Universal device for monitoring and reporting fluid consumption and method using same

• US 9,677,923 B1
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Phillip Daneshyar
• Original Assignee: Thirsti Ltd.
• Inventors: Daneyshar, Phillip, Smith, Alexander Edward, Bedessy, Tyrone
• Primary Examiner(s): Trieu, Van
• Application Number:
  US15/161,518
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/0061 of liquid containers, e.g. filling, emptying, closing or opening means
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/007 containers with adjustable volume
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/0077 Electronic circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/14 by measurement of pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/161 for discrete levels G01F23/162 - G01F23/165 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/162 by a liquid column
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/164 using a diaphragm, bellow as transmitting element
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/20 of apparatus for measuring liquid level

Abstract

A liquid intake tracking device for removable insertion into a beverage container in order to track an amount of liquid consumed, the rate of liquid consumption over time, and to provide alerts to the user. The device connects wirelessly to an application executing on an external electronic device which provides user with liquid consumption data and reports concerning the user'"'"'s interaction with the beverage container. Methods for tracking liquid intake include disposing such a device within the container, calibrating the device relative to the container by processing pressure readings while the container is in an empty and full state, detecting changes in pressure within the container after the calibration step, in which the pressure is a function of a proportion of amount of liquid within the container at the time of detection, and wirelessly transmitting the measured pressure information to the external electronic device using a wireless communication module.

Claims

1. A liquid intake tracking device that detects changes in a volume of liquid within a beverage container and that wirelessly communicates detected information to an external electronic device, comprising:

a housing sized and shaped to be received within the beverage container and defining an interior region separated from any liquid within the beverage container, the housing defining one or more apertures therethrough;

a semi-flexible membrane disposed in register with the one or more apertures and defining a flexible edge of a sealed volume comprising at least a portion of the interior region of the housing, the membrane flexing in the vicinity of the one or more apertures in response to pressure imparted by any liquid in the beverage container;

a pressure sensor disposed within the sealed volume;

a liquid level detection circuit connected to the pressure sensor and operative to measure the pressure of the sealed volume and output at least a first measurement value concerning a first calibration, a second measurement value concerning a second calibration, and a current volume measurement value, wherein the first calibration measurement value is indicative of the beverage container being empty, the second calibration measurement value is indicative of the beverage container being filled, and the current volume measurement value is indicative of a current liquid volume in the beverage container;

a control circuit having a processor and a memory unit configured to receive and store the first calibration measurement value, the second calibration measurement value, and the current volume measurement value; and

a wireless communication module configured to communicate at least the first calibration measurement value, the second calibration measurement value, and the current volume measurement value to the external electronic device,

wherein the control circuit of the liquid intake tracking device is configured to provide at least the current volume measurement value to the external electronic device in an autonomous manner.

2. The liquid intake tracking device of claim 1, further comprising a ballast.

3. The liquid intake tracking device of claim 1, further comprising:

an accelerometer arranged to be operably coupled to the beverage container to respond to changes in an orientation of the beverage container with an orientation signal; and

an orientation sensor module configured to receive the orientation signal from the accelerometer and determine changes in an orientation of the beverage container between a non-vertical position and a vertical position,

wherein the wireless communication module communicates the one or more measurement values at a time after the orientation sensor module determines changes in the orientation of the beverage container from a non-vertical to a vertical position.

4. The liquid intake tracking device of claim 3, wherein the liquid level detection circuit, the accelerometer, the orientation sensor module, and the wireless communication module are disposed on a circuit board.

5. The liquid intake tracking device of claim 3, further comprising a control circuit connected to the orientation module and the liquid level detection circuit and operative to inhibit the liquid detection circuit while the orientation of the beverage container is in a non-vertical position.

6. The liquid intake tracking device of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a top cap, wherein the one or more apertures are included in the top cap.

7. The liquid intake tracking device of claim 6, wherein the semi-flexible membrane is sealingly connected to the top cap.

8. The liquid intake tracking device of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor module disposed in relation to the housing so as to detect the temperature changes within the beverage container, the temperature sensor module providing a temperature measurement signal as an output to the wireless communication module.

9. The liquid intake tracking device of claim 1, further comprising a pH sensor module disposed in relation to the housing so as to detect the pH of the liquid within the beverage container, the pH sensor module providing a pH measurement signal as an output to the wireless communication module.

10. The liquid intake tracking device of claim 1, further comprising:

an electrical power storage device; and

a wireless charging coil configured to charge the electrical power storage device via an inductive coupling through the housing.

11. The liquid intake tracking device of claim 1, further comprising, separate from the sealed volume, a porous compartment in fluid communication with the liquid in the beverage container, the porous compartment having a closeable access and being sized to receive a plurality of ceramic beads.

12. A liquid intake tracking device that detects changes in a volume of liquid within a beverage container and that wirelessly communicates detected information to an external electronic device, comprising:

a housing sized and shaped to be received within the beverage container and defining an interior region separated from any liquid within the beverage container;

a membrane disposed within the interior region of the housing and providing a flexible edge of a sealed volume defined within at least a portion of the interior region of the housing, the membrane being in communication with and flexing in response to pressure imparted by any liquid in the beverage container;

a pressure sensor disposed within the sealed volume;

a liquid level detection circuit connected to the pressure sensor and operative to measure the pressure of the sealed volume and output at least a first measurement value concerning a first calibration, a second measurement value concerning a second calibration, and a current volume measurement value, wherein the first calibration measurement value is indicative of the beverage container being empty, the second calibration measurement value is indicative of the beverage container being filled, and the current volume measurement value is indicative of a current liquid volume in the beverage container; and

a wireless communication module configured to communicate at least the first calibration, second calibration and current volume values to external electronic device.

13. A method for tracking liquid intake using a device being sized to be received within a beverage container to detect changes in a volume of liquid in the beverage container, comprising the steps of:

disposing the device within the beverage container, the device including;

a housing having a flexible membrane overlying a sealed interior volume, the flexible membrane having a first side exposed to any liquid within the beverage container and a second side arranged to flex into the sealed interior volume;

a pressure sensor within the sealed interior volume;

a wireless communication module configured to communicate one or more measurement values to an external electronic device;

calibrating the device relative to the beverage container by processing pressure readings while the beverage container is indicated by a user operating the external electronic device as being empty of any liquid and while the beverage container is indicated by the user operating the external electronic device as being full;

receiving atmospheric pressure data from at least one barometric sensor in communication with the external electronic device;

calculating the difference between the pressure reading obtained while the beverage container is empty and the received atmospheric pressure data,

adjusting the pressure reading obtained while the beverage container is full in response to the calculation;

detecting changes in pressure within the sealed interior volume using the pressure sensor, the pressure being a function of a proportion of amount of liquid within the beverage container at the time of detection; and

wirelessly transmitting the measured pressure information to the external electronic device using the wireless communication module.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing an application for execution in a processor of the external electronic device, the application including code comprising one or more modules, including;

a beverage-container profile which stores and provides beverage container profile information including at least volume information concerning a volume of liquid that can be contained by the beverage container;

an input module which receives the measured pressure from the device over a wireless connection to the device;

a level determination module which executes in the processor to determine the level of the liquid in the beverage container as a function of the measured pressure;

a calculation module which executes in the processor to calculate an amount of liquid intake as a function of changes in the level of liquid in the beverage container and the volume information in the beverage-container profile using liquid volume values determined by the level determination module; and

an output module which executes in the processor to display at least the amount of liquid intake on a display of the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of generating and providing an alert to a user, using an alert module executing in the processor of the electronic device, to consume more liquid.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of proving an alert to a user, using an alert module executing in the processor of the electronic device, to consume less liquid.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step providing an alert to the user, using an alert module executing in the processor of the electronic device, to refill the beverage container when the volume of liquid in the beverage container determined by the level determination module indicates that the beverage container is empty.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step calculating a rate of liquid consumption as a function of the calculated liquid intake over time, using the processor in the electronic device.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a temperature of the liquid in the beverage container using a temperate sensor;

transmitting the detected temperature to the electronic device for use by the input module; and

calibrating the liquid level determined by the level determination module to compensate for changes in pressure measured by the pressure sensor as a result of any change in detected temperature of the liquid.