Container with Orientation Sensor

Abstract

A container or box may include a plurality of side panels, a bottom panel and a top panel. The panels are coupled together to form a box interior with a total interior volume Vt. A separating panel is in the box and divides the box interior into a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber has a volume greater than or equal to 0.70 Vt, and the second chamber has a volume less than or equal to 0.30 Vt. An orientation sensing unit is provided that is housed entirely within the second chamber and is configured to sense and wirelessly transmit a signal with information on the orientation of the box.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A box comprising:
 a plurality of side panels, a bottom panel and a top panel, coupled together to form a box interior with a total interior volume Vt;   a separating panel in the box, the separating panel dividing the box interior into a first chamber and a second chamber, where the first chamber having a volume greater than or equal to 0.70 Vt and the second chamber having a volume less than or equal to 0.30 Vt;   an orientation sensing unit housed entirely within the second chamber and configured to sense and wirelessly transmit a signal with information on the orientation of the box.   
     
     
         2 . The box of  claim 1 , wherein the orientation sensing unit includes a three-axis accelerometer, a processor coupled to receive signals from the accelerometer, a wireless transmitter coupled to the processor, and a power source coupled to the accelerometer, processor and wireless transmitter. 
     
     
         3 . The box of  claim 2 , further comprising retainers formed at edges of the side panels and extending outwardly from the side panels to form a side cover receiving slot; and a plurality of planar side covers configured for retention between the retainers at opposite edges of respective side panels to thereby cover the side panels on an exterior of the box. 
     
     
         4 . The box of  claim 3 , wherein the box is a cube. 
     
     
         5 . The box of  claim 3 , wherein the box has greater than 6 sides. 
     
     
         6 . The box of  claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to differentiate which of six sides of the cube is face up based on the signal with information on the orientation of the box and produce a signal to be transmitted by the wireless transmitter indicating the orientation of the box. 
     
     
         7 . The box of  claim 2 , wherein the wireless transmitter is a radio frequency transmitter. 
     
     
         8 . The box of  claim 2 , wherein the wireless transmitter is a Bluetooth transmitter. 
     
     
         9 . The box of  claim 2 , wherein the wireless transmitter is a Zigbee transmitter. 
     
     
         10 . The box of  claim 6 , wherein the signal to be transmitted by the wireless transmitter indicating the orientation of the box indicates which side of the cube is face up. 
     
     
         11 . The box of  claim 2 , wherein the separating panel is press fit into the box interior into a position to form the first and second chambers, enclosing the orientation and sensing unit in the box interior between the separating panel and the bottom panel. 
     
     
         12 . The box of  claim 11 , wherein the power source is a battery. 
     
     
         13 . The box of  claim 12 , wherein the power source is rechargeable via inductive coupling. 
     
     
         14 . The box of  claim 11 , wherein the first chamber has a volume greater than or equal to 0.80 Vt and the second chamber has a volume less than or equal to 0.20 Vt. 
     
     
         15 . The box of  claim 11 , wherein the first chamber has a volume greater than or equal to 0.90 Vt and the second chamber has a volume less than or equal to 0.10 Vt. 
     
     
         16 . A container comprising:
 a housing having a top, bottom and sides, which form an interior volume;   a false bottom within the interior volume; and   an orientation sensing unit within the interior volume and between the false bottom and the housing bottom, the orientation sensing unit configured to sense the orientation of the container and wirelessly transmit a signal providing information on the orientation of the container.   
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein the container is a cube. 
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 17 , wherein the orientation sensing unit includes a three-axis accelerometer, a processor coupled to receive signals from the accelerometer, a wireless transmitter coupled to the processor, and a power source coupled to the accelerometer, processor and wireless transmitter. 
     
     
         19 . The container of  claim 18 , wherein the processor is configured to differentiate which of six sides of the cube is face up based on the signal with information on the orientation of the box and produce a signal to be transmitted by the wireless transmitter indicating the orientation of the box, 
     
     
         20 . A method of sensing the orientation of a box containing an object, comprising the steps:
 opening a box having a plurality of sides and a total interior volume Vt, the total interior volume being divided into a first chamber with a volume greater than or equal to 0.70 Vt and a second chamber with a volume less than or equal to 0.30 Vt, and an orientation sensing unit configured to sense the orientation of the box and wirelessly transmit a signal providing information on the orientation of the box, the orientation sensing unit being contained entirely within the second chamber;   placing an object within the first chamber and closing the box;   orienting the box to a rest position with one side of the box face up; and   wirelessly receiving the signal from the orientation sensing unit to determine the orientation of the box.