METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR INCREASING AND/OR FOR MONITORING A PARTY'S COMPLIANCE WITH A SCHEDULE FOR TAKING MEDICINES

• US 20060218015A1
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Michiko, Golden, Andrew P., Gelman, Geoffrey M., Walker, Jay S., Mik, Magdalena, Mayfield, Terry E., Sammon, Russell Pratt
• Application Number:
  US11/423,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20060218015A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/74 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for increasing and/or monitoring a party'"'"'s compliance with a schedule for taking medicines. In a first embodiment, a method is provided for use by a first container that is adapted to store a first medicine. The method includes storing information regarding the first medicine and wirelessly communicating a signal between the first container and a second container adapted to store a second medicine. In a second embodiment, a method is provided that includes determining if a first container for storing a first medicine is positioned so as to wirelessly communicate with a second container for storing a second medicine. The method further includes generating data based at least in part on whether the first container is positioned so as to wirelessly communicate with the second container. In a third embodiment, a method is provided that includes receiving a signal and, based at least in part on the received signal, determining whether a first container for storing a first medicine was positioned so as to wirelessly communicate with a second container for storing a second medicine. In a fourth embodiment, a method is provided that includes receiving a signal from a device that monitors whether a first container for storing a first medicine and a second container for storing a second medicine are positioned so as to communicate. The method further includes determining if at least one party has complied with a schedule for taking the first medicine and the second medicine based at least in part on the received signal. Systems, apparatus and computer program products are provided for carrying out the above-described embodiments and numerous other embodiments.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a first container having a storage region for storing a first medicine, the first container further comprising a transceiver, a processor coupled to the transceiver, and a memory coupled to the processor; and

storing a computer program within the memory, the computer program executable by the processor and having computer program code that allows the first container to communicate with a second container via the transceiver.

2-125. -125. (canceled)