Providing information regarding a product

• US 8,249,889 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lyons, Nicholas P., Bhatti, Nina Trappe
• Primary Examiner(s): Morgan, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, ELIZA ANNE
• Application Number:
  US11/047,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20060169773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,759 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

Interactive information regarding a product in a package is provided. A unique identifier is received. The unique identifier identifies a package containing a product. Use information is generated based at least partially on stored user information regarding past use of the product.

Claims

1. A method of providing information regarding a product, the method comprising:

a reader that is a device receiving a unique identifier identifying a package containing a product;

transmitting the unique identifier to the data store over a network;

searching a data store storing at least part of use information for a user using the unique identifier; and

generating at least the use information based at least partially on stored user information regarding past use of the product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the unique identifier comprises reading the unique identifier from the package.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the unique identifier comprises receiving information stored in a radio frequency identification tag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the at least use information comprises:

receiving at least part of the at least use information in a first form; and

converting the at least part of the at least use information from the first form to a second form.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the at least use information from the data store.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the product comprises a pharmaceutical product, and the at least use information comprises at least one of when a next dose of the product is to be taken, when a previous dose of a product was taken, and if a dose of the product is to be taken.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user information regarding use of the product from a user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the user information regarding use of the product comprises receiving an input through a user device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the user information regarding use of the product comprises receiving the user information regarding use of the product stored in a radio frequency identification tag.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information from a secondary device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user profile, wherein generating the at least use information comprises generating the at least use information based at least partially on the user profile.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alert, wherein the alert is an escalating alert and wherein the form of the alert escalates with each time no response to the alert is received.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising gernerating an alert, wherein the alert is customized by at least one of a user and an authorized individual.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier comprises a first unique identifier, the method further comprising:

reading a second unique identifier identifying the user.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

comparing at least one of a first information type associated with the second unique identifier and the second unique identifier to at least one of the first information type associated with the first unique identifier or a user identifier associated with the first unique identifier; and

generating a wrong user alert if the at least one of the first information type associated with the second unique identifier and the second unique identifier does not match the at least one of the first information type associated with the first unique identifier or the user identifier associated with the first unique identifier.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising generating one or more escalating wrong user alerts when a previous wrong user alert is not acknowledged.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the user comprises a first user and the second unique identifier identifies a second user providing the product to the first user, the method further comprising:

storing the second unique identifier in a data store in association with information regarding a particular instance of providing the product to the first user.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein generating the at least use information comprises generating the at least use information customized to a role of the user.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the at least use information comprises generating the at least use information of a type customized for the user.

11. The method of clam 1, further comprising providing past use information associated with the unique identifier to an authorized individual.