INTRODUCTION OF A SELF-REPORTING PORTABLE CONTAINER INTO AN INVENTORY SYSTEM

• US 20100102930A1
• Filed: 10/23/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: MCCOY, RICHARD A.
• Application Number:
  US12/256,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20100102930A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.920
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/70 Audible labels, e.g. for pre-recorded info or messages
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0454 for dispensing of multiple drugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0463 for multiple patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/049 automatically changing in response to a schedule deviation by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/40 the articles being delivered by hand-operated means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A method of introducing into an inventory system a self-reporting portable container containing a consumable substance configured to determine and selectively report information about the substance. The container is configured to self report an attribute of the consumable substance. An identifier is associated with at least one of the container, the substance or a sensor provided to sense the attribute of the container.

Claims

1. A method of introducing a self-reporting portable container of a consumable substance into an automated inventory system in communication with a data processing system, comprising the steps of:

bringing the data processing system into communication with the portable container of substance capable of communicating an identifier and attribute data relating to the substance;

receiving the identifier from the portable container; and

associating the identifier within the data processing system with at least one container system member.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of bringing the data processing system in communication with the container is triggered by a substance access event at the container.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein that at least one container system member is at least one of the container, the sensor, and the substance.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of associating the identifier with at least one container system member further comprises receiving data associated with the identifier from a source from the data processing system.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of performing at least one data processing step on the data at the data processing system.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one data processing step comprises at least one of, storing data, comparing new data with historical data, processing a trigger notification rule, obtaining additional data from a remote system associated with the identifier, and creating a trigger notification rule.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the attribute data is measurable.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the attribute data is non-measurable.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the attribute data comprises both measurable and non-measurable information.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of generating an image of the portable container.

11. The method according to 10, further comprising the step of storing the image in the data processing system.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of associating the image with the identifier in the data processing system.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising associating the identifier with other information in the memory of the data processing system.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the other information is at least one of a name of a substance, a category of substance, a calendar date, a time, an image, a person, and an image of a person.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adding is accomplished in a home appliance.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising steps of:

receiving information from the portable container; and

displaying information relating to the received information on a user interface

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising using the user interface to control the operation of an appliance.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising steps of:

receiving the identifier and sensor data relating to an attribute of the substance from the portable container; and

performing at least one data processing step on the data at the data processing system.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending a message to the portable container.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of operating on a portion of the information contained in the message wherein the message contains at least one parameter to effect the operation of the portable container.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one parameter comprises at least one of sensitivity of sensor, timing of sensing, type of data to store, rules to manage the data, instructions to set network ID, a triggering rule, parameters for triggering rules, and an inquiry.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the operating comprises at least one setting the timing of sensing, setting the type of data to store, creating rules to manage the data, setting network ID, activating a triggering rule, creating a triggering rule, activating an active device, generating a notification at the container, sending parameters to triggering rules, and activating an inquiry.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operating further comprises at least one of storing and using to effect the operation of the portable container.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving at least one message comprising information about the operational capabilities of the portable container.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the operational capabilities comprises at least one identifier corresponding to a well defined application programming interface.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of placing the data processing system in communication with the container is triggered by a substance access event at the container.

27. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of associating further comprises receiving data associated with the identifier from a source remote from the data processing system.

28. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of associating further comprises creating a database record corresponding to the identifier.

29. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one data processing step comprises at least one of, storing data, comparing new data with historical data, processing a trigger notification rule, obtaining additional data from a remote system associated with the identifier, and creating a trigger notification rule.

30. The method according to claim 1, further comprising prior to the step of bringing, the step of associating an identifier with at least one of the container, the sensor, and the substance.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising prior to the step of bringing, the step of affixing the sensor to the container oriented such as to be in operable communication with the substance when the substance is in the container.

32. A method of introducing a self-reporting portable container of a consumable substance into an automated inventory system having a data processing system, comprising the steps of:

receiving the identifier associated with at least one of the container and the substance;

creating a record corresponding to the identifier; and

receiving initial conditions of at least one attribute of the consumable substance; and

associating the identifier with the initial conditions.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising before the receiving, the steps of:

bringing the data processing system into communication with the portable container;

wherein the portable container is capable of communicating an identifier and at least one attribute of the substance; and

receiving the identifier from the portable container and at least one attribute of the substance.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein the step of bringing the data processing system in communication with the container is triggered by a substance access event at the container.

35. The method according to claim 32, further comprising the step of associating the identifier with at least one of the container, the sensor, and the substance.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the step of associating the identifier with at least one of the container, the sensor, and the substance further comprises receiving data associated with the identifier from a source from the data processing system.

37. The method according to claim 32, further comprising the step of performing at least one data processing step on the data at the data processing system.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the at least one data processing step comprises at least one of, storing data, comparing new data with historical data, processing a trigger notification rule, obtaining additional data from a remote system associated with the identifier, and creating a trigger notification rule.

39. A method of introducing a self-reporting portable container of a consumable substance into an automated inventory system having a data processing system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first message;

creating a dataset for sending in a second message;

inserting the dataset into the second message;

retrieving a first identifier for identifying one of the container and the substance from memory;

inserting the first identifier into a second message; and

transmitting the second message.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising before the creating step, the steps of:

retrieving a first identifier from the first message; and

storing the first identifier in the memory of the portable container.

41. The method according to 39, further comprising before the transmitting step, the steps of:

retrieving a second identifier from the first message identifying the sender of the first message; and

storing the second identifier in the memory of the portable container.

42. The method according to 41, wherein the second message is addressed to a destination corresponding to the second identifier.

43. The method according to claim 39, further comprising the step of operating on a portion of the information contained in the first message wherein the first message further contains at least one parameter to effect the operation of the portable container.

44. The method according to claim 39, wherein the operating comprises one of storing and using to effect the operation of the portable container.

45. A method of introducing a self-reporting portable container of a consumable substance into an automated inventory system having a data processing system, comprising the steps of:

bringing the data processing system into communication with the portable container of substance capable of communicating an identifier and attribute data relating to the substance;

creating a dataset for a message;

retrieving the identifier for identifying one of the container and the substance from memory;

inserting the identifier into the dataset;

inserting information about the operational capabilities of the portable container into the dataset;

creating a message from the dataset; and

transmitting the message.

46. The method according to claim 45, wherein the operational capabilities comprise at least one identifier corresponding to a well defined application programming interface.

47. A method of operating an appliance user interface in communication with an inventory system in response to data from a portable container of substance, comprising:

introducing the portable container into a use environment associated with the inventory system;

collecting attribute data from the portable container;

introducing the attribute data to the inventory system;

processing the attribute data in a appliance data processing system to effect the display the user interface; and

displaying a graphical depiction in response to the processing.