Programmable Digital Labels for a Medicine Container

Abstract

A bottle for storing medicine that may include at least one sensor to determine an aspect about the medicine stored within the bottle. The bottle may also include a processor that receives the information from the one or more sensors. A wireless communication interface may be integrated with the bottle to communicate information.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method of determining medicine compliance for a patient that is taking medicine stored in a medicine container, the method comprising:
 storing a dosage amount which is an expected amount of the medicine to be taken by the patient and a dosage time in which the medicine is to be taken;   sensing an amount of the medicine within the medicine container;   based on the amount of the medicine within the medicine container, determining whether the patient has taken the dosage amount of the medicine at the dosage time; and   sending a message responsive to determining that the patient has not taken the dosage amount at the dosage time.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein sensing the amount of the medicine within the medicine container comprises sensing a weight of the medicine remaining within the medicine container. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising determining an amount of the medicine that has been removed from the medicine container. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein sending the message responsive to determining that the patient has not taken the dosage amount within the dosage time comprises sending the message to the patient. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein sending the message responsive to determining that the patient has not taken the dosage amount within the dosage time comprises sending the message directly from the medicine container to the patient. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining whether the patient has taken the dosage amount of the medicine within the dosage time is performed at the medicine container. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining whether the patient has taken the dosage amount of the medicine at the dosage time is performed at a location remote from the medicine container. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein sending the message responsive to determining that the patient has not taken the dosage amount at the dosage time comprises sending a message from a server remote from the medicine container to a person designated by the patient. 
     
     
         10 . A method of determining medicine compliance for a patient that is taking medicine stored in a medicine container, the method comprising:
 storing a prescribed dosage amount and a prescribed dosage time for the patient;   determining, based on a sensed parameter, that the prescribed dosage amount has not been removed from the medicine container at the prescribed dosage time: and   sending a message responsive to determining that the patient has not taken the prescribed dosage amount within the prescribed dosage time.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the sensed parameter is a weight of the medicine remaining within the medicine container. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising sending the message from the medicine container to a person designated by the patient responsive to determining that the patient has not taken the dosage amount within the dosage time. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein determining that the prescribed dosage amount has not been removed from the medicine container at the prescribed dosage time is performed at a server that is remote from the medicine container. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein determining whether the patient has taken the dosage amount of the medicine within the dosage time is performed at the medicine container. 
     
     
         15 . A method of alerting a patient when a prescribed dosage of medication is missed, said method comprising:
 storing dosage information for a prescribed medication to be taken by a patient, said dosage information including a prescribed dosage amount and a prescribed dosage time;   detecting a parameter indicative of the amount of the prescribed medication in a medicine container that stores the medication;   determining based on the dosage information and the detected parameter whether the patient missed a prescribed dosage; and   if the prescribed dosage is missed, sending a notification to a person designated by the patient.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein determining based on the dosage information and the detected parameter whether the patient missed the prescribed dosage is performed at a location remote from the medicine container. 
     
     
         17 . A compliance monitoring system for determining medicine compliance for a patient that is taking medicine stored in a medicine container, the system comprising:
 a bottle with an interior space to contain medicine;   a sensor to sense an amount of the medicine in the interior space;   memory to store a dosage amount which is an expected amount of the medicine to be taken by the patient and a dosage time in which the medicine is to be taken;   a wireless communication interface affixed to the bottle to communicate with a remote device;   a central processing unit to determine an amount of the medicine taken by the patient and to send a wireless message when the patient has not taken the dosage amount within the dosage time   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the memory is affixed to the bottle. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the central processing unit is located remotely from the bottle.