Fluid consumption monitoring system

• US 9,380,897 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2016
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gerald W. Sweeney
• Original Assignee: Iqhydr8, LLC
• Inventors: Pfeiffer, James William, Sweeney, Gerald, McCluskey, Cory
• Primary Examiner(s): Hicks, Robert J
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMAS, KAREEN KAY
• Application Number:
  US15/008,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20160135626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 160 Days
• Field of Search: 220/703, 220/711, 220/714, 220/202, 220/203.01, 220/203.23, 220/203.04, 220/212, 220/303, 220/710.5, 220/713, 215/387, 215/260, 215/311, 215/315, 215/307, 206/217, 702/154, 340/573.1, 340/686.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2227 with means for amusing or giving information to the user A47G23/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2019/2238 with illumination means
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2019/2244 with sound emitting means
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2019/225 vessels with thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2200/18 Time
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/1644 the element being a valve B65D51/1661 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/0093 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/0051 dispensing by tilting
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/0077 Electronic circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/0093 Level indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 13/006 measuring volume in function of time
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 13/008 taps comprising counting- and recording means counting devices, counting of objects in general G06M
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 17/00 Methods or apparatus for determining the capacity of containers or cavities, or the volume of solid bodies measuring linear dimensions to determine volume G01B
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/00 Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm

Abstract

An activity and volume sensing beverage container cap system for a beverage container including a cap that couples with the beverage container, a processor, a timer and at least one activity level sensor, such as an inclinometer, coupled with the processor. The activity level sensor detects container orientation. When the container is tilted, the timer measures an amount of time in an orientation. Based on the current and previous orientation and the amount of time the container is in different orientations, the processor determines an amount of time of activity of the user, and a level of activity of the user, such as number of steps or moves per time. The inclinometer is also used to determine the amount of volume dispensed from the container when tilted over a threshold indicative of drinking. Thus one inclinometer may be utilized as both to determine activity level and volume of fluid dispensed.

Claims

1. A fluid consumption monitoring system comprising:

a housing configured to couple with a beverage container wherein said housing comprises

an opening that dispenses contents of said beverage container;

a moveable seal that closes said opening; and

,

one or more sensors coupled with said housing or that extend into said beverage container;

a wireless communication interface coupled with said housing;

a memory coupled with said housing; and

,

a processor coupled with said memory and said wireless communication interface and situated in said housing wherein said processor is configured to

receive sensor data from said one or more sensors;

calculate at least one of an amount of fluid inside of, an amount of fluid dispensed from or an amount of fluid added to said beverage container from said sensor data;

store said amount of fluid in said memory; and

,

transmit said amount of fluid dispensed from said beverage container when a wireless communication channel is available to an external device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display coupled to said processor and configured to indicate said amount of fluid dispensed from said beverage container.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said external device is a smartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop, or a cloud-based system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors comprise one or more of a capacitance probe, a resistance probe, an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, a mechanical float, a pressure sensor or a weight sensor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to estimate an amount of fluid inside of, an amount of fluid dispensed from or an amount of fluid added to said beverage container.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said one or more sensors comprise a tilt sensor or inclinometer.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a valve and a timer that measures how long said valve is open and wherein said processor is further configured to estimate an amount of fluid dispensed from said beverage container based on data from said tilt sensor or inclinometer and said timer in combination with a predetermined size of said opening in said housing configured to dispense said liquid.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said tilt sensor or inclinometer is also utilized to calculate an activity level based on changes in tilt over time.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor resets said amount of fluid dispensed from said beverage container at a regular time interval.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors comprise one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a GPS system, a pedometer, a thermometer, a physiological monitor, a heart rate sensor, a respiration rate sensor, a blood pressure sensor, a blood oxygen level sensor, a hydration sensor, a humidity sensor, an altitude sensor, and a barometric pressure sensor.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein said display is further configured to display an activity level of a user of said beverage container.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said moveable seal comprises

a cover, or

a valve and wherein said beverage container further comprises a valve button that activates said valve.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein

said processor or said external device is further configured to

accept or obtain values for one or more factors affecting fluid requirements;

and,

calculate an amount of fluid a user of said beverage container is to consume based on said values for one or more factors affecting fluid requirements.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein

said display is further configured to display an amount of fluid said user of said beverage container has consumed, or is to consume, or both, in a predetermined amount of time.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said processor is further configured to

alert said user after a predetermined interval to consume fluid after a previous amount of fluid is dispensed, or

alert said user if said amount of fluid dispensed from said beverage container is below said amount of fluid said user of said beverage container is to consume.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said one or more factors affecting fluid requirements comprise

one or more of an age of said user, weight of said user, temperature, humidity, sunny or cloudy value, activity level, time of day or time since last drink, activity level, motion, altitude, medical needs, number of steps, heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen level, and a hydration value obtained from the user.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein

said one or more factors affecting fluid requirements comprise an activity level;

and,

said one or more sensors comprise an activity level input sensor that measures said activity level.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein

said one or more factors affecting fluid requirements comprise an external temperature;

and,

said one or more sensors comprise a thermometer that measures said external temperature or receives external temperature data from said wireless communication interface.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising

a timer;

and,

at least one sound emitting device;

wherein

said at least one sound emitting device beeps to indicate one or more time periods to consume fluid as determined by said timer and whether enough fluid has been consumed by the user as determined by said one or more sensors; and

,

said at least one sound emitting device remains to beep until enough fluid has been consumed by the user at said one or more time periods as determined by said timer and said one or more sensors.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to synchronize personal profile parameters when said wireless communication channel is available to said external device.