Smart cap for pill bottle

Abstract

SMART CAPS FOR PILL BOTTLES. The present invention relates to smart caps for pill bottles. In general, a smart pill bottle cap may include a housing. The housing may include a sensor that is configured to monitor one or more characteristics of a pill bottle to which the housing is attached, and may include a communication mechanism configured to communicate the one or more characteristics of the pill bottle to an external device. The one or more communicated characteristics of the pill bottle may be used to track pill usage in the pill bottle, such as a date and time when a pill was taken and / or a number of pills remaining in the pill bottle. A smart pill bottle cap may also be configured to engage with a standard secondary pill bottle cap, which is used with a standard pill bottle.

Description

1 / 51 Descriptive Report of the Invention Patent for a SMART CAP FOR PILL BOTTLES. REFERENCE TO RELATED REQUESTS

[001] This application claims priority to US provisional patent application No. 62 / 947,165, entitled Smart Pill Bottle Caps, filed December 12, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[002] The present invention relates to caps, generally for pill bottles. BACKGROUND

[003] A significant number of people take multiple medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, to treat various limited and ongoing medical conditions, and many of these medications are released into a user's body through the ingestion of a pill. Numerous treatments also require users to take pills according to strict dosage regimens, such as every day at the same time, in a specific order with other medications, without missing any days due to forgetfulness or inability to replenish a prescription on time, etc. Furthermore, in an aging population, users may forget or become confused as to which pills need to be taken at what time. If a proper regimen is not followed, these same users risk increased harm or even death due to lack of treatment, despite having medications intended to treat known medical conditions.Furthermore, the medication may include addictive substances, providing users with motivation to abuse drugs.

[004] In this way, providing assistance with monitoring the use and guidance on the consumption of various types of pills can offer greater Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 7 / 72 2 / 51 convenience and ease of use for users and any third parties who monitor the user and / or the medication, such as family members, medical professionals, etc.

[005] Consequently, there remains a need for improved caps on pill bottles. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[006] Generally, smart caps for pill bottles, corresponding systems and methods for their use are provided.

[007] In one aspect, a pill bottle cap is provided which, in one embodiment, includes a housing configured to attach to a pill bottle cap, and the cap is configured to close the pill bottle and to be removed from the pill bottle in order to allow access to the contents of the pill bottle. The housing includes a sensor configured to, with the housing attached to the cap, measure a characteristic of the contents. The housing includes a communication mechanism configured to transmit, to an external device, data corresponding to the measured characteristic.

[008] Pill bottle caps can have numerous variations. For example, the sensor may be configured to measure a weight, and the feature includes the weight of the contents. In at least some embodiments, the housing attached to the cap may be configured to be stored in an inverted position, with the housing resting against a horizontal surface and the pill bottle and cap extending above the housing, in order to allow the sensor to measure the weight without detecting the weight of the pill bottle or cap. The sensor includes a force-sensing resistor, a load cell, or a pressure sensor.

[009] In another example, the sensor could be an ultrasonic sensor, and the characteristic could include a distance between the sensor Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 8 / 72 3 / 51 and the contents. In at least some embodiments, the housing attached to the lid may be configured to be stored in an upright position, with the pill bottle resting against a horizontal surface, with the housing and lid located above the pill bottle.

[0010] In yet another example, the sensor may include a single sensor.

[0011] In yet another example, the sensor may include a plurality of sensors. In at least some embodiments, the sensor may include at least two of an accelerometer, a sensor configured to measure weight, and an ultrasonic sensor. The sensor may also include at least one of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a geographic location sensor.

[0012] In another example, the external device could be a smartphone. In yet another example, the communication mechanism could be configured to automatically transmit data to the external device when the communication mechanism connects to the external device. In another example, the communication mechanism could be configured to communicate using Bluetooth communication, cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, near-field communication, or radio frequency identification communication. In yet another example, the pill bottle cap could include a current date and time circuit configured to collect time and date data, where the communication mechanism could be configured to transmit the time and date data to the external device. In another example, the housing could be configured to be permanently attached to the cap.In yet another example, the housing may be configured to attach removablely to the cover, so that the housing is configured to be removed from the cover and attached to a second cover. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, p. 9 / 72 4 / 51 second pill bottle. In yet another example, the housing may have a cavity formed within it, configured to receive the pill bottle cap. In yet another example, a plurality of longitudinal grooves may be formed in the housing surrounding the cavity, a plurality of loops may project from the housing and into the cavity, the plurality of longitudinal grooves may be configured to allow the housing to flex radially outward during placement and removal of the pill bottle cap inside the cavity, and the plurality of loops may be configured to engage the pill bottle cap when the cap is received inside the cavity.

[0013] In yet another example, the housing may have a cavity formed inside it, configured to receive the pill bottle cap; the housing may have a guide plate positioned between the sensor and the cavity, and the guide plate may be configured to receive a weight of at least the contents of the pill bottle and apply the weight of the contents to the sensor. In another example, the guide plate may have a plurality of columns projecting from it; the housing may have a plurality of holes defined in it, and the plurality of columns may be configured to be received in the plurality of holes.

[0014] In another aspect, a pill bottle system is provided which, in one embodiment, includes a pill bottle configured to contain at least one pill inside, a first pill bottle cap configured to close the pill bottle, and a second pill bottle cap configured to attach to the first pill bottle cap. The second pill bottle cap includes an electronic measuring mechanism configured to measure a characteristic of at least one pill in the pill bottle.

[0015] The pill bottle system can vary from numerous Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 10 / 72 5 / 51 forms. For example, the feature may include weight, and the second pill bottle cap may be configured to rest on a horizontal support surface, with the first pill bottle cap and the pill bottle extending vertically above, and resting against, the second pill bottle cap, thus allowing the measuring mechanism to measure the weight of at least one pill without detecting the weight of the pill bottle or the non-electronic pill bottle cap. In another example, the feature includes weight, and the second pill bottle cap may be configured to rest on a horizontal support surface, with the first pill bottle cap and the pill bottle extending above, and resting against, the second pill bottle cap, thus allowing the measuring mechanism to measure the weight of at least one pill, the pill bottle, and the non-electronic pill bottle cap.In at least some embodiments, the measuring mechanism may be configured to measure date and time, in order to allow the measured characteristic to be time-stamped, and / or the measuring mechanism may be configured to measure at least one of ambient temperature, ambient humidity, and motion.

[0016] In another example, the feature may include the distance between the measuring mechanism and at least one pill, and the pill bottle may be configured to rest on a horizontal support surface with the first pill bottle cap and the second pill bottle cap situated vertically above the pill bottle. In yet another example, the measuring mechanism may include a sensor. In yet another example, the second pill bottle cap may include a power supply, a processor, and memory.

[0017] In another example, the second pill bottle cap Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, p. 11 / 72 6 / 51 may include a communication mechanism configured to wirelessly transmit the data measured by the measuring mechanism to a remote computer system.In at least some embodiments, the transmission may be a wireless transmission using Bluetooth communication, cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, near-field communication, or radio frequency identification communication; the communication mechanism may be configured to receive a data request from the remote computing device; the remote computer system may include a smartphone; the remote computer system may be configured to scan a label on the pill bottle and access information corresponding to at least one pill; and / or the communication mechanism may be configured to transmit the measured characteristic to the remote computer system in order to allow the remote computer system to determine a total quantity of at least one pill in the pill bottle.

[0018] In yet another example, the second pill bottle cap may be configured to be removed from the first pill bottle cap. In at least some embodiments, the pill bottle system may include a second pill bottle configured to contain at least one pill inside, and a third pill bottle cap configured to close the second pill bottle and configured to attach to the second pill bottle cap.

[0019] In another example, the second pill bottle cap may be configured to be fixed in a non-removable manner to the first pill bottle cap. In one example, the second pill bottle cap may have a cavity formed within it, configured to receive the first pill bottle cap therein, a plurality of longitudinal grooves may be formed in the second pill bottle cap surrounding the cavity, and a plurality of handles Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 12 / 72 7 / 51 may project from the second pill bottle cap into the cavity. Multiple longitudinal grooves may be configured to allow the second pill bottle cap to flex radially outward during placement and removal of the first pill bottle cap inside the cavity, and multiple handles may be configured to engage with the first pill bottle cap when the first pill bottle cap is received inside the cavity.

[0020] In yet another example, the second pill bottle cap may have a cavity formed in its interior, configured to receive the first pill bottle cap, the second pill bottle cap may have a guide plate disposed between the electronic measuring mechanism and the cavity, and the guide plate may be configured to receive a weight from at least one pill and apply the weight to the electronic measuring mechanism.

[0021] In yet another example, the first cap of the pill bottle may be non-electronic. In yet another example, at least one pill may be an abiraterone acetate pill.

[0022] In another aspect, a method is provided for using a smart pill bottle cap and, in one embodiment, includes detecting, using a sensor in a first pill bottle cap attached to an assembly comprising a pill bottle and a second pill bottle cap, at least one feature of the assembly. The pill bottle has at least one pill inside, and the first pill bottle cap is resting on a horizontal support surface, with the assembly extending vertically above and resting against the first pill bottle cap. The method also includes transmitting, using a communication mechanism in the first pill bottle cap, data indicative of at least one detected feature to an external device. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 13 / 72 8 / 51 to the first pill bottle cap and to the set.

[0023] The method may have numerous variations. For example, at least one feature may include the weight of at least one pill. In at least some embodiments, using the device, analyze the data to determine a number of pills in the pill bottle, based on a predetermined weight of a single pill. At least one feature may include date and time to allow the detected weight to be time-stamped and / or at least one feature may include one or more of an ambient temperature, ambient humidity, and movement. In at least some embodiments, the first pill bottle cap resting on the horizontal support surface with the assembly extending vertically above, and resting against, the first pill bottle cap may allow the sensor to detect the weight of at least one pill without detecting the weight of the pill bottle or the second pill bottle cap.In at least some embodiments, the first pill bottle cap resting on the horizontal support surface with the assembly extending vertically above, and resting against, the first pill bottle cap, may allow the sensor to detect the weight of at least one pill, the weight of the pill bottle, and the weight of the second pill bottle cap.

[0024] In yet another example, the transmission can be a wireless transmission using Bluetooth communication, cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, near-field communication, or radio frequency identification communication.

[0025] In another example, after the first pill bottle cap has been removed from the assembly and attached to a second assembly including a second pill bottle and a third pill bottle cap, the method may include detection using the sensor. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 14 / 72 9 / 51 of the first pill bottle cap attached to the second assembly, of at least one feature of the second assembly. The second pill bottle may have at least one pill inside, and the first pill bottle cap may be resting on a horizontal support surface, with the assembly extending vertically above and resting against the first pill bottle cap. The method may also include transmitting, using the communication mechanism of the first pill bottle cap, data indicative of at least one detected feature of the second assembly to the device external to the first pill bottle cap and the second assembly.

[0026] In yet another example, the first pill bottle cap may be attached in a non-removable manner to the assembly. In yet another example, at least one pill may be an abiraterone acetate pill. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] This invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description that follows, together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1A is a side perspective view of an embodiment of a standard pill bottle with a standard pill bottle cap;

[0029] Figure 1B is a side perspective view of the standard pill bottle and standard pill bottle cap of Figure 1A, with an embodiment of a smart pill bottle cap placed thereon;

[0030] Figure 2A is a side perspective view of the smart pill bottle cap shown in Figure 1A;

[0031] Figure 2B is an exploded perspective side view of the lid in Figure 1B; Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 15 / 72 10 / 51

[0032] Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional block diagram of the standard pill bottle, the standard pill bottle cap and the smart pill bottle cap of Figure 1B, and an external device;

[0033] Figure 3A is a partial cross-sectional block diagram of the standard pill bottle, the standard pill bottle cap and the smart pill bottle cap of Figure 1B, with a first number of pills inside;

[0034] Figure 3B is a partial cross-sectional block diagram of the standard pill bottle, the standard pill bottle cap and the smart pill bottle cap of Figure 3A, with a second, smaller number of pills inside;

[0035] Figure 4 is a bottom-up perspective view of the smart lid in Figure 1B;

[0036] Figure 5 is a side perspective view of a portion of the smart lid in Figure 1B;

[0037] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a guide plate for the smart cover of Figure 1B;

[0038] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a monitoring mechanism for the smart lid of Figure 1B;

[0039] Figure 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a force sensing resistor;

[0040] Figure 8A is a schematic view of the monitoring mechanism in Figure 7;

[0041] Figure 8B is a schematic view of one embodiment of a communication network system;

[0042] Figure 9 is a top-down view of an embodiment of a printed circuit board;

[0043] Figure 10 is a top-down view of another embodiment of a printed circuit board; Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 16 / 72 11 / 51

[0044] Figure 11 is a perspective view of a power supply and a smart cover spacer of Figure 1B;

[0045] Figure 12 is a top-down view of an overcap of the smart cover of Figure 1B;

[0046] Figure 13 is a view of an application embodiment on an external device;

[0047] Figure 14 is a top-down view of another embodiment of a portion of a smart pill bottle cap;

[0048] Figure 15 is a bottom-up view of the smart lid in Figure 14;

[0049] Figure 16 is a perspective view of a guide plate for the smart cover of Figure 14;

[0050] Figure 17 is a perspective view of the guide plate of Figure 16;

[0051] Figure 18 is a perspective view of a monitoring mechanism, a power supply and an over-cover of the smart cover of Figure 14;

[0052] Figure 19 is a side perspective view and partial cross-section of a portion of another embodiment of a smart pill bottle cap;

[0053] Figure 20 is a perspective view and partial cross-section of the smart pill bottle cap of Figure 19;

[0054] Figure 21 is a side perspective view and partial cross-section of an external housing for the smart cover of Figure 19;

[0055] Figure 22 is a perspective view of an internal housing of the smart cover of Figure 19;

[0056] Figure 23 is a side perspective view of a sensor Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 17 / 72 12 / 51 in cantilever of the smart lid of Figure 19;

[0057] Figure 24 is a side perspective view of a monitoring mechanism and power supply for the smart cover of Figure 19;

[0058] Figure 25 is a perspective background view and partial cross-section of another embodiment of a smart pill bottle cap;

[0059] Figure 26 is a side view in cross-section of another embodiment of a smart pill bottle cap; and

[0060] Figure 27 is a side view in cross-section of another embodiment of a smart pill bottle cap. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described to provide a general understanding of the principles of structure, function, manufacture, and use of the devices and methods disclosed herein. One or more examples of such embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the devices and methods specifically described in the present invention and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments, and that the scope of the present invention is defined only by the embodiments. The features illustrated or described in relation to an exemplary embodiment may be combined with the features of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

[0062] Furthermore, in the present invention, components with the same names in different embodiments generally have similar features and, therefore, in a specific embodiment, not all features of each component with the same name are necessarily described in detail. Also, when linear or circular dimensions are used Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 18 / 72 13 / 51 In the description of the systems, devices, and methods disclosed, such dimensions are not intended to limit the types of shapes that can be used in conjunction with such systems, devices, and methods. One skilled in the art will recognize that an equivalent to such linear and circular dimensions can easily be determined for any geometric shape. The sizes and shapes of the systems and devices, and their components, may depend on the anatomy of the individual in whom the systems and devices will be used, the size and shape of components with which the systems and devices will be used, and the methods and procedures in which the systems and devices will be used. Similar reference symbols in the various drawings indicate similar elements.

[0063] Several examples of smart pill bottle caps, corresponding systems, and methods for their use are provided. The present invention relates generally to smart pill bottle caps (also referred to in the present invention as smart caps), configured to be attached to a pill bottle and which include one or more sensing and / or communication functionalities incorporated therein. The smart pill bottle caps provided herein can be used to track one or more of several elements of an attached pill bottle (for example, a pill bottle to which the smart pill bottle cap is attached), such as weight, volume, situational condition, environmental condition, movement, current date and time, etc.Using this information, a smart pill bottle cap can help monitor the overall usage of any pills contained in the bottle, such as how many pills are left in the bottle, whether the pills are being taken according to a prescribed dosage regimen, whether the pills are being stored under the correct environmental conditions, and whether they are being handled correctly. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 19 / 72 14 / 51 maintain its effectiveness, if a pill bottle has been tampered with, etc. This information can be provided to a user, such as a person taking the pills stored in the pill bottle, family members monitoring a user's treatment, and / or a medical professional, and any necessary action can be taken in response to the information. This information can be provided to medical professionals to allow monitoring of any medication and / or a patient's behavior, for example during clinical trials. Through the use of this information in relation to clinical trials, various medical professionals can ensure improved clinical data, for example verifying whether patients took the medication in a timely manner and / or whether the medication has not been subjected to harmful environmental exposures (such as exposure to high or low temperatures, excessive humidity, etc.).The smart pill bottle cap can be configured to connect electronically to one or more external devices, such as a remote server or a smartphone containing a corresponding application program or smartphone app, and the information collected by the smart pill bottle cap can be shared with one or more external devices for analysis, display, verification, guidance, corrective action, etc.

[0064] The smart cap may be configured to be permanently attached to a pill bottle, which may help prevent tampering and / or help ensure that the smart cap is used when the pill bottle contains pills for a patient. In other embodiments, the smart cap may be configured to be permanently attached to a pill bottle, which may allow the smart cap to be reused and transferred from one pill bottle to another (e.g., from one prescribed medication to another), potentially reducing overall cost since only Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 20 / 72 15 / 51 A smart cap that needs to be purchased for multiple pill bottles can reduce the learning curve for a user and / or allow for more standardized manufacturing of smart caps.

[0065] In an exemplary embodiment, a smart pill bottle cap is provided that includes a housing configured to engage with a secondary bottle cap which is itself removablely engaged with a pill bottle. The housing includes at least one sensor configured to measure information about the pill bottle. For example, one or more sensors may monitor one or more of the weight, temperature, movement, etc. of the pill bottle and any pills inside. The housing also includes a communication mechanism configured to communicate the measured information to one or more external devices, such as a remote server, a smartphone, etc.By attaching (removably or non-removably) the smart pill bottle cap, including the sensor and communication mechanism, to a secondary pill bottle cap, no contact occurs between the smart pill bottle cap and any pills inside the pill bottle. This can reduce manufacturing and regulatory concerns, preserve any tamper-resistant features of existing pill bottle caps and pill bottles, preserve any childproof features of existing pill bottle caps and pill bottles, and / or preserve current manufacturing and filling methods of existing pill bottle caps and pill bottles.

[0066] The pills inside the pill bottles described here may be any of several medications, such as Zytiga® (abiraterone acetate). Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, p. 21 / 72 16 / 51

[0067] Figures 1B to 5 illustrate an embodiment of a smart pill bottle cap 100 that is configured to engage a standard non-electronic pill bottle cap 185 (Figures 1A and 3) configured to be screwed on or otherwise removablely attached to a standard non-electronic pill bottle 180 (Figures 1A and 3), and is configured to monitor information about the standard pill bottle 180. For example, the pill bottle cap 100 is configured to measure the weight of one or more pills 182 (Figure 3) within the standard pill bottle 180, with the standard pill bottle cap (also referred to in the present invention as the standard cap) 185 engaged therewith, and to communicate the weight to an external device 190, so that the number of pills 182 remaining in the standard pill bottle can be determined.

[0068] As illustrated in Figure 3, with the smart cap 100 engaged with the standard pill bottle cap 185, the standard pill bottle 180, the standard pill bottle cap 185 and the smart pill bottle cap 100 are configured to be stored as a set in an inverted position, with the smart cap 100 resting on a horizontal surface 103, for example a tabletop, a storage shelf, a counter, a windowsill etc., with the standard pill bottle cap 185 and the standard pill bottle 180 extending upwards from it, for example in a vertical or substantially vertical orientation.This configuration is considered inverted because a standard 180 pill bottle is typically stored in a so-called upright position, in which an outer bottom surface of the standard 180 pill bottle rests on the horizontal surface 103, with the standard 185 pill bottle cap located above the standard 180 pill bottle. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 22 / 72 17 / 51 inverted position, the outer bottom surface of the standard pill bottle 180 faces upwards, for example in the opposite direction to the horizontal surface 103, instead of facing downwards, for example towards the horizontal surface 103. The inverted position can allow the smart cap 100 to measure a combined weight of the standard pill bottle 180, the standard pill bottle cap 185 and any pills stored inside, as discussed in detail below. Although standard pill bottles and caps supplied for home use in local pharmacies are discussed here, the smart pill bottle cap 100 can be resized as needed to engage additional pill bottles and caps of various sizes and shapes, such as larger dispensing bottles or containers used in a pharmacy or hospital setting.

[0069] The smart pill bottle cap 100 includes an outer casing or housing 102, a monitoring mechanism 120, a power supply 122 (e.g., a button-type lithium cell battery, a coin-shaped cell battery, a rechargeable battery, etc.), a spacer 124, an overcap 126, and guide plates 130. The housing 102 is configured to house various components of the smart cap 100 within it. The housing 102 has a base portion 104 and a side wall 105 that extends longitudinally from the base portion 104 and defines a hollow interior area 108 (Figure 4), including a first cavity 114 (Figures 3 and 5) in which the various components of the smart pill bottle cap 100 can be housed, and a second cavity 115 (Figure 3) configured to receive within it the Standard cap for 185 pill bottle.In the illustrated embodiment, housing 102 (for example, the first cavity 114 thereof) has electronic components arranged within it. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 23 / 72 18 / 51 smart cover 100, for example the monitoring mechanism 120 and the power supply 122, and the spacer 124 which is configured to facilitate the positioning of the monitoring mechanism 120 and the power supply 122 in the housing 102. The overcover 126 closes the first cavity 114 and defines at least a portion of a top or upper surface of the housing 102, and the guide plate 130 defines at least a portion of a bottom or lower surface of the housing 102. As shown in Figure 3, in the inverted position, the overcover 126 rests on the horizontal surface 103, in the same way as an outward-facing top surface 104b of the base portion 104 of the smart cover 100.

[0070] The smart cap 100, for example the housing 102 thereof, is configured to engage with the standard pill bottle cap 185 so that a user can remove and reattach the standard pill bottle cap 185 from a standard pill bottle 180 for standard use without disengaging the smart cap 100 from the standard cap 185. In this way, the normal functionalities of the standard pill bottle cap 185, including any tamper-proof and / or childproof mechanisms, are not affected by the engagement of the smart pill bottle cap 100 with the standard cap 185.

[0071] The side walls 105 of the housing 102 extend around the standard pill bottle cap 185 when the standard cap 185 is in the cavity 115, in order to removablely attach the smart pill bottle cap 100 to the standard cap 185, while allowing the standard cap 185 to operate normally when attached to the standard pill bottle 180. The side walls 105, as illustrated in Figure 4, have a plurality of handles 106 located on the inward-facing surfaces, towards the hollow interior area 108 (e.g., the cavity of the Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 24 / 72 19 / 51 cap 115 thereof), which are configured to secure the standard pill bottle cap 185 when the standard cap 185 is received in the hollow interior area 108 (e.g., in the cap cavity 115) the standard cap 185 being pushed into the same, or the smart cap 100 being pushed over the standard cap 100.

[0072] As shown in Figures 1B to 2B and 5, longitudinal grooves 107 are formed in the side walls 105 and extend along a partial longitudinal length of the side walls 105, from bottom to top, e.g. from the side of the housing 102 which has the cap cavity 115 formed therein. Multiple grooves 107 are present in this illustrated embodiment, but only one groove 107 may be present.The grooves 107 are configured to allow the side walls 105 and the plurality of handles 106 to flex or bend radially outward when the standard cover 185 is being received into the cover cavity 115, and to flex or bend radially inward thereafter in order to engage the handles 106 with the standard cover 185 when the standard cover 185 is fully inserted into the housing 102, for example into the cover cavity 115. The side walls 105 of the smart cover 100 engage with the outer radial walls 187 of the standard cover 185, and the handles 106 of the smart cover 100 engage with a radial edge 189 of the standard cover 185, as illustrated in Figures 1A and 1B.However, several different approaches can be used to attach the smart pill bottle cap 100 and the standard pill bottle cap 185 to each other in a removable manner, such as by means of friction fitting, stretchable or elastic material, snap fittings, hooks, various screwing or threading mechanisms, magnets, adhesives, high-friction blocks or grips, etc. In this way, in some embodiments the handles 106 and / or grooves 107 can be excluded and / or replaced by one or more of the means. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 25 / 72 20 / 51 fasteners provided above.

[0073] For removal, the smart cap 100 can be pulled proximally in the opposite direction to the standard cap 185, causing the side walls 105 and the plurality of handles 106 to flex or bend radially outward in order to release the outer radial walls 187 and the radial edge 189 of the standard cap 185. However, similar to the discussion above regarding attaching the smart pill bottle cap 100 and the standard pill bottle cap 185 to each other in a removable manner, various approaches can be used to remove the smart cap 100, depending on the approach used to attach the cap 100 initially, such as by applying force necessary to stretch the material or separate the magnetic latches, disengaging or unhooking various latches, rotating various screwing or threading mechanisms, applying various solutions to dissolve or loosen adhesives, etc.

[0074] In some embodiments, a smart cap is configured to accommodate within it, in a non-removable manner, a standard pill bottle cap, such that attempts to remove the smart cap would destroy or render the smart cap inoperable. For example, the smart cap may include one or more one-way hooks configured to flex or bend in only one direction, such that the hooks can flex or bend in one direction to allow the standard cap to be received into the smart cap and retain the standard cap in place while being unable to flex or bend in the opposite direction, so as to prevent the standard cap from being removed from the smart cap. In another example, an adhesive may be applied to securely fasten the standard and smart caps together.

[0075] Again with reference to the smart lid 100 of Figures 1B to 5, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, base 104 includes Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 26 / 72 A separating member 104i in the hollow area 108 defines a boundary between the first and second cavities 114, 115. A first surface 104c of the separating member 104i faces the monitoring cavity 114 and the top of the smart cover 100. The first surface 104c is configured to accommodate the monitoring mechanism 120. The monitoring mechanism 120 covers the first surface 104c when the smart cover 100 is mounted as shown in Figures 1B, 2A, and 3. The separating member 104i includes a second surface 104a opposite the first surface 104c, which faces the cover cavity 115, and a smart cover bottom 100. The inward-facing surface 104a has, defined within it, a plurality of pilot cavities or holes 110 that are configured to receive guide protrusions 136 extending from guide plate 130, discussed in more detail below.The separating member 104i is in the form of a ring and has an opening or channel 112 extending through it, which is configured to receive a central raised surface 138 of the guide plate 130, discussed in more detail below.

[0076] The guide plate 130, illustrated in Figures 2B, 3 and 6, is movably arranged in the hollow area 108 of the housing 102. The guide plate 130 is configured to move relative to the housing 102 in order to facilitate data collection by the monitoring mechanism, as further discussed below. The guide plate 130 covers the second surface 104a when the smart cap 100 is mounted as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The guide plate 130 is configured to provide a flat and uniform receiving surface 132, configured to receive the standard cap 185. The standard cap 185 attached to the pill bottle 180 and any pills inside the pill bottle 180 can therefore rest on the guide plate 130. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, p. 27 / 72 22 / 51 when the smart cap assembly 100, standard cap 185 and pill bottle 180 is in the inverted orientation shown in Figure 3.

[0077] The guide plate 130 has guide protrusions 136 extending from a second surface 134 opposite the receiving surface 132 which faces the top of the housing 102, for example towards the first cavity 114. The guide protrusions 136 are inserted into the corresponding pilot holes 110 of the base portion 104, for example, the separating member 104i thereof, during the assembly of the smart cap for pill bottle 100 to ensure correct alignment and positioning of the guide plate 130 within the housing 102.The guide protrusions 136 and pilot holes 110 have respective longitudinal lengths that allow the guide protrusions 136 to remain accommodated in the pilot holes 110, regardless of the orientation of the smart cap 100 and regardless of the longitudinal position of the guide plate 130 within the smart cap 100 with the standard cap 185 attached to it. The guide protrusions 136 and pilot holes 110 cooperate to maintain the smart cap 100 in a fixed rotational position relative to the standard cap 185 attached to it. The standard cap 185 can thus be rotated to be selectively attached to, and removed from, the pill bottle 180 with the smart cap 100 rotating with the standard cap 185, and without the smart cap 100 detaching from the standard cap 185.Furthermore, the guide protrusions 136 can limit the displacement of the guide plate 130 towards the monitoring mechanism 120 to establish a maximum displacement of the guide plate 130, in terms of defining a maximum weight detection limit on the monitoring mechanism 120. By defining a limit, the monitoring mechanism 120 can be protected against damage due to excess weight or impact force being applied to the monitoring mechanism 120, as may be caused. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 28 / 72 23 / 51 by a user stacking heavy objects on top of bottle 180 and / or smart cap 100, dropping bottle 180 and / or smart cap 100, etc.

[0078] The guide plate 130 includes the central raised surface 138 which projects from the secondary surface 134. The central raised surface 138 extends through the channel 112 of the base portion 104 when the guide plate 130 is positioned in the housing 102. As the channel 112 connects the cap cavity 115 and the monitoring cavity 114, the raised surface 138 of the guide plate 130 extends partially into the monitoring cavity 114, and is configured to contact or engage with the monitoring mechanism 120 when the smart pill bottle cap 100 is mounted. The raised surface 138 is configured to move longitudinally within the channel 112, for example, along a longitudinal axis of the channel 112 which is also a longitudinal axis of the housing 102.

[0079] In some embodiments, a fastening mechanism may be added between the receiving surface 132 and a standard cap top surface 185. For example, one or more blocks, handles, etc. may be mounted on the receiving surface 132 to help secure the smart cap 100 to the standard cap 185, and to remove and reattach the standard cap 185 to the pill bottle 180. The fastening mechanism may be made of various materials, such as rubber or other material configured to provide friction between the standard cap 185 and the guide plate 130. In one embodiment, the fastening mechanism includes a rubber pad that is between approximately 0.1 mm and 3 mm thick. Those skilled in the art will understand that the thickness may not be a precise value but will still be considered to be approximately that value due to numerous factors such as manufacturing tolerances and equipment sensitivity. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 29 / 72 24 / 51 measurement.

[0080] The monitoring mechanism 120 is disposed in the monitoring cavity 114 and is configured to measure a characteristic of the contents of the pill bottle 180 to which the smart cap 100 is attached by means of the standard cap 185. In an exemplary embodiment, the monitoring mechanism 120 includes a sensor (which may include one or more individual sensors). In this illustrated embodiment, the monitoring mechanism 120, with the smart cap 100 attached to the standard cap 185 and with the pill bottle 180 attached to the standard cap 185, is configured to measure the weight of the pill bottle 180, the standard cap 185, and any pills within the pill bottle 180. The monitoring mechanism 120 may be configured to measure the weight in any of several ways, such as by including a force-sensing resistor (or other force-measuring sensor), a pressure sensor, a load cell, etc.The monitoring mechanism 120 in this illustrated modality is a force measurement sensor, such as a load cell with a force gauge.

[0081] When the standard pill bottle 180, the standard pill bottle cap 185, and the smart pill bottle cap 100 are arranged in an inverted position, for example, as illustrated in Figure 3, the pill bottle 180, the standard cap 185, and any pills inside the pill bottle 180 rest on the receiving surface 132 of the guide plate 130. The pill bottle 180, the standard cap 185, and any pills 182 inside the pill bottle 180 thus apply a force to the guide plate 130 in a vertical downward direction or substantially vertical direction, for example, towards the horizontal surface 103. The raised surface 138 of the guide plate 130 is configured to distribute to the monitoring mechanism 120 the load applied to the guide plate 130, so that Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 30 / 72 25 / 51 a downward force applied to the monitoring mechanism 120 corresponds to the downward force applied to the guide plate 130 by the pill bottle 180, the standard cap 185 and any pills 182 inside the pill bottle 180. In this way, the monitoring mechanism 120 can measure a change in the downward force (and corresponding weight) of the combination of the pill bottle 180, the standard cap 185 and any pills 182.

[0082] The guide plate 130 is therefore configured to float within the housing 102, for example by the movement of the guide plate 130 in the cavity of the cap 115, with the raised surface 138 moving within the channel 112 and the protrusions 136 following the pilot holes 110. The guide plate 130 is thus configured to be movably captured between the separating member 104i and the standard pill cap 185. The weight of the standard cap 185, the standard pill bottle 180 and the one or more pills 182 within the pill bottle 180 defines how much force is applied to the guide plate 130 and therefore how much the guide plate 130 moves in the channel 112 and how much force is applied to the monitoring mechanism 120 underlying the guide plate 130, the standard cap 185, to the standard pill bottle 180 and to one or more pills 182, when the set is in the inverted position shown in Figure 3.When the assembly is not inverted, no weight is being applied to the monitoring mechanism 120. In other words, when the assembly including the smart cap 100, the standard cap 185 and the standard bottle 180 is in the upright position, the guide plate 130 is in a lower position relative to the housing 102, for example in a position closer to the bottom of the housing 102, since gravity will push the guide plate 130 downwards. The monitoring mechanism 120 will therefore not measure any force, which is indicative of the assembly being in the upright position, since the mechanism... Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 31 / 72 26 / 51 monitoring 120 will not even be measuring an empty bottle, for example the weight of the pill bottle 180 and the standard cap 185 without any pills 182 being contained in the bottle 180. When the assembly is in the inverted position, the guide plate 130 is driven towards a higher position relative to the housing 102, for example, driven towards the top of the housing 102 which is resting on the horizontal surface 103, due to the pressure applied to it by the standard cap 185, the pill bottle 180 and any pills 182 contained in the pill bottle 180.

[0083] Although monitoring mechanism 120 includes a force-measuring sensor, various monitoring mechanisms can be used with monitoring mechanism 120, including a single sensor or a plurality of sensors. Figure 8 illustrates one embodiment of a force-sensing resistor 200. The force-sensing resistor 200 may include a conductive polymer, which changes resistance predictably after force is applied to its surface, and may be incorporated into the smart cover 100 in various ways, for example as a polymer sheet or ink that can be applied by screen printing. Applying a force to the surface of the sensing film of the resistor 200 may cause particles to touch conductive electrodes, altering the film's resistance.The force-sensing resistor 200 can operate satisfactorily in harsh environments, can be small in size (such as having a thickness less than 0.5 mm), can be inexpensive, and can have good shock resistance. Thus, as the weight of the pill bottle 180, the cap 185, and any pills in the pill bottle 180 rest on resistor 200, a proportional and measurable change in the resistance of resistor 200 can occur, which will correspond proportionally to a change in force and therefore a change in weight. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 32 / 72 27 / 51

[0084] The monitoring mechanism 120 may include a printed circuit board (PCB) that may include one or more sensors configured to detect temperature (using a temperature sensor such as a thermistor, thermocouple, etc.), humidity (using a thermistor, humistor, hygrometer, etc.), voltage (e.g., using a voltage detector, etc., or using a current sensor from which the voltage can be calculated), weight (e.g., using a force sensing sensor, load cell, pressure sensor, etc.), and / or date and / or time (using a clock generator, timer, etc.).

[0085] The monitoring mechanism 120 includes various electronic components to facilitate data collection and transmission of the collected data to an external source 190.Figure 8A illustrates one embodiment of the electronic components of the smart cover 100, which, in this illustrated embodiment, are part of the monitoring mechanism 120. The monitoring mechanism 120 includes a processor 120a, a sensor 120b configured to monitor one or more features, as discussed herein, and transmit the collected data to the processor 120a, a memory 120c configured to receive data from the processor 120a for storage in the memory 120c and configured to store in the same instructions that are executable by the processor 120a, and a communication interface 120d configured to transmit data to an external source as instructed by the processor 120a. In addition to or instead of the smart cover 100 including the power supply 122, the monitoring mechanism 120 may include a power supply 120e configured to provide power to one or more of the other electronic components of the detection module.

[0086] In an exemplary embodiment, the electronic components of the monitoring mechanism are mechanically Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 33 / 72 28 / 51 supported on a PCB and electrically connected to each other on the PCB as needed. To facilitate electrical connections, the PCB may include a bus system, for example, one or more separate physical buses, communication lines / interfaces and / or multi-drop or point-to-point connections, connected by bridges, adapters and / or controllers. The PCB may be flexible, which may reduce a PCB profile and therefore reduce a profile of the Smart Cover 100. Alternatively, the PCB may be rigid, which may provide durability to the Smart Cover 100.

[0087] Processor 120a may include any type of microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU), including general-purpose or special-purpose programmable microprocessors and / or any of several proprietary or commercially available single-processor or multi-processor systems. In one exemplary embodiment, processor 120a is a single processor, which may help control the cost and / or size of smart cover 100.

[0088] Memory 120c is configured to provide storage for data, for example, instructions (e.g., code) to be executed by processor 120a and data collected by sensor 120b. Memory 120c may include storage using, for example, read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, one or more varieties of random access memory (RAM) (e.g., static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), or synchronous DRAM (SDRAM)), and / or a combination of memory technologies.

[0089] The 120d communication interface (also referred to here as the network interface) is configured to enable communication Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 34 / 72 29 / 51 via a network with sources external to the smart cap 100, and to the pill bottle 180 and the standard cap 185 to which the smart cap 100 is attached. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication interface 120d is configured to communicate wirelessly using any of several wireless communication techniques, for example Wi-Fi, Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), cellular communication, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) communication, etc.

[0090] The smart cover 100 may include any of several other software and / or hardware components not shown in Figure 8A, such as an LED or other light to show the communication status of the smart cover 100 (e.g., light on when the communication interface 120d is communicating data and light off when the communication interface 120d is not communicating data, etc.), to show the power status of the smart cover 100 (e.g., light on when the power supply 120e is supplying power to one or more components of the smart cover 100 and light off when the power supply 120e is not supplying power to one or more components of the smart cover 100). In other embodiments, the monitoring mechanism 120 may differ, in terms of architecture and operation, from that shown and described in Figure 8A. For example, the sensor 120b and the communication interface 120c may be integrated with each other.In another example, processor 120a and communication interface 120d can be integrated with each other. In yet another example, sensor 120b can include its own local memory in addition to the monitoring mechanism 120 which includes memory 120c. In yet another example, the power supply can be external. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 35 / 72 30 / 51 monitoring mechanism board 120, for example, including power supply 122 but not power supply 120e. In another example, sensor 120b, communication interface 120d and processor 120a can be integrated with each other.

[0091] The communication interface 120d is configured to communicate with the external source 190, such as a computer system located remotely from the smart cover 100, such as a central computer system 1000 shown in Figure 8B. As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the communication interface 120d is configured to communicate with the central computer system 1000 via a communication network 1002 from numerous locations where the smart cover 100 may be located, such as a medical facility 1006, for example a hospital or other medical care center, a home base 1008 (for example, a patient's home or office or a caregiver's home or office), or a mobile location 1100.In some embodiments, the central computer system 1000 may be located in the same location as the communication interface 120d, but be located remotely from the central computer system at that location, for example the communication interface 120d being in a room of the home base 1008 or medical facility 1006 and the central computer system 1000 being in another room of the home base 1008 or medical facility 1006.

[0092] The 120d communication interface can be configured to access the 1000 system via a wired and / or wireless connection to the 1002 network. In an exemplary embodiment, the 120d communication interface is configured to access the 1000 system via wireless communication using any of several wireless communication techniques, which can facilitate accessibility to the 1000 system from almost any location in the world where Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 36 / 72 31 / 51 the smart cover 100 may be located. Those skilled in the art will understand that communications over the 1002 network may include security features to help protect against unauthorized access to transmitted data and / or nodes on the 1002 network.

[0093] The 1000 central computer system may have any of several configurations, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, including components such as a processor, a communication interface, memory, an input / output interface, and a bus system. The 1000 computer system may also include any of several other software and / or hardware components, including, by way of non-limiting example, operating systems and database management systems. The 1000 central computer system may be any of several types of computer systems, such as a desktop computer, a workstation, a minicomputer, a laptop, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a smartwatch, etc.

[0094] Computer system 1000 may include a web browser for retrieving web pages or other markup language streams, presenting those pages and / or streams (visually, audibly, or otherwise), executing scripts, controls, and other code on those pages / streams, accepting user-entered information regarding those pages / streams (e.g., for filling in input fields), issuing HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests regarding those pages / streams or others (e.g., for sending information from filled-in input fields to a server), and so forth. Web pages or other markup language may be in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) or other conventional forms. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 37 / 72 32 / 51 inclusive integrated Extensible Markup Language (XML), scripts, controls, and the like. Computer system 100 may also include a web server to generate and / or deliver web pages to client computer systems. The presented pages and / or media streams may allow a user of computer system 1000 to view data received from smart cover 100 and / or data analysis as performed by computer system 1000.

[0095] Figure 9 illustrates an embodiment of a PCB 300 for the monitoring mechanism 120 that may incorporate one or more sensors.

[0096] Figure 10 illustrates another embodiment of a PCB 400 for the monitoring mechanism 120, which includes a motion sensor 402, a light-emitting diode (LED) 404, a push button 406, a communication interface in the form of a low-energy Bluetooth communication circuit 408, and various integrated memories and additional circuits. The PCB 400 also has a plurality of additional attachment points 410 for additional sensors that can be incorporated as desired, such as pressure, temperature, light, date, orientation, humidity, impact, geographic location, etc.

[0097] In some modalities, the monitoring mechanism 120 is configured to facilitate the measurement of how many pills 182 remain in the bottle 180 by using ultrasound instead of, or in addition to, weight. The monitoring mechanism 120 may, therefore, include an ultrasonic sensor. For example, as illustrated in Figures 3A and 3B, the pill bottle 180 may be stored upright on surface 103, and the ultrasonic sensor may be used to measure how many pills 182 remain in the bottle 180 by using the Doppler effect. If the bottle 180 is Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 38 / 72 33 / 51 stored in the upright position, the 182 pills will be clustered at the bottom of the bottle 180, instead of being against the standard cap 185 and the smart cap 100, as in the inverted position. However, the distance that an ultrasonic wave travels in the bottle 180 can be measured until the wave encounters an object and is reflected back to the ultrasonic sensor. The measured distance can correspond to a number of 182 pills remaining in the bottle 180 so that the shorter a measured distance D1 (as in Figure 3A), the more 182 pills will be stacked in the bottle 180, and the longer a measured distance D2 (as in Figure 3B), the fewer 182 pills will be stacked in the bottle 180.Thus, the smart cap 100 can be designed to allow inverted storage of the bottle 180 by using a sensor configured to measure weight, allow upright storage of the bottle 180 by using an ultrasonic sensor, or allow both inverted and upright storage by incorporating both types of sensors into it.

[0098] The smart cap 100 may include an orientation sensor (e.g., an accelerometer, a tilt / angle switch (e.g., mercury-free), a position sensor, etc.) that can be used to gather orientation data to ensure that the proper orientation of the smart cap 100 is obtained before taking measurements. For example, the orientation sensor may allow the determination that the assembly is in the upright position, so that ultrasonic detection is suitable, or is in the inverted position, so that weight detection is suitable. In some embodiments, the orientation sensor may be used to activate or signal to the smart cap 100 that interaction with the bottle 180 is occurring. For example, if a user manipulates the bottle 180, removes the smart cap 100, takes a pill 182 and / or replaces the smart cap 100 and / or the bottle 182, portions or the entirety of this movement. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, p. 39 / 72 34 / 51 can be detected by the orientation sensor and / or can be used to trigger or activate the smart cap 100, for example to trigger a new measurement and broadcasting cycle, as it may be likely that the number of pills 182 has changed. This type of approach can save battery power, as the smart cap 100 would not need to measure and transmit data for long periods when the number of pills 182 has not changed because no one has touched or moved the bottle 180 or the smart cap 100. In some cases, the bottle 180 may be placed at an incline, causing the weight reported by the smart cap 100 to be incorrect, as the pills 182 may not be resting evenly on the smart cap 100. In this case, the orientation sensor can be used to determine an angle of the smart cap 100 (and therefore of the bottle 180) relative to the surface 103.By using this angle, precise weight information can be calculated using the weight detected by the smart cap 100 and the angle of the smart cap 100 (and therefore of the pill bottle 180). Precise weight information can be calculated, for example, by a weight component of the weight on each geometric axis of the orientation sensor, and is related to the sine and cosine of the bottle angle 180.

[0099] The spacer 124, shown in Figures 2B, 3 and 11, is configured to ensure the correct orientation of the power supply 122 and the monitoring mechanism 120 within the housing 120, and is configured to provide durability. The spacer 124 can be made of cushioning material, such as rubber, foam, flexible polymer, etc., in order to increase the impact resistance of the components in the monitoring cavity 114.

[00100] The components inside the monitoring cavity 114 are held in place by the overcap 126 which fits or is otherwise secured in place over the monitoring cavity 114. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 40 / 72 35 / 51 As illustrated in Figure 12, the overcover 126 has a cutout 128 in its interior, in order to allow the overcover 126 to be removed after placement, for example, to allow replacement or repair of the monitoring mechanism 120 or the power supply 122. However, other fastening mechanisms may be used, such as threading, hooks, adhesive, etc. Example

[00101] As an example, tests were conducted to illustrate that an illustrative embodiment of the smart cap can linearly detect an applied weight of approximately 1 g to approximately 100 g, as shown in Table 1 and Graph 1 below. A monitoring mechanism including a sensor in the tests has an output scaling factor of approximately 7 mV / g. The electronic components used in the test contained a 10-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), which equates to approximately 3 bits per gram of weight when determining a weight applied to the smart cap. However, higher-level ADCs, such as a 12-bit ADC, can be used, resulting in higher resolution per gram (such as approximately 12 bits per gram when using a 12-bit ADC). Achieving higher resolution per gram can help improve the accuracy of the smart cap when determining a weight applied to the smart cap.Smart caps with higher gram resolution can measure lighter pills and / or reduce or eliminate measurement errors. Table 1 Weight (g) 0 1 2 5 10 20 50 100 Passage 1 (V) 0.744 0.751 0.759 0.782 0.823 0.901 1.122 1.496 Passage 2 (V) 0.748 0.756 0.765 0.788 0.828 0.906 1.148 1.544 Passage 3 (V) 0.746 0.754 0.762 0.786 0.824 0.905 1.139 1.538 Passage 4 (V) 0.747 0.755 0.763 0.786 0.826 0.906 1.139 1.539 Passage 5 (V) 0.748 0.755 0.765 0.788 0.829 0.906 1.144 1.543 CHART 1 Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 41 / 72 36 / 51 y = 0.0075x + 0.7456 Voltage change 20 40 60 80 100 120 • Series 1 · Series 2 · Series 3 9 Series 4 • Series 5 ......... Linear (Series) ......... Linear (Series) Linear (Series2) Linear (Series 3) Linear (Series 4) ......... Linear (Series 6)

[00102] In use, the smart cap for pill bottle 100 is engaged with the standard cap 185. In some embodiments, the smart cap 100 is engaged with the standard cap 185 by a user, after the pill bottle 180 has been filled with the pills 182 and closed by the standard cap 185. In other embodiments, the smart cap 100 is engaged with the standard cap 185 as part of the manufacturing process, or by a pharmacist or other authorized professional, before a user receives the pill bottle 180 with the pills 182 inside.

[00103] Before or after the smart cap is attached to the standard cap 185, the smart cap 100 can communicate electronically with the external device 190, for example, using the communication interface 102d of the smart cap 100, and can provide the external device 190 with details regarding the user's identity, medical history, etc., and / or the identity of the pills 182 contained in the pill bottle 180.

[00104] For example, in an embodiment illustrated in Figure 13, the external device 190 is a smartphone with a corresponding application 192 installed on it in order to interact with the smart cover 100. As will be understood by one skilled in the art, the Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 42 / 72 37 / 51 Application 192 can be represented by pluralities of data points stored in memory on the external device 190 and executable by a processor on the device 190. The user (e.g., the patient, a doctor, a pharmacist, a clinician, etc.) can enter a pill identification 182 into Application 192 manually by typing relevant information into the application, or automatically by using a built-in camera on the smartphone 190 to capture an image of the identification information on a pill bottle label 180, for example by scanning a barcode on the pill bottle 180, which the smartphone 190 is configured to identify and use to identify the user and / or a type of pill 182 in the bottle 180 (or which will be in the bottle 180).The 192 application can then automatically retrieve and populate relevant information, such as a predetermined weight of a 182 pill (e.g., a standard weight as identified by an entity as a 182 pill manufacturer), a predetermined weight of the 180 pill bottle (e.g., a standard weight as identified by an entity as a 180 pill bottle manufacturer), a predetermined weight of the standard 185 cap (e.g., a standard weight as identified by an entity as a standard 185 cap manufacturer), any parameters necessary to ensure the user receives the most effective treatment, a number of 182 pills that will be in the 180 bottle for a complete prescription, any pharmaceutical agent associated with the identified prescription, a dosage (e.g., the number of 182 pills to be taken at a time), a user identity, etc.

[00105] In modes where the smart cap 100 is configured to monitor weight, the app 192 (or another external device 190, if different from the smartphone 190 using the app 192) may be configured to use the predetermined weight of each Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 43 / 72 38 / 51 one of the 182 pills, from bottle 180 and standard cap 185 to determine the number of 182 pills remaining in bottle 180 at the time of weight detection. The smart cap 100 will transmit the detected weight to the smartphone 190, which can determine the number of pills 182 by subtracting the known weight of the bottle 180 and the known weight of the standard cap 185 from the received detected weight, and then dividing the result by the known weight of one pill 182 to arrive at the number of pills 182 remaining in the bottle 180. Therefore, in some embodiments, the smart cap 100 does not need to contain any information about the contents of the bottle recorded in the cap 100's memory. Instead, the cap 100 merely transmits the weight of the bottle 180 and any contents, and the app 192 (which may have information about the contents of the bottle 180 recorded on it) can then determine the number of pills 182 in the bottle 180.The 192 app can also apply any correction factors known to the smart cap 100 and / or the 192 app to the weight, for example, to correct the weight for known tilt factors such as environmental conditions, pill batch variations, etc. In embodiments where the smart cap 100 also monitors and transmits a detected orientation, the 192 app may be configured to only perform the pill number calculation based on weight if the detected orientation indicates that the set is in the inverted position. However, as noted above, the detected orientation can be used in some embodiments to accurately calculate the weight even when the bottle 180 is in an angled orientation.In modes where the smart cap 100 also monitors date and time, the weight data received by the app 192 may be time-stamped to provide more detailed information about the pills 182, for example a date / time when one or more pills 182 were taken. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 44 / 72 39 / 51 removed from bottle 180 and presumably consumed by a user. Any other parameters monitored by the smart cap 100 may similarly be time-stamped, such as temperature, humidity, etc., in order to determine if the pills 182 have traveled a trajectory.

[00106] The 192 app can communicate the determined number of pills 182 remaining in the bottle 180 to the user via the smartphone 190 (e.g., via the 192 app running on it), to a medical professional via a computer system accessible in a hospital or pharmacy, to various cloud applications, etc. This information regarding the number of pills can then be used for any of several reasons, such as to track pill usage as indicated by the decreasing number of pills over time, to provide reminders to take or refill medication, to automatically order refills, to provide guidance to the user, etc.

[00107] In some embodiments, the smart cap 100 can proactively take into account any weight of the pill bottle 180 and the standard cap 185, so that only one weight of the pills 182 needs to be transmitted. For example, the known weight of the pill bottle 180 and the known weight of the standard cap 185 may be stored in the memory of the smart cap 102c, and the processor of the smart cap 102a may be configured to subtract the known weights of the bottle 180 and the standard cap 185 from the detected weight, and to transmit the calculated result to the external device 190 so that the external device calculates the number of pills 182. Alternatively, the known weight of a pill 182 may also be stored in the memory of the smart cap 102c, and the processor of the smart cap 102a may be configured to subtract the known weights of the bottle 180 and the standard cap 185 from the detected weight, and to transmit the calculated result to the external device 190 so that the external device calculates the number of pills 182. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 45 / 72 40 / 51 standard cap 185, divide the result by the known weight of a pill 182 and transmit the result of the calculated number of pills 182 to the external device 190. Performing the subtraction and division calculations by the external device 190 instead of the smart cap 100 can help reduce the cost of the smart cap 100 by reducing the amount of memory and processing capacity required.

[00108] In some embodiments, when a barcode label is initially scanned, a unique identifier can be read from the bottle label 180 and wirelessly transmitted to the smart cap 100 via bidirectional communication with the external device 190. This action can pair the smart cap 100 and the pill bottle 180 (and the standard cap 185) to the corresponding external device 190, so that all subsequent communications to / from the smart cap 100 will only occur with the external device 190 to which the smart cap 100 has been paired. This pairing approach can eliminate any possibility of data being transmitted to an incorrect external device.

[00109] In modalities where the 192 app is being used, the smart cap 100 itself does not need to store any information about a prescription for the 182 pills or about the user (whether or not the 182 pills are prescription-only). The smart cap 100 can be used to detect one or more of several parameters, such as weight, orientation, etc., and transmit the detected information to the 192 app via the smartphone 190, at which point the information is processed into relevant information, such as a pill count. In this way, when the 180 bottle is empty of 182 pills, for example when the user finishes taking a prescription, the smart cap 100 can be reused and transferred to a new prescription without requiring the Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 46 / 72 41 / 51 smart cap 100 be reprogrammed for the new pill bottle. Instead, the user can perform one or more steps in the app 192 to set up the new prescription in the app 192, while the operating parameters of the smart cap 100 remain the same. In this mode, security is also improved, as relevant user and / or prescription information is not stored on the external device 190 instead of on the smart cap 100. The app 192 can also access a standard weight of the standard pill bottle 180 and a standard weight of the standard cap 185, as needed for accurate measurement.

[00110] Before and after the pills 182 are removed, the user may be instructed to store the smart cap assembly 100, standard pill bottle 180, and standard cap 185 in the inverted orientation shown in Figure 3, to allow the monitoring mechanism 120 to monitor the weight of the standard pill bottle 180, the standard cap 185, and the remaining pills 182. In some embodiments, the correct orientation may be confirmed by the monitoring mechanism 120, as discussed above, and if the pill bottle 180 is incorrectly oriented, the user may be alerted, such as via the application 192.

[00111] The monitoring mechanism 120 is configured to be activated to take measurements and / or communicate measured data to the external device 190, through several different mechanisms and at several different times. The monitoring mechanism 120 may be configured to be awakened from a power-saving mode and activated to take measurements and / or communicate with the external device 190 periodically, such as when movement of the bottle 180 occurs as detected by a motion sensor in the smart cap 100, at a predefined time period after the detection of movement of the bottle 180 as detected by a Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 47 / 72 42 / 51 The motion sensor of the smart cap 100, upon a measured change in weight, after receiving a request from the external device 190 to collect and transmit data, by having a button on the smart cap 100 manually pressed (such as the push button 406) at predetermined times (e.g., once a day, several times a day corresponding to a number of times per day the pills 182 are expected to be removed from the bottle 180 according to the user's prescription, every hour, at alternate hours, twice a day, etc.) when the external device 190 comes into communication range with the smart cap 100, etc. Alternatively, the smart cap 100 may be configured to continuously collect detected data in real time and communicate the collected data in real time with its detection.This continuous collection and communication can allow the most up-to-date data to be available for analysis, but will typically require more power and processing resources integrated into the smart lid than periodic monitoring and communication.

[00112] Measurements and communication of measured information can occur simultaneously or at different times. For example, if the smart cover 100 is temporarily unable to communicate with the external device 190, such as being out of the communication range of the external device 190, etc., the detected data can be saved on the smart cover 100 (e.g., in its memory 102c) until successful communication is possible. In such a scenario, the smart cover 100 can periodically wake up and announce its presence. Whenever the external device 190 comes within proximity of the warning signal, a communication session can be initiated between the smart cover 100 and the external device 190, and any new data since a previous transmission (if any) can be transmitted from the cover. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, p. 48 / 72 Intelligent 43 / 51 100 to external device 190 (or vice versa) without requiring user interaction. This passive transmission can increase ease of use for the user and ensure greater compliance than methods that require user interaction to initiate data detection and / or perform data transmissions.

[00113] Although the determination of a remaining pill number of 182 is discussed above, sensor information from several different sensors can also be communicated using the various sensors discussed previously.For example, the app can track the date, time, and quantity of each dose to ensure patient adherence to a dosing regimen, or to provide reminders about when to take medication; the movement of the pill bottle to monitor any tampering; temperature, humidity, and other storage condition measurements to ensure pills are stored under appropriate environmental conditions; expiration alerts for any medication; a geographic location to help locate the bottle; compliance with a clinical protocol; remaining battery life of the smart cap; status or error messages from the smart cap; general patient adherence data to assist in designing more effective dosing regimens; etc.Furthermore, although a smartphone and a smartphone app are discussed above, sensor information can be communicated from the smart cap 100 to several different systems, such as wireless internet networks, medical or hospital networks, cellular networks, other smart devices like watches or other wearable devices, etc., and several different applications can be used to analyze the received information, such as pharmaceutical or medical systems, etc.

[00114] Several different smart cap configurations for pill bottles are also possible. Figures 14 to 18 illustrate this. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, page 49 / 72 44 / 51 Another embodiment of a smart pill bottle cap that is configured and used similarly to the smart cap 100 of Figures 1B to 5. The smart cap includes a housing 502, a monitoring mechanism 520 (which in this illustrated embodiment includes a power supply incorporated therein), an overcap 526 and a guide plate 530. The housing 502 is similar to housing 102 and has a base portion 504 and a side wall 505 extending longitudinally from it, defining a hollow area 508 in which a standard cap, such as the standard cap 185, can be received and which includes longitudinal grooves 507 and handles (obstructed). The base portion 504 includes a monitoring cavity 514 within which the monitoring mechanism 520 can be placed and over which the overcap 526 can be closed.A channel 512 extends through the base portion 504, which is configured to receive within it a central raised surface 538 projecting from the guide plate 530. A plurality of pilot cavities or holes 510 are also defined on an inward-facing surface of the base portion 504 and are configured to receive guide protrusions 536 extending from the guide plate 530. Furthermore, a secondary opening or channel 511 is formed in the base portion 504 and extends fully through the base portion 504, and is configured to receive within it a secondary guide protrusion 537 extending from the guide plate 530. The secondary guide protrusion 537 has a shorter length compared to the guide protrusions 536 (of which there are three in this illustrated embodiment).The secondary guide protrusion 537 and the secondary opening 511 are configured as a key-like feature that ensures the guide plate 530 is received in the housing 502 in only one possible orientation relative to the housing 502, for example an orientation in which the... Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, pp. 50 / 72 45 / 51 secondary guide protrusion 537 be positioned in secondary opening 511.

[00115] Figures 19 and 20 illustrate another embodiment of a smart pill bottle cap 600, which is configured and used similarly to the smart cap 100 of Figures 1B to 5. The smart cap 600 has a cantilever design and includes an outer housing 602 (also shown in Figure 21), an inner housing 650 (also shown in Figure 22), and a monitoring mechanism that includes an integrated power supply 620 (also shown in Figure 24), and a cantilever sensor 621 (also shown in Figure 23). The inner housing 650 is received in the outer housing 602, and the inner housing 650 has a hollow area 608 configured to receive within it a standard pill bottle cap, such as the standard pill bottle cap 185.The outer housing 602 includes a secondary lever housing 603 that extends substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal geometric axis A1 of the smart cover 600, and the inner housing 650 has a lever 652 that extends substantially perpendicular from it and into the secondary lever housing 603. Those skilled in the art will understand that an element may not extend precisely perpendicularly but may nevertheless be considered to extend substantially perpendicularly for any of several reasons, such as manufacturing tolerance and precision of the measuring equipment. The inner housing 650 also includes a sensor engagement protrusion 654 that extends from an outer surface opposite the hollow area cover cavity 608.The sensor engagement protrusion 654 engages with the cantilever sensor 621, which extends from the sensor engagement protrusion 654 and into the secondary lever housing 603. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, pp. 51 / 72 46 / 51 substantially parallel to the lever 652 of the inner housing 650. Those skilled in the art will understand that an element may not extend precisely parallel but may still be considered to extend substantially parallel for any of several reasons, such as manufacturing tolerance and precision of the measuring equipment. A monitoring mechanism PCB is arranged in engagement with the cantilever sensor 621 and between the cantilever lever 652 and an inner surface of the outer housing 602. The smart cover 600 is configured and used similarly to the smart cover 100 of Figures 1B to 5, such that as force is applied to the inner housing 650 by the standard cover engaged with the smart cover 600, the cantilever sensor 621 measures the force, and the monitoring mechanism (e.g., a communication interface thereof) communicates the measurement to an external device.

[00116] Figure 25 illustrates another embodiment of a smart pill bottle cap 700, which is configured and used similarly to the smart cap 100 of Figures 1B to 5. The smart cap 700 includes an outer housing 702, an inner housing 750, and a monitoring mechanism including a power supply 720 and a sensor unit 721. The inner housing 750 is received in the outer housing 702, and the inner housing 750 includes a hollow area 708 inside that is configured to receive a standard pill bottle cap, such as the standard pill bottle cap 185. The monitoring mechanism is disposed between the inner housing 750 and the outer housing 702 and is configured to measure the force applied to the inner housing 750 during use.

[00117] In some forms that use an internal housing and an external housing structure as in Figure 25, the housing Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, pages 52 / 72 The outer housing of the smart cap can be enlarged to ensure that the smart cap can engage with pill bottles of various sizes and shapes, and the inner housing can act as a removable and replaceable adapter. In these embodiments, several different low-cost inner housings can be provided to users, each of which can engage with the same outer housing that has the corresponding electronic components, sensors, etc. A user can therefore reuse an outer housing and its corresponding electronic circuitry, while discarding and replacing the inner housings as needed, in order to reduce costs and increase the user's ability to use the smart cap.

[00118] Although the embodiments in Figures 1B to 25 discussed above involve smart caps being attached to a pre-existing standard cap, other embodiments may provide smart pill bottle caps that replace the pre-existing standard cap, which may avoid any interference between the smart cap and a standard cap, reduce the chances of the smart cap not being used (e.g., due to a user forgetting to attach the smart cap to a standard cap, etc.), reduce the chances of incorrectly attaching the smart cap to a standard pill bottle, and / or simplify calculations since when calculating the weight of any pills contained in a pill bottle, the weight of at least one standard pill bottle cap does not need to be considered, for example, it does not need to be subtracted from a weight detected by the smart cap's monitoring mechanism.

[00119] Figure 26 illustrates an embodiment of a smart pill bottle cap 800, to be attached directly to a standard pill bottle, for example, without an intervening standard pill bottle cap. The smart cap 800 is configured and used in such a way Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, pp. 53 / 72 48 / 51 similar to the smart cap 100 of Figures 1B to 5 and includes a housing 802, includes a monitoring mechanism that includes a power supply 820 and a sensor 821, and includes a separation member 830. The smart cap 800 is configured to be screwed directly onto a standard pill bottle, such as the standard pill bottle 180, with threads formed on an inner surface of the housing 802 in a hollow area thereof. The smart cap 800 may, however, attach to the standard pill bottle in other ways, such as by snapping onto it, etc. Figure 26 illustrates the smart cap 800 in a reverse orientation, similar to Figure 3 of the smart cap 100 above.

[00120] The separating member 830, in this illustrated embodiment, is a flexible membrane positioned adjacent to the sensor 821 which, in this illustrated embodiment, is a force gauge configured to measure force. Similar to that discussed above in relation to the smart cap 100 of Figures 1B to 5, the smart cap 800 is configured to measure the combined weight of the standard pill bottle attached to the smart cap 800 and any pills contained in the pill bottle, due to the force applied to the sensor 821. The flexibility of the separating member 830 allows pressure to be variably applied to the sensor 821 from a point vertically above, when the assembly is in the inverted position. As illustrated in Figure 26, the sensor 821 and the separating member 830 can be spaced vertically above the power supply 820, to ensure there is sufficient vertical clearance for the separating member 830 to flex as pressure is applied to it.A wire runs between power supply 820 and sensor 821 to provide power to it.

[00121] As in this illustrated embodiment, housing 802 of the smart cap 800 is configured to support the weight of the pill bottle when the smart cap and pill bottle assembly Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, pp. 54 / 72 49 / 51 is in the reverse position, so that the only downward weight on the separating member 830 is due to any pills in the pill bottle. Thus, the only weight being measured by sensor 821 is the weight of any pills in the bottle. In this embodiment, a known weight of the pill bottle does not need to be subtracted from the measured weight. The known weight of the pill bottle does not even need to be known by the processor receiving the detected weight data.

[00122] Figure 27 further illustrates another embodiment of a smart pill bottle cap 900. In this illustrated embodiment, the standard pill bottle, such as the standard pill bottle 180, is configured to use a standard pill bottle cap, such as the standard pill bottle cap 185, and be stored in the upright orientation, as illustrated in Figure 27.To monitor the 182 pills inside the 180 pill bottle, a bottom of the 180 pill bottle is received in the smart pill bottle cap 900, configured and used similarly to the smart cap 100 of Figures 1B to 5, with the weight applied to the smart cap's measuring mechanism having the known weights of the 180 pill bottle and the standard cap 185 subtracted from it to determine the number of 182 pills remaining in the 180 bottle.A cavity similar to the cap cavity 115 formed in the smart cap 900 is configured to receive the bottom of the pill bottle 180, and various means of attachment can be used in order to attach the smart cap for pill bottles 900 to the pill bottle 180, such as adhesives, snap-fit ​​or friction fitting caused by various gripping blocks or inserts in the cavity, side walls similar to side walls 105 with hooks similar to hooks 106, threaded couplings, snap-fit ​​or hooking members, magnets, etc.

[00123] In the descriptions above and in the concretizations, phrases such as at least one of or one or more of may occur followed by a Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, pp. 55 / 72 50 / 51 conjunctive list of elements or features. The term "and / or" may also occur in a list of two or more elements or features. Unless otherwise implicitly or explicitly contradicted by the context in which it is used, such a phrase is intended to mean any of the elements or features cited individually or any of the elements or features recited in combination with any of the other elements or features recited. For example, the expressions "at least one of A and B," "one or more of A and B," and "A and / or B" are intended to mean A alone, B alone, or A and B together. A similar interpretation is also intended for lists including three or more items. For example, each of the expressions "at least one of A, B, and C"; "one or more of A, B, and C"; and "A, B, and / or C" is intended to mean A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A and B and C together.Furthermore, the use of the term "based on," "above," and "in concretizations" is intended to mean "based at least in part on," so that a non-recited resource or element is also permitted.

[00124] The subject described herein may be incorporated into systems, devices, methods, and / or articles, depending on the desired configuration. The implementations set forth in the preceding description do not represent all implementations consistent with the subject described herein. Instead, they are merely some examples consistent with aspects related to the subject described. Although some variations have been described in detail above, other modifications or additions are possible. In particular, additional features and / or variations beyond those set forth herein may be provided. For example, the deployments described above may refer to various combinations and subcombinations of the features disclosed and / or combinations and subcombinations of various additional features disclosed above. Furthermore, the logical flows represented in Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, pp. 56 / 72 The 51 / 51 figures attached and / or described herein do not necessarily require the specific order shown, or a sequential order, to achieve desired results. Other implementations may be within the scope of embodiments. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, pp. 57 / 72

Claims

1 / 4 CLAIMS 1. Intelligent pill bottle cap (100), comprising: a housing (102) configured to attach to a standard pill bottle cap, wherein the standard cap is configured to close the pill bottle and to be removed from the pill bottle to allow access to the contents of the pill bottle, wherein the housing (102) includes a sensor configured to measure a weight, wherein the housing (120) has a cavity (115) formed therein configured to receive the standard pill bottle cap, characterized in that the housing (102) has a guide plate (130) disposed between the sensor and the cavity (115), and the guide plate (130) is configured to receive a weight of at least the contents of the pill bottle and apply the weight of the contents to the sensor, wherein the housing (102) is configured to, with the housing (102) attached to the standard cap, measure a characteristic of the contents,wherein the feature includes a weight of the contents, and wherein the housing (102) includes a communication mechanism (120d) configured to transmit data corresponding to the measured feature to an external device.

2. Intelligent pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (102) attached to the standard cap is configured to be stored in an inverted position, with the housing (102) resting against a horizontal surface and the pill bottle and standard cap extending above the housing (102), to allow the sensor to measure the weight without detecting a weight of the pill bottle or standard cap.

3. Smart pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor includes a force-sensing resistor. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, p. 58 / 72 2 / 4 4. Smart pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 2, characterized in that the sensor includes a load cell.

5. Smart pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 2, characterized in that the sensor includes a pressure sensor.

6. Smart pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor is an ultrasonic sensor, and the feature includes a distance between the sensor and the contents.

7. Intelligent pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 6, characterized in that the housing (102) attached to the cap is configured to be stored in a vertical position, with the pill bottle resting against a horizontal surface, with the housing (102) and the cap being located above the pill bottle.

8. Smart pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor includes a single sensor.

9. Smart pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor includes a plurality of sensors.

10. Smart pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 9, characterized in that the sensor includes at least two of an accelerometer, a sensor configured to measure weight and an ultrasonic sensor.

11. Smart pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 10, characterized in that the sensor includes at least one of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and a geolocation sensor. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, pp. 59 / 72 3 / 4 12. Smart pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 1, characterized in that the external device is a smartphone.

13. Intelligent pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 1, characterized in that the communication mechanism (120d) is configured to automatically transmit data to the external device when the communication mechanism (120d) connects to the external device.

14. Intelligent pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 1, characterized in that the communication mechanism (120d) is configured to communicate using Bluetooth communication, cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, near field communication or radio frequency identification communication.

15. Intelligent pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a current date and time circuit configured to collect time and date data, wherein the communication mechanism (120d) is configured to transmit the time and date data to the external device.

16. Intelligent pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (102) is configured to be fixed in a non-removable manner to the cap.

17. Intelligent pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (102) is configured to be removablely attached to the cap, such that the housing (102) is configured to be removed from the cap and attached to a second cap of a second pill bottle.

18. Intelligent pill bottle cap (100), according to Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, pp. 60 / 72 4 / 4 with claim 17, characterized in that the housing (102) has a cavity formed therein, configured to receive the pill bottle cap therein.

19. Intelligent pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 18, characterized in that a plurality of longitudinal grooves (507) are formed in the housing (102) surrounding the cavity, and a plurality of handles project from the housing (102) into the cavity, wherein the plurality of longitudinal grooves (507) are configured to allow the housing (102) to flex radially outward during placement and removal of the pill bottle cap inside the cavity, and the plurality of handles are configured to engage the pill bottle cap when the cap is received inside the cavity.

20. Intelligent pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (102) has a cavity formed therein, configured to receive the pill bottle cap therein, the housing (102) has a guide plate disposed between the sensor and the cavity, and the guide plate is configured to receive a weight of at least the contents of the pill bottle and apply the weight of the contents to the sensor.

21. Intelligent pill bottle cap (100), according to claim 20, characterized in that the guide plate has a plurality of columns projecting from it, the housing (102) has a plurality of holes defined therein, and the plurality of columns is configured to be received in the plurality of holes. Petition 870240049376, dated 11 / 06 / 2024, pp. 61 / 72

Images