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

• US 20100106515A1
• 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:
  US12/256,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106515A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/22 Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets

Abstract

A method of activating and 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 activating into an automated inventory system in communication with a data processing system with memory a portable self-reporting container containing a consumable substance and having memory, the method comprising the steps of:

generating an identifier for storage in the container of consumable substance and for storage in the data processing system'"'"'s memory;

adding the identifier to the data processing system'"'"'s memory; and

storing the identifier in the memory of the portable container.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step 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.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bringing further comprises generating an image of the portable container.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

adding an image to the data processing system'"'"'s memory; and

associating the identifier in the data processing systems memory with the image.

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

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the other information comprises 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.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of using the container data to control the operation of the appliance.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the user interface to control the operation of an appliance.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data processing system is a vendor data processing system, further comprising the steps of:

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

communicating the identifier from the portable container to the consumer data processing system;

communicating the identifier from the consumer data processing system to the vendor data processing system; and

communicating information relating to the container from the vendor data processing system to the consumer data processing system.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of bringing the consumer data processing system in communication with the container is triggered by a substance access event at the container.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating an identifier is triggered by a substance access event at the container.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating an identifier further comprises creating a trigger notification rule.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating an identifier further comprises receiving other information associated with the identifier from a source remote from the data processing system and associating the other information with the identifier.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the other information is input by a user.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the other information is retrieved from a remote database.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the other information is received from the container.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the other information is an attribute of the substance.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the other information is an attribute of the container.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the other information is an attribute of a consumer.

20. The method according to claim 13, wherein the other information is time attribute.

21. The method according to claim 13, wherein the other information is a measurable attribute.

22. The method according to claim 13, wherein the other information is a non-measurable attribute.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the other information is data about the operational capabilities of the portable container.

24. The method according to claim 13, wherein the additional information comprises at least one of condition of the substance, initial conditions for the substance, data relating to the fill process, an attribute identifier of the substance, an attribute value of the substance, an attribute identifier of the sensor, an attribute value of the sensor, an attribute identifier of the container, an attribute value of the container, a notification trigger rule associated with the substance, historical information about the substance, usage instruction relating to the substance, dietary and allergenic information relating to the substance, purchasing information, advertising information, recipe information, supply chain information, ingredient information, usage information relating to the substance.

25. The method according to claim 13, wherein data comprises supply chain information further comprising at least one of, country of origin for at least one of a plurality of ingredients, energy consumption attributed to the making and delivering, information relating to carbon emissions in the making and delivering, information relating to the un-natural agents used in the making and delivering, information relating to the environmentally friendly agents used in the making and delivering, information about the treatment of animals in the making and delivering, information relating to the working conditions used in the making and delivering, and information relating to the toxic agents used in the making and delivering.

26. The method of claim 13 wherein the additional information comprises ingredient information further comprising at least one of pesticides, steroids, fertilizers.

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

28. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of arranging for the placement of the container in a distribution environment.

29. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adding occurs in a data processor incorporated into an appliance.

30. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

receiving information from the portable container; and

displaying information relating to the received information on a user interface.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said displaying further comprises displaying the information graphically.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein said displaying further comprises displaying graphically a graphical display element representative of the substance.

33. The method according to claim 30, wherein said displaying further comprises displaying graphically a graphical display element representative of an attribute of the substance.