Methods, systems, apparatus and articles of manufacture to monitor a product package

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture for a blister package are disclosed. An example blister package includes a cavity and a lid having both an open position to provide access to the cavity and a closed position to restrict access to the cavity. The blister package also includes a sensing circuit disposed at a first location on the blister package. The sensing circuit detects when the lid on the cavity is in the open position, exhibits a first output state when the lid on the cavity is in the open position. The blister package also includes a processor disposed at a second location on the blister package. The processor is in communication with the sensing circuit and generates a signal indicating the cavity has been accessed when the sensing circuit exhibits the first output state.

1 . A blister package comprising:
 a cavity;   a lid having an open position to provide access to the cavity and a closed position to restrict access to the cavity;   a sensing circuit disposed at a first location on the blister package, the sensing circuit to detect when the lid on the cavity is in the open position, and the sensing circuit to exhibit a first output state when the lid on the cavity is in the open position; and   a processor disposed at a second location on the blister package, the processor being in communication with the sensing circuit, and the processor to generate a signal indicating the cavity has been accessed when the sensing circuit exhibits the first output state.   
     
     
         2 . The blister package as defined in  claim 1 , further including a transceiver disposed at a third location on the blister package, the transceiver being communicatively coupled to the processor, and the transceiver to transmit the signal. 
     
     
         3 . The blister package as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the transceiver includes an antenna and an energy converter, the antenna to capture ambient electromagnetic radiation, the energy converter to convert the ambient electromagnetic radiation into electrical current, and the electrical current to power the processor circuit and the sensing circuit. 
     
     
         4 . The blister package as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the transceiver is at least one of a radio frequency identification transceiver, a Bluetooth enabled transceiver and a Bluetooth Low Energy enabled transceiver. 
     
     
         5 . The blister package as defined in  claim 2 , further including a power source on the blister package, the power source to supply power to the sensing circuit and the processor. 
     
     
         6 . The blister package as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the sensing circuit is characterized by an electrical attribute that changes from a first level to a second level when the lid changes from a closed position to the open position. 
     
     
         7 . The blister package as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the processor includes a clock mechanism and the processor is further to record a time, based on the clock mechanism, at which the sensing circuit begins to exhibit the first output state. 
     
     
         8 . The blister package as defined in  claim 1 , further including a memory device, wherein the processor is further to store a record in the memory device in response to detecting that the sensing circuit has begun exhibiting the first output state, the record reflecting that the sensing circuit has begun exhibiting the first output state. 
     
     
         9 . A method to manufacture a product package monitor comprising:
 placing a sensing circuit at a first location on a blister package, the blister package having a lid covering a cavity aligned with the first location, the sensing circuit to change from a first state to a second state when the lid covering the cavity is opened; and   placing a processor at a second location on the blister package, the processor being communicatively coupled to the sensing circuit, the processor to generate a signal indicating that the lid covering the cavity has been opened in response to detecting that the sensing circuit changed from the first state to the second state.   
     
     
         10 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , further including placing a transceiver at a third location on the blister package, the transceiver being communicatively coupled to the processor, and the transceiver to transmit the signal. 
     
     
         11 . The method as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the transceiver includes an antenna and an energy converter, the antenna capturing ambient electromagnetic radiation, the energy converter converting the ambient electromagnetic radiation into electrical current to power at least one of the processor, the sensing circuit and a battery. 
     
     
         12 . The method as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the transceiver is at least one of a radio frequency identification transceiver, a Bluetooth enabled transceiver, and a Bluetooth Low Energy enabled transceiver. 
     
     
         13 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , further including placing a power source on the blister package, the power source to supply power to the sensing circuit and the processor. 
     
     
         14 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the sensing circuit has a first level of conductivity when the lid is closed and a second level of conductivity when the lid is open, and the sensing circuit changes from the first state to the second state by changing from the first level of conductivity to the second level of conductivity. 
     
     
         15 . The method as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the processor detects the change in the sensing circuit from the first level of conductivity to the second level of conductivity at an output of the sensing circuit. 
     
     
         16 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the processor includes a clock mechanism and the processor is further to identify a time, based on the clock mechanism, at which the sensing circuit changes from the first state to the second state, and (ii) include the time in the signal. 
     
     
         17 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the processor includes a clock mechanism and the processor is further to record a time, based on the clock mechanism, at which the sensing circuit changes from the first state to the second state. 
     
     
         18 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , further including placing a memory device on the blister package, wherein the processor is further to store a record in the memory device in response to detecting that the sensing circuit changed from the first state to the second state, the record reflecting the change of the sensing circuit from the first state to the second state. 
     
     
         19 . A method to monitor a product package, the method comprising:
 sensing, with a sensing circuit disposed on a lid of a product package, that a portion of the lid covering a cavity containing a unit of product has been broken; and   in response to the sensing that the lid has been broken by the sensing circuit, generating, with a processor disposed on the product package, a signal indicating that the lid has been broken, the signal to include a time at which the portion of the lid was broken and a product package identifier that identifies the product package.   
     
     
         20 . The method as defined in  claim 19 , further including storing the time at which the portion of the lid was broken in a memory disposed on the product package. 
     
     
         21 . The method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the signal generated with the processor is delivered to a transceiver disposed on the product package for wireless transmission to a remote device. 
     
     
         22 . The method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein an output of the sensing circuit changes from a first state to a second state when the portion of the lid covering the cavity has been broken. 
     
     
         23 . A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
 determine if an output of a sensing circuit disposed on a lid covering a cavity of a product dispensing device is at a first output level, the first output level indicating the lid has been broken, the cavity containing a unit of product; and   in response to determining the output of the sensing circuit is at the first output level, generate a signal indicating the lid has been broken.   
     
     
         24 . The tangible machine readable storage medium as defined in  claim 23 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to deliver the signal to a transceiver for transmission to a remote device. 
     
     
         25 . The tangible machine readable storage medium as defined in  claim 23 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to:
 determine a time at which the output of the sensing circuit was determined to be at the first output level;   include the time in the signal; and   deliver the signal to a transceiver for transmission to a remote device.