Interactive product selection system

• US 7,891,488 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: McNeil-PPC Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson), Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Berry, Lisa, Hasselman, Robert, Hansen, Jerry B., Gualtieri, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US11/941,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20080071576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/500, 206/459.1, 116/284, 434/429, 434/430
• 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. An interactive selection system 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 wherein the at least one product selection device is in non-electronic format;

or wherein the at least one product selection device associated with the interface is in electronic format where the interface provides a platform for the electronic presentation of the at least one product selection device which is on the interface.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the operator is the consumer whose personally applicable responses are chosen from the selectable responses.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the system assists with determining whether or not the product is appropriate for the consumer'"'"'s purchase.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the system assists with determining whether or not the product is appropriate for the consumer'"'"'s use.

5. The system 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.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the consumer product is an OTC pharmaceutical.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the OTC pharmaceutical is selected from alendronate sodium and oxybutynin chloride.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the OTC pharmaceutical is a lipid management drug.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the lipid management drug is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, atorvastatin, fluvastatin, and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is lovastatin.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is simvastatin.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more product selection devices, the directive instructions and the interpretive instructions are all associated with the same interface.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the interface is releasably associated with an item selected from the group consisting of the product packaging, a point of sale display and a kiosk.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the interface is independent from the product packaging.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more product selection devices and the directive instructions are each on a different interface.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more product selection devices and the interpretive instructions are on different interfaces.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface associated with the one or more product selection devices is a platform for non-electronic interaction between the operator and the one or more product selection devices, and the one or more product selection devices are in non-electronic format.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface associated with the one or more product selection devices is a platform for electronic interaction between the operator and the one or more product selection devices, and the one or more product selection devices are in electronic format.

20. The system of claim 1 comprised of at least two product selection devices.

21. The system of claim 20 comprised of from two to six product selection devices.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the decision criteria 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.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the directive instructions convey that either (a) the product is appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer, or (b) the product is not appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein the directive instructions convey that either (a) the product may be appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer but that additional action must be taken in order to make a correct final decision, or (b) the product is not appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein the directive instructions convey that either (a) the product is appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer, or (b) the product may be inappropriate for purchase and use by the consumer and the consumer should consult someone with specialized knowledge with respect to the particular product before purchase or use.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the person with specialized knowledge is selected from a pharmacist and a medical caregiver.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein the directive instructions convey that either (a) the product may be appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer but that additional action must be taken in order to make a correct final decision, or (b) the product may be inappropriate for purchase and use by the consumer and the consumer should consult someone with specialized knowledge with respect to the particular product before purchase or use.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the person with specialized knowledge is selected from a pharmacist and a medical caregiver.

46. The method of claim 1 wherein the directive instructions convey that based on the pattern of selection indicia either (a) the product may be appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer but that additional action must be taken in order to make a correct final decision, or (b) the product may be inappropriate for purchase and use by the consumer and the consumer should consult someone with specialized knowledge with respect to the particular product before purchase or use.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the person with specialized knowledge is selected from a pharmacist and a medical caregiver.

29. A method for assisting a consumer with determining whether or not a consumer product is appropriate for their purchase or use comprising:

(a) observing a display on a product selection device, the display comprising one or more decision criteria that are relevant to appropriate selection or deselection of the product, wherein each decision criteria is associated with at least two selectable responses and at least one of the selectable responses is a positive selectable response and at least one of the selectable responses is a negative selectable response per decision criteria, and wherein each positive selectable response is associated with an observable positive selection indicia and each negative selectable response is associated with an observable negative selection indicia;

(b) manipulating said product selection device to choose a consumer applicable response for each decision criteria from the selectable responses associated with each decision criteria;

(c) observing on said display the pattern of selection indicia observably associated with the chosen one or more consumer applicable responses;

(d) reading on said display interpretive instructions which explain how to interpret the pattern of selection indicia regarding whether or not the product is appropriate for purchase or use by the consumer; and

(e) interpreting from said display the pattern of selection indicia to determine whether or not the product is appropriate for purchase or use by the consumer wherein the at least one product selection device is in non-electronic format;

or wherein the at least one product selection device associated with the interface is in electronic format where the interface provides a platform for the electronic presentation of the at least one product selection device which is on the interface.

30. The method of claim 29 comprising determining whether or not the product is appropriate for the consumer'"'"'s purchase.

31. The method of claim 29 comprising determining whether or not the product is appropriate for the consumer'"'"'s use.

32. The method of claim 29 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.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the consumer product is an OTC pharmaceutical.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the OTC pharmaceutical is selected from alendronate sodium and oxybutynin chloride.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the OTC pharmaceutical is a lipid management drug.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein the lipid management drug is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor.

37. The method of claim 36 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.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is lovastatin.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is simvastatin.

40. The method of claim 29 wherein the decision criteria, selectable responses, negative selection indicia, positive selection indicia, and interpretive instructions are in non-electronic format.

41. The method of claim 29 wherein the decision criteria, selectable responses, negative selection indicia, positive selection indicia, and interpretive instructions are in electronic format.

42. The method of claim 29 wherein the one or more decision criteria are 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.

43. The method of claim 29 wherein the directive instructions convey that based on the pattern of selection indicia either (a) the product may be appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer but that additional action must be taken in order to make a correct final decision, or (b) the product is not appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer.

44. The method of claim 29 wherein the directive instructions convey that based on the pattern of selection indicia either (a) the product is appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer, or (b) the product may be inappropriate for purchase and use by the consumer and the consumer should consult someone with specialized knowledge with respect to the particular product before purchase or use.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the person with specialized knowledge is selected from a pharmacist and a medical caregiver.