Activity monitor to alleviate controlled substance abuse

• US 8,284,068 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sam Johnson
• Original Assignee: Sam Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US13/072,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20110169635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 340/669, 340/568.1, 340/693.5, 340/532, 340/686.1, 340/681, 340/691.1, 340/691.6, 340/309.16, 340/309.4, 340/309.7, 340/309.8, 340/571, 600/300, 368/244, 368/277, 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 340/669
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An activity monitor which can be pre-programmed at the factory, the doctors office or the pharmacist, or that can be programmed by the user. The activity monitor is affixed to a medicine bottle or container and activity associated with the bottle or container, such as movement, opening, volume changes, etc. are monitored in view to the schedule. The activity monitor records and allows for the analysis of the recorded data to determine is there is a likelihood of substance abuse.

Claims

1. A method for an insurer to help alleviate an abuse of controlled substances by insured individuals that pay a premium for insurance to the insurer, the method comprising the actions of:

the insurer offering a discount for controlled substances that are distributed in conjunction with the activity monitor;

providing controlled substances along with an activity monitor, wherein the controlled substance is provided within a container that includes the activity monitor, the substances being provided in accordance with a valid prescription, wherein the activity monitor records activity events related to dispensing of the controlled substance;

the insurer retrieving the recorded activity events;

the insurer analyzing the recorded activity events; and

the insurer adjusting the premium offered to the individual continued insurance coverage if the analysis of the recorded activity indicates activity that is commensurate with abuse, wherein the container and activity monitor includes a lock-out mechanism and, further comprising the actions of;

placing the controlled substance within the container;

closing the container and activating the activity monitor in a lock-out state;

receiving a lock-out reset request from an insured individual that has received the activity monitored container with the controlled substance; and

resetting the lock-out mechanism such that the insured individual can access the controlled substance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the action of resetting the lock-out mechanism further comprises receiving a code sequence that is entered by the insured individual to reset the lock-out mechanism.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein activity monitor includes a tone detector and the action of resetting the lock-out mechanism further comprises sending one or more tones over a telephone line to be received by the activity monitor.

4. An activity monitor coupled to a controlled substance container, the activity monitor comprising:

a processing unit communicatively coupled to a memory device and integral to the activity monitor;

an activity detector communicatively coupled to the processing unit and detecting activity of the container and provide signals to the processing unit related to the detected activity;

the processing unit, in response to instructions read from the memory device;

receives signals from the activity detector; and

records information pertaining to the detected signals into the memory device; and

a data access interface that provides access to the recorded information in the memory device to an external device;

a signature detector that is accessed by the activity monitor, and wherein the recorded information includes a detected signature proximate to the activity monitor when the activity is detected.