Method for managing medicine taking by a user terminal in a system comprising the user terminal, a server, and a medicine container, and the user terminal performing the method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9690908-B2
Application number	US-201414217742-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2013
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A method of managing a taking medicine, user terminal for the same and system therefor are disclosed. The present invention includes detecting an identification information of a medicine using a user terminal, transmitting a taking medicine information of the medicine from a sever to the user terminal using the detected identification information, setting a user's taking medicine schedule in the user terminal in accordance with the taking medicine information. Accordingly, a user is guided in taking a medicine. And, it is able to check whether a medicine has been taken.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing medicine taking in a system comprising a user terminal, a server, and a medicine container, wherein the method is performed by the user terminal comprising a mobile terminal that comprises a controller operably coupled to a short range wireless communication unit, a detection unit, a communication unit, a memory, a display, and a microphone, the method comprising:
detecting, via the detecting unit, identification information of a medicine inscribed on the medicine container, the detecting unit comprising at least a camera or a bar code scanner;
transmitting, via the communication unit, the detected identification information to a server;
receiving, via the communication unit, medicine taking information corresponding to the detected identification information from the server;
transmitting, via the short range wireless communication unit, the received medicine taking information to the medicine container;
setting, by the controller, a medicine taking schedule of a user in accordance with the medicine taking information;
storing, in the memory, the set medicine taking schedule;
comparing, by the controller, a time for taking the medicine according to the set medicine taking schedule and average time at which the user has actually taken the medicine;
adjusting, by the controller, the set medicine taking schedule based on a difference between the time according to the set medicine taking schedule and the average time;
transmitting, via the communication unit or the short range wireless communication unit, the adjusted medicine taking schedule to the server and the medicine container;
displaying, via the display, a notification notifying time to take the medicine; and
determining, by the controller, that the user has taken the medicine in response to a user input or an output signal generated from a sensor of the medicine container, the output signal generated when a lid of the medicine container is open or closed, and the user input comprising a user input received via a user interface displayed on the display or a user's voice received via the microphone.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
outputting an alarm for informing the user of a time for taking the medicine in accordance with the set medicine taking schedule.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a presence or non-presence of the medicine taking of the user in accordance with the set medicine taking schedule.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
outputting a voice message for asking the user of the presence or non-presence of the medicine taking at a medicine taking time designated in accordance with the medicine taking schedule; and
determining the presence or non-presence of the medicine taking of the user by recognizing a voice of the user.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
recording, by the user terminal, information with regard to the presence or non-presence of the medicine taking of the user; and
transmitting, to the server, the information with regard to the presence or non-presence of the medicine taking of the user.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
outputting an alarm for informing the user of an expiration date of the medicine.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medicine container comprises a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with the communication unit of the user terminal.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the medicine container further comprises a display.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the medicine container further comprises a speaker.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the medicine container further comprises a memory.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile terminal comprises a smartphone, a laptop, or a tablet.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the user terminal directly communicates with the server and the medicine container; and
the server and the medicine container are not capable of communicating directly with each other.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, via the communication unit, user identification information corresponding to the user to the server.

14. A mobile terminal configured to communicate with a medicine container and a server in a system comprising the mobile terminal, the medicine container, and the server, the mobile terminal comprising:
a display;
a detecting unit configured to detect identification information of a medicine inscribed on the medicine container, the detecting unit comprising at least a camera or a bar code scanner;
a communication unit configured to transceive information;
a short range wireless communication unit;
a memory;
a microphone; and
a controller operatively coupled to the display, the detecting unit, the short range wireless communication unit, the memory, the microphone, and the communication unit, the controller configured to:
cause the communication unit to transmit the detected identification information to the server;
cause the communication unit to receive, from the sever, medicine taking information corresponding to the detected identification information;
cause the short range wireless communication unit to transmit the received medicine taking information to the medicine container;
set a medicine taking schedule of a user in accordance with the medicine taking information;
cause the memory to store the set medicine taking schedule;
compare a time for taking the medicine according to the set medicine taking schedule and average time at which the user has actually taken the medicine;
adjust the set medicine taking schedule based on a difference between the time for taking the medicine according to the set medicine taking schedule and the average time;

cause the communication unit or the short range wireless communication unit to transmit the adjusted medicine taking schedule to the server and the medicine container;
cause the display to display a notification notifying time to take the medicine; and
determine that the user has taken the medicine in response to a user input or an output signal generated from a sensor of the medicine container, the output signal generated when a lid of the medicine container is open or closed, and the user input comprising a user input received via a user interface displayed on the display or a user's voice received via the microphone.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Myungeun
• Seo Dongkyu
• Yun Heeseong
• Huh Jiyoung
• Park Heejin

Classifications

• A61J7/0418

  with electronic history memory · CPC title

• A61J7/049

  automatically changing in response to a schedule deviation by the patient · CPC title

• A61J2205/10

  Bar codes · CPC title

• A61J7/0427

  with direct interaction with a dispensing or delivery system · CPC title

• A61J7/0481

  working on a schedule basis · CPC title