Motion or opening detector

• US 10,026,295 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sam Johnson
• Original Assignee: Sam Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US15/198,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20170018166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 340669, 3405681, 3406935, 340532, 3406861, 340681, 3406911, 3406916, 34030916, 3403094, 3403097, 3403098, 600300, 705 2, 705 3, 368244, 368277
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/70 Device provided with specific sensor or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0427 with direct interaction with a dispensing or delivery system
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/049 automatically changing in response to a schedule deviation by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/06 by tampering with fastening
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence

Abstract

An activity monitor is associated with a container, such as a medication bottle, and includes one or more detectors configured to detect activity associated with the bottle, such as movement, opening and/or closing, and changes in volume and/or mass. The activity monitor may include alerting devices and be programmed with scheduling information. The activity monitor may also, or instead, communicate with one or more remote devices such as a user device or monitoring system, such as to receive programming information from those devices or to output activity information to those devices.

Claims

1. A closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system comprising:

a content monitoring apparatus configured monitor a container, the content monitoring apparatus comprising;

a housing that is mounted into and disposed within an open bottom of the container;

at least one activity detector associated with said housing which detects activity associated with said container when said housing is mounted within the container, said at least one activity detector comprising a scale which detects a mass of contents within the container; and

a processing unit communicatively coupled to the at least one activity detector, the processing unit comprising a transceiver that communicates with a computing device to send information to the computing device regarding activity associated with the container as detected by the at least one activity detector.

2. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 1 wherein said computing device comprises a mobile device of said user.

3. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 2 wherein said mobile device of said user outputs one or more audible alerts in response to one or more activities associated with said medicinal container.

4. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 1 wherein said at least one activity detector detects a change in an amount of contents associated with said medicinal container.

5. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 4 wherein said at least one activity detector comprises a pressure activated detector.

6. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 4 wherein said computing device outputs an alert if said change in said amount is different than a predetermined change.

7. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 1 wherein said computing device further comprises a communication interface by which information regarding activity associated with said container is transmitted to a user device.

8. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 7 wherein said information comprises one or more reports.

9. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 7 wherein said information comprises one or more alerts.

10. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 1 wherein said computing device receives external information from one or more remote devices or systems and utilizes said external information in processing said information received from said processing unit.

11. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 1 wherein said activity detector comprises a user input device configured to receive user identification information.

12. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 11 wherein said user identification information comprises a numeric code or authorization key.

13. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 1, wherein the scale detects the mass of the contents within the container by sensing a weight of both the container and the contents.

14. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 13, wherein the housing comprises an outer wall that fits within the bottom of the container, and a plunger that interacts with a weight sensor of the scale of the activity detector, the plunger supporting the container and the contents therein.

15. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 14, wherein

the content monitoring apparatus comprises a printed circuit board on which the processing unit and the weight sensor are disposed,

the container comprises seating ribs on an interior surface, and

the seating ribs are disposed on the printed circuit board to transfer the weight of the container and the contents therein to the printed circuit board, the printed circuit board being supported by the plunger of the housing through the interaction of the weight sensor and the plunger.

16. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 1, wherein the scale detects the mass of the contents within the container by sensing a weight the contents within the container.

17. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 16, wherein the content monitoring apparatus further comprises a weighing platform, the weighing platform including a column extending from a lower surface of the weighing platform, the column comprising a plunger that interacts with a weight sensor of the scale of the activity detector to detect the mass of the contents within the container that are disposed on a loading surface of the weighing platform.

18. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 17, wherein the housing comprises a battery and a printed circuit board on which the processing unit and the weight sensor are disposed, the plunger of the weighing platform being configured to seat on the weight sensor disposed on the printed circuit board.

19. A closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system comprising:

a content monitoring apparatus configured monitor a container, the content monitoring apparatus comprising;

a housing comprising a top portion and a bottom portion connected to the top portion, the top portion comprising an annular opening;

a scale comprising a battery and a printed circuit board disposed within the bottom portion, the printed circuit board comprising a weight sensor and a processing unit; and

a loading member comprising a flexible member disposed within the annular opening of the top portion, the loading member comprising a plunger extending from a bottom surface and contacting the weight sensor,

wherein the loading member is configured such that the container may rest therein and a weight of the container is transferred through the flexible member and plunger to the weight sensor to detect the mass of the container and contents therein, and

wherein the processing unit comprises a transceiver that communicates with a computing device to send information to the computing device regarding activity associated with the container as detected by the at least one activity detector.

20. The closed-loop content monitoring and feedback system of claim 19, wherein the bottom portion comprises an annular flange forming a depression, and the battery and the printed circuit board are disposed within the depression.