarm sequence just as described above. After the second time the "alarm off button is depressed the watch does not return to time keeping mode but starts a new alarm sequence and presents the user with the next alarm present. The user can then have to clear this new alarm as usual. This sequence can occur until all the alarms are cleared. Queued alarms appear with a brief, unique sounding alarm tone.

The watch can provide repetitive alarms of two forms. The first is a pure periodic value which will occur after a set time period has elapsed. This alarm is for irregular periods such as "Every 5 hours" or for decreasing-rate dosage such as stop-smoking programs. The minimum period allowed by this method is 5 minutes. The second type of periodic timer is the repeating times of day. These alarms can be set to go off at particular times during the such as "7 am, Noon, 9 pm" every day. These time of day alarms are limited to a single 24 hour period. These alarms can go off at their designated times until the watch database is changed by the host computer. The watch provides a series of one off alarms. These alarms occur just once and, each event can be programmed by the host computer individually. This form of alarm can be used for prescriptions which are given on a variable or complex schedule. These alarms may be set at a resolution of 5 minutes over a period of 200 days. It may be typical of the watch's memory to contain between many hundreds of these alarms. Each alarm will consist of a date, time and what alarm type should be triggered.

Habit-Control (ΗC aka Stop Smoking) Alarms

These alarms occur as a function of a preprogrammed a pre-programmed algorithmic process described below. The watch can provide both medication alarms (repetitive and single-shot) and habit-control (HC) alarms for the user. The HC algorithm provides for the user's dosage pattern to be controlled by a sequence of watch alarms. Starting with an given initial number of daily doses, the watch apportions those doses throughout the waking day. Scheduling may be based on:

• "A", a quasi-linear division of the number of daily doses by the number of minutes in a day. In this arrangement, as illustrated in Fig. 4, an initial training period 30 is provided wherein the number of cigarettes per day is held constant so the user can get used to the watch. This is followed by a gradual decrease 31 wherein the number of cigarettes per day is gradually reduced.

• "B", an alternative day schedule in which smoking alarms may be automatically blocked during four portions of the day, this is intended to allow working people to negotiate workplace smoking restrictions during specified days of the week. If an alarm would be regularly scheduled to occur during a block out time, that alarm would be pushed until just after the end of that period.

After an initial "training" period (a programmable number of days) in which the dosage is constant, the watch then slowly begins to decrease the daily dosage of cigarettes. The rate of decrease can be a linear function of the given starting number of cigarettes per day and the given number of days over which to decrease the dosage. The input data for the HC alarm algorithm can include:

• message and/or icons to be displayed during a HC alarm event

• starting daily dosage in units

• length of "training" period of non-decreasing dosage (in days)

• length of period of decreasing dosage (in days)

• program selection table ("A" or "B") indexed by days (Mon - Sun)

• daily start time (waking time plus first dose delay) in minutes from midnight

• length of waking day (number of minutes from waking time until bedtime minus a last dose administration delay)

• four pairs of numbers used to define up to 4 block-out times for program "B"

- start time (in minutes counting from midnight) for each block- out time

- duration of each block-out time (in minutes, set to zero for none)

The directed start minute for each block out time includes a precalculation of how long it takes to finish administering a dose (the dose delay). This is because the addict's dosing behavior cannot impinge on the actual desired prohibited time. This dose delay offset can be precalcuated before the database is downloaded to the watch. Additional non-linear custom refinements of the algorithm can be provided to better match the user's lifestyle. For example, at frequent dosings, the first dose can be pushed forward toward the waking time and the last dose will be pushed toward the stopping time. The following function has been defined for "A" program days: above 18 daily doses: set first dose at the start time, last dose at stop time (i.e. start time 4- length of waking day), other doses at (start time + (dose sequence number - 1) * (length of waking day / (#daily doses - 1))). from 8 doses to 17 doses: set first dose at (start time + (110 - 11 * (#daily_doses - 7))), set last dose at ((start time + length of waking day)

(110 - 11 *(#daily_doses - 7))), set other doses in daily sequence at (first dose + (((dose sequence number - 1) * ((last dose - first dose) / (#daily doses - 1))))). from 1 dose to 7 doses do not skew numbers, use direct linear time distribution for dose schedules, i.e.: set doses at (start time + (dose sequence number * (length of waking day / (#daily doses + 1)))). For "B" program days, the scheme can be more complex. When faced with block- out periods, addicts may tend to cram a number of doses into a set of open time blocks surrounding voids of prohibited time. As an alternative, fewer doses can be taken during a day with blocked times. As an example, the cigarette smoker who smokes 18 cigarettes per office day may smoke 25 cigarettes during a day at home. In a further simplified program, scheduling can be performed as indicated for the type "A" program days. If an alarm is scheduled to occur during a "blocked" period, this alarm can be delayed until the start of the next "open" period. If more than one HC dose alarm is scheduled during a single blocked period, those additional alarms are not queued. For example, a moderate smoker office worker may smoke 1.5 cigarettes per hour during a day off, but during a work day those additional cigarettes will not be smoked (For example, at the morning break, only one queued cigarette alarm will occur).

One further refinement can be provide that after a block-out delayed dose has been smoked at the start of an open period, no further cigarette alarms will be allowed until another brief period has elapsed, proportional to the present dosage level, defined as: (length of waking day / ((#daily doses + 1) * 2)). If an HC alarm is scheduled to occur during this ad-hoc blocking period, that alarm is delayed until the end of the ad- hoc blocking period. If the ad-hoc blocking period terminates during a subsequent normal block-out period, the delayed alarm remains queued until the end of that block- out period. This refinement provides that users will not receive two dosing alarms in rapid succession due to the conincidental scheduling of a normal dosing alarm near the same time that a queued/blocked alarm is released.

As noted previously, the watch is be able to communicate with a host computer through the master control stations (MCS) 21. This mode of operation will be entered by inserting the watch into an MCS 21. When this mode is entered the watch microcontroller freezes operation of the real-time clock, the epoch clock, and alarm processing. The host computer then begins an asynchronous serial communication with the watch microcontroller at a fixed rate of 19,200 baud. Data to be downloaded can be wrapped in protocol information. After protocol management, the downloaded data consists of exact images of the memory and control areas of the processor's address space so that no additional processing of the data is necessary. The protocol includes a command from the host to the watch, instructing the watch to exit communications mode and return to normal operation. By allowing the host to modify the processor's entire memory space, the host software is also allowed to perform certain functions on the watch as it is mounted in the MCS (i.e. display special messages on the LCD display or turn on the beeper). Further, this allows for the continued ongoing refinement of the programs stored within the watch, with revisions downloaded into the watch when docking with the MCS. The flexiblity of the preferred embodiment allows for a number of modifications.

These can include the inclusion of accessible identification and medication information in the watch which can be accessed in emergencies to determine details about the user. The identification and medication information can be updated each time the watch is interconneced to the docking station. The downloading of medication information into the watch allows for mobile readers to be utilised in the case of an emergency. In this scenario, an ambulance officer can carry a portable docking station connected with a portable computer. The docking station can be used on site to download information about the watch wearer including the types of medication the wearer is taking.

Further, the watch can operate in other contexts as well. For example, instead of trying to control smoking habits, the watch can be utilised to control the eating habits of persons suffering from eating disorders or simply to control the dietry intake of individuals. It will be evident from the foregoing discussion that the preferred embodiment provides for an effective form of medication watch having smoking cessation planning attributes to assist the smoker in regulating and reducing smoking activities.

The foregoing describes only preferred forms of the present invention, modifications obvious to those skilled in the art can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAJMS:

1. A programmable watch including: a display for displaying messages thereon; a microcontroller interconnected to the display for controlling messages on the display and having a series of external communications ports for detachable interconnection with a host computer device; wherein said microcontroller is programmed via said host computer device to provide a series of staged alarms having output messages relating to time periods where it is appropriate for a watch wearer to smoke a cigarette.

2. A watch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the time periods are adjustable and controlled by said host computer.

3. A watch as claimed in any previous claim wherein a series of said time periods are of an increasing length.

4. A watch as claimed in any previous claim wherein said time periods contain an initial series having substantially constant period and a subsequent series having time periods of an increasing length.

5. A watch as claimed in any previous claim wherein said programming includes preprogrammed blocked time periods within which is not permissible to smoke and no messages are output during said blocked periods.

6. A watch as claimed in claim 5 wherein at least one of the messages that would have been output during the blocked period is output substantially at the end of the block period.

7. A watch as claimed in any previous claim wherein said microcontroller is also programmed via said host computer with a series of medication alarms for outputting messages on the display relating to the taking of medication by the watch wearer.

8. A method of implementing a smoking cessation program the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a programmable watch to smoker

(b) programming said watch via a host computer communications device to emit a series of messages at predetermined times for display to the wearer, said messages including messages about the allowabihty of smoking cessation activities.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said messages are emitted over increasing time periods.

10. A programmable watch as claimed in claim 1 wherein said watch further includes identification information about the wearer accessible on demand.

11. A programmable watch as claimed in claim 1 wherein said watch is readable by a portable reader device.

12. A programmable watch as claimed in claim 1 wherein said watch is utilised in the control of eating habits of a wearer.

13. A programmable portable device such as a watch substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. A method of providing a portable information device accessible on demand by emergency personnel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.