System and method for monitoring pill container activity
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electronic sensing cap for a pill container, comprising:
- a housing with a top portion and a bottom portion and defining a cavity therebetween;
a sliding plate disposed in the cavity adjacent to the bottom portion;
a microcontroller with a switch type contact sensor disposed in the cavity between the top portion and the sliding plate, the sliding plate configured to slide upward and activate the contact sensor where the cap is secured to the pill container in a closed state, and the sliding plate configured to slide downward from and not activate the contact sensor where the cap is removed from the pill container in an open state;
wherein the microcontroller further comprises a printed circuit board that comprises a non-infrared wireless radio, a memory, a speaker, and wherein a battery is connected to the printed circuit board that is powered at least in part in both the opened state and the closed state; and
wherein the microcontroller is configured to non-infraredly, wirelessly transmit information indicative of an opening and a closing of the pill container over time to at least one of a smartphone or a tablet computer and/or a cellular gateway device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A cap for a medication container includes a housing with a top portion and a bottom portion. The top and bottom portions together define a cavity therebetween. A sliding plate is disposed in the cavity adjacent the bottom portion. A microcontroller with a contact sensor is disposed in the cavity between the top portion and the sliding plate. The sliding plate is configured to slide toward and activate the contact sensor where the cap is secured to the medication container in a closed state. The sliding plate is also configured to slide away from and not activate the contact sensor where the cap is removed from the medication container in an open state.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An electronic sensing cap for a pill container, comprising:
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a housing with a top portion and a bottom portion and defining a cavity therebetween; a sliding plate disposed in the cavity adjacent to the bottom portion; a microcontroller with a switch type contact sensor disposed in the cavity between the top portion and the sliding plate, the sliding plate configured to slide upward and activate the contact sensor where the cap is secured to the pill container in a closed state, and the sliding plate configured to slide downward from and not activate the contact sensor where the cap is removed from the pill container in an open state; wherein the microcontroller further comprises a printed circuit board that comprises a non-infrared wireless radio, a memory, a speaker, and wherein a battery is connected to the printed circuit board that is powered at least in part in both the opened state and the closed state; and wherein the microcontroller is configured to non-infraredly, wirelessly transmit information indicative of an opening and a closing of the pill container over time to at least one of a smartphone or a tablet computer and/or a cellular gateway device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for promoting adherence to a regimen by a patient, comprising:
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a cap for a pill container, including a housing with a top portion and a bottom portion and defining a cavity therebetween, a sliding plate disposed in the cavity adjacent to the bottom portion, and a microcontroller with a switch type contact sensor disposed in the cavity between the top portion and the sliding plate, the sliding plate configured to slide upward and activate the contact sensor where the cap is secured to the pill container in a closed state, and the sliding plate configured to slide downward and not activate the contact sensor where the cap is removed from the pill container in an open state;
wherein the microcontroller further comprises a printed circuit board that comprises a non-infrared wireless radio, a memory, a speaker, and a battery connected to the printed circuit board that is powered at least in part in both the opened state and the closed state;and a first remote computer having a memory and a display, the first remote computer in non-infrared wireless electronic communication with the cap and configured to show on the display information corresponding with the sliding plate activating the switch type contact sensor, the information indicative of an opening and a closing of the pill container over time. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for promoting adherence to a regimen by a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a system including a cap for a pill container, the cap having a housing with a top portion and a bottom portion and defining a cavity therebetween, a sliding plate disposed in the cavity adjacent the bottom portion, and a microcontroller with a switch type contact sensor disposed in the cavity between the top portion and the sliding plate, the sliding plate configured to slide upward and activate the contact sensor where the cap is secured to the pill container in a closed state, and the sliding plate configured to slide downward and not activate the contact sensor where the cap is removed from the pill container in an open state, wherein the microcontroller further comprises a printed circuit board that comprises a non-infrared wireless radio, a memory, a speaker, and a battery connected to the printed circuit board that is powered at least in part in both the opened state and the closed state; and a first remote computer having a memory and a display, the first remote computer in non-infrared wireless electronic communication with the cap and configured to show on a display information corresponding with the sliding plate activating the contact sensor, the information indicative of an opening and a closing of the pill container over time, wherein the first remote computer is a smartphone or a tablet computer; maintaining the cap in a standby mode until the cap senses a change in state from one of the open state and the closed state; causing the cap to enter an active mode, the cap configured to record the information from the contact sensor in the active mode; creating by the microcontroller of the cap a sensor data log of the information; and communicating non-infrared wirelessly from the microcontroller of the cap to the first remote computer the sensor data log. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method for ordering a refill of a vitamin or a medication in a pill container, comprising:
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providing a system with a wireless network connecting a cap for a pill container, a first remote computer, a second remote computer with a refill request web application installed thereon, and a remote pharmacy computer, the cap including a housing with a top portion and a bottom portion and defining a cavity therebetween, a sliding plate disposed in the cavity adjacent to the bottom portion, and a microcontroller with a switch type contact sensor disposed in the cavity between the top portion and the sliding plate, the sliding plate configured to slide upward and activate the contact sensor; wherein and the microcontroller further comprises a printed circuit board that comprises a non-infrared wireless radio, a memory, a speaker, and a battery connected to the printed circuit board that is powered at least part in both the opened stated and the closed state; a first remote computer comprising a user'"'"'s personal computer, a tablet, or a smartphone, having a memory and a display, and in non-infrared wireless electronic communication with the cap and configured to show on the display information corresponding to a refill request; initiating a refill action by a pre-defined action on the cap by the user, the predefined action comprising pressing the sliding plate two or three times quickly, or by tapping the pill container on the table, and causing the microcontroller to non-infrared wirelessly send a refill request to the first remote computer; relaying the refill request wirelessly by the first remote computer to a second remote computer with a refill request web application installed thereon, wherein the web application refill request comprises information to identify the prescription and a patient, comprising at least one of, a prescription number, a store identification, and/or a patient identification information; relaying the refill request wirelessly by the second remote computer web application to a pharmacy computer, wherein the refill request comprises the information to identify the prescription and the patient; transmitting a confirmation of a refill completion wirelessly by the pharmacy computer to the second remote computer web application; and transmitting the confirmation of the refill completion wirelessly by the second remote computer web application to the first remote computer.
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Specification