Interactive product selection system

• US 7,322,474 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2002
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: McNeil-PPC Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson), Merck & Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Berry, Lisa, Hasselman, Robert, Hansen, Jerry B., Gualtieri, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US10/487,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 206/459.1, 116/284, 434/429, 434/430, 705/500
• US Class Current: 206/459.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 15/001 Packages or dispensers for bandages, cotton balls, drapes, dressings, gauze, gowns, sheets, sponges, swabsticks or towels A61F15/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4225 as an extra panel or panels projecting out of the plane of the container B65D5/4241 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

The present invention involves an interactive selection system for a consumer product that improves the consumer'"'"'s ability to quickly sort through numerous criteria in a complex decision making process and determine whether that particular consumer product is appropriate for his or her purchase and use. The interactive selection system is designed for a consumer product wherein the product is appropriate for less than all consumers comprising: (a) an interface; (b) at least one product selection device associated with the interface, wherein each product selection device is comprised of: (i) decision criteria that are relevant to appropriate selection or deselection of the product, (ii) at least two selectable responses associated with each decision criteria, wherein there is at least one positive selectable response and at least one negative selectable response for each decision criteria, and (iii) selection indicia associated with each selectable response; (c) directive instructions which direct an operator to manipulate each product selection device to choose a consumer applicable response from the available selectable responses per decision criteria; and (d) interpretive instructions which explain how to interpret the pattern of selection indicia which is observably associated with the chosen one or more consumer applicable responses to assist with determining whether or not the product is appropriate for the consumer'"'"'s purchase or use.

Claims

1. Interactive packaging for a consumer product wherein the product is appropriate for less than all consumers comprising:

(a) an enclosure for the product;

(b) at least one manipulatable product selection device integrated with the enclosure, wherein each product selection device is comprised of;

(i) a display of decision criteria that are relevant to appropriate selection or deselection of the product,

(ii) a display of at least two selectable responses associated with each decision criteria, wherein there is at least one positive selectable response and at least one negative selectable response for each decision criteria, and

(iii) a display of selection indicia associated with each selectable response, wherein positive selection indicia is associated with each positive selectable response and negative selection indicia is associated with each negative selectable response;

(c) directive instructions displayed on the enclosure which direct an operator to manipulate each product selection device to choose a consumer applicable response from the available selectable responses per decision criteria; and

(d) interpretive instructions displayed on the enclosure which explain how to interpret the pattern of selection indicia which is associated with the chosen one or more consumer applicable responses to assist with determining whether or not the product is appropriate for the consumer'"'"'s purchase or use,

wherein a decision wheel displays the selectable responses and their associated selection indicia, wherein there is one decision wheel associated with each display of decision criteria, and wherein the decision wheel is rotatably mounted on a portion of the enclosure, and

wherein the interactive packaging further comprises one window in a portion of the enclosure for each decision wheel, wherein the window overlays a portion of the decision wheel and is aligned with the decision wheel so as to be capable of visually exposing one entire selectable response and its associated selection indicia at a time when the wheel is rotated.

2. The interactive packaging of claim 1 wherein the enclosure is a box or carton.

3. The interactive packaging of claim 1 wherein an opposite pair of selection indicia comprised of one positive selection indicia and one negative selection indicia is employed, wherein the positive selection indicia is repeatedly associated with each of the positive selectable responses and the negative selection indicia is repeatedly associated with each of the negative selectable responses.

4. The interactive packaging of claim 3 wherein the opposite pair of selection indicia comprised of a first symbol selected from an alphanumeric graphic, a pictorial graphic, a color and combinations thereof as the positive selection indicia, and a second, different symbol selected from an alphanumeric graphic, a pictorial graphic, a color and combinations thereof as the negative selection indicia.

5. The interactive packaging of claim 4 wherein the opposite pair of selection indicia is comprised of a first color as the positive selection indicia and a second, different color as the negative selection indicia.

6. The interactive packaging of claim 3 wherein the opposite pair of selection indicia is comprised of a first color as the positive selection indicia and a second, different color as the negative selection indicia.

7. The interactive packaging of claim 1 comprised of at least two product selection devices.

8. The interactive packaging of claim 7 comprised of from two to six product selection devices.

9. The interactive packaging of claim 1 wherein the consumer product is an OTC pharmaceutical.

10. The interactive packaging of claim 9 wherein the OTC pharmaceutical is selected from alendronate sodium and oxybutynin chloride.

11. The interactive packaging of claim 9 wherein the OTC pharmaceutical is a lipid management drug.

12. The interactive packaging of claim 11 wherein the decision criteria displayed for each product selection device is selected from the group consisting of gender, age, total cholesterol level, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, high density lipoprotein cholesterol level, pre-existing physical and medical conditions, concurrent medication usage, alcohol intake over a specified period of time and combinations thereof.

13. The interactive packaging of claim 11 wherein the lipid management drug is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor.

14. The interactive packaging of claim 13 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, atorvastatin, fluvastatin, cerivastatin and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

15. The interactive packaging of claim 14 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is lovastatin.

16. The interactive packaging of claim 15 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is simvastatin.