Systems and Apparatus for Container Conversion

• US 20150150759A1
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jason Jianzhong Chang, Jiandong Huang
• Original Assignee: Jason Jianzhong Chang, Jiandong Huang
• Inventors: Chang, Jason Jianzhong, Huang, Jiandong
• Granted Patent: US 9,445,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• 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: Y10T 29/5313 Means to assemble electrical device

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and apparatus for converting a container into a smart bottle. According to a first aspect of the present invention, a smart-bottle apparatus may comprise a container portion comprising a plurality of individually addressable sensor pairs covering the wall of the container portion. According to a second aspect of the present invention, a smart-bottle apparatus may comprise a container portion comprising a plurality of individually addressable sensor pairs covering a neck portion of the container portion.

Claims

1. A smart-bottle apparatus comprising:

a container portion comprising a plurality of individually addressable sensor pairs covering the wall of said container portion;

a processor;

a memory;

a battery;

a power-management system;

a clock; and

a communication interface.

2. The smart-bottle apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein a first sensor pair in said plurality of individually addressable sensor pairs comprises a first half metal ring pair.

3. The smart-bottle apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein a first sensor pair in said plurality of individually addressable sensor pairs comprises a first light-emitting-diode/photo-sensor pair.

4. The smart-bottle apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said memory comprises non-transitory computer-readable instructions to cause said processor to execute a method comprising:

detecting a lid motion;

generating a time stamp associated with said lid motion;

classifying said motion event;

when said motion event is classified as a “

removal”

event;

storing said time stamp in association with said motion event; and

waiting for a subsequent lid-motion event; and

when said motion event is classification as a “

replacement”

event;

storing said time stamp in association with said motion event;

performing a static mass measurement, thereby producing a mass measurement; and

storing said mass measurement.

5. The smart-bottle apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein said method further comprises communicating said stored mass measurement to a monitoring and verification center.

6. The smart-bottle apparatus as described in claim 5 further comprising a communication interface for effectuating said communicating.

7. A smart-bottle apparatus comprising:

a container portion comprising a plurality of individually addressable sensor pairs covering a neck portion of said container portion;

a processor;

a memory;

a battery;

a power-management system;

a clock; and

a communication interface.

8. The smart-bottle apparatus as described in claim 7, wherein said memory comprises non-transitory computer-readable instructions to cause said processor to execute a method comprising:

detecting a lid motion;

generating a time stamp associated with said lid motion;

classifying said motion event;

when said motion event is classified as a “

removal”

event;

storing said time stamp in association with said motion event; and

performing a dynamic mass measurement, thereby producing a mass measurement; and

when said motion event is classification as a “

replacement”

event;

storing said time stamp in association with said motion event; and

storing said mass measurement.