Automatic pill reminder bottles

• US 7,081,807 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2004
• Issued: 07/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph Lai
• Original Assignee: Joseph Lai
• Inventors: Lai, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, HOI CHING
• Application Number:
  US10/757,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20050151625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 340/384.1, 340/309.16, 340/573.1, 340/686, 340/692, 340/691, 340/693, 368/10, 368/109, 368/110, 221/2, 221/3
• US Class Current: 340/309.7
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/70 Audible labels, e.g. for pre-recorded info or messages
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0472 of the count-down type, i.e. counting down a predetermined interval after each reset
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

This present invention is for new user-friendly electronic pill reminder devices that convert regular conventional pill bottles to automatic reminder pill bottles. The reminder device is compatible and can be retrofitted inside a regular conventional pill bottle cap. This reminder device is installed inside the conventional pill bottle between the bottle cap and the bottle container. When the user closes the pill bottle cap on the bottle container, the electronic timer, with factory predetermined time interval, is automatically activated. That activated timer will generate alert signals not only remind user last pill has taken but also to remind the user to take his/hers next dose at time-out. The reminder device and alert signals are automatically deactivated and reset when the user opens the pill bottle cap (to take contents from the bottle container). This present reminder device works with both conventional safety (child-resistant) and non-safety pill bottle caps.

Claims

1. A new low-cost and user-friendly electronic reminder device retrofits inside a conventional pill bottle cap to convert a conventional pill bottle to an automatic pill reminder bottle, for helping user to remember to take the content stored inside said convention pill bottle regularly, comprising of:

a. a battery supplies the power to said electronic reminder device,

b. a sensor that automatically senses and detects the closing or opening of said conventional pill bottle cap to activate or deactivate a timer,

c. said timer is activated by said sensor at a factory predetermined time interval when said sensor detects said conventional pill bottle cap has been closed onto the said conventional pill bottle,

d. alert means generate audible, visual, vibration and wireless signals to indicate said timer is timed-out or not to remind said user to open said conventional pill bottle cap, take or eat said content at time-out of said timer, and deactivate said timer automatically, and

e. attachment means to hold said electronic reminder device onto the inside of said conventional pill bottle cap,

Whereby said conventional pill bottle is converted to said automatic pill reminder bottle.

2. The electronic reminder device of claim 1, wherein said conventional pill bottle cap is a standard, regular, typical, child resistant or non-child resistant, off-the-shelf and over-the-counter lid at homes, offices or stores, enclose pills inside said conventional pill bottles.

3. The electronic reminder device of claim 1, wherein the content inside said conventional pill bottle are regularly prescribed or non-prescribed medications, food supplements or vitamin pills products.

4. The user-friendly electronic reminder device of claim 1, wherein said factory predetermined time interval is not required for said user to setup time interval settings contain four times, three times, twice, once daily and/or weekly interval of said alert.

5. The electronic reminder device of claim 1, wherein said retrofit is a method of adding and attaching said reminder device, as an aftermarket kit, to said conventional pill bottle cap without physically altering, changing or modifying said conventional pill bottle cap and said conventional pill bottle.

6. The electronic reminder device of claim 1, wherein said sensor contains a pressure sensitive push-button switch and detects pressures from the inside of said conventional pill bottle cap against the rim of said conventional pill bottle to determine whether said conventional pill bottle cap is closed or opened.

7. The electronic reminder device of claim 1, wherein said reminder device contains non-toxic materials or is hermetically sealed to protect from said reminder device contaminating said content inside said conventional pill bottle and vice versa.

8. The electronic reminder device of claim 1, wherein said alert means generate audible alerts contain beeping, melodies, music and pre-recoded voice sound signals.

9. The electronic reminder device of claim 1, wherein said wireless radio frequency signal is generated by a radio frequency (RF) transmitter sending said alert means signal wirelessly to receivers, outside of said reminder pill bottle, for generating external alerts and remote monitoring purposes.