Portable container with speaker attached

• US 20070024465A1
• Filed: 07/22/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Angeline Hadiwidjaja, C Thomas, Peter P. Tong, Thomas Howell
• Original Assignee: Angeline Hadiwidjaja, C Thomas, Peter P. Tong, Thomas Howell
• Inventors: Howell, Thomas, Hadiwidjaja, Angeline, Tong, Peter, Thomas, C.
• Application Number:
  US11/491,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20070024465A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.10
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20

Abstract

In one embodiment, a portable container for a user including a container housing and a speaker attached to a portion of the housing. The area in the interior of the container at least adjacent to the speaker includes a compressible material. The housing is configured to carry a consumable substance. In one embodiment, the container further includes a memory device that is configured to store information that is related to the substance, and/or that is specific to the user. The speaker can output a message based on the information under a predetermined condition. Further, the speaker has a first surface and a second surface, with one of the surfaces directing at the interior of the container housing. Then as the speaker vibrates to generate sound waves, at least a portion of the sound waves from that surface of the speaker are directed towards the interior of the container housing, which improves the quality of the sound waves generated by the speaker and received by the user.

Claims

1. A portable container for a user comprising:

a container housing configured to carry a consumable substance, which the user can consume by accessing the substance from the container;

a memory device configured to store information that is related to the substance, or that is specific to the user; and

a speaker attached to a portion of the housing, with the speaker outputting a message based on the information under a predetermined condition,

wherein the area in the interior of the container that is adjacent to the speaker includes a compressible material,

wherein the speaker has a first surface and a second surface, and

wherein one surface of the speaker is directed at the interior of the container housing so that as the speaker vibrates to generate sound waves, at least a portion of the sound waves from that surface of the speaker are directed towards the interior of the container housing, which improves the quality of the sound waves generated by the speaker and received by the user.

2. A portable container as recited in claim 1,

wherein the speaker is based on magnetic forces applied to a current-carrying coil,

wherein the coil is connected to a diaphragm, whose vibrations generate the sound waves, and

wherein the diaphragm includes two surfaces, with one surface facing the interior of the container housing.

3. A portable container as recited in claim 2,

wherein there is a membrane between the interior of the housing and the diaphragm, and

wherein as the diaphragm vibrates to generate sound waves towards the interior of the housing, the membrane follows the vibration in phase.

4. A portable container as recited in claim 2, wherein the diaphragm is in direct contact with the substance in the container.

5. A portable container as recited in claim 1, wherein the quality is related to the volume or the pitch of the sound waves.

6. A portable container as recited in claim 1, wherein the amount or the state of the substance in the container is electronically determined.

7. A portable container as recited in claim 6, wherein the amount of the substance is determined by determining the weight of the substance.

8. A portable container as recited in claim 6, wherein the amount of the substance is determined based on the quality of the sound waves or a resonant frequency.

9. A portable container as recited in claim 1, wherein the speaker includes a piezoelectric element.

10. A portable container as recited in claim 9, wherein the speaker is curved.

11. A portable container as recited in claim 1, wherein more than one speaker is attached to the container.

12. A portable container as recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is either a manual or an automatic condition.

13. A portable container as recited in claim 1,

wherein the container is coupled to a sensor, which is configured to measure an attribute of the user or the environment that the user is in, and

wherein the substance is related to the attribute.

14. A container as recited in claim 13,

wherein the sensor is electrically coupled to the container housing, and

wherein the speaker is configured to output information regarding the measured attribute of the user.

15. A container as recited in claim 13 wherein the memory device is also configured to store information that is related to the health or a preference of the user.

16. A container as recited in claim 13 wherein the container keeps track of the measurements of the sensor and the time when the measurements are made.

17. A container as recited in claim 1 wherein the container includes a mechanism that allows the user to enter an input to be electrically stored in the container.

18. A container as recited in claim 1 wherein the container includes an electrical mechanism configured to facilitate data exchange between the container and an external electrical apparatus.

19. A container as recited in claim 1,

wherein the substance is a type of medication, and

wherein the message is related to side effects, precautions, drug interactions, and/or health news related to the substance.

20. A container as recited in claim 1,

wherein the substance is for the user to eat or drink, and

wherein the container provides an indication to the user regarding when the user should consume at least a portion of the substance.

21. A container as recited in claim 1 wherein the container electronically promotes a product or a service to the user.

22. A container as recited in claim 1 wherein the container keeps track of its own location.